Featured at WomenSpiringWednesdays, a Back to Front initaive

WomenSpringInterview_HomepreneurIt was a pleasant surprise to receive a message on Facebook from Anjali Gulati of the Back to Front initiative. We women are capable of drawing inspiration from vacuum.. yet there comes a time when we too would love some attention and spotlight. It not only keeps the flame glowing, but also lights up other wicks in need of light in manners that surprise us in unimaginable ways.
So, here is my journey featured at Anjali Gulati’s Women Spiring Wednesdays

Invoicing for freelancers – ShimbiMyBilling

Accounting Nightmares happens every billing cycle. Unless a professional accountant, these nightmares grow only scarier as the business prospers. Here is a Guest post written for Shimbi Mybilling, an online Invoicing tool at its simplest best. For a non-accounting work from home / freelance professional, things cannot get any better than this.

Social Media Engagement : Metrics that matter

Client-ContentSocial Media – Love it, or hate it, one just cannot afford to ignore it.
That is Social media in a nutshell.
With every customer turning a critic, writing reviews about products/ services at the click of a button, word about the business spreads like wildfire. Like begets like, Good reviews from customers attracts more signups for your business, while the opposite is true as well. A single bad review could send other potentials running to your competitors.
It is time to take initiative and drive the social media chatter in your favor. Creating useful content, engaging with your customers on the social platforms contribute to your social media presence. However, the success lies in monitoring these engagements and see which ones actually culminate into sales.
Here is a piece on tracking social media engagement written for a client.
Client Content, Do not Copy or Reproduce without permission.
Cover image credit : Social Metrics Pro
important_social_media_measurement

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Cross Device Reporting

Client-ContentMarketing and Advertising are an ever-evolving realm. What works today may not be so useful tomorrow, and what works for Facebook, may be rather detrimental when used with LinkeIN. The point being, Marketing Experts (the strategists and the analysts) have to be on the constant look out for new techniques that measure their efforts, or else risk losing the early adopter advantage to a fellow competitor.
Here is a piece written about cross device reporting, and how marketing efforts get redefined – Client Content

Client Content - Deepa Govind
Client Content – Deepa Govind

 

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Are you, Your family, and Your home pet ready?

Client-ContentPets are lifelong partners that bestow you with unconditional love and they are absolutely like adding a new family member. Hence, quizzing yourself and your family with some easy questions can resolve this perplexing query of whether it’s time to get a furry feather companion

  • What are your comfort zones?
  • How time-tied are you?
  • Does your finance allow those vet-visits, accessories, etc
  • Is it okay to be messy , pets are messy by nature

Google Analytics – Event Tracking

Google Analytics Event Tracking

Client-ContentOnce a website is up and running, the next logical step is to analyse its performance based on user engagement to determine, if the website (virtual presence) has actually resulted in conversions (Business opportunities, new clients). There comes a time when the conversion rate might have reached a plateau, or a new campaign has failed to result in desired conversion rate? Basic reports may not provide the much needed insights.Enter Google Analytics- Event Tracking.

Lost are we ? – 12 premium error page designs

lostGetting lost is a scary thing.
Having to face a visitor who lost his way on our website ie even sacarier,
The dreaded PAGE NOT FOUND – 404 error is an indicator of lost potentials.
But the, webmasters are human, and we cannot possibly think of every situation that could generate this 404 error.
However, webmasters / designers are geniueses at making a mark out this PAGE NOT FOUND – 404 error  and getting the visitor stay on the site for a bit longer.
While going through a website, you may have seen broken links, search page with no results, 404 page not found errors etc. What would be the idea of an error page which amazes users with its attractive and responsive design?.
The following are some of the best 404 page designs I found while navigating some websites. In this post we’ll look at some premium 404 page error designs available with psd, template, html-css and other supported formats/files. Just check them and make your website’s error page fantastic.

Wordsearch

Wordsearch Error pagePrice:$4
Features:

  • Responsive and modern design.
  • For 401, 403, 404, 500,and 503 Errors.
  • Easy to create custom error pages.
  • Google Fonts and Social Icons.

Missing Jigsaw Piece 

missingjigsaw404
Price:$4
Features:

  • Layered psd is provided.
  • Responsive design.
  • CSS3 animations are also included.

Lost in Space

Space404
Price:$4
Features:

  • It is provided with two fully editable and well organized PSD files with Help File.
  • HTML, CSS and JS template files is also given.
  • Animated Background.
  • For 401, 403, 404, 500,and 503 Error pages.

404 Error Mushrooms

Mushroom
Price:$2
Features:

  • Responsive
  • Layered psd file.
  • High Resolution.

Missing – 404 Responsive Page Template


Price:$6
Features:

  • Responsive bootstrap 3
  • One page template.
  • CSS3, HTML5, jQuery and Ajax coded.
  • Ajax contact form.
  • Design avaiable with slideshow.

Galaxy404 – Responsive 404 Template

galaxy
Price:$4
Features:

  • Bootstrap 3.1
  • Fully customizable.
  • PSD available.
  • Google Fonts used which makes it more professional and attractive.

