Cell phone sales rose 22 percent in the first quarter of this year, this is a relief not only for the cell phone an technology industry but for all industries as it signals an upturn for the economy. If there is any time to get into starting your own business, the time is now or is coming soon, with the news of the cell phone industry, it's only natural for all other industries to follow. If you need help incorporating a business or filing for an LLC please let us know.

You hear the phrases all the time, "Tweet me" "Are you on Twitter?" "What's your Twitter name." It's easy to get caught up the hype of new technologies, just a couple of years ago, MySpace was all the rage, while now most pages are hardly logged into, let alone updated. So what's so great about Twitter, and more importantly, what's so great about Twitter for business? We're here to tell you.

If you want to start using Twitter for one reason and one reason only, that reason is Marketing. Because Twitter is so easy to use, a lot of people will follow any Twitter page they are remotely interested in, and if this means solely getting your business name out, it is a useful tool. Having a Twitter page you should really update it at least once a day, with something relevant to your business as well as something people might enjoy reading, they might even ReTweet it. When someone ReTweets something you've posted, it's extremely valuable, they're getting your name out to all of their followers and the response can be wonderful. ReTweeting can also be used to hold contests, maybe your giving a product or service away, and to enter a Twitter user must follow you and ReTweet about your contest, this ensures you get your name out there and if it goes really good you will get new followers.

Another reason why Twitter is good for your business is because it gives your clients a neutral place to voice their opinions, praises or concerns. It's great to get truthful feedback, so you can know what you should change and what you should continue doing in serving your clients.

From the smallest companies like Crumbs Bakeshop to huge organization like the Dallas Cowboys, everyone can utilize Twitter. If you want to organize a business in California, Texas or any other state, please let us know, and don't forget, we also have web services.

Jet Blue, the low price but quality airline announced today it's venture into shuttle like service with 7 trips between Boston and Washington DC a day. Though many other carriers provide the same service, Jet Blue has always been committed to keeping it's prices low and has stated that they plan to sell seats starting at $39 each way. Jet Blue has a great business model and people prefer to fly with them not only because of their friendly service, but while most other airlines are charging to check baggage, Jet Blue remains committed to letting bags (one per person) fly free. Hopefully the other airlines providing the same services will take note and consider lowering their prices.

PC Magazine had an interesting post about how the new iPad has great potential for business use. Not just for emails and entertainment, the iPad is moving forward with additional uses, such as Apple currently having a VGA adapter for business presentations. Another great thing about the iPad is that you can run Skype and other VOiP services such as Line2 on it, while some would say that you can do the same on an iPhone or iPod touch, it would also minimize the need for a laptop. Along with all the features, there are many applications being developed for the iPad as you read this, and chances are, a year from now, there's going to be something your business can benefit from.

It's not good to focus on negative aspects, but there are a few really common mistakes new business owners make.

The first mistake we've already discussed, so we won't go into detail, it's not having a plan. There are businesses that have survived and even thrived without so much planning, though those cases are far and few between, also had they made a plan they probably would have thrived quicker than just making decisions on a whim. After you have your plan you should be sure and protect yourself by filing for an LLC or Corporation.

Spending too much money: A big mistake that new business owners make is spending too much money, on decor, furniture, employees, office supplies. Sometimes people think having more is better than not having enough, but when you're on a tight budget, you might not need that extra computer or extra employee. It's always a great idea to start out with things you absolutely need, if you can't handle the business without an extra computer or employee, get another, but it's important to weigh out your supply and demand, there's  no need to produce 1000 products a week when there's only a demand for 500 a week.

Marketing: We've discussed this also a bit, but it's important to have a marketing plan, too many business start and no one knows about them besides their family and friends, who will often ask for hand outs. Whatever your marketing plan is, be sure you have one, an effective one that will get the word out to people that you exist. Since we live in the age of the internet, it's easy to do this at lower costs than in the pasts, you just have to know where to put the word out.

Mis-pricing Goods: Another common business mistake is to mis-price goods, pricing them too low or high, it's important to not undersell yourself, also be sure you have a quality product, if not you risk the chance of losing repeat business. 

These are all common mistakes, and if you've made one already, you should plan to correct the mistake as soon as possible. Good luck!

The Senate in Florida has approved a bill that will provide unemployment for 42,000 Floridians for an extra five weeks. This is a relief for many residents, where Florida's current unemployment has gone well past the national average at 12.3%.

The economy is important in the entire nation, but it all starts with helping out where you can locally first. Hope Andrade, Texas Secretary of State recently visited three Waco businesses to recognize them for their commitment to business in the state of Texas. Andrade also visited with local Chamber members for the role they play in the local economy, she herself was an entrepreneur in the San Antonio area for 30 years and understands the impact that the Chamber has on local businesses and the local economy. Texas is currently the top relocation destination and has been for the past 5 years.

In a luncheon held earlier this week Secertary of State Ross Miller stated that the Business Portal will run much like Amazon.com. Nevada, already widely popular in Corporation and LLC filings throught the nation is striving to be the one stop shop for all your business needs. Ross is also hoping to increas Nevada filings, stating that "A company doing $50 million worth of business in California can save $4 million to $5 million a year by just moving across the border."

On April 8th, Governor Schwarzenegger announced the Office of Economic Development. Even though we've been in a recession, California still has one of the strongest economies in the world. The Governor wanted to keep it that way by launching this new office so we can keep an eye on the current economic status and do what must be done in order to rise out of this recession. New developments and partnerships are expected in the near future. It's important to show the world that businesses can succeed and grow, even in the current state of the economy. Joel Ayala will oversee the office as director, he's written a message to the people of California at Fox and Hound Daily. Be sure to read more about him and how the office will help California businesses.

When starting a new business it's important to have a plan. Some people jump into business because they have a great product but don't really think of the business side of things. If you're not going to split your focus between your product or service it's important to bring someone in that you trust with business aspects.

Alot of people prefer to have their CPA take care of taxes and other loose ends when starting a business, and it's a wise move. If you're working by yourself, you want to stay in compliance, not only with the state, but the city and county as well.

Another way to get around having someone help you is to take a business class at a community college if you do not have any business experience, many colleges even offer weekend workshops focusing on business.

Once you've got all your basics out of the way, you should focus on marketing, any new business wants the world to know they exist, if you're starting a service or retail store, it's imporant to be found online, you should create a website or some kind of web presance, lots of small businesses only rely on websites like Yelp, which can be really helpful (or hurtful if your service isn't up to par). It's important to have a plan when it comes to your marketing strategies also, if you're in a metorpolitan area, it's not uncommon to see businesses handing out fliers or coupons to their store or restaurant, sure you might have to give a little to gain a client, but if your product or service is good, they'll come back.

There are lots of things to think about when starting a business, so organization is key, keep that in mind.