udmmeditor, Author at Uno Deuce Multimedia

2nd Brain Collective Podcast – Michael Rodgers of the Small Business Association of Michigan

Michael Rogers serves as the vice president of communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, the association that helps small businesses succeed by promoting entrepreneurship, leveraging buyer power, and engaging in political advocacy.

In his role at SBAM, Michael handles all non-marketing communications, including the Focus On Small Business magazine, audio and video podcasts, social media, and news media relations.

Michael is also the host of three weekly shows for the Michigan Business Network: Business Next, This Week in Small Business, and This Week in Small Business Technology. On this episode of 2nd Brain Collective, we talked to Michael about how he helps entrepreneurs and the future of entrepreneurship in Michigan!

Guest Post: Steps to Remember When Starting a Business

When you first take the plunge and start your own business, it is a very exciting time filled with new experiences, both good and bad. However, don’t get caught up in all the new changes and forget important steps to take to make sure your business is legal.

Register Your Name

When coming up with a name for your business, it takes more than simply putting it up on a sign. In fact, unless you register your name, the name of your business is your personal name. For example, if Jane Doe starts a marketing firm, the name of the business is Jane Doe. In order to change this, you must file a DBA. A DBA (which stands for “doing business as”) allows you to conduct business under a different name. Other than having the power to name your business, a DBA also prevents other businesses within the same state from using your name and enables you to have a bank account under your chosen name, as most banks will require a DBA before opening a business bank account. While you’re doing research on names, don’t forget to check for available domains that contain your desired business name in full or in part — it’s standard these days for even small companies to have a business website.

To start the process of getting a DBA, pay a visit to your local county clerk’s office. For a small fee, the county clerk’s office will then conduct a name search to ensure the business name you want to use isn’t already taken. Depending on the state you live in, you may be required to publish a public notice of your DBA filing in the local newspaper.

Register for Taxes

Unfortunately, taxes follow you into your new business venture, and as a new business owner, you must get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, which will identify your business for tax purposes. In addition to enabling you to file taxes, the EIN number is often a requirement to open a business bank account and apply for business licenses.

After you receive your EIN, you must determine your state and federal tax obligations. Tax laws vary by state, but the most common tax requirements are income taxes and employment taxes. Your state income tax obligation is determined by the legal structure of your business, and if you have employees, you must pay state employment taxes such as workers’ compensation insurance and unemployment insurance taxes. Once you’ve determined your state taxes, you can’t stop there, as you have federal taxes too. Other than partnerships, all businesses are required to file an annual income tax return, and you must pay the federal income tax as you earn or receive income throughout the year. If you have employees, the income tax is generally withheld from their pay, in addition to other withholdings such as state income tax and social security tax.

When you first start your business, you may only have five or six employees, and it can be tempting to tackle payroll and taxes on your own. However, if you aren’t very knowledgeable about payroll and tax liabilities, you might consider using W-2 software; this tool will take away the uncertainty, ensure that you are using the correct forms, and guarantee that payments are both accurate and on time. Using W-2 software will also make it easier when tax time rolls around, as you will already have all the documents necessary and avoid an unhappy run-in with the IRS. Starting a business is stressful enough without having to answer to the government.

Register for Proper Licenses

Before you officially open your doors for business, you need to make sure that you have all the appropriate licenses and permits, as it is illegal to operate a business without one and could leave you with a fine. Start by applying for a general business license with your city or county government, and then follow up by researching industry-specific licenses and permits that may be required by your city, county, or state. For example, businesses that involve real estate or child-care services are regulated by the state and require additional licenses, while businesses that sell tangible goods must have a sales tax permit. In addition, if you will be building or making any changes to your business location, you will need a building and zoning permit.

Starting your own business is exciting, but don’t forget the important steps to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Don’t forget to register your business name, meet tax obligations, and obtain necessary licenses and permits to avoid unnecessary obstacles in launching your new adventure.

Jason is a personal trainer and caregiver to his elderly mom. He enjoys sharing his fitness knowledge on his website, StrongWell.org.

#BetterCallPaul – Guest Appearance On The Jae Burnham Show

Today I talk with Paul Schmidt Of Uno Duece about making videos for business. Doing videos for business marketing is one of the key factors of my early success when I started my moving business.

