God help me, I've done it.

[Roland]

Pending approval, I am now a registered business owner in the state of Massachusetts in the trade of Retail Sales and Services, Custom Computer Systems Design (although I do a LOT more than just that). Man, that feels good. Now I just need to actually START.

I need to get some business cards (and flyers) printed up, not to mention get some office supplies to help me organize the legal paperwork. And, once I get my real certificate in the mail, along with my Form ST-1 (Sales & Use Tax Registration, which I think I need to still fill out), I can file Form ST-4 (Sales Tax Resale Certificate), and THEN I can contact my wholesale distributors and set up accounts to purchase goods for resale. :)

Of course, my OTHER services will include consultation, networking, and tech support, but custom-built solutions will be a big part of my business (or so I hope). Eventually, of course, I'll want to advertise in the phone book, set up a website, yadda yadda, but for right now I'd be happy with just getting some cards printed up and putting up a couple flyers locally. That would attract enough business to put some change in my pocket to further advance my business. It also helps that I work at a local automotive repair shop that's been established for 30 years (I'm the parts manager, and I sit in the front office, so I get to see all the customers), so word of mouth has already snagged me a couple jobs. :) If I get one customer a month I'll be happy for right now. Not that I have time for much more. ;)

Anyway, I just had to share. Laura, if you read this, I'm glad you finally made something of your dreams. I'm truly proud of you. Mayhap you'll congratulate me on doing the same. :) In fact, you were the final nail in the coffin for me - hell, if you could do it, why can't I (despite all the warnings I've receieved against it)? I've been dreaming about this for a long time, and I'm SO glad it's finally done. I think having so many people tell me not to bother, it's too hard, you'll probably fail, it's a waste of money, etc. really spurred me on, as I've only seriously considered doing this in the last couple months (i.e. taken steps into researching how to apply, what the costs and risks are, etc.). All the time before was just buying time up until this moment, and all that crap just made me want to do it all the more. And, like I said, seeing you do it gave me that final little tap to push me over the edge.

So, it's done. And I'm thrilled. I'm 23 years old and am now the owner of my own business. I don't expect it to take off even remotely for another 6 to 18 months, but I can live with that. I'm so excited and happy and proud right now, I feel so alive. And I'm going to celebrate by going out to see War of the Worlds with the g/f tonight. :) Later all.

[SetBuilder]

Pending approval, I am now a registered business owner in the state of Massachusetts in the trade of Retail Sales and Services, Custom Computer Systems Design (although I do a LOT more than just that). Man, that feels good. Now I just need to actually START.

I need to get some business cards (and flyers) printed up, not to mention get some office supplies to help me organize the legal paperwork. And, once I get my real certificate in the mail, along with my Form ST-1 (Sales & Use Tax Registration, which I think I need to still fill out), I can file Form ST-4 (Sales Tax Resale Certificate), and THEN I can contact my wholesale distributors and set up accounts to purchase goods for resale. :)

Of course, my OTHER services will include consultation, networking, and tech support, but custom-built solutions will be a big part of my business (or so I hope). Eventually, of course, I'll want to advertise in the phone book, set up a website, yadda yadda, but for right now I'd be happy with just getting some cards printed up and putting up a couple flyers locally. That would attract enough business to put some change in my pocket to further advance my business. It also helps that I work at a local automotive repair shop that's been established for 30 years (I'm the parts manager, and I sit in the front office, so I get to see all the customers), so word of mouth has already snagged me a couple jobs. :) If I get one customer a month I'll be happy for right now. Not that I have time for much more. ;)

Anyway, I just had to share. Laura, if you read this, I'm glad you finally made something of your dreams. I'm truly proud of you. Mayhap you'll congratulate me on doing the same. :) In fact, you were the final nail in the coffin for me - hell, if you could do it, why can't I (despite all the warnings I've receieved against it)? I've been dreaming about this for a long time, and I'm SO glad it's finally done. I think having so many people tell me not to bother, it's too hard, you'll probably fail, it's a waste of money, etc. really spurred me on, as I've only seriously considered doing this in the last couple months (i.e. taken steps into researching how to apply, what the costs and risks are, etc.). All the time before was just buying time up until this moment, and all that crap just made me want to do it all the more. And, like I said, seeing you do it gave me that final little tap to push me over the edge.

So, it's done. And I'm thrilled. I'm 23 years old and am now the owner of my own business. I don't expect it to take off even remotely for another 6 to 18 months, but I can live with that. I'm so excited and happy and proud right now, I feel so alive. And I'm going to celebrate by going out to see War of the Worlds with the g/f tonight. :) Later all.
[right][snapback]82122[/snapback][/right]

Congratulations!

[Count Duckula]

Heh. As I've been finding out, business ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be.

