mqudouoa.info

Usually the process to apply for a patent starts off with

A patent is the method by which you register your original idea using your name it to be not commercially exploited by every other individual or organization for gains without your permission. If you most likely havean concept that is different and that may be used commercially to generate income then it would have been a wise decision to get a patent by yourself.

To acquire a patent your idea is required to be original and an concept works. It needs to also be profitable,Guest Posting because there will be no reason spending money on finding a patent if you would not be capable of makingmoney from it later. Your idea should be proven to work since you would need to demonstrate that to apply for a patent.

The right idea additionally, the first step most of the people take when they have a million dollar idea is to apply for a provisional patent. You may be content to hear that a provisional patent application is cheaper than $ 120.

The concept must also come under the three types of patents which have been granted. Which are the utility patent, design patent or a plant patent.
A utility patent is granted for an concept that ended in the invention of a particular technology. A design patent is for protection of an original design and plant patent is for new varieties of plant discovered.

Usually the process to apply for a patent starts off with

Step One – You need to document your idea. Including creating drawings and diagrams of the idea in its various stages. You may understand the idea but your aim is to always explain the idea to the patent office so ensure your documentation is thorough there are no loop holes left.

Step Two – Perform a search to be sure a patent does not already exist for your idea. You can use a patent search online without cost or speak to an established who will assist you with it.

Step Three – Get the aid of experts to make a prototype of your respective idea. But you must sign a confidentiality agreement with them prior to disclose your idea to them. This is most vital phase because if you fail prove the functionality of the idea through a prototype you do not be able to even request the patent.

Step Four – Apply for a Patent with the patent office. You might work with a patent attorney at this stage to be of assistance. Submit every one of the designs and diagrams along with your idea to the patent office.

Upon getting applied for the patent your idea will likely be under “Patent Pending” stage. The professionals at patent office will make sure the idea is different is functional and does not already exist. Once it is approved you will receive a letter informing you about this

One of the chief concerns facing family business owners is how to effect an orderly and affordable transfer of the business to the next generation and/or key employees. Failure to properly plan for a smooth transition can result in monetary losses and even loss of the business itself. This article will explain how to keep the family business in the family.

There are essentially three levels to a business succession plan. The first level of a business succession plan is management. It is important to recognize that management and ownership are not the same. The day-to-day management of the business may be left to one child,Guest Posting while ownership of the business is left to all of the children (whether or not they are active in the business). It is also possible that management may be left in the hands of key employees rather than family members.

The second level of a business succession plan is ownership. Most business owners would prefer to leave their businesses to those children that are active in the business, but would still like to treat all of their children fairly (if not equally). Yet, many business owners lack sufficient non-business assets to allow them to leave their inactive children an equal share of their estate. Thus, a business succession plan must provide a means of transferring wealth to the children who are not interested in, or not qualified for, continuing the business. Business owners must also assess the most effective means of transferring ownership and the most appropriate time for the transfer to occur.

The third level of a business succession plan is transfer taxes. Estate taxes alone can claim up to 45% of the value of the business, frequently resulting in a business having to liquidate or take on debt to keep the business afloat. To avoid a forced liquidation or the need to incur debt to pay estate taxes, there are a number of lifetime gifting strategies that can be implemented by the business owner to minimize (or possibly eliminate) estate taxes.

LEVEL ONE – MANAGEMENT

Whether management of the business will rest in the hands of the next generation, in the hands of key employees, or a combination of both, the business owner must learn to delegate and work on the business. It can take many years to train the successor management team so that the business owner can walk away from day-to-day operations. For many business owners, giving up such control can be difficult.

All too often, business owners focus more on the ownership and transfer tax issues involved in a business succession plan and ignore the people issues. In the typical family business, the future leader is likely to be one of the business owner’s children. If so, steps must be taken to assure that the future leader has the support of the key employees and other family member owners. Generally, a gradual transfer of roles and responsibilities gives the successor time to grow into his/her new position and allows the business owner some time to get use to his/her diminishing role. Thus, lead-time is important for a smooth transition.

Many family businesses are dependent on one or two key employees who are critical to the success of the business. These key employees are often needed to manage the business (or assist in the management of the business) during the transition period. Therefore, the succession plan must address methods to guarantee that key employees remain with the business upon the death, disability or retirement of the business owner. Among the commonly used techniques used to assure that key employees remain with the business during the transition period are employment agreements, nonqualified deferred compensation agreements, stock option plans and change of control agreements.

