Who’s that guy with the reflective shades? Is he a cop? Nope, but he will give you a ticket if you move too slow with your delivery times, LOL. This guy is Randy Smythe and I need to introduce him to some in our audience and reacquaint him to others.

Since I got started in eCommerce I had always wondered who the big kahuna was behind some of the big sellers on eBay. Randy was one of those big name. Back in 2005 I bought this book by Scot Wingo called eBay Strategies. I was enamored with what Randy was doing with his business of Glacier Bay Video. Boy that was ages ago. But it was not until I began blogging and hosting my Podcast that I was fortunate enough to score an interview with him. Since then I have watch Randy go from eBay biz owner to Buy.com 3rd Party Marketplace Big Wig!

It is an amazing transition and what he now knows and has experienced is a complete transformation of greater experience and insight for eCommerce. Randy is mad cool and he "plays well with others" LMAO. But in all seriousness, you would be hard pressed to find another person in corporate ecommerce that has the experience, knowledge and understand as Randy does. For years now he has been keeping in tune with the pulse of the landscape and I am now fortunate enough to have his number in the rolodex … well my cell phone

Here is a FANTASTIC interview he did for our listeners. Also you should go back and listen to some of Randy’s other interviews you will learn much as I always do.

Listen to the Interview NOW!
(press play button and be patient, it takes a minute to buffer)

OR Click to Download

OR Subscribe to the ColderICE Interview series via iTunes 

Press "Play" to listen now

Be sure to subscribe so you do not miss an episode.

What a buyer is getting online vs. what they are buying in store is very telling. There are serious differences in what is and is not a great fit for online consumer purchase. The folks at Permuto Discoveries (http://www.permuto.com/blog/) took the data from the U.S. Census Bureau and made this great chart on the breakdown.

March 16, 2010

Deadline for corporate tax returns (Forms 1120, 1120A, and 1120S), or to request automatic 6-month extension of time to file (Form 7004).

Final deadline to file an amended corporate tax return (Form 1120X) for tax year 2006 and still claim a tax refund.

April 15, 2010

Deadline to file individual tax returns (Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) or to request an Automatic Extension (Form 4868). An extension provides an extra six months to file your return. Payment of the tax is still due by April 15th. You can submit payment for tax along with the extension form.

Last day to make contribution to traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or SEP-IRA for the 2009 tax year. (However, if you get an extension, you will have until October 15th to fund a SEP-IRA.)

1st quarter estimated tax payments due for 2010 tax year.

Final deadline to file an original tax return (Form 1040) for tax year 2006 and still claim a tax refund. (I provide an easy, step-by-step approach to filing back taxes.)

Final deadline to file amended tax return (Form 1040X) for tax year 2006 and still claim a tax refund. (Be sure to mail the amended return well before April 15th to make sure your tax refund will be processed in a timely manner. And be sure to obtain proof of mailing, such as a certified mail receipt.)

Deadline to file estate or trust tax returns (Form 1041) or to request an automatic 5-month extension of time to file (Form 7004).

Deadline to file partnership tax returns (Form 1065) or to request an automatic 5-month extension of time to file (Form 7004).

Final deadline for estates, trusts, or partnerships to file an amended tax return and still claim a tax refund for the year 2006.

May 15, 2010

Deadline for non-profit organizations to file information returns (Form 990), or request an extension (Form 8868).

June 15, 2010

2nd quarter estimated tax payments due for 2010 tax year.

Deadline for US citizens living abroad to file individual tax returns and to pay any tax due. You can request an additional 4-month extension (Form 4868). (Tip: request an automatic extension by April 15th instead.) I provide useful information for claiming the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credit, two tax breaks essential for Americans working abroad.

June 30, 2010

Deadline to file TD F 90-22.1 Report of Foreign Bank Accounts for the year 2009. This report is required if you have over $10,000 (in aggregate) held in foreign bank accounts.

September 15, 2010

3rd quarter estimated tax payments due for 2010 tax year.

Final deadline to file corporate tax returns if an extension was requested. (Forms 1120, 1120A, 1120S).

Final deadline to file trust tax returns (Form 1041) if an extension was requested.

Final deadline to file partnership tax returns (Form 1065) if an extension was requested.

October 15, 2010

Final deadline to file individual tax returns (with extension).

Last day the IRS will accept an electronically filed tax return for 2009. If filing after October 15th, you’ll need to mail in your tax return for processing.

Final deadline to fund a SEP-IRA for tax year 2009 if you requested an automatic extension of time to file.

November 2010

Start planning any year-end tax moves.

