The Future of e-Business - Revamping Your Website to Modernize and Revolutionize Your Business

Are you at a crossroads in your business and thinking about the best way to redevelop your website using Web 2.0 technologies? Has the arrival of social networking got you interested in exciting ways to operate your business online? If so, then you're naturally at a positive junction in the growth of your business; I have several solutions that will both modernize and revolutionize your business at the same time - to get your website to the next level in every way!

First, let me provide an overview on my history and knowledge in this field. I am the President and CEO of Hudson Horizons, an e-Business product, solution and marketing company specializing in creating highly sophisticated customized websites and providing e-Marketing services for small and mid-sized businesses. The mission of our company is to develop websites for our clients in a way which will streamline their internal business processes and effectively position their business in their industry online.

Each website we create for our clients includes a highly sophisticated and comprehensive back-end system to completely manage and control their business online. Such administrative functions encompassed by our solutions include: Content Management, e-Invoicing and Online Payment Solutions, Custom Workflow Processes, Customer and User Management, Social Media Capabilities, SEO and e-Marketing Tools; the list goes on. Everything we do for our customer is 100% customized by us for their business. By doing this, we are able to supply our clients with solutions that increase sales, simplify their business tasks, offer online collaboration with their users, clients and employees, and offer a cost-effective solution that provides an immediate return on their investment.

Now that you are familiar with my background in this industry, let me offer several suggestions to revamp your website. If implemented, your website has a great chance to get to that next level - ultimately turning your business from an "ordinary business" into a "competitive e-business."

Content Management

Content Management is a system that allows your business to easily manage certain components and areas of your website. Such areas that a Content Management System allow you to control include: page content, page names, images, pictures, news events, frequently asked questions, articles, blog posts, and other website areas of importance. Most quality Content Management Systems are form-based and require no HTML coding experience to manage these elements.

Content Management offers a cost effective way to make changes to your website without having to hire a web developer or designer to make these changes for you. My company foresees all e-businesses eventually benefiting from a CMS component, which will effectively manage their website on a routinely basis. A solid Content Management System is the foundation to any productive website in today's Web 2.0 world. If you want to compete with the best then you have to utilize the finest tools. Implementing these advanced features will permit you to manage all areas of your website while keeping your overall operation costs down.

e-Invoicing and Online Payment Solutions

If your business focuses on product sales, would you benefit from collecting client payments through online means? If so, then an e-Invoicing or Online Payment Solution would be a great way to facilitate this process for you. There are various ways to setup an e-Invoicing and Payment Solution to process payments online. A few of the most popular methods include: Credit Cards processing, ACH and EFT transfers, Direct Deposits, PayPal integration, Google Checkout integration, and the list goes on.

Having a solution like this could truly bring your business up-to-date and allow you to focus more on growing your business and less time trying to manage the collection of payments from your clients and customers.

Here at Hudson Horizons, we use e-Invoicing to bill our clients via email. Our customers simply click a link in the email and complete their credit card details through a secure online payment form. Our system then processes their credit cards and the payment is deposited directly into our back account - it's that simple. e-Invoicing isn't all about making it easier for us as a business; it's also a more convenient way for our clients to make payments since they no longer need to write checks and mail payments to us.

Custom Workflow Processes

If your business has specific internal business processes that are performed everyday, you might consider having this process completely automated through your own website. If this process takes time and requires documents, contracts or other materials to be created and distributed, consider setting up a dynamic web-based workflow process that does all this for you on-the-fly.

Turning a specific business task into a dynamic workflow process will inevitably save your business time, money and simplify your operations in a very short period of time. We've had much success doing this for our clients. Recently, we implemented such solutions for a client's website, taking their wedding and event entertainment business to the next level. We set up a custom workflow process that now allows them to generate comprehensive event plans and contracts and electronically submit them to reception halls, bands, and clients in a few simple steps. This process now joins all the various parties that relate to an event in one simple-to-use system. This saved our client thousands of dollars per month and, because they require less time to manage daily operations and internal business processes, enabled them to take on more customers.

