Business 2 Business Magazine by James Oakden

Open more doors on your web site’s growth by Krysti Debòrah

Issue 3 - May 2011

Your Focus Is Our Focus

Integrated Marketing Techniques that Work Integrated Marketing .... Branding | Print Marking | Social Networking | Internet Marketing Creating a brand for your business put a visual mark to what yo u are

and who you are.

Extend Branding to Business Cards Post Cards Brochures Flyers Catalogs

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Facebook MySpace Blogspot Twitter Use the power of Social Networking

SEO PPC Link Building Strategies Target Ads Mass E-Mail

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In This Issue Feature Open more doors

10 Ways to improve:

on your web site’s growth

company culture

astrology:

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Features and Guest Writers Gloria Willis – Explode Productions Krysti Debòrah - Cassie Designs and Marketing Solutions Jo Jo Liberati Tom Calister Jackie Buckley Mark Etinger Advertising ahobbs@thenetworkguy.biz Digital Info www.business2business-magazine.info Webmaster Krysti Debòrah - info@cassie-designs.com

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PO Box 100 Hyrum, Utah 84319 © Copyright 2011 by Cassie Designs and Marketing Solutions While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be responsible for any errors therein. 2

Open

done away with the <meta tag> for keywords. So then why use it? I believe that if you are determined to put all your metatags to use, go ahead and use them. It won’t hurt your site to do so. But, I don’t feel that it is necessary at this point because your keywords are being found in your text and in your content. By following a few rules and working to make your web site easy to understand and easy to use for your client, you will satisfy all of your search engine needs, and you will find yourself being noticed by search engines all over. Of course there are too many rules to follow than we can mention here. But let’s start with the basic ones and go from there.

more doors on your web site’s growth

by Krysti Debòrah www.cassie-designs.com

Rule #1 Create Page Titles that are unique, contain a keyword, and describe that page to your client

recently heard a comment from an associate’s friend that made me realize that there are so many people that really have no idea what it takes to have a successful web site. Her simple comment “Anybody can build a web site!” made me think that maybe what I spend countless hours researching and executing before I pass it on to my clients is really basic high school fun. Maybe she is correct. With today’s countless open source projects, anybody can build a web site.. But, what she didn’t realize is that in the world of business, “Time is Money,” We don’t all have a lot of time to spend figuring out the intricate details of creating a web site. And once a site is up and running what good does it do us if we don’t have anybody visiting our site, purchasing our products, or hiring us for our services. This would mean that we have taken on the great task of “Working for our Web Site.” We must now pay for the cost of time that we spent to build it, the cost of purchasing domain names and hosting. I, myself, would rather spend my money on other products, or make sure my money is well spent. My ultimate goal is teaching “YOU” how to make your web site “work for you”. We are going to start to make our web site work for us. We are going to increase our traffic and create a web site that is Search Engine Friendly and User Friendly at the same time. If our web site is pleasing to the client it will please the search engines which will, in turn, increase business and please us. In all of my past articles we have talked about the power of the keyword and how to find our keywords. Once we have those keywords, what do we do with them? Over the years, most of the Search Engines have basically

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The title tag tells both the search engine and your users what the page is about. When a client reaches a page with an appropriate page title it will ensure that they know exactly what they will find on that page. This will efficiently make it clear that this is, in fact, what they are looking for without having to take valuable time to read through the whole page. In a world where time is money, the more friendly your site is, the more users will respect your consideration and read on to find the information they are seeking. Make sure that each page on your web site has a unique title tag describing exactly what can be found on that page. For the sake of the search engines using specific keywords indicates that on that page you would like the “Search Engine” to index you with that key word i.e. <title>Acme Furniture – Antique Bed Frames</title>. With this simple title, you tell both your client and the search engines that this is the page you will find “Antique Bed Frames”. Now, when a prospective client searches “Google” for Antique Bed Frames, a specific page shows up and the client can bypass all of the other pages on your web site, and can quickly and easily order an “Antique Bed Frame”. You just got their business in one simple step. Rule #2 <Meta Name= “description”> Now is the time for you to have some fun with those metatags that everybody has told you so much about. Just like the title tag your description metatag should be unique 3