December 1, 2010

If you are covered by an HSA-compatible health insurance policy as of December 1st, you’ll be eligible to contribute the full amount to a Health Savings Account for the year.

December 31, 2010

Last day to make any tax moves for the year 2010.

Marital status on this date determines your marital status for the whole year.

Source: Tax Calendars for 2010 (IRS Publication 509)

The Aftermath:

eCommerce Merchants Atlanta

After Party

Welcome to HOTLANTA! What you heard is true, we know how to throw parties in this city. Take a break from the mundane and spend some time hanging out and having a few drinks with the "eCommerce Rock Stars".

This is the HOTTEST ecommerce party in this city for the eBay On Location event!!!

The Aftermath: eCommerce Merchants Atlanta After Party

Date: Friday March 19th, 2010

Time: 8:00 pm

Admission is FREE!

Register:  HERE

Location:

300 Marietta Street Northwest, Atlanta

(404) 885-1472

(2 blocks from the eBay On Location hotel)

Dress: Casual chic

Walking Directions:  Exit the CNN center or Omni Hotel facing Marietta Street. Turn left and walk 2.5 blocks. Stats is on the corner of Mariette and Baker.

Please Follow Our YouTube Channel

The Aftermath: eCommerce After Party 2010. This is the place to meet and greet after the eBay on Location events on Friday  in Atlanta. the after party is atomic and you have got to be on the VIP List! Register now and get up close and personal with the best and brightest minds in eBay, marketing, ecommerce and customer relationship management.

Featuring a private lounge VIP area for our guests, free drinks to the first 100 people in the door, prizes, giveaways at the "BEST Bar in Downtown Atlanta" a guaranteed good time.

   Join the Rock Stars of eCommerce

John Jantsch – Duct Tape Marketing

Richard Brewer-Hay – eBay Ink Blog

Brent Leary – Customer Relationship Management

Toby Bloomberg – Diva Marketing Blog

Peggy Duncan – Personal Productivity Expert

Charles Lumpkin – Ecommerce SEO Strategist

"JB" Braitwaite – Internet Technology Expert

George Trantas – CEO Designer Athletic

Marlene Gavens – The Savvy Seller

Melinda and Kat – Co-Hosts of eBay and Beyond Radio

Cindy Shelby – Web Sellers Circle

Hosted by eCommerce Merchants – Atlanta

with "Your Boy" John from ColderICE.com

plus YOU?!?

and many many more!

ProStores is Platinum Sponsors for The Aftermath: eCommerce Merchants – Atlanta Chapter After Party!

We’re pleased to announce that ProStores will be the platinum sponsor for “The Aftermath – eCommerce Party" here in Atlanta 2010.

 GOLD SPONSORS:

Apple Mac Book – ColderICE.com Un-Boxing Video

Teaming USA is dedicated to helping small business owners find partners and learn the powerful advantages of working together to win government and major corporate contracts.

If one is coming, you can register for your area HERE

Small businesses are vital to our economic strength and future. And teaming is one of the top strategies for helping small businesses compete for and win government business. Teaming USA^SM, a program of American Express OPEN® and Business Matchmaking, helps small business owners across America join forces to win.

*Recruit your team by harnessing the power of our teaming network, where you can share information and find teaming partners.

*Learn from teaming leaders and share your expertise. Download and share best practices, tips and tools through our online community of teaming experts, small business owners and experienced teams who deliver the unique wisdom of experience.

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Teaming USA provides the tools and inside tips to successfully team up with other small business owners to win contracts and is free of charge to all small business owners.

OPEN® and Business Matchmaking are proud to help small businesses—including certified—strengthen and diversify the U.S. economy and future.

Start, build and grow your team today

About American Express OPEN®
American Express OPEN is dedicated exclusively to the success of small business owners and their companies. OPEN® supports business owners with exceptional service. With tailored products and services, the team delivers purchasing power, flexibility, control and rewards to help customers run their business. Specifically, business owner customers can leverage an enhanced set of products, tools, services and savings, including charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital, robust online account management capabilities and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners. To obtain more information about OPEN, visit www.OPEN.com, or call 1-800-NOW-OPEN to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply.

About Business Matchmaking
Business Matchmaking (BMM), a 501(c)3 non-profit, is the nation’s premier public-private initiative supporting procurement opportunities for small business in every industry. For the past six years, BMM has produced regional face-to-face selling events, plenary seminars and workshops, online training and collateral material for primarily socially disadvantaged, women, veteran and disabled veteran owned firms. With our partners, BMM has facilitated more than 70,000 seller-buyer meetings resulting in billions of dollars in contracts granted. Events are free to both participating small businesses and representative buyers. Teaming USA builds on the success of Business Matchmaking by bringing together powerful teams qualified to capture contracts and deliver results.