Customer and User Management

Having the ability to easily manage your customers and users in the back-end of your website is extremely important to the success of your business. Having this control within your website will enable you to: activate/disable accounts, reset passwords, view contact information, email users, track changes, view profiles, manage payments and view order history all in one centralized system.

Social Media Capabilities

Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media themselves.

Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video. The social media sites typically use tools like message boards, forums, podcasts, bookmarks, communities, wikis, blogs/weblogs etc.

According to Wikipedia, a few prominent examples of social media applications are:

• Wikis: Wikipedia
• Social networking: MySpace and Facebook
• Presence apps: Twitter and Jaiku
• Video sharing: YouTube (video sharing)
• Virtual Reality: Second Life
• Events: Upcoming
• News aggregation: Digg and Reddit
• Photo sharing: Flickr and Zooomr
• Livecasting: Justin.tv
• Episodic online video: Stickham, YourTrumanShow
• Media sharing: Izimi and Pownce
• Social bookmarking: del.icio.us
• Online gaming: World of Warcraft

At Hudson Horizons, we develop customized online social media and networking websites for any industry. Providing a social networking community for your members, clients and customers to interface, network, collaborate and obtain information is the future for every business. SEO and e-Marketing Tools

Everyday, millions of people use search engines to find information on products and services. However, most people generally only visit the first few results of the search, causing helpful yet poorly-ranked sites to go unnoticed. Without top positions, your site could be overlooked as well. For this reason, it is vital to ensure that your site has every opportunity to be discovered.

As the Internet continues to dramatically increase in the number of users and websites, companies face more competition everyday. In order to keep your website competitive and its ranking as high as possible, you must execute what is known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and continually perform e-Marketing Services to keep your website fresh and in the eye of your target audience.

Three of the most important and easy-to-implement SEO tactics are: content and keyword development, updates to META Tags, and search engine friendly URLs. You can find many SEO tools on the Internet to help you ease the process of SEO and e-Marketing.

Using FREE or paid SEO and e-Marketing tools and services is a great way to generate more exposure, ultimately increasing traffic to your website. It's extremely important to not only build a "kick-ass" website but to also market and perform SEO on a consistent basis. I recommend speaking to a professional e-Marketing and SEO Company to help increase the awareness of your website online.

So as you can see, there are many things to think about when revamping your website and this is just a preliminary list to get you headed in the right direction. As the Web becomes increasingly important for every business to survive and compete with their competition it's important that you not only focus on creating a new design but also think about ways to simplify, modernize and revolutionize your business with a custom back-end system. You'd be amazed what can be done with your website... All you have to do is dream it! As our company saying goes, "If you can dream it, we can do it".

I hope this article opens your eyes and provides a little insight to help you get your business to that next level. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me as I will be glad to help. I wish you all much success!

At Hudson Horizons, we provide website design, web development, content management, e-commerce integration, RSS content distribution, search engine optimization, e-marketing services and the development of custom applications such as blogs, newsletter systems, online payment solutions and any other Web application that may be needed to help simplify your business.

Hudson Horizons is an e-business product, solution and marketing company specializing in creating highly sophisticated customized websites, web-based software applications and providing e-marketing and SEO services for small and mid-sized businesses.

Our vision and ultimate ambition as a company is to always strive to be "The New Light for e-Business." By offering new, innovative and extremely competitive products and solutions to our clients, we provide better ways to run and operate a business online.

India, the Investor's Hub

With the US economy in the verge of recession due to the notorious sub-prime crisis investors solely dependent on US economy need to diversify to save themselves from the wrath of slowing US economy and loosing their money. With the effect of globalization economies of many countries are dependent on US due to majority of trade and investments in that country, hence investors are seeing bears in other markets also not all but one market which is 80% immune to US slowdown is India. The question is how?

I would like to highlight points that will make an investor feel more secure while investing in India. They are:

1. Indian IT sector which depends upon US outsourcing is diversifying to another countries.

2. IT and BPOs have brought majority of focus in the inhouse customer sector and Indian consumer population will soon surpass China.

3. Finance Minister Mr. Chidambaram has cut down the lending interest rates specially for home loans, which will lead to rise in demand for credit and boom in the banking and credit institutions.

4. There is rise in various small scale and medium scale industries which are showing promising growth in the National stock exchange of India.