LEVEL TWO – OWNERSHIP

Often, a major concern for family business owners with children who are active in the business is how to treat all of the children equally in the business succession process. Other concerns for the business owner include when to give up control of the business and how to guarantee sufficient retirement income. For example, selling (as opposed to gifting) the business to the active children results in all children being treated equally and provides the business owner with retirement income. For those business owners that are not reliant on the business for their retirement, they can gift the business to the active children, and leave the inactive children non-business assets. If, as a result, the inactive children will not receive an equal (or fair) portion of the business owner’s estate, make up the difference by establishing an irrevocable life insurance trust for their benefit.

Simultaneous with the gifting and/or selling of business interests, the new owners should enter into a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement is a legal arrangement providing for the redistribution of shares of the business following the death, disability, retirement or termination of employment (triggering events) of one of the owners. The buy-sell agreement would also set forth the purchase price formula and payment terms upon the happening of a triggering event. If properly designed and drafted, a buy-sell agreement will create for the departing owner a market for what otherwise would be a non-marketable interest in a closely held business; will allow the original owners to maintain control over the business by preventing shares from passing to the departing owner’s heirs; and will fix the value of a deceased owner’s shares for estate-tax purposes.

LEVEL THREE – TRANSFER TAXES

The transfer tax component of business succession planning involves strategies to transfer ownership of the business while minimizing gift and estate taxes. The gift and estate-tax consequences deserve special attention. Unanticipated federal estate taxes can be so severe that the business may need to be liquidated to pay the tax.

While there is currently a lapse in the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, it’s likely that Congress will reinstate both taxes (perhaps even retroactively) some time this year. If not, on January 1, 2011, the estate tax exemption (which was $3.5 million in 2009) becomes $1 million, and the top estate tax rate (which was 45% in 2009) becomes 55%.

For business owners with taxable estates, a gifting program can be used to reduce estate taxes. For lifetime gifts or sales of the business, nonvoting shares are usually used for two reasons. The first is to accomplish the business owner’s desire to retain control of the business until a later date (i.e., the owner’s death, disability or retirement). The second reason is to reduce the gift-tax value of the shares because of valuation discounts for lack of control and marketability.

Gifts of business interests up to $13,000 ($26,000 for married couples) can be made annually to as many donees as the business owner desires. This amount is adjusted for inflation in increments of $1,000. Such gifts not only remove the value of the gifts from the business owner’s estate but also the income and future appreciation on the gifted property.

Beyond the $13,000 annual gift tax exclusion, the business owner can gift $1 million ($2 million for a married couple) during his/her lifetime. While the use of the gift tax exemption reduces (dollar for dollar) the estate tax exemption at death, such gifts remove the income and future appreciation on the gifted property from the business owner’s estate. Unlike the estate tax exemption, the gift tax exemption remains fixed at the $1 million level.

While a business owner can gift shares in the business outright, consideration should be given to making the gifts in trust. One advantage of making gifts in trust for the benefit of the active children is to protect them from their inability, disability, creditors and predators, including divorced spouses. Another advantage to making gifts in trust is that the assets in the trust at the children’s deaths can (within limits) pass estate-tax free to the business owner’s grandchildren (and perhaps more remote descendants depending on state law). These are sometimes known as generation-skipping or dynasty trusts.

For business owners with very large estates, there are sophisticated gifting strategies that can be used with little or no gift tax, such as installment sales to a grantor trust, private annuities, grantor retained annuity trusts, and self-cancelling installment notes. There is also statutory relief, including Internal Revenue Code Section 303, which permit the tax-free use of a closely held corporation’s cash to pay a deceased shareholder’s estate tax; and IRC Section 6166, which allows the business owner to pay estate taxes on installments.

Life insurance often plays an important role in a business succession plan. For example, some business owners will wait until death to transfer all or most of their business interests to one or more of their children. If the business owner has a taxable estate, life insurance can provide the children receiving the business the cash necessary for them to pay estate taxes. As mentioned above, business owner can use life insurance to provide those children who are not involved in the business with equitable treatment. Finally, life insurance is a popular way to provide the cash necessary for the business or the surviving owners to purchase a deceased owner’s interest pursuant to the terms of a buy-sell agreement. In many instances, the cash surrender value in a life insurance policy can also be used tax free (by surrendering to basis and borrowing the excess) to help pay for a lifetime purchase of a business owner’s interest.

SUMMARY

Succession planning is critical to ensuring the continuation of any family-owned business. An effectively developed succession plan provides for a smooth transition in management and ownership with a minimum of transfer taxes. Given the number and complexity of succession options available, effective succession planning requires time, the assistance of outside advisors, the input of family members, and the willingness to address interpersonal conflicts that can arise during the planning process. Once completed, the succession plan will provide peace of mind for the business owner and key employees, personal satisfaction for family members, and new opportunities for the business itself.

