Posts by Bill Wortman
Consultant’s Corner: Becoming an Influencer
Q. How does someone become a paid influencer? I have large following on social media, and would like to capitalize on this with corporate sponsorships. The basic steps to become a paid influencer are: Make yourself an expert Share your knowledge with others via social media and blogs Grow a following Build trust and respect…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Online Marketing through Blogs and Social Media
Question: How can I effectively utilize social media, specifically LinkedIn, as a means of promotion? While LinkedIn is one social media tool for marketing your business, there are other social media resources you should utilize in conjunction with LinkedIn. General Social Media Marketing Considerations The specific social media methods and tools that you plan to…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Upgrading to Windows 10
Q: I’m currently running Windows 7 and Windows XP on my computers, and I’m considering upgrading to Windows 10. What are the pros and cons? Microsoft stopped providing extended support and issuing updates (including security updates) for Windows XP over a year old, so if you are still using XP you should consider upgrading to…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: 7 Ways to Strengthen Your Twitter Marketing
Question: What are some strategies to market my business on Twitter? This answer focuses on marketing through Twitter, however, we would recommend that you consider an integrated marketing approach utilizing a Facebook business page and possibly other social media sites to increase your exposure and allow for the most impressions possible. Here are important Twitter…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Facebook Advertising Strategy
Q. What are some of the best ways to market a service or business on Facebook today, with all the changes to their policies and algorithms? I want to better understand their paid ads system, as well as non-paid strategies to stay in front of prospective clients, to help me brand myself as a business…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: How Do I Market My Business Better?
Q. Where do I get started figuring out how to market my business? Marketing considerations. Generally speaking, marketing plans are influenced by the industry, local competition, target customers, available capital, customer base, and other factors. Also, trial and experimentation is usually required to determine the most effective promotional methods for a particular market. Businesses normally…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Accepting EMV Chip Credit Cards
Q: What does the EMV law of October 1, 2015, mean for small businesses in regards to the liability shift, and how does it affect customers? As of October 1, 2015, businesses that don’t accept EMV chip credit cards are responsible for paying for fraud that occurs on card-present, or point of sale, transactions other…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: The Risks of Outsourcing Overseas
Q. What are the risks of outsourcing IT work overseas and/or hiring foreign workers? Many businesses outsource IT work to foreign contractors and companies; however, while outsourcing often enables businesses to obtain quality IT services at lower costs than domestically, there are various risk considerations, particularly for small businesses. To help assess whether outsourcing any…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Obamacare Tax Reporting Requirements
Q. I’m a bit confused about the Affordable Care Act and the 1095-C Form. Over the course of the last year I held three full-time jobs, but only had health insurance coverage for one. I did not receive a 1095-C form for my taxes, so what should I do? Unless your second and third employers…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Can a 1099 Business Set Up an HRA Plan?
Q. I recently learned about Health Reimbursement Arrangement insurance plans. Are these applicable to someone running a 1099 business with no employees? If so, how could I take advantage of an HRA? Sole proprietors cannot establish a Section 105 HRA, or medical reimbursement plan, solely for themselves and have the business reimburse them for out-of-pocket…
Read This Article