Windows 8 / metro style 404 error page


Price:$5
Features:

  • Responsive design.
  • Background Slider is also there.
  • Windows 8 like metro style.
  • Modern design.
  • HTML5 and CSS3 code.

    Calypso – Responsive HTML Error Page


    Price:$5
    Features:

    • 8 color options provided.
    • Search bar provided.
    • HTML5 and CSS3 code structure.
    • Full layered psd and png file.
    • Social Icons.

      Bavure – Responsive 404 Error Template

      Brauve
      Price:$5
      Features:

      • Bootstrap 3
      • Responsive website design.
      • Google Font
      • 17 Social Icons.
      • HTML5 and CSS3 code

      Broken 404 – Custom Error Page


      Price:$5
      Features:

      • Easy to add questions.
      • HTML5 and CSS3
      • User Guide provided.
      • psd file
      • Valid HTML5, CSS3 code.

      Modern animated 404 page


      Price:$5
      Features:

      • Brilliant design.
      • Fully editable psd file.
      • Amazing animated countdown.
      • Help file available.
      • Google web fonts.
      • HTML5 and CSS validate.


      Price:$5
      Features:

      • Animated error page template.
      • Google Font.
      • Layered psd.
      • Social Media Icons provided.

Any Others?
I liked the “Modern animated 404 page”, what about you? If you’ve seen any other design or created one for your website, please mention it in the comment section

Women & Social Media

Image Credit :http://www.webstarwest.com/Fairies/

Women_and_Social_Media

The outcome of social media has opened a door of opportunities to everyone. It has given people an ability to communicate, interact, access information, make new friends/contacts and a wide range of things that were not possible with other media. Be it the use of Social Networking using Facebook/Hi5 or social photo/video sharing using YouTube/Flickr. And what more- Social Bookmarking, Social News and Wikis…The connectivity social media has got to the lives of everyone cannot be neglected.

It’s seen in many data surveys that women make it as the maximum users of social media than men. Women can be seen using it as a major source of entertainment and a source of news, content and conversations. It has given them a chance to get connected to the world easily. Women, as we know are good net-workers naturally, and with social media, they are forming more and more women networks and running them successfully.

Anusha Jha Rohom, Freelance Writer/Consultant, Bangalore, says,

“Social media has empowered women to network and connect with people relevant to their profession/business. Not just professionals, even amateurs are leveraging social media to reach out to a larger audience.I don’t think social media offers any particular advantage to women exclusively… both the sexes benefit equally from social media.”

 There are many networks available online to connect women like, http://worldpulse.com/ , http://www.womenforwomen.org/, http://socialmediawomen.wordpress.com/

Also many groups are seen on Facebook/twitter like Fleximoms, mycity4kids, Sheroesindia, etc., to help women share their experiences, views, or find jobs. Social media is a great tool for young mothers too.

Deepa Govind says,

Deepa “We women have a natural tendency to connect and engage in small talk, have a reputation of being gossip mongers, and very good at that. May be, it is in our genetic makeup and Social Media seems to be the perfect platform for gossip. But it seems we have found a way to convert our vice into virtue.” She adds, “Woman mark her clients after observing a potential’s social media chatter. From here on, she would make attempts to small talk into the client’s needs, and pitch her services / business from a more strategic point of view. This way, she ensures that she is investing her time only on seemingly useful potentials, and not just blind calls.”

Women are specially seen making use of social media to start/expand the businesses. Be it a start-up business or an established one, women are seen advertising, blogging, etc. about it on the web.

Take example of women entrepreneurs like Pam Brossman Amazon #1 Best Selling Author or CEO of SheExperts.com making the right use of it. Or be it the organizing solutions provided by Alejandra at http://www.alejandra.tv/. They get a lot of turnover from their businesses; guess if it was not without social media.

Meet Jessie DSouza, Virtual Business Owner, Mangalore.  

JessieShe uses social media to communicate and connect with potential clients. She adds,“I use social media to share knowledge and expertise. I have a facebook group, “Work From Home Divas India” where I guide the aspiring work from home moms to start their own businesses from home”.

Take example of Jenny Hogan, Tech-Savvy news anchor at KIRO 7 EyeWitness News in Seattle. (Reference: http://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-jenni-hogan/, December 5, 2012 by Ulara Nakagawa). Over the past few years, she’s learned how to harness the power of social media and her own celebrity to promote a worthy cause. In 2010, Jenny debuted, “The KIRO 7 Mobile Tweetup with Jenny Hogan,” which broke new ground as a TV news program that fuses social media outreach with local causes. The show, which Jenny both produces and hosts, has been an overwhelming success, winning an Emmy and getting her nominated for a Shorty Award. Now into its third year, the mobile tweetups have generated more than 75,000 items for babies and 6 truckloads of toys for kids benefiting Toys For Tots. And the most recent summer tweetup rose over $11,000 in donations in just three hours, to help support early cancer detection research.