--Find out about tax forms in MA. In VA, I have to send in a monthly statement whether I've made any taxable profit or not.

--Don't go too wild with promotion, at least for now. Hold off on the website for a while--start local.

Other than that, you sound fine. Full of ambition. Like me. ^_^ Here's to the best of luck for both of us.

[Guest]

Good for you. :)

[Doc]

Owning your own business and being your own man is the only way to go through life. Why slave away to make somebody else rich?

Good for you. I really, honestly mean that. I hold a special respect for those who go through their lives by their own means.

You are now your own man. A real man, a man who will live or die on his own two feet and carve out his empire with his own two hands.

Be ruthless, be ambitious, and most importantly, use cunning. Always find the edge and then ruthlessly exploit it. Use your money to make money. Never let it sit in the bank and do nothing. Do not let your money be lazy. Always put it to work for you.

Oh, and Duckie darling, replace the masculine pronouns in the above message with female ones, and be proud, because it's even harder for a woman to do it. Much respect and kudos for you.

If you ever need any advice... Ask.

Oh... And one little piece of free advice for both of you now. In business, do not accept failure. If you have underlings, minions, peons, or lackeys, make a policy where failure is met with termination. People become lax, lazy, and get entirely to comfortable in a working environment with no real consequences. The only real motivation is knowing that they could be canned for even the slightest failure. People can, and will work well beyond expectations when their own neck is on the line. Make them fear you. Learn to execute your management. If you have a manager, and his underlings fail, make him pay for it. He will put his own nose to the grindstone to make sure that his peons are working at 110% because it's his own job on the line. To make up for this stressful and demanding work environment, offer compensation that can't be beat.

And in business, you must be ruthless. If a supplier or a vendor screws you... RAKE THEM OVER THE COALS AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THEY CAN BE REPLACED. Always keep an eye on backup vendors and their pricing. And make sure you casually mention these prices and deals every chance you get to your current vendor or supplier. It scares them to death that they might lose a sale... And will start offering you some nice discounts. ALWAYS hold it over their head.

Er, this is turning into a long post. I love to see people getting started, makes me all warm and gushy. :wub:

[Occhidiangela]

Pending approval, I am now a registered business owner in the state of Massachusetts in the trade of Retail Sales and Services, Custom Computer Systems Design (although I do a LOT more than just that). Man, that feels good. Now I just need to actually START.

I need to get some business cards (and flyers) printed up, not to mention get some office supplies to help me organize the legal paperwork. And, once I get my real certificate in the mail, along with my Form ST-1 (Sales & Use Tax Registration, which I think I need to still fill out), I can file Form ST-4 (Sales Tax Resale Certificate), and THEN I can contact my wholesale distributors and set up accounts to purchase goods for resale. :)

Of course, my OTHER services will include consultation, networking, and tech support, but custom-built solutions will be a big part of my business (or so I hope). Eventually, of course, I'll want to advertise in the phone book, set up a website, yadda yadda, but for right now I'd be happy with just getting some cards printed up and putting up a couple flyers locally. That would attract enough business to put some change in my pocket to further advance my business. It also helps that I work at a local automotive repair shop that's been established for 30 years (I'm the parts manager, and I sit in the front office, so I get to see all the customers), so word of mouth has already snagged me a couple jobs. :) If I get one customer a month I'll be happy for right now. Not that I have time for much more. ;)

Anyway, I just had to share. Laura, if you read this, I'm glad you finally made something of your dreams. I'm truly proud of you. Mayhap you'll congratulate me on doing the same. :) In fact, you were the final nail in the coffin for me - hell, if you could do it, why can't I (despite all the warnings I've receieved against it)? I've been dreaming about this for a long time, and I'm SO glad it's finally done. I think having so many people tell me not to bother, it's too hard, you'll probably fail, it's a waste of money, etc. really spurred me on, as I've only seriously considered doing this in the last couple months (i.e. taken steps into researching how to apply, what the costs and risks are, etc.). All the time before was just buying time up until this moment, and all that crap just made me want to do it all the more. And, like I said, seeing you do it gave me that final little tap to push me over the edge.

So, it's done. And I'm thrilled. I'm 23 years old and am now the owner of my own business. I don't expect it to take off even remotely for another 6 to 18 months, but I can live with that. I'm so excited and happy and proud right now, I feel so alive. And I'm going to celebrate by going out to see War of the Worlds with the g/f tonight. :) Later all.
[right][snapback]82122[/snapback][/right]

Go get'em, Tiger! Proud of you, Roland, for going out and having at it. :D

Occhi

[Quark]

Don't forget to have fun doing this, I know it's possible in your line of work or I would have never gotten an A+ certification before :)


Oh, and fyi, I took the plunge. Getting refunds for everything possible, scrapping other parts out, and got a great deal from Alienware - 500 dollars in rebates. I decided it's time to go with a vendor. Every system I've built for myself has had problems somewhere, while the three times as many I've built for others have been problemless. That and I have to build a RAID system for my sister's photography business in a week, so I don't want to work on my own for now :P

[DeeBye]

... and THEN I can contact my wholesale distributors and set up accounts to purchase goods for resale. :)
[right][snapback]82122[/snapback][/right]

So uh, can you sell me a DVD-RW drive on the cheap? :blush:

Seriously man, 'grats.

