Posts Tagged ‘small business tips’

3 Must Take Tax Deductions For Small Business Owners

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Today we are wrapping up our series on how to save you money this tax season. So far we’ve talked about the benefits of our too good to be true trade show display rental program, Wednesday we were all about different ways to save you money while on the road, and today we’re going to finish things out with tax deductions that are sure to help you get a larger refund. For those of you sweating it out trying to get that paperwork done for the end of the day today, take a deep breath and relax. Due to a holiday the usual April 15th deadline has been move to Monday the 18th so you’ve still got a few more days to wrap up any loose ends and get them filed. For small business owners this should give you plenty of time to make sure you’ve taken all the deductions available to you. 

3 Must Take Tax Deductions For Small Business Owners

Travel Expenses- Many people think that in terms of travel expenses this simply means the literal cost of going somewhere such as a plane tick, cab ride, etc….but in fact pretty much everything associated with the trip can count as a deduction. This could include your hotel stay, food, dry cleaning, shipping that trade show display. Plus those of any employee you take with you.

Advertising Deductions- Did you sponsor a little league team this year? Purchase a new custom designed banner to hang on your store front? Maybe you ordered some new brochures or business cards. Advertising is a great source for tax deductions. Think of all the little things you do to promote your business including advertising at local restaurants, sending out coupons, or radio ads. The only thing you need to make sure you can do is prove you did the promotion.

Entertaining Clients- One major reason you go to trade shows is to meet new people in hopes of generating sales. When meeting a potential client it’s always better to get them away from the crowds where you can speak one on one without a million distractions. This could mean dinner at a fancy restaurant, catering a private lunch, or showing your appreciation by giving them a couple of tickets to that night’s ball game. Make sure to always get a receipt and note who attended and what the circumstances were.

Nobody has a harder time getting through tax season then the small business owner. The folks at Godfrey understand this and that’s why we do our best to make it easier on you by offering such programs as our trade show display rental system and thousands of custom designed exhibits that are sure to help you generate sales.

Bad News: Rent is increasing…Good News: Our showroom interiors will increase your sales!

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

For small business owners it seems that the challenges in this current economy never cease to end. The cost of health insurance, employees asking for more money, inventory expenses going through the roof, consumers becoming even more frugal than ever before….the hits never end and the pressure isf ever increasing. Now comes word from one real estate consulting firm that in less than five years rental expenses will see a significant upswing and might climb as high as 35%.

According to Lesley Deutch of John Burns Real-estate Consulting the average renter is about to see a major change in how much they pay every month. With expectations anywhere from a 25%-31% increase by 2015, we will all be forced to find even more room in our already overcrowded budgets. For retailers this means that unless they find a way to increase sales, some very hard choices will also be in their near future. One of the best ways to increase sales is to stay fresh on the mind of the consumer by presenting them with something the likes of which they have never seen before. Something like one of the many showroom and retail environments from the experts at Godfrey.

Whether custom designed to meet your individual specifications or chosen from our extensive gallery of designs, Godfrey offers retailers a wide variety of options including: both hard and soft surfaces, light box fixtures, audio and video components, and even the ability to literally shift the design to create new looks within minutes.

As a small business owner you understand that there is no limit when it comes to what problems may happen next. Unless you have a steady cash flow budgeting can be a nightmare. Thankfully Godfrey is here to help with our line of amazing looking showroom interiors that are sure to help keep the customers flowing through the door.

Trade Shows & Facebook: A CombinationToo Good To Be True!!

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past three years, you’ve heard about Facebook and probably have better things to do anyway like protecting your family from a T-Rex or something. For the rest of us who can’t help but check our walls every five minutes of the day and feel compelled to let the world know that we ate too much Chinese food for lunch, Facebook is more than just another website it’s our way of constantly staying in touch with the pulse of the world. Imagine a day very soon in our children’s lives in which they literally never lose touch with anyone. For us adults high school friends haven’t been seen in twenty years; for our children, friends new and old will always only be a click away. If you’re a small business owner looking to promote yourself in this tough economy Facebook may just be the answer to those prayers.

Five Ways To Promote Via Facebook

Let the world know you have arrived- You just got to that trade show event that has been hyped so much only to find that A) it’s sooooo crowded nobody can find anyone in the maze of booths or B) it’s dead and nobody is walking the isles. Luckily you’ve just started up a Facebook page and over the past few months have been collecting a steady stream of followers which can also be considered potential customers. Immediately you pull out your smartphone and start taking pictures of your custom designed trade show exhibit complete with hanging banners and large video monitors. Within seconds you’ve told the world where you are and what to look forward when they arrive.

Videos can be instant commercials- For those that are unable to make it to that trade show or for simply showing off your new portable showroom designs, Facebook allows you to post video of your company in action. Plus Facebook is essentially an internet phone tree. For example say you post a video and one of your 300 followers says they liked it. Now not only have you shown that new showroom interior to your 300 followers, but that instantly doubles to include the 300 followers of the person that left the comment, then the number doubles again as more and more people comment on your original video.

Give customers 15 minutes of fame- While at that trade show posting videos about how great and exciting your trade show display looks, take the time to catch some visitors on camera and let them share in the limelight. There’s nothing people like more than some individual attention and getting on the on the web is the same as putting that spotlight right on them.

Don’t discount the power of Facebook- One new trend in business in terms of using Facebook to gain a competitive edge, is the concept of offering followers Facebook only discounts. From an extra 10% off on football tickets to free appetizers at your favorite restaurant, retailers big and small are learning that rewarding their loyal followers can quickly mean big business.

Window Designs Guaranteed To Draw A Crowd!!

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

The holidays are over. The stockings have all been put up to next year. The Christmas tree lights no longer twinkle till the wee hours of the morning. Auld Lang Syne has been sung and the streamers have all been swept up. That list of gifts you had to get has been tossed aside and now we all face the same problem of trying to hold on to as much money as possible in order to pay off our Christmas debt. For small business owners this time of year is traditionally one of the toughest, known for the number of bankruptcies that are filed each year by companies that unsuccessfully pinned all their hopes on lack luster holiday sales.

No longer driven by the fear of showing up without a gift for every stranger and coworker at the company Christmas party, stores have to be even more vigilant to attract consumers into their stores. Window shopping which is considered by many to be a sport to begin with, quickly takes hold of the country with only those retailers with the most enticing displays gaining a visit from customers who are holding on to their wallets with a death grip.  If you would like to be one of the few that has such an amazing custom designed window display that customers literally line up to get inside, then the time has come to reach out to Godfrey for some help on how to survive those winter blues.

Godfrey has exactly what you need to stop those window shoppers in their tracks with such choices as window banners available in sizes 15.5′ X 24′, 24′ X 36′, and 24′ X 48′, in and outdoor window pennants that can easily be mounted via our flag pole suction cup mount, and our fantastic looking glass mounted literature holders perfect for vendors just itching to get their promotional materials into the right hands. Complete with custom designs, a ton of available features, some of today’s hottest styles, and of course plenty of eye catching graphics, Godfrey’s amazing window treatments are your best bet for higher sales!