Tonight I had the pleasure of presenting on the New Life Event hosted by Shawna Fennell 

Types of Business Names
The many forms of business names include legal names, trade names, domain names, and trademarks. Before delving into the various ways you can protect business names, here is a quick breakdown and description of each.

• Legal Names. A business’s legal name is the name of the person or entity that owns the business.  It is the name you use to file government forms and applications. For sole proprietors, this means that your business’s legal name is your personal legal name, as in “Mary Smith.”  Other business structures use the name documented in a partnership agreement, the combined last names of partners, or the name that is registered with your state government as their legal name.  Regardless of the type of business you have, you only file the legal name of your business with your state as described below.
• Trade Names. A trade name, also known as a fictitious name or a DBA (doing business as) name, is the name under which business is conducted. Think of it as the nickname for your business – not a legal identity, but the name that everyone recognizes the business as.  For example, Mary Smith owns a business called Seaside Catering, but files her business under Mary Smith. “Mary Smith” is the legal name while “Seaside Catering” is the trade name. You file your business’s trade name with your county or your state, depending on the state your business is located in. However, you can obtain further protection on a national and international level, which is discussed below.
• Domain Names.   A domain name is the web address of an online business.  Establishing a domain name allows you to conduct business on the web. Depending on how much protection you want your domain name to have, you can have obtain state, national, and international protection.
• Trademark.  To protect a business names, many owners file for a trademark- a word, name, symbol, sound, or color used to represent and distinguish a company’s products or services in the marketplace. Don’t confuse a “trade name” with a “trademark” – the two are not the interchangeable. However, a trade name can be trademarked if the name represents and distinguishes a business product or service.

If you want to register your trade name as a trademark, make sure that the trademark is available before your register with the state and federal government or the international organization, depending who you are filing with. Conduct a thorough name search for existing similar or same names in various databases such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, your state filing office, and even a quick search on the Internet.

Protecting Your Business Name
You want to obtain the right amount of protection for your business name. For example, local and state protection is adequate for businesses operating in their immediate vicinity. You may want national and maybe even international protection if you are starting and expanding your business beyond.

Local Protection
According to common law, the business that uses a particular trade name first has legal right to that name. Common law protection does not require specific filings with the government. Therefore, this type of protection may be sufficient if you just plan to do business locally.

State Protection

• Register Your Legal Business Name. To extend the protection that a common-law registration provides, register your legal name with your state. The legal name of your LLC or corporation is already registered with your state government if you have incorporated your business. However, if you own a sole proprietorship or a partnership, contact your secretary of state to register.
• File a DBA or Fictitious Name. If you are doing business under a name that is different from your legal business name, you will need to file a DBA, otherwise known as “doing business as” name or a “fictitious name.” You are using a fictitious name when you advertise your business under another name or your business is widely known by the public under another name. Some states require that you to file with the Secretary of State, others leave it up to their county’s government, while others do not have requirements for DBA filings at all.

Filing a DBA or fictitious name is controlled at the state level. The federal government does not have a nation-wide registry or record of states’ fictitious names. Therefore, DBAs registered at the state provides only state protection. Read more about DBA name registrations in the Business Law Advisor Blog.

• Register for a State Trademark. Filinga state trademark for your business name, trade name or domain name does not require as much time and money as a federal trademark. A state trademark also provides protection in states like Alabama that do not require businesses to file trade names with the state government. If you are planning to do business solely in your state, a state trademark will provide you with the necessary protection. Learn about how to file a trademark with your state here.

National Protection

• Register for a Federal Trademark. If you are doing business across states or plan to launch your business nationally, you will want to trademark your trade name with the federal government. By registering your trade name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, you can protect your trade name against infringement.
• Register Your Domain Name. If you plan to start an online business or build a website for your business, register your domain name at with InterNIC – Public Information Regarding Internet Domain Name Registration Services. Your domain name can also qualify as a registered trademark if it is directly related to the products and services you provide as a business. In that case, you should file for a trademark with your state and the federal government as you would your trade name. International Protection

If you are doing business outside of the US, consider filing with the foreign country where your business activity exists. Most countries give trademark protection to the first business that registers the trademark, unlike the common law in the United States which gives legal rights to the first business that uses the trademark.