[Jim]

Hi,

A web site for a Self employed CEO :wub:

http://www.ceoexpress.com/

Best of Luck :D

[whyBish]

Pending approval, I am now a registered business owner in the state of Massachusetts in the trade of Retail Sales and Services, Custom Computer Systems Design (although I do a LOT more than just that). Man, that feels good. Now I just need to actually START.
[right][snapback]82122[/snapback][/right]

Congrats!

I hope to be joining you soon. (Actually, I've just hit the top tax bracket over here by $1 so will need to make the obligatory shell company next year to avoid paying the "suckers 6%" :angry: ) (Top personal rate=39%, top company tax rate =33%).

[jahcs]

Congrats Roland. Good luck.

Doc has some good advice in there. Nobody wants to work for an ass but they'll sure work hard for one. Remember to value your employees, treat them well and they will remain loyal, even when called to task. Vendors work for you, if they mess up and refuse to fix it you and anyone you contact about it may be moving on to another source. If a vender is the only source for something, don't ever let them know that.

Hopefully your business grows at a pace you can handle while still giving you the chance to enjoy life. Now you just need to get the manufacturers to send you free samples and demo models. (Like an Nvidia 7800 ;) )

[Doc]

Congrats Roland.  Good luck.

Doc has some good advice in there.  Nobody wants to work for an ass but they'll sure work hard for one.  Remember to value your employees, treat them well and they will remain loyal, even when called to task.  Vendors work for you, if they mess up and refuse to fix it you and anyone you contact about it may be moving on to another source.  If a vender is the only source for something, don't ever let them know that.

Hopefully your business grows at a pace you can handle while still giving you the chance to enjoy life.  Now you just need to get the manufacturers to send you free samples and demo models.  (Like an Nvidia 7800 ;) )
[right][snapback]82215[/snapback][/right]

The people in my employ have full coverage. Medical, dental, vision, everything. They also get day care at no cost to them. Paid vacations, and flexible sick day options. Yeah, they bitch plenty about the horrible Atilla the Hun asshole they work for... But they tow the line with out question. There is simply to much to lose if they get fired. Christmas bonus is COLD HARD CASH. Paid under the table. Shhh... Nobody knows about it.

I treat them like dirt. I berate them. I belittle them. I lecture them. I have even been known to publicly humiliate them. Why? To make them work better? Not really. So that when I praise them for a job well done, it means something. Productivity shoots through the roof after rare words of praise are uttered. It means something to these people and they obey my every whim on the odd chance that praise may one day come out of my filthy toilet of a mouth.

In the main office, my picture hangs on the wall. Below it, it says. "God has mercy. This man does not." New folks laugh at it like it is some kind of joke.

I always laugh last.

[Jeunemaitre]

I treat them like dirt. I berate them. I belittle them. I lecture them. I have even been known to publicly humiliate them. Why? To make them work better? Not really. So that when I praise them for a job well done, it means something. Productivity shoots through the roof after rare words of praise are uttered. It means something to these people and they obey my every whim on the odd chance that praise may one day come out of my filthy toilet of a mouth.
[right][snapback]82220[/snapback][/right]

It sounds like you've created a gambler's addiction in the workplace. One of the most effective reward schedule is the random-random: random timing with random payoff (but payoff is always positive). This is the type of thing you get out of a slot machine: it's insanely difficult to predict when the next jackpot will hit, but when it does, brother it's a good thing! The opposite is fixed-fixed, like a normal paycheck: you know the amount, you know the timing. This schedule can lead to decreases in attentiveness and quality because people get to feeling that whether they do a great job, or a mediocre one they get the same reward regardless, so long as they don't screw the pooch. So they do just enough to get by.

Just remember, folks respond differently to these types of schedules. Going with Doc's suggested method will likely polarize your workforce: those who can hack it will, and those that can't will burnout and quit. Be prepared to be very specific about who you hire, and don't plan on having too many good friends in the workplace.

The only piece of advice I can give is the same thing my father told me when I started participating in my office's interview process: never be afraid to hire someone who will do a better job than you can. Choosing to hire them will put your skills to the test, but the company will be better off. Besides, you've got a head start on 'em.