5. Indian blue chips are expanding their business which is expected to raise their profits by many folds. E.g. Tata buying Jaguar and Land Rover brands, it has also launched the $2600 car which is a landmark in itself showing efficiency, Reliance diversifying to power and natural resources, Kingfisher etc.

6. Infrastructural dvelopment and restructuring demand is bound to rise and is seen as the sector with maximum growth prospects in future.

India is the best place to invest in at this point of time and has the prospects of adding great financial value for long term investors and also short term investors making informed decisions.

Tax Calculations for an earning member in India

Tax is calculated based on the income earned by an employee from April to March. The Indian Income Tax department is governed by the Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT) and is part of the Department of Revenue managed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS), under the Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India. The government of India imposes an income tax on taxable income of individuals with minimum exemption limit. Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), companies, firms, co-operative societies and trusts (Identified as body of Individuals and Association of Persons) and any other artificial person. Individual heads of income are categorized as income from salary, house property, business or profession, capital gains and other sources that is taxable. Levy of tax is separate on each of the persons. The levy is governed by the Indian Income Tax Act, 1961.

To save tax you should declare your investments & produce the supporting documents for the same to the finance division of your company or any private CA (chattered accountant). Any amount paid to an employee is fully taxable as per Income Tax laws. You must have received some variable earnings like bonus, incentive, variable pay etc. Any extra payout other than the normal pay components needs to be taxed fully during the same month at the prevailing rates applicable to you.

HRA exemption - It would be given only for the HRA received months. If you were on loss of pay for a particular month you will not be paid any HRA and accordingly exemption will not be allowed. HRA exemption will be provided only for those months that you have been employed with the current employer. You are eligible for tax exemption if any sum is paid as tuition fees (not including any payment towards development fees / special fees /books/donation/payment of similar nature) whether at the time of admission or otherwise to any university/college/educational institution in India for full time education. This fee paid for your two children is exempted u/s 80c up to Rs.100000/-.

Medical Expense - Disabled family members medical expense can be claimed. Dependant means the spouse, children, parents, brothers and sisters of the individual or any of them. Such person is wholly or mainly dependent upon such individual. Person with disability means a person having any “disability” of not less than 40 per cent. You can claim medical expense provided he / she doesn’t have any source of income. 

Housing loan - Tax benefits that one can avail on a housing loan - Tax benefits can be claimed on both the principal and interest components of the housing loan as per the income tax act, 1961. These deductions are available to assesses, who have taken a loan to either buy or build a house, under section 24(b). If capital is borrowed on or after April 1st of the tax claiming year, for acquiring or constructing a property then interest on borrowed capital is deductible up to Rs.150000/- in case of self occupied property (If the property is occupied for the own use then it is termed as self occupied property) and without any specified limits in case of let out property ( If the property is given for rent then it is termed as let out property, the income received from let out property will be adjusted) as per applicable IT rules. Detailed calculation must be submitted to obtain the exemption. Interest on loan borrowed for repairs, renewals or reconstruction will not qualify for the enhanced deduction of Rs1.50 lakhs if the property is self-occupied. This enhanced deduction is available only if the loan is borrowed for purchase or construction of a house property.

Own Property /co- owner - If you are the co-owner of a property along with your spouse/parent, both of you will be entitled to tax benefits. The deduction under section 80C and under section 24 in respect of the principal repayment and the interest payment can be claimed by you in the proportion in which you own the property. You can claim benefits of own property and rented accommodation, provided rented accommodation is in the office location and the location of the own property is elsewhere. If you do not avail company transport then your conveyance allowance will be exempted from tax.

If you fail to produce the tax proof supporting, the same will not be considered while computing tax for the year. If you have not provided supporting on time to finance or chattered accountant, which is usually during the last 10 days during March and the benefit for the same can be claimed at the time of filing the returns with the IT department.

Mulch Your Spring Flower Bulbs in the Fall for a Beautiful Spring Display

Flower bulbs need a good, long, winters sleep. Like some people we know, if they wake up before they are fully rested, they get kind of cranky, and then they don’t bloom well at all. 