and descriptive but allows you a bit more room to be descriptive. Use this space to come up with information about your pages that is informative and contains ALL of the keywords that are relevant to a page. This would include starting prices if you are selling a product, etc. A page description tag is used by search engines to place a brief paragraph on the search results page for “searchers” to get an idea what your page is about. But remember that this paragraph will be one of many on that page. All of the other search results have the same space to get their pages seen as well. So if you are competing against all of these other prospects with just a small paragraph, make sure you give as much relevant information as is possible. If the search engine cannot find a description that is usable or does not have any relevant keywords within it, it can go to the text on your page and find a description of its own. Keep the power in your hands to put your point across by making sure you create valuable descriptions.

Purchasing your domain name: Buying a domain name that contains one of your main keywords is the easiest ways to do some simple SEO. Your first response will always be to get a domain that is short and easy to remember. AHCS. com may be short for Advanced Happy Children Syndrome and easy for people to remember, but, unless AHCS is one of your main keywords it isn’t the best choice for a domain name. So how can you choose a domain name that isn’t so long that nobody wants to type it into the address bar, but descriptive enough that Search Engines get an idea what you are all about? Let’s think about the above choice. What are our main keywords here? “Happy children, or happy children syndrome”. Maybe the best choice of a domain name would be “HappyChildren.com” or to make it a little bit more memorable “GetHappyChildren. com”. Just give the Search Engine one more reason to put you near the top of the search results.

Rule #3 Page Content and Keywords

Search Engine Friendly URL’s – What is a search engine friendly url? Have you ever visited a web site that had an endless URL full of numbers and code that you would never understand? In reality, it makes it very hard for you to return to that web site page, or even bookmark it. Today web sites have become Database driven and interactive so that your customers can do more than just read the page. But to make all of this possible, we have had to create ways to send information. With some tricky bits of code you can change this long and complicated code to simple, and more secure, search engine friendly url’s. Something like www.mysite.com? id=40938430925093428534209832098432 can be changed to www.mysite.com/antiquebedframes. This has given Google a keyword for this page of antique bed frames and gives your prospective customers an easier url, that is descriptive and is now a bit more secure from hackers. Nobody really knows what the true content underneath should be.

When creating content for your page, the most important rule to follow is be descriptive for your clients. Make sure you include all relevant information in a way that is reader friendly and user friendly. Avoid using sentences that don’t clearly identify the product.– i.e. “The frame is made of old fashioned wood and comes in lighter colors or darker colors.” Replace with “The antique bed frame is made of antique dark oak wood, or a lighter antique oak.” This uses the keyword “antique bed frame” at least once in the description of the product and includes a secondary keyword antique and oak wood. Without overloading a description with keyword spamming, the more times you can place a keyword in your page, the higher a ranking you will get. Avoid keyword spamming, Google does see this! Rule #4 Keywords in your URL’s

Rule #5 Search Engine Friendly Menu structure

Simplified URL’s can also be a great place to help your SEO. I’m going to break this rule into two separate subjects, because depending on how you build your web site, you may have total control over one and no control over the other. www.business2business-magazine.info

Once again, if you think about your customer first, then the search engines will easily follow. Create a menu structure that avoids confusion, and contains appropriate keywords. 4

Continue on page 8

10 Ways to improve company culture By Gloria Willis www.explodeproduction.com

Consider that your employees are your most valu-

to have a sales-oriented culture can be positive, as you all learn together and share successes and improve sales skills. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each staff member can be used to your benefit. Teach them to learn skills from each other.

able resource. Your people represent you, they interact with your customers and you are only as good as your employees. These ten steps are ways to reduce possible “leaks” of performance and will improve your overall culture and sense of well-being in your company.

Holding regular meetings where you discuss “real stuff”. It is always surprising how many managers avoid meetings because they aren’t sure what to discuss. Meetings that miss the “mark” block progress. These meetings are often formal, short and uneventful. Staff people are looking for the meaning behind what is being said, i.e. how does this effect me and what I do as well as …how am I doing? When your employees have to meet, to discuss what the meeting was about—you have a problem. Misunderstandings are costly and can often be remedied. Develop an environment that is safe for people to ask questions and discuss viewpoints. Start all meeting with an agenda or overall topic of discussion. Don’t be afraid to have both positive topics of discussion as well as negative points that need to be covered to keep a positive work flow. Make sure to be well prepared before the meeting starts, bringing all media and printed documents with you. Nothing disrupts a meeting more than stopping and waiting in the middle of a discussion and for all of your support documents to arrive.

Letting people go when they are no longer a fit with your organization. One of the biggest challenges business owners often find is in letting people go when they no longer fit with the organization. Whether the company changes or the people do….when there is no longer a match - people need to move to a better position or out of the organization completely. Whatever the situation, take direct action to resolve people issues such as these in order to avoid a downward production spiral that can be costly over time. If someone needs to move on, it is in their best interest and your best interest to do so. Your organization can find the right person to fit that spot. There are many success cases where wonderful new people were located and where the person being let go, found a better situation as well. In the end we must always do what is best for our organization.

Holding people accountable. Some organizations hold employees accountable but many do not. Many managers are unaware of what their “numbers” are and how this information relates to the overall company production. With an ever changing business environment, ongoing sales by everyone is an essential element to your business’s success. Learning

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Looking outside the box on a regular basis. Do you take the time to periodically change your focus and search for new ways of doing your business? We

need to explore other options, streams of income and viewpoints to stay competitive. Keeping everyone be involved as we do this. Research on the Internet is a great resource for us to see what is working both for your company but what other companies are doing to stay competitive. Although we still have to apply and make them work effectively for us... the internet is an unending source of possibilities and can lead us into new ways of thinking. Never consider an employee suggestion as a bad suggestion. Sometimes getting new ideas come from the most unique of people. Give them the opportunity to research their idea and prove their point.

. Being your own consultant. Never underestimate the ideas YOU have for solving a problem. While the internet is a great source of ideas, you must also trust your own experience and perspectives. If you have ever come up with a solution simply by being quiet and getting out of the office for a little while, you know what I mean. Ask, ask, and ask...it is an excellent way of moving forward and developing an action plan that is readily available and cost-effective.

Finding collaboration partners and using them. Find people you can collaborate with, to help grow your business. There are resources available that can help us become more clear about a problem or a direction, saving us valuable time. People that are working with the same target market as us, and sell a different product are often great people to partner with. Collaboration can provide valuable results. Using a business coach is an example of a collaboration partner....someone that understands your goals and aspirations and will hold you accountable.

Celebrating success! Take time to celebrate your success.…whether it be a new client, a goal achieved or simply progress towards a set goal.... celebrating success focuses attention on what we are doing right! Celebration lets your team know that good results are important to you and that you do appreciate their team efforts. As we celebrate, we identify what is working and what is not, how to accomplish those goals and where to focus our attention next. We often forget the many levels at which success happens in our organizations and when we dedicate time to looking at what worked, Continued on page 7

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spend about 15-20 minutes of checkin/coaching time with their key workers individually each week. Checking in with your people puts you in touch with the pulse of your organization and is essential to retention and development. You will develop trusting relationships by meeting regularly and as a result, your people will bring tremendous value to your company. Consider coaching as a time to listen and then give feedback on ways someone could be more successful. Simple as that! This simple procedure in addition to regular meetings, is the very best use of a managers’ time for managing people and staying on task.

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Balance?? What is that? Working long days and nights is common when building a business. As the business grows, there are even more time demands. Make sure that you take some time each week to put systems in place, accountability measures and set up consistent procedures with your employees so you have good communication. These systems will give you confidence in the direction of your business, giving you good results. Add balance by making conscious decisions on how to enjoy your personal life as well. Remember that the time you spend delegating is time you can spend getting to know your employees and their strengths.

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Crystal clear expectations.

Create an organization where pro activity is the norm and where your employees are on board with you—i.e. they know what is expected and where the company is going. Managers who keep everything to themselves, micromanage and are afraid to delegate cannot survive in today’s economy. Every instance where staff is unclear, costs --in reduced morale and productivity. Let your employees know how they are doing with you, what you are most pleased with, where you would like to see improvement. Then set up a strategy for them to improve and make them accountable. This keeps staff engaged with you and clear about what you want. The best place to focus is…on what you want.

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0 0 . 0

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your robots.txt file. So create a robots file that includes this information at its core.