If you want universal protection, know that international trade name and trademark protection laws that are recognized in every single country do not exist. However, some countries have signed agreements to protect intellectual property internationally. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the following international systems if you are doing business in many different countries or in a specific global region in order to maximize the protection of your trade name:

• Community Trademark System. The Community Trade Mark (CTM) system allows you to file one application to protect your trademark in all 27 countries of the European Union. Contact the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) to learn more about the process of obtaining protection.
• The Madrid System. The Madrid System creates a “bundle of national registrations,” instead of one international trademark registration like the CTM System. In other words, it is a simpler one-application method to apply for protection in the 84 countries participating in the Madrid System.
• TRIPS Agreement. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) requires that all 153 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) comply with theminimum standards of intellectual property protection. There is no application process, but the agreement serves as a platform for protecting intellectual property rights in the international arena.

I am really starting to look forward to Thursdays now, just for the opportunity to post these discussions and then follow it. I really am learning alot and the resources are fascinating. If you missed any of these informative discussions, be sure to check back to the prior weeks:

• Week #1 : Brands and Branding: What is it?
• Week #2 : Keyword Research

These weekly topical discussion are really a great resource and I am enjoying the information that is being shared. 

Each Thursday we will post a topic related to us as merchants and the the COMMUNITY…YOU GUYS will come in on the comments and post. You can post your comments on the subject, links to articles or posts to other blogs on the topic, you can post links to YouTube videos or Podcast episodes. I do not care what you post as long as it furthers the education of the community, it qualifies. But of course this will ONLY work if you participate. I want to see if the community would participate to make it great. Come on guys, lets each one, teach one!!!

Topic this week?

Marketing Channels: Which one is the BEST for WHAT and WHY? 

Is it eBay? Or maybe Amazon? Even Craigslist? How bout them Comparative Shopping Engines (CSE’s), or even Etsy, Bonanzle, etc. OH dayam this is time for the showdown! Let’s go for the gusto…LMAO

OK, I need your input now so lets start posting to the thread topical information on Brands and Branding.

eCommerce Summit 2010 Agenda

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 6:00 PM –
Thursday, April 15, 2010 5:00 PM (Mountain Time)

Las Vegas – Flamingo Hotel & Casino
702-733-3111
3555 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
USA
Map & Directions

Hosted by:

 

Speakers include:

The State of eCommerce

It is always important for online merchants to see the big picture and understand the landscape. As Executive Director of the Professional eBay Seller’s Alliance, Jonathan Garriss understands the online retail landscape very clearly and will share with merchants what trends to pay attention to and opportunities not to miss.

Keynote Presentation – Creating, Adapting and thriving in eCommerce.

Paul Greenberg is co-founder and Managing Director of DealsDirect.com.au. When eBay launched in 1999 Paul became the first commercial seller on eBay trading as Auction Alliance. In 2004 Paul and Michael Rosenbaum launched Australia’s number one online department store, DealsDirect.com.au and created their own identity to meet the needs of customers who were looking for fixed price goods. In 2009, DealsDirect celebrated its 5th Birthday and continues to build from strength to strength. With a 430,000 square foot warehouse located in Ingleburn, 120 staff, 900,000 customers, over 1 million unique visitors per month, and four million items sold, DealsDirect.com.au is Australia’s leading online department store. 

Customer Service  Excellence – Focus on the Buyer

Marsha Collier is well known in the eBay seller community as one of the foremost eBay experts and top selling eBay author with over 1 million copies of her books in print. Marsha will be helping merchant
evaluate their customer service strategies to highlight the do’s and don’ts as well as the costs of not doing customer service right. Marsha Collier is Author of the For Dummies series of books on eBay and
eCommerce

Social Media for Business STINKS: Unless You Know These 7 Secrets

John Lawson from ColderICE.com speaks on these technologies. Every day, thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs miss out on millions of dollars in revenue simply because they don’t know how to utilize the Internet for marketing and selling. This is NOT your same old ABC stuff, these are actual eCommerce practices for Social Media that will yield bottom line results and amp up your business. 

eBay Seller and Executive Town Hall

After the eBay presentation, sellers have an opportunity to ask eBay executives questions and offer suggestions during the eBay seller and executive town hall. eBay executives value the tremendous opportunity to visit face to face with the seller community at eCommerce Summits. We recommend sellers take full advantage of this rare opportunity.

Get the FULL lineup of events and presentations HERE

Tuesday April 13, 2010

Registration Desk Opens – 5:00 PM
Cocktail Reception – 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: TBD

Wednesday April 14, 2010

Registration Desk Opens – 8:00 AM
Keynote Presentation – 9:00 AM
Educational Sessions – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Evening Entertainment – TBD

Thursday April 15, 2010

Keynote Presentation – 9:00 AM
Educational Sessions – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM