Looking to hire a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm for your small business? Going the CPA way might actually make sense over hiring just any accountant. The problem is, how do you know which is the right CPA firm for you? Here are some of the factors to consider while selecting a small business CPA firm.1. Does the firm specialize in serving small businesses like yours?
A CPA firm specialized in serving small businesses is likely to understand and address the challenges unique to small businesses more effectively than one that is not. Also, it is likely to be efficient and agile in serving your needs as its services, processes and operations are built to cater to small businesses.2. Does the firm have any client(s) in your industry?
A CPA firm specializing in serving small businesses in your industry is likely to be more familiar with the accounting principles and tax laws specific to your industry than a CPA that serves clients in any and all industries. This industry experience makes it an effective and informed business advisor for better business decision-making.3. Does the firm offer all the CPA services you currently need or will need in the near future?
As your business grows, you will need a CPA firm that provides more than just accounting, tax, payroll and bookkeeping services. You will need a firm that can also be your business consultant, part-time CFO and a personal financial planner. Hire one that is a good fit for your present needs but also has the capacity to serve you as you expand.4. Does the firm have expertise in areas relevant to your needs?
Understand your needs first before seeking a solution. For example, if your internal staff handles your accounting and bookkeeping but you need an outside help for certain types of taxes, then hire a CPA firm that is an expert in those types of taxes, preferably in your industry. If you want to setup a retirement plan for yourself and/or for your employees, hire a CPA firm that also provides financial advisory services.5. What credentials and licenses in accounting and finance do the firm employees have?
Most highly-recognized professional credentials in accounting and finance, such as CPA, CFP, CFA, PFS, EA, etc., have requirements for continuing education and compliance with their standards to ensure that the professional is not only knowledgeable about the subject matter but also that his/her knowledge is up-to-date. It’s always wise to hire professionals with the highest professional credentials in the field of your needs.6. Who will actually serve your account?
A typical CPA firm has accounting staff ranging from the most junior staff accountant to the most senior firm partner. Their ranks are largely determined based on their level of expertise and experience. Ask your CPA firm who will be your single point of contact for your account and who else will work on your engagement.7. What is the firm’s client callback policy?
One of the main reasons to hire a small local CPA firm is the ease of access. Ask whether they have a written policy of returning client’s calls within 24 hours and addressing their queries and getting them resolved within 72 hours. Also, find out whether they will be available over the weekend for an occasional urgent situation.8. What fees will the firm charge?
Depending on the nature and scope of your engagement, a CPA firm may quote you either an hourly rate or a flat fee. Ask them to explain why their quote type (hourly or flat) is appropriate for your situation. Also, ask whether there is anything you can do on your side to help lower the fees.9. Is the firm also skilled in preparing personal tax returns and providing other personal finance services, if needed?
Most small businesses are flow-through business entities whereby their business profits and losses flow through their personal tax returns at the year-end. Therefore, as a small business owner, you need a CPA firm that has experts in not only accounting and taxes but also in personal finances.Such a CPA firm applies a holistic view to your finances in devising optimal tax strategies.10. Does the firm have a strong referral network for your other professional service needs?
For many small businesses, their CPA is their most trusted source for many great referrals. You should be able to count on your CPA for reliable referrals for your other professional service needs such as legal, financing, banking, investment and insurance. Once you hire the right CPA firm, it should become your primary source for other reliable professionals.

Advertising on the net is much different than advertising offline in newspapers, magazines or even radio and TV. If you approach internet advertising as you would traditional advertising you may end up losing your shirt very quickly.

There is a misconception people have when it comes to advertising online. Since advertising online is less expensive than offline marketing methods you can simply place and ad, brand your company, product or service and begin to see results. The problem with this mentality is that many others are thinking the same thing and the marketplace becomes inundated with ads that people tend to give a blind eye to.

Consumers these days are bombarded by advertising on tv, when they open their email box, when they are visiting their favorite website, virtually everywhere they go they are being marketed to.

Advertising on the net can be effective if you approach it with the intent of providing value or education in stead of flat out advertising. The majority of people on the internet are looking for information so rather than blast your message in front of them when they are in the middle of another task, a.k.a interruption marketing, a different approach will provide much better results.

In my opinion, one of the best advertising techniques is the “camouflage ad”. This is when you create an ad that does not look like an ad. As an example say you are promoting an eBook on healthy weight loss.

You could easily write an ad that says something like, Lose 30 pounds in 30 days without dieting”. This would get some attention but there are many of those types of ads saturating the internet’.