And Paul has been in the business of making small business videos and videos for non-profits for 16 years.

Like me, Paul stumbled into his business and it has taken him to one of the major influencers in the Lansing area. And Paul gives a lot of great tips and tricks about how to make videos for business.

He specifically has two great tips which you have to watch the video to end to get. And trust me when I say, these tips are pure gold.

#BetterCallPaul – Document Your Why

Everyone can pretty much guess what you do and how you do it, but do they know the why? That’s exactly why UnoDeuce exists, to document that part of your organization

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► Subscribe to the #BetterCallPaul Channel Here:
http://bit.ly/2jbP69q
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Paul has been a visual storyteller for as long as he can remember and decided to turn that into a career. He chose video as his medium and his award winning style has been seen nationally as well as praised locally. A self-proclaimed community proponent and pro-Michigan advocate, he owns and is creative video strategist for UnoDeuce Multimedia which is celebrating its 6th year in Lansing. Paul was just recently awarded the 2015 Entrepreneur Institute Micro-Entrepreneur of the Year.

Don’t forget to
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Thank you for watching this video. I hope that you keep up with the weekly videos I post on the channel, and just so we couldn’t keep this channel going without your support, so please comment, like and share.
—-

Also Subscribe to the main UnoDeuce YouTube Channel Here to see the client work we are putting out up to 3 times a week!

http://bit.ly/2jklgle

Follow Me Online Here:

Website: www.unodeuce.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.schmidt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pauldeuce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauldeuce
Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/pauldeuce

Please Subscribe to our Channel!

Want Your Video To Look Good? Then You Have To Plan For It.

“I love it when a plan comes together.”

That is a line from one of my favorite TV shows growing up. The A-Team. It’s something that has always resonated with me when a project comes to a close and it looks great. What most may not know is the amount of work ahead of time to get it there.

That is exactly the attitude you need to make a great video. It’s good to have something that is spontaneous, but it’s also even better if you plan for that look. That way you have control of the situation and can handle any variables that get thrown at you. Believe me, when working with video, there are a variety of variables that can throw you for a loop if you aren’t prepared.

strategic_planning Not only that, but to create a substantially entertaining and engaging 2 minute video to showcase your service or product as well as hold your audience’s attention isn’t as easy as just showing up. Here are some things we have to consider:

1. As a business person, you typically are not an on camera professional. So getting you to convey the message accurately can be time consuming. But knowing the material is key.

2. Having a focus. 2 minutes is just enough time to talk about one aspect of your organization. Then having 3 key points to make that fleshes out that subject. Then have it broken up into parts. Introduction to the topic, reinforcing the topic, call to action for more questions. Leave your audience wanting to know more.

3. Being in the right environment. I can’t stress enough how this is a factor. This is where it is decided whether it’s outdoors, a green screen or a living room. You want to dress up the scene correctly so that you can reinforce your message non-verbally.

The biggest thing with this is using a professional video producer. The reason is that they have experience in a wide range of environments in a wide range of situations and can assess something very quickly and can think on the fly. An excellent producer will make you feel at ease as well when things don’t work as planned. Which happens a lot.

For instance, one of my favorite back stories to a video we produced had the entire shoot transformed from one thing to another the day I showed up to set up. It was also a video that was out of town, so no turning back. Watch the video below to see if you can tell if it was a complete disaster. What happened with the shoot? I would love to talk about it over some coffee some time.

5th Annual Deucey Awards – Most Outstanding Video of the Year Teaser

Nominees for this category are:
Capital Area District Libraries
Susan Maples, DDS
Lansing Derby Vixens
Augsberg College
Fraser Trebilcock

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► Subscribe to the #BetterCallPaul Channel Here:
http://bit.ly/2jbP69q
—
Paul has been a visual storyteller for as long as he can remember and decided to turn that into a career. He chose video as his medium and his award winning style has been seen nationally as well as praised locally. A self-proclaimed community proponent and pro-Michigan advocate, he owns and is creative video strategist for UnoDeuce Multimedia which is celebrating its 6th year in Lansing. Paul was just recently awarded the 2015 Entrepreneur Institute Micro-Entrepreneur of the Year.

—-
Thank you for watching this video. I hope that you keep up with the weekly videos I post on the channel, and just so we couldn’t keep this channel going without your support, so please comment, like and share.
—-

Also Subscribe to the main UnoDeuce YouTube Channel Here to see the client work we are putting out up to 3 times a week!

http://bit.ly/2jklgle

Follow Me Online Here:

Website: www.unodeuce.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.schmidt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pauldeuce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauldeuce
Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/pauldeuce

Please Subscribe to our Channel!

Great Audio Makes A Great Video

Emmy winning sound producer/engineer said recently on the Digital Production Buzz podcast:

“Audio with no video is radio. Video with no audio is surveillance.”

He is absolutely, completely spot on. Well, he did win an Emmy after all. But audio does get overlooked when it comes to producing video. It really shouldn’t. if it wasn’t for the audio how would you be able to pace something accordingly? Or for that matter. How would you be able to understand the message?

I don’t know who said it, but there’s the adage of if you can’t understand what a video is saying without audio than you will lose your audience. I disagree with that. The power of video is the fact that you are using more than one sense. Because of that, your retention goes up!

So, making sure you record good audio is key. There are several tools out there, but having a great microphone can really either make or break your video. There are several types to choose from whether it’s a boom, on camera shotgun, lavaliere or handheld. Then to choose whether it needs to be wireless or not! There are other tools like a digital recorder, and then syncing the sound later. if you don’t have these external tools to record sound, then make sure you get your camera or phone in a quiet area and get close to the subject. See my post here on that.

The next thing to think about is music. Your music has to fit the personality of what you are trying to convey. You can’t just arbitrarily insert random music as it has to fit the pace of the video and the subject matter. This is something we take great care in at our studio and it sometimes is the most time consuming. But we find the right track that fits. Just take a look at some of our videos and see if you feel we missed the mark.

Audio is just as important to plan for as video and having the right tools at hand will not only give you leverage when it comes to the editing process, but it goes a long way into making your clients look and sound great!

5th Annual Deucey Awards – Most Inspirational Video of the Year

Vote for your favorite Inspirational video from these nominees:
Reach Studio Art Center
Saint Paul Area Synod
Living Water Ministries
The Firecracker Foundation
Cristo Rey Community Center

Vote Here

#BetterCallPaul – 5th Annual Deucey Awards – Most Entertaining Video

Vote for the most Entertaining from these nominees: The Drinking Lunch, Elder Law of Michigan, Consumer Professional Credit Union, I’m a Beer Hound and Keys to Creativity

Go to the home page to make your vote! Winner will be announced in May!

5 Ideas For What to Do With Video.

I know, I know I’ve been talking about using video for your organization, have presented you with stats and reasons why you should. Let’s just say, I sold you on that part and you agree. The next step is what do you do? What videos should you make? Let’s start simply and look at the aspects of your business or organization to figure that out. I have 5 ways right off the bat. And these can be used for any organization.

1. FAQ. Do you get a lot of the same question? Well, that must mean you need to explain about something you offer that needs better detail. More visual detail, if I might add. So a video will really help in that regard.

2. Product or Service. This seems like a no-brainer, but I would also like to refer back to another post I have and do a video on each specific service or product. That way you can really promote what you do and why you do it your way. Also, get new videos out about new stuff right away!

3. Testimonials. You have clients right? Especially clients that really like you. Get them on video talking about you and what you did for them and made them feel! This is probably the most powerful tool you can use for your marketing. It works a lot better than text and people see a genuine person as well. Maybe someone they even know! Also, you can flip the script a bit and go internal and get testimonials from your staff as well. This shows off your organization in a different light as well and gives a human touch.

4. Events. If your company holds events, promote them! Not only that have someone do a nice recap video to promote next year’s event. This is great way to show how much fun folks are having at your event and what people missed the year before so they come the next year.

5. How-to. This shows off your expertise in your particular field as well as your passion for it. I know it may seem that you are giving away your secrets, but the majority of people who are searching for your business, don’t want to do it themselves, but do want to know if YOU know what you are doing. So, show that off!

There are many other options you can do to add videos to what you are doing to show what you do and add to your story. These few items pretty much work for every business and is a great starting off point for venturing into using video for your organization. So, what are you waiting for?

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