Having a multi layered web site, does not have to be confusing if you create your structure with an old fashion grain cylo in mind when you build it. Fan out in small doses and make sure that it fans back the same way.

Included in this space, I think it would be appropriate to talk about having a 404 page that includes a link back to your web site. This keeps your lost prospective client on your web site and puts them back on the path to a user friendly page. Avoid having your 404 pages show up in your site map. This can be avoided with a simple configuration of the status code. Stay organized throughout your web site. Don’t confuse your customers and you will keep the Search Engine on track with what you are trying to do and who you are trying to reach.

Bed Frames

Metal Bed Frames

Antique Bed Frames

Brass Bed Frames Copper Bed Frames

1800’s Bed Frames 1700’s Bed Frames

Rule #7 Link Building Strategies

Wood Bed Frames

One of the biggest buzz words in Search Engine Optimization is “Inbound Links.” We prefer to look at this from more of a marketing point of view and instead create a “Link Building Strategy”. When Google started putting relevance on “inbound links” too many businesses started thinking outside the box to find ways to “FARM” out links. You put a links page on your site and I will put one on mine and let’s see how many links we can exchange with other companies. This has since become more of a reprimanded issue with Google and the other Search Engines. If you practice this kind of Link Farming you may just find your web site banned completely. Don’t fall for the sales line, “I can put you on 1,000,000 search engines and web sites.” This is also a form of “Link Farming”. Instead work on a strategy that is Fun to do (Social Networking), Relevant ( Affiliate Sites) and Informative (Directories). Try and make it an ever growing strategy. See if you can’t add new types of links to your site every week and every month. This keeps your site fresh and lets your prospective customers know you are ever growing. Nobody wants to visit a web site that is stationary and stale.

Oak Bed Frames Cherry Wood Frames

Each menu item contains the main key word of bed frames, not only providing a way for Google to distinguish it, but also creating a multi use of that keyword. When Google counts how many times a word has been on your web site to find keyword relevance, you just gave them a great way to know that you sell Bed Frames. By using a breadcrumb on each individual page, it makes it easier for your customers to travel around your web site with ease. Rule #6 Site Maps How to use Site maps will be covered in future articles, so here we will just say that they are a vital part of your basic “Search Engine Optimization” Avoid letting them become out of date, by having “dynamic” Site Maps. These come standard with most Open Source Programs. Learn how to use them and let them do their job. Make sure you have both an html site map for your clients, and an xml site map for the Search Engines. Some Search Engines require that you declare your sitemap location in www.business2business-magazine.info

We will cover this subject in a much deeper fashion in a later issue. We could talk for months about Links and Internet Marketing. So for now, we just offer you this advice - Don’t get banned before you get started. Avoid companies that promise to bring you links by the thousands. In the end, you just may regret it. 8

How Astrology Is Good for Business By JoJo Liberati

http://birthchartshq.com/

nesses charts can act like a guide book, which has all the content of your “dos” and “don’ts”. This could become your best teacher and act as a manual for everything you are supposed to do and what you should do to compensate for negative traits.

strology is associated with your past, present and future. It is the study of heavenly bodies which affect the basic entities of your life including relationships, personality, and business. An astrologer can give you a snap shot of your future by reading the movements of the sun, moon, and planets in accordance with your specific sign and explain how they prove to play a role in every aspect of your life. Gaining astrological knowledge can be an enormous facilitator for your business in organizing, arranging, and keeping it going with nourishment, development and success.

Astrology has the power to make out the truth concerning imminent issues, calamities, opportunities and all activities. Imagine, if you receive a hint about a terrific chance to grow your business wouldn’t you want to adopt the path which is clear and visible, or would you instead like stay in the mist of darkness where you don’t know how to lead. All charts are cast according to the sun, moon, and planets and an expert astrologer can interpret each individual chart. Professional astrologers know how to read and cast charts for individuals and businesses according to date, time and location of birth. It is always better to seek the truth and get a guideline to life and business than to remain in the dark. Your business growth and success may depend on the attention you give it according to astrological information and instruction.