If you are freelance business consultant who is looking for consulting projects, then kindly register with SolutionBuggy, India’s largest business consulting platform dedicated to MSMEs. We act as a bridge between consultants and industries.

Business Turnaround Consultants – Identifying the Competencies Required

Business turnaround consultants are business optimization experts who provide advice on business development,Guest Posting business restructuring, business revitalization and business turnaround strategies. They have a vast business experience in providing assistance to business enterprises in the areas of business strategy, business planning and business operations. Business turnaround consultants are capable of assisting business establishments that are facing financial challenges, those that are experiencing internal inefficiencies and those that want to increase their business profitability.

A business turnaround consultant is primarily an information-based professional. He or she has a thorough understanding of business policies and practices, business execution, business development and business restructuring. This enables them to recommend key actions to take for each specific case. A business turnaround consultants has the capability to create business solutions, which are tailored to meet the specific needs of the client business. Therefore, business turnaround consultants are very effective in assisting businesses achieve financial stability and profitability.

The business turnaround consultant is a key member of the business team. Their function is to assist business enterprises in the restructuring of operations, increase business revenues and improve overall business performance. They provide business management consultants with strategic business advice and counsel in order to develop a business turnaround strategy. With their assistance, business consultants can restructure businesses in a manner that increases business productivity, market share and corporate profitability. By identifying business improvement opportunities, business turnaround consultants help business enterprises to reduce costs and streamline operations. They are instrumental in coordinating external business communications and aid businesses in effectively handling business finance and other business processes.

It is essential that business owners and managers are involved in the process of selecting the right business turnaround consultant. If business owners and managers do not have a clear idea of what to look for in a business turnaround consultant, they may end up hiring the wrong consultant, which could result in a costly business mistake. For this reason, it is important that business owners and managers understand the different roles and functions that a business turnaround consultant must perform.

First, business consultants should know how to effectively communicate with business decision makers. Communication is the key to business success and is a vital component of business turnaround. Effective business turnaround consultants will use their expertise and communication skills to assist business owners and managers make important business decisions.

Second, business turnaround consultants should be skilled in identifying business improvement opportunities and developing a business turnaround strategy to execute these opportunities. Third, business turnaround consultants should have experience in working with business enterprises in a variety of organizational functions and business environment settings. Although most business turnaround consultants come from business enterprises with which they are familiar, business consultant should consider working with business enterprises that are new to business consulting or that are experiencing financial difficulties. A business turnaround consultant should also consider working with business enterprises that are at a different stage of growth. It is important to consider an individual’s business expertise, business experience and business turnaround strategy when evaluating potential business turnaround consultants.

Your home business idea building steps, What will people pay for?

To drive your Home Based Business Idea to success,Guest Posting you need to know the secrets, tips, and tricks of the Home Based Business, and once you learn them, you need to handle your Home Based Business Idea in a way that can be duplicable, in order to have a downline that does the same that you do (if you belong to a MLM Network). Most of people haven’t got a clear Home Based Business Idea and know nothing or almost nothing about MLM Networks, they just like the idea of having a second income stream, and many dream with saying good bye to their boss and become their own boss, and that’s why they would like to give their Home Based Business Idea a try.

HOME BASED BUSINESS BUILDING STEPS

First you have to decide if you want to have Your Own Home Based Business or join one of the Best Home Base Business Affiliate Programs on The Net, and most of all you need a Good Sponsor
Then you have to create The Best Easy Home Business Site you can create
Choose The Right Price for your products or services
Learn How to Manage Your Home Based Business Idea
Write the best Headlines for your promotion campaign
Learn how to use Words That Sell
Write The Best Ads, ads that sell!
Put Free Classifieds Once your Home Based Business Idea is built and working, start joining new members to your downline, and Follow Up your prospects until they become clients
Finally Build and Train Your MLM Downline and affiliates and teach them to repeat what you have done! As you can see is all as easy as to read all our web pages, and once you have your own down line, tell them to do the same.
IMPORTANT TOPICS TO REMEMBER YOUR HOME BASED BUSINESS IDEA MUST BE WORTHWHILE AND MUST BE YOU!