Back on topic: congratulations to Ducky and Roland for taking the first step in their entrepreneurial career's!

edit: forgot to pitch in the one other thing I remeber from I/O psych: short term increases in productivity can be gained by small changes in work environment (brighter lighting, dimmer lighting, increase in meetings, decrease in meetings). Make the workers think that you're paying extra attention to them without telling what's going on and they will likely boost output due to paranoia: fear of unannounced review can be powerful. Do it too often though, and you create a culture of paranoia and people regress to their normal output: they are unable to maintain paranoia and decide "If management is going to fire me, I may as well be less stressed about it until they make up their minds."

Can't remember the name of the effect, but I'll try to remember to go home and pull out my notebook and look it up.

[Zippyy]

You always were my favorite Lurker.

[Roland]

Heh. As I've been finding out, business ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Heh, I already did most of the research I needed to, including calling the Department of Revenue.

--Find out about tax forms in MA. In VA, I have to send in a monthly statement whether I've made any taxable profit or not.

When I have to file is directly dependent upon how much taxes I expect to collect for this year (both estimated, and actual running). I guessed between $101 and $1200, so I have to file quarterly. $1201+ is monthly, and $100- is annually. I have to file regardless of any profit, but filing takes no time at all, especially since you can do it online (WebFile for Businesses).

--Don't go too wild with promotion, at least for now. Hold off on the website for a while--start local.

I'm not touching a website until at LEAST the beginning of next year, if not later. I'm going to do some very aggressive local advertisement, and push word-of-mouth. If only the school year wasn't out, I'd approach my old HS and try to get a class to make me some advertisement flyers as an extra credit project (Adobe Pagemaker). I need to get some business cards printed up at the local shop, but that won't cost me too much either. The real tricky part will be invoices. I've downloaded a couple templates for Excel from Microsoft, but nothing seems to quite fit. But we'll see what I can find.

Other than that, you sound fine. Full of ambition. Like me. ^_^ Here's to the best of luck for both of us.

I'm very full of ambition and determination. I intend to see this business through, and I hope to grow in the next couple of years. I don't want to sit on my ass and save up piles of money. I want to turn this into something bigger. The world only knows how far I'll get, but I'm determined to go as far as I can.

[Roland]

Don't forget to have fun doing this, I know it's possible in your line of work or I would have never gotten an A+ certification before :)
Oh, and fyi, I took the plunge.  Getting refunds for everything possible, scrapping other parts out, and got a great deal from Alienware - 500 dollars in rebates.  I decided it's time to go with a vendor.  Every system I've built for myself has had problems somewhere, while the three times as many I've built for others have been problemless.  That and I have to build a RAID system for my sister's photography business in a week, so I don't want to work on my own for now :P
[right][snapback]82130[/snapback][/right]

I intend to have fun, but fun will come in more ways than one. Building my business and seeing it grow will be just as enjoyable as the work it will take me to accomplish that.

[Roland]

So uh, can you sell me a DVD-RW drive on the cheap?  :blush:

Seriously man, 'grats.
[right][snapback]82132[/snapback][/right]

Maybe. ;) Maybe I'll make a part of my business selling parts to Lurkers at cheaper-than-retail prices. ;) Hmmm.... :D

[Roland]

You always were my favorite Lurker.
[right][snapback]82233[/snapback][/right]

*laughs* Thanks. You're top on my list too. :)

[Roland]

BTW - I'm approved. Just awaiting the real certificate in the mail, along with my ST-1 form. :)

[Doc]

Even worse then treating them like scum, I make all new hires work for 90 full days with no pay what so ever as volunteers. Because of the nature of the job, this weeds out most of the incompetents. They work full time, no pay, for 90 days. If means juggling another job to pay the bills, so be it. People take these jobs because they want these jobs. Sadly, even with those who really want it, most do not survive the 90 day trial by fire. Those that do are the best of the best, most of the time. They have drive and motivation.

And with the no mistakes policy, these people police each other. They correct each other's work. They cheer each other up and keep each other motivated. They pick up each other's slack. They have to. If one blunders, there is a good chance that all of them will pay for it, one way or another.

When productivity is running high, I pay for the very best in coffee and drinks and such. If productivity becomes "average" all these drinks are yanked. They get generic instant coffee. Decaff, if I am really feeling like an asshole. (Or one of my loyal minions that is in charge and knows how this game is played.) If one person is the cause in the drop, the others will deal with him or her more effectively than I, or one of my blood sucking minions can. And God help them if productivity ever drops below average. That happened once, several years ago. They were already getting punished and were not getting the message. I was sick. I was recovering from some major surgery. (Some of you will know what that is.) When the cat is away, the mice will play. I gave the order from my bed to turn off the air conditioning. For a WEEK. And with all those computers, copy machines, and searing Southern temperatures, people were melting into little grease puddles left and right.

You don't need to be cruel to run your own empire, but it helps.