Many parents today have started freelancing for income. We can find many “Mommy Bloggers” today, who make a living off their blogs, write books and even speak at conferences. These mommy bloggers share interesting and informative stories about parenting and are also approachable and open to comments.

Jenni-HoganJenny Hogan in an interview to Ulara Nakagawa also said

“I think women are more powerful than they think in social media. As a mother, I see other mothers multitasking, working full time, being CEO of their family and using technology to be more efficient. I think that we are the super users of technology being busy, working moms. Females, without even knowing it, are leaders in this area. Tech companies should let females be part of the discovery process rather than coming up with a product and saying ‘here’s how we think it’s going to be great for you.’ There are a lot of brilliant women out there and if tech companies just listen to what they’re saying, we could find some pretty cool jackpots that will help a lot of people in the future.”

To conclude, it’s seen that there is meaningful and impactful work being done by women using the social web. More and more women are finding their voice, confidence and careers online. Social media has given a safe place for women to learn, grow and aspire. Women have got freedom to define the scope of their life and achieve their full potential.

Income Tax for Freelancers – Make an Informed Start

Income Tax for Freelancers

make an informed start

Catchy Title… eh !… (…Ahem.!!.. Scary would be more appropriate isn’t it?…)
TaxTimeWell, Don’t we all dread the this time of the year, when every publication (print, online or otherwise) is flooded with write-ups (.. shout-outs..) on  Income Tax planning, Income Tax savings,  Income Tax computations, Income Tax Returns etc etc. It so seems, the universe wants us to explicitly remember that it is TAX-Time, and no escaping at it.
 

Short Intro :

“Any income derived by way of freelancing job is taxable under the provisions of Income Tax Act. 1961 as “Profits and Gains from Business / Profession”.

There is not much information directed at freelancers (from India) on how to do Income Tax Computations. So, I have put together this ebook so as to enable a freelancer to make an informed start at handling Income Tax Issues. Please register to download the Ebook, or , you may read it entirely online starting here, which includes the Table of Contents, as separate posts.
 

Long Intro:

You might wonder that, why am I writing this piece? Am I tagging along the content-bandwagon to get some extra traffic here? After all, Why should someone “working from home” (Homeprenuer) worry about taxes?… The answer to this is an emphatic Y-E-S. Extra-traffic would certainly be nice. But that would happen only if the content is useful and relevant. So, this brings us back to the question of, How is “Income Tax” relevant to someone working from home?
NOTE: By “working from home”, I am referring to those who do freelance work, from home, and not those employees who chose the work-from-home-option provided by their companies (IBM, Dell, HCL, Accenture etc)
“Working from home” is only a shift in premises from the traditional “Office Space”, and not job-description. Payment made to such freelance professionals / consultants is not referred to as “Salary”, but as “payment for services rendered”.
There it is. “Payment for services rendered” is the catch.

 Income From Freelancing Is Indeed An INCOME, however small / marginal. And, “Any income derived by way of freelancing job is taxable under the provisions of Income Tax Act. 1961 as “Profits and Gains from Business / Profession”. Refer this post written way back in 2009, thanks to Ranjit Xavier.

Since then (2009), I have been trying to collect Tax related information for freelancers both online and offline. My finance-knowledge is limited to HoursWork(ed)*$pay/hr = $$MyPay$$. As a non-finance person the information thrown at me made no sense at all. In fact, it scared the hell out of me for the first few months. It is then I realised that, we freelancers (from India) don’t have a handbook to understand Income Tax, lest should we be reprimanded for “not paying taxes”…(which is a punishable offence). That is how this ebook started
So, here you go…
Start Reading .. Income Tax for freelancers : make an informed start
 


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Income Tax for Freelancers – eBook Disclaimer and Acknowledgements

Ebook

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Disclaimer, before you begin :


This eBook is ment to give you, THE Freelancer(YOU), an informed start.
DeepaGovind
I can understand how mindboggling it can get while trying to make sense of all these information in one go. Patience & perseverance is the key. Read again, google for things that doesn’t make sense, Shamelessly ask for explanation (from CAs / financial experts/ forums you might discover on the WWW). There is no greater source of information than the online-community. Use it wisely.
You can find  me stalking here : http://www.caclubindia.com/
That said, it is always recommended to engage the services of a CA.

Acknowledgements

Writing about Income-Tax is as knotty assignment. Writing about the same for a non-finance person like me is nothing less than arduous. I have had sleepless days& nights trying to process the information Google threw at my face. Finally, when it did make “little sense”, I was not so sure about it anymore. That is when I turned to few trusted friends, and friends of friends. Without their timely guidance this e-book would not have been published at all.

  1. Rishi Trivedi of  ACUMoney.com
  2. Nirmal Ghorawat of GHORAWAT & CO.
  3. Nithya Dilip
  4. CA Karan Batra of Charteredclub.com
  5. Alok Patnia, of Taxmantra.com
  6. Sujit Jadhav for Coverpage Image
  7. Anil Alturi of Kingie.com

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