You must be wondering how astrology could help in your businesses growth and success. The answer to this question is very simple. Astrology gives insight into future cycles which can be used to optimize and predict trends that can be used in decision making. Who wouldn’t want to prepare in advance for trends and be given specific dates that can serve as warnings or give clarity to an upcoming beneficial opportunity? Having an edge on future events will help you take precautionary measures against upcoming catastrophe. This knowledge can save your business from being directly affected by bigger loss in business. Having a professional astrologer cast a chart for your business can be a great tool to help you set goals and plan for future down turns.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JoJo_Liberati

Consulting your businesses birth chart in order to seek a forth coming predicament is a dexterous plan to act upon. Learning to make decisions in accordance to what astrology has to say, will give you a greatly increased chance of staying out of trouble while improving your opportunity to optimize a prosperous event. In some parts of the world, it is common to believe that everything generated in the world has a star, a horoscope and the celestial bodies reveal their impact on equivalent basis the same as they do on humans. Your busiwww.business2business-magazine.info

About The Author

Charts for you.

JoJo Liberati is a professional astrologer that has been practicing astrology for over 15 years. She can cast and interpret fully individualized Birth http://birthchartshq.com/

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My Cardboard Obsession by Tom Callister

i, my name is Tom, and I spend unjustifiably large amounts of time creating useless objects out of cardboard. For me, it all started out with what I thought was harmless curiosity. Then, in the unnatural silence of my basement at 3 a.m., I realized that I had been spending precious hours perfecting the fake wood grain I was painting on the fake cardboard neck of a fake cardboard guitar that could never be played because I had made it completely out of cardboard! I would try to blame my strange behavior that night on the spray paint or adhesive fumes that I was too impatient to air out, but I’m afraid this was not the first time I found myself fixated on ridiculous details that no one would ever notice. This was my fourth cardboard guitar! Can I just lie back on this couch here and pretend you’re my Freudian therapist for a minute? Let’s see... the first cardboard project I can recall was a simple shield for my young son to use with his toy sword. Let me rephrase that: it should have been “simple.” After I carefully cut out the shape from the side of a cardboard box, I covered it with aluminum foil and taped on a cardboard piece for a handle. Looking back now, I can see that I went too far when I meticulously dented the foil with a golf ball (to give it a nice battle-proven look) and formed an elaborate design in the center of the shield using small pieces of duct tape. Just send me a bill for letting me go on about this, okay? I’ve made everything from a life-sized cardboard www.business2business-magazine.info

cutout of a famous person, dressed in real clothing, to a full suit of cardboard armor for a Halloween costume. I went around saying, “I am Cardboard Man,” and pretended to play Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” on one of my cardboard guitars. I’ve made ping-pong paddle shaped birthday cards out of cardboard, personalized miniature cardboard guitars for gifts, a three foot high cardboard castle for my daughter, a Harry Potter-ish magic wand box out of cardboard for my son-- this peculiar list goes on and on. The point is not what I’ve made. It’s how I’ve made them (i.e., in the middle of the night, rattling a noisy spray paint can out in my driveway, worrying myself sick about that little line that’s slightly uneven). All you have to do is count the number of times I’ve said the word “cardboard” in this story to know I’ve got a serious problem. Perhaps if I could harness this excessive cardboard passion into some entrepreneurial endeavor, then I could justify the time I’ve invested in my trivial cardboard pursuit. So, who wants to get their hands on a realistic double-neck Les Paul, limited cardboard edition, for their wall? You want flames? No problem: I’ve got construction paper stencils that are ready to go! http://www.reverbnation.com/callileenk 11