If you were to change the ad title and body to reflect more of a story with an invitation to learn more the response will be more than double the first method.

Here is a subject for the same eBook camouflaged.

Indiana mother of 5 loses 30 pounds in 30 days without dieting. Shocking free report blows the lid of the diet industry scams. Grab a free copy of the report and protect yourself from greedy marketing companies.

So here are 5 keys you can use to create camouflaged ads to increase your leads and sales when advertising on the net.

1) Use text ONLY no colors or banners. If it looks like an ad people will generally ignore it.

2) Instill curiosity in your ad so people will want to learn more.

3) Offer something FREE rather than just ask a prospect to make a call or contact you to learn more.

4) Try and avoid advertising in groups with other ads. Use ezine advertising or blog advertising that will blend in more with content.

5) Focus on no cost or low cost marketing to test response rates and return on investment. Unlike offline advertising advertising on the net can actually generate a profit if done properly. In fact if you are not paying for the ad at all even one sale puts you into profit. Free online advertising is your best solution if you know how to get it.

When considering starting a home based business, there are several preliminary steps you need to take to ensure you start off for the ‘right’ reasons, in the ‘right’ market for yourself, and with the ‘right’ resources. You’ll begin to understand what’s ‘right’ through the following synopsis of what it truly takes to fully develop a successful home business.You should first be clear as to “Why” you want to start your own home based business (the ‘right’ reason) before you jump right into getting one started. This will be your reasons, your wants, your passions, your dreams. Ask yourself “What is my ‘Why’?”, and keep asking “Why” down to five levels, to get to the real answer. Your initial “Why” will typically be general and superficial and will only satisfy an immediate perceived need. You need to dig deeper and find the long term, life changing reason for starting a home based business. List and define these reasons,and be as specific as you can. It could be that you “want to set your own hours,” “be your own boss,” “have more time with your family,” “write your own paycheck,” maybe you’re “not fulfilled with the current profession you’re in.” These are all superficial, first level “Why’s”. “I want to achieve success in making my own way so I can pass that knowledge and skill down to my children so they, too, can duplicate my success and live the life they want, without all the struggles I had.” This is a more long term and life changing “Why”, perhaps a final fifth level, even.Whatever your “Why”, being successful at starting a home based business depends on your passion for the type of work you wish to delve into. There is, typically, a lot at stake when starting your own home business, and the amount of time and effort you must put into it could be overwhelming and exhausting. It is imperative that you be passionate about your new business endeavor in order to see it through to success. You must next focus on knowing and acknowledging your strengths. Take some time to recognize your talents and skills, and your passion (the ‘right’ reason). It is essential that you understand which type of business is well suited to you and your interests. Everyone can do something, but not anyone can do everything, and particularly well. So, clearly evaluate your strengths in any market. If the market you seek is one in which you have no or little experience, but simply the desire to work in, then you must be mentally and emotionally prepared to deal with a multitude of start-up issues while just learning the skills to manage in that market.Once you have established your “Why” and decided on what type of home based business you want to start according to your talents, skills and passion, you will need to develop what is THE most important aspect of your business, and that is the Business Plan. You’ve probably heard the saying ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. Your business plan is your guide to development and growth. It will list all of the important factors required to start a new business. Among other things, the plan will list your investment costs and options; financial gain you intend to receive from the business; the amount of time you anticipate developing, building and working your business should also be defined in your plan. It will also need to include any licenses and permits required, technical aspects (hardware, software, websites, etc.), and a Marketing Plan.After your business plan has been developed, the next fundamental requirement to starting a home based business is a plan to profit from it, a business marketing plan. This is your strategy for promoting and selling your product or service.Your marketing plan should specifically consider and consist of four factors: product, pricing, place and promotion. Once you choose the product or service you plan to sell or provide, you’ll need a solid pricing strategy. Too expensive and people won’t buy it; too cheap and people will think of low quality. Place is all about where you are going to market your products or services… local, global, or online. Promotion consists of advertising your home based business, whether marketing on the internet, or offline in print, in the media, etc.As you can clearly see, you must be properly prepared in order to be successful as an entrepreneur. Do your research, and do it right. Be sure you are very clear on your “Why” of wanting your own home based business. Fairly evaluate and determine your passion in order to choose the right home business for yourself. Develop a Business Plan and a Marketing Plan. This, with Promotion and Advertising, is what will bring traffic, i.e. customers, to your website. Customers, of course, are the life blood of your business. If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business.