Actually what happens is during a mild winter, the soil stays too warm, and the bulbs begin to come out of dormancy early. They start to grow, and once the tips emerge above the soil line, they are subject to freezing if the temperatures dip back down below freezing. And that’s usually what happens. After the bulbs have emerged, they freeze and then don’t bloom at all, or if they do it’s a very sad display. 

Another reason this happens is because the bulbs are not planted deep enough. They may have been deep enough when you planted them, but as the soil goes through the freezing and thawing process, the bulbs can actually work their way up in the ground. One way to keep your flower bulbs sleeping longer, which will protect them from freezing, is to mulch the bed. 

In the fall just apply a 3-4” layer of well composted mulch. This layer of mulch will do a couple of things. It will maintain a higher moisture content in the soil, which is good, as long as the soil isn’t too soggy. Well composted mulch also adds valuable organic matter to the planting bed. Organic matter makes a great natural fertilizer. 

A 3-4” layer of mulch also acts as an insulator. It will keep the soil from freezing for a while, which is good because you don’t want the bulbs going through a series of short cycles of freezing and thawing. Then when the temperatures drop below freezing and stay there for a while, the soil does eventually freeze. Then the mulch actually works in reverse and keeps the soil from thawing out too early. Keeping it in a frozen state is actually good because the bulbs remain dormant for a longer period of time. 

When they finally do wake up it is spring time, and hopefully by the time they emerge from the ground the danger of a hard freeze is past and they will not be damaged. If you can keep them from freezing, they will flower beautifully. The extra organic matter will help to nourish the bulbs when they are done blooming, and the cycle starts all over again. 

We also plant annual flowers in the same beds with our spring bulbs. By the time the danger of frost is past and it’s time to plant the annuals, the top of the bulbs have died back and are ready to be removed. The mulch that is added in the fall also helps to nourish the annual flowers, as well as improve the soil permanently. Anytime you add well composted organic matter to your planting beds, you are bound to realize multiple benefits. The key words here are “well composted”. Fresh material is not good.

Art Prints a solution for artist & customers alike

Art prints are reproduction of painting or art work of any form that is printed on an archival and heavy thickness paper for a longer life. Usually  the artist is directly involved in the selling and reproduction of prints so as to ensure detailed reproduction & quality. Art Prints when are used for wall decor of a room in a home, office or a commercial establishment as they tend to bring in the same aesthetic value of art without a huge price tag. Prints offer a perfect means to decorate at affordable prices and this is why they are a big business for artist and sellers alike. In fact art prints as artwork are seen as a status symbol in the society which also help you personalize your message to the onlooker. This form of wall decor style is quite popular in India. The art prints are often used by artist to reach a wider set of audiences. This is mainly because of its art picture clarity and durability canvas art works. By using the canvas print or an art print walls look great which makes them a well sorted product in the market. The effect provided by beautiful artwork is stunning to any interior of a room or a hotel and even an office which always look for high quality art work but at a considerably lower price.  Thus art prints are a great way to transform the look and style of a room with the desired form of painting or art picture. The choices in them make art prints a perfect wall decor solution. Several online art store help you buy  canvas prints or archival paper prints. Several master artist art works are also available on paper and canvas which can almost allow you to hang an art worth millions at very little price. Printing photos onto canvas has also been around for some time now. It is fabulous way to gift those special photos which would help personalizing a room with a wonderful moment captured as a photograph. For something new we have to search hard, it is not easy available thing that can be grasp in a second, lots of surfing on web and thousands of designs to choose a piece that is suitable. Managing the budget is another issue that makes it difficult and delay in home decoration, due to the presence arts stores online in India one get an easily availability with good art works available as fine art prints and canvas prints in India. Even photographers have started to make use of printing techniques by providing their art works as fine art prints in India. Several amateur as well as established photographers with good art works are looking to exploit the huge art prints market with their art works being printed as photography art prints for the wall decor market. Online, several such photographer’s art works can be bought at very pocket friendly prices. Prints provide an aesthetic value to every corner of house, so it is important for the art lovers to decorate home as they can choose them as wall decors carefully while sitting online. Thus art prints in India is a great market to sell original art and use them for decoration purpose.