Hello Everyone. Before I introduce myself, I would like to give a special Thank You to my Dear friend, Mr. Ergottino for this invitation to post this article in his new magazine. I wish you the best of luck on your new endeavor. My name is Jackie Buckley. I am a 47 year old female, I live in the beautiful state of Utah and I am retired from the medical field. About eight years ago, my life took a drastic change which at that time I was sure was for the worst but I am convinced now that is not the case. In my eyes, my life was perfect. I had a wonderful job working for the most prominent cardiology group in the greater Las Vegas area. I had just purchased a new home and a new car all on my own. I had a great boyfriend, many friends and a loving family close by. I had accomplished so much in the previous few years. I had everything a woman in her mid- thirties could want. Then, within what seemed like a blink of on eye, a few short months, it was all taken away. I found myself in the hospital having an emergency complete hysterectomy for a large mass found on my right ovary. The doctors were not sure until they got in there if this was cancerous or not. Thankfully it was benign and I assumed after my recovery time my life would go back to normal. I had already dealt with the fact a few years prior that I would not be able to have children so having the hysterectomy at such a young age was not the most traumatic part of this experience for me. Eight months had passed since my surgery, I was back to work but was just not feeling up to par or back to normal if you will. I had seen many physicians, specialists and had numerous tests ran with no significant results or diagnosis. I was tested for everything from A to Z including Lymeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disease, Hepatitis, Lupus, You name it, I had testing for it. Finally, after another three months and more testing, I was diagnosed with Chronic Active Epstein Barr Virus. For those of you not familiar with this, it is a virus that runs along the same lines as Mononucleosis which I did not find out until several years later during some online research. I had a pic-line/shunt placed and was on I.V. Antibiotic therapy three times per day for ten full

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months. I was told by my physicians that this was one of the worse cases that had ever been reported. I can not begin to emphasize what this illness took from me. By the time the virus was under control and became dormant, I had lost everything, including my career, my home and all that I had worked so hard for. After a short period of feeling sorry for myself, and still now, suffer from many other medical conditions due to the virus, I decided to count my blessings and turn a negative into a positive. I have spent the last three years writing a book about my experience (s) with my illness, doctors, disability and all the other aspects that go along with it. The book is complete and is in the first stages of publishing at this point. Not only was writing this book tremendous therapy for me, but my wish, dreams and aspirations are that it will be the same and then some for the many others and their families who suffer from this as well. My ultimate goal for writing this book was so that I may take proceeds from the sales and start an organization/fund that will provide necessities such as medications, medical supplies, quality medical care, food and even transportation to those who in need due to suffering from Chronic EBV, CFIDS and its similar ailments. For those who are unable to work any longer due to their illness and have not yet been able to collect on their Social Security Disability. This is not only my goal but my mission. I believe with every fiber of my being that education and awareness are the ultimate tools needed to succeed in any situation and together we WILL conquer. Thank You for taking the time to read this and Please, remember that even if you do not think this effects you or anyone in your immediate family, it is estimated that 75 to 90% of people are infected and completely unaware, so someone you know, could very well be one of them. To reserve a copy of my book, Please contact me at: buckleyjackie@ymail.com

How to Fit Travel and Expense Into Your Business Budget

By Mark Etinger Business travel is a necessary expense for most people. When you think of travel and expense for business, you probably think of flying off to another state, being put up in a hotel and attending a conference or two. But business travel can also include just heading to the next town over to meet with a client. All of these things cost money and you need to know how to deal with travel expense reports, expense tracking, and budgeting for these needs. First you need to put aside a reasonable estimate each year from your business’ budget. If it’s local travel that you are really worried about, it’ll be easier to do this. You’ll want to include gas prices, car rental (unless your company has its own car) and parking costs. You’ll also want to have an idea of how many times a year these trips are made. Do you drive weekly to meet with a certain client, or is it a more varied month by month basis? When it comes to long distance travel, business expenses can be anything from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars. It depends on where flights are to, the kind of hotels your employee is staying in, any additional transportation costs from the hotel to wherever they need to be, and other small costs like a seat for a convention. Expense management software is an easy way to keep track

of these trips. You can put in all the information of the trip and have it calculate the costs for you, as well as keep track of any extra spending that the employee may have done. Your entire year’s expenses can be recorded so that when it comes to filing taxes or just dealing with overall budget, you have every single trip on file ready to be accessed. If you are unsure of whether you can afford a trip ahead of time, plug it into expense management software long before you book. You’ll get an idea of the costs and whether or not it’s a feasible investment. The most important thing is that you never book without knowing you have the funds to back it up. Don’t pull from other business finances if you don’t have to. You have to weigh what is more important to your company. When it comes to business travel and expense, it can be daunting. But if you keep on top of figures and set aside a good amount of money, you won’t be in the red at the end of the year. Tripsware offers the latest in travel and expense report software. If you need help with expense management, Tripsware is the company for you. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Etinger Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6254396

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