Jun 13, 2019
Are there websites, software and systems which can free up your time and make things easy? (Sure!) That’s what today’s episode is all about….
The ‘internet’ has been around since the 1950’s. The ‘WWW’ (World Wide Web) was born in 1991.
They are two different things. I know because I used to teach this stuff at the Institute for Public Administration in Ireland.
But, who cares… (Right?)
What really matters is that you are taking advantage of some great websites and software online which will save you money and simplify a lot of the tasks in running your own training business.
*** DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert in matters of law, tax or business compliance. It is strongly advisable that you seek professional advice in these and ancillary areas as they are complex subjects in their own right, which require subject matter expertise ***
One of the ways in which online services can make your life easier is in the area of business formation.
Sure, you can start out as a sole trader regardless of where you are heading on your journey.
But, there are advantages to keeping things simple at the outset.
If you are just ‘dipping your toes in the water’, you might want to trade for a while in your own name to establish whether you like running a training business and whether you want to – and can afford to – keep going.
But – let’s say you do like working for yourself and that you have reason to believe your training consultancy / coaching business can survive the critical first two years in business.
In that case, many training business owners consider setting up an LLC (Limited Liability Company) which is a US form of private limited company.
An LLC and its counterparts in other jurisdictions, are created to allow a business owner to separate personal assets and liabilities from those of the business.
In the UK, business owners may opt to create a Limited Company (frequently abbreviated as ‘Ltd’).
In Australia, the equivalent is referred to as a Proprietary Company (Pty Ltd).
Many clients I work with, require that I have a limited company before they will do business with my brand. This is why I have to have a private company.
So… is that the case for you?
The formation of a legal entity requires that you get things right first time. The problem is that this expertise can be expensive to avail of.
LegalZoom was created to make common business legal services both affordable and transparent.
They can help you with the registration of a trademark, the filing of a patent, the filing of a DBA (Doing Business As) [USA], the creation of an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), business licenses and much more.
LegalZoom’s packages start at $79 plus filing fees in the USA, or £34.99 in the UK.
* PLEASE NOTE: None of the links on this page are affiliate links – which means I do not benefit financially from anything you click on or decide to sign up to. It is your choice to select your provider *
Have you given any thought to which type of business formation suits you?
If not….it’s time to go talk to a few people and find out.
One of the most rewarding times in running your training business is the moment when you submit your invoice for a job well done.
In the beginning, you might simply create invoices using a Microsoft Excel template.
You might even be creating your invoices in Microsoft Word and send them via email.
(But, that sounds so ‘1999’!)
Instead:
These are just several of the many reasons why it makes sense to use online accounting software.
Less time chasing expenses and filing claims. More time consulting and making money.
For a modest fee, you can set up an account with one of a range of online accounting providers including Xero, Quickbooks, Zoho, Freshbooks and more.
Xero has come in for special attention because of its ability to connect with many apps including your marketing software, your CRM (customer record database – listen to the episode) and of course, your bank account.
I’m definitely not a numbers and accounts kind of guy, so using online accounting software is designed to make my life easier.
You can sign up for each of these for a free trial, which means that you can play around with the software before you decide to commit.
Just remember that you do need to ensure that your bank can connect with the relevant online accounting software vendor!
Now listen to the episode to get more information on the kinds of services which can help you.
LegalZoom – Avail of
affordable legal and business services
UpCounsel – Identify and
hire legal experts in a range of areas [US]
Xero – Connect bank accounts
and manage accounts
Freshbooks – Track your
time and invoice for project work
Zoho – Manage accounts and
invoicing online
QuickBooks
– Online accounting & invoicing platform
NameCheckr – Free
service to check domain name and social media names
99Designs – Create design
contest to attract designers
GoDaddy – Buy domains and
arrange website hosting
Fiverr – Find and hire
designers, coders, assistants online
Moo – Create and order quality
business cards
Wix – Low-cost website
builder using templates
LeadPages – Create landing
pages online
Instapage – Create
landing pages online
Unbounce – Create landing
pages online
Ontraport – CRM, landing page
and marketing automation
NeilPatel – Expert on Search
Engine Marketing
Amy Porterfield –
Expert on Facebook marketing
Hubspot – Marketing,
Sales and CRM platform
PipeDrive – Sales-focused
CRM
Zoho – Online CRM
Salesforce –
Small-business version of salesforce CRM
Pexels – Find free photos
and video footage for marketing
Unsplash – Find free
photos and video footage for marketing
PiktoChart – Create
infographics, presentations, reports online
Beacon – Create ebooks and
lead-magnets for marketing purposes
EventBrite – FInd
events and sell tickets to your own event
MeetUp – Find groups and
create your own group
Zoom – Host webinars and video
conferences online
BigMarker – Host webinars,
video conferences and webcasts online
*** DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert in matters of law, tax or business compliance. It is strongly advisable that you seek professional advice in these and ancillary areas as they are complex subjects in their own right, which require subject matter expertise ***
Want to know how to drive sales and get more training, facilitation and coaching clients? Thinking of becoming a freelance consultant or starting your own facilitation business? Training Business ® is definitely the show for you. The Training Business podcast helps freelance trainers, training business owners, learning and development professionals, facilitators and coaches like you to start, grow and scale your business. Every Thursday you get expert tips to help you market your training, facilitation and coaching programs and sell your learning and development services. Your host, Mark earned his first train-the-trainer (TTT) whilst working for The Walt Disney Company in Florida and his MBA from the University of Ulster. He is an expert sales coach and passionate developer of people, and a former Learning & Development Manager with 17 years of experience training corporates, self-employed and unemployed across 19 countries. Subscribe to the show right now for a fresh episode each week.