Your idea of a home business will be a good Home Based Business Idea when you choose something people will pay for, but your work at home must be something you love to do, if you choose it just because it’s a good business, unless you’re a very cold blooded person, it won’t be easy. If you enjoy your job, not only will be a good Home Based Business Idea, it will be a hobby! So “What People Will Pay For?”… That’s easy to answer, they will pay for what they need! And how can you know what’s people’s best Home Based Business Idea?… You can’t know what everybody needs, (unless you plan to teach how to earn money), but you know what YOU need! So just focus on your needs and offer to others what you would like to find as an easy Home Based Business Idea. This won’t be good for everybody but will be good for people like you. And you’ll be working with an easy Home Based Business Idea built with the things you like and believe. So your Home Based Business Idea should be something you love to do (AND you know how to do), think in your hobbies and interests and you’ll be in the right truck. And if you don’t feel so sure in anything that you love, you only need a little help to discover how to have an easy Home Based Business Idea with YOUR knowledge!

YOUR HOME BASED BUSINESS IDEA SHOULD GIVE YOU AS MUCH AS YOU DESERVE!

So you worked a lot to offer the best Home Based Business Idea there is? Then don’t sell yourself short! You deserve to charge the right price! Of course no one automatically knows what to charge; but as a general idea: You must put the price that makes it the best and easy Home Based Business Idea for you, and… You must put the price that makes it the best Home Based Business Idea for your customer You will always try to charge as much as you can, and your customer will always try to pay as less as he cans, so you both must meet the best Home Based Business in the middle. But how can you find the middle, how can you find the best price that will be the best Home Based Business Idea for you and your customer? I can help you with some ideas:

Your price must both be appropriate and competitive.
Can someone currently obtain this product or service elsewhere? If you are the only one and your product or service is really the best Home Based Business Idea of it’s kind, there’s a wide range of prices that might be right for you.
How much do your competitors charge?
Which price is enough high to give the idea that your offer is the best Home Based Business Idea?
Which price is so high that you will end up without a sale?
Which price is low enough to make your offer a bargain?
Which price is so low that customers might get worried for an inferior quality?
So you must choose a price that gives a good perceived value, but you mustn’t sell yourself short. What are the pricing formula components?

Direct Costs
Overhead
Profit
Your Price is the result of adding the three of them. Direct Costs are the costs you incur in doing your job: your time, telephone calls, postage, gas, printing, and your salary. You must assign a salary to yourself (time is money). In your salary remember to add enough to cover the hours of un billable time you spend marketing and administering. Overhead are the general costs of doing business, like: office supplies, software, equipment, utilities, administrative costs, advertising and marketing expenses. If you are not sure you can multiply your hourly wage by two or three to cover overhead. Profit is the amount that goes over and above Direct Costs and Overhead. Many experts say that once you have calculated all your direct and indirect cost you can add 15 to 20 percent or more. Of course after this guide you are still guessing, so if you really want to go professional for your easy Home Based Business Idea you must Choose a Price That Sells

YOU MUST GIVE A PROFESSIONAL HOME BASED BUSINESS IMAGE!

Image building is not so much a matter of big budget but an attention to details attitude.

Create your own custom designed logo (avoid choosing one from a standard catalog)
Use your logo in a consistent way, use it on your business cards, e-mail, faxes, invoices, stationery and any other visual communications elements.
Use top quality paper for letterhead and your easy Home Based Business Idea cards.
Pay attention to the places where you meet with clients. If they come to your home, avoid having them walk through personal or family areas. If you can, meet them at restaurants or hotel lobbies.
Use professionally written ads. What’s the use of spending time and money with ads if they don’t attract customers? They must attract traffic to your web site.!
Use a professionally created Home Based Business web site design. What’s the purpose of attracting lots of visitors if once on your web site they go away. Your web content must induce visitors to believe that yours is the best and easyest Home Based
Business Idea they can find, and become customers!
Use a professionally created name for your Home Based Business and your web site.
Does your Home Based Business name and your web site name give a clear idea of what you’re offering? When I use the word professional, you mustn’t understand that for earning money with your Home Based Business Idea, you need to hire professional services, what I mean is that you must learn how to Sell Like a Professional, and if you agree with this idea read this: http://www.easy-home-business.com/improve/internet-home-business-opportunity.php Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi

Advice on how to take your idea for a video game and get it made into an actual game.

Maybe you have thought up a really neat and unique idea for a video game and you are thinking “If I can just get in touch with the right people I can sell it and make a lot of money. And I get to see my idea turned into a game that people will play”.

Well,Guest Posting that may be true, and it is possible to do but, to be honest, it is very unlikely. Developing a video game takes a lot of work. A typical game for today’s mass market takes a team of people two years and thousands of hours of work to create. There is a tremendous amount of work involved and much of this work is very creative which can be expensive.

Maybe all of that is a bit discouraging and if you really think you have an idea that is unique there are some things you can do and I will explain the steps and processes you can take to move your idea for a game out of the world of fantasy into the world of possibility.

The big obstacle to getting your idea made into a game is the question of who is going to do all that work? It is an important question. A group of people have to believe in the idea and have to do the work to take it from idea to reality, and generally you have to rely on yourself. If you believe in your idea you need to be the person that will spearhead the work and get it from idea to reality. If you can do this, and if your game is unique and different the rewards can be astonishing.

Three Possible Paths to Success

There are three possible ways to get a game made from your idea:

Get in touch with a heavy hitter in the game making industry and convince him or her that your game is worthwhile. He or she will then set the wheels in motion for your idea to be bought and developed. (This is highly unlikely although it has happened on rare occasions) Companies will occasionally buy video game ideas and keep them for future potential projects.

Get in touch with independent developers with game design skills and get them to come on board with your idea. You have the ability to allow them to patch together their time in developing your game. Gamedev.net is a good place to network and find people for this endeavor.

Spearhead the development yourself. Learn some basic game making skills and put together a group of people willing to spend time (and money) on your game. You become the evangelist for the game and the Project Manager. (This is the best option if you want to succeed and it answers the question of who is going to do all the work – You!)

Protecting your Idea

You probably have questions about your idea and how to protect it from being stolen. Well, I guess this is a possibility and maybe it has happened but it is unlikely. It goes back to the fact that it takes thousands of hours to take a game from idea to actual game and the number of unique ideas is relatively unlimited but here are some things you can do to get started in protecting yourself.

The Problem of Copyrighting Ideas

Ideas cannot be copyrighted! It sounds funny but it’s true. You can research this on the official government copyright website. So, just having an idea means you have very little. If you draw pictures of your game and hopefully develop your idea into a game you can get copyright for those things. In any case here is some help with protecting yourself.

Send yourself a letter!

Put together an exhaustive package of materials about your idea. Include a summary, pictures, drawings and anything else that will describe your idea then seal it in an envelope and mail it to yourself registered mail. When you receive it you sign for it but do not open it. Leave it sealed. This gives you an amount of legal protection that establishes a time line for your idea.

NDA’s (Non Disclosure Agreements)

A Non disclosure agreement is a legal contract between two parties. In this case it is between you and the person you want to reveal your idea to. It can be a useful tool that will help you protect your rights. Generally it outlines the confidentiality of your idea and prohibits the other party from using the idea. If you are serious about your idea you should do some research on NDA’s and even speak with a lawyer about them. Outside of the United States these agreements are often referred to as Confidentiality Agreements and sometimes they are referred to as Secrecy agreements or Confidential Disclosures (CD’s).

Okay let’s get started with something solid you can do

No matter which of the three paths you want to travel down there are some things that you can do to get your idea rolling on its path toward becoming a real video game.

1. Write out a very extensive overview of the game. Make it as detailed as possible. And put this in the package you mail to yourself!

2. Draw up pictures and artwork of game scenes, characters, maps and anything else that is unique about the game. In effect you are creating a library of images in the game. Put this in your package too!

3. Write up an executive summary – This is a one or two page summary of the game idea and it outlines the things that make it unique. This is your introduction to people in the gaming industry and it is the first thing you can give them so they get a grasp of your idea (of course you would get an NDA first!)

4. Start your research into the game industry. Hang around forums where developers and game makers chat and start learning about what it takes to make a game. You can make some good contacts and there are hordes of people willing to give you solid advice and some help with your dream. gamedev.net is a great place to start

5. Start learning how to make a video game! It is totally possible for a person with average computer skills to develop a single level of a game or a portion of a game. This can be used as a calling card and example for what the game would be about.

If you want to follow step number five and learn how to make your own game there are lots of resources available that will help you learn how to do it relatively inexpensively. With lots of perseverance you can even create the whole game yourself and have it ready for sale.

The Paragraph you might not want to read

Okay, after going through all of that I am glad to see you are still with me. But, if you are thinking all of this stuff about NDA’s, sending letters, writing up summaries and putting together packages just seems like too much work then you can see my point about making a video game from your idea. It takes a lot of work and if you are not going to do the work why should somebody else? If you really think your idea is a great one then I recommend you find the time and the motivation to make it happen! Nothing worthwhile is ever easy and hey it is totally possible that your idea can someday be an actual game. Every game ever made first started out as just an idea.