Questions for restaurant owners and managers...? -

We have this little booth entrance outside the restaurant to block the wind, a customer came in and claimed that the metal of the handle on the door had ripped his brand new jacket that his wife just got him this week. And wanted us to pay for the jacket for $150. I told him straightly that I didn t even know if that tiny little hole was made here. Then he said that I insulted him and that I shouldn t treat him like a child. Anyways, I called up my other manager to talk to him and he said that he didn t want the jacket, it can t be patched and didn t want to bring this matter outside the restaurant.He said he was a retired cop and all that. I mean, do people do that to restaurants? It s a person s own fault and you could blame it on the restaurant? He said that the door is inside of our property and we should be responsible for it, yes it is, but I mean, why shouldn t you be careful in the first place?

Hi Margei,Yep, one of life s little pleasures. Some people just figure that a business owner automatically owes them, and sometimes they re right. They ll make some ridiculous claim for a relatively small amount of money, figuring you d rather pay the nuisance than risk your insurance getting involved, and maybe your rates getting raised. You could be looking at a lawsuit here, and asking your attorney for an opinion might be worthwhile. I d also fix the snag , just in case. Good Luck!

I am a 15% owner of a business. We do all our own work, no employees, just owners. Am I 10-99 or W-2? -

We are a brand new business. I own 15%, and 2 other people own the rest equally. We have no employees other than ourselves, as we do all the work that our company provides. Until now, the other owners have not made any income from the business, because they ve been putting all profits back into the company. With the addition of me into the company, I will be receiving income from the business, but I also own part of it. We have no benefits, no insurance, no vacation, ect... Should I be a 1099 employee, or should I fill out a W-2?

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/arti��partnership incomeu would use neither 1099 or w2 --until you get paid weekly; then the W2. ONE form isfor giving to the company who then files it. The other is for you to file with the IRS.suggestion; call 3 CPA firms and them handle what you are doing.I am not sure several partners for a small biz is in your best interest;usually, innovation gets clogged up with more than 1 partner

Several issues here. If the business is a corporation, then you re either owners or employees. If owners, then the money received by you are dividends. If employees, then W-2.If the business is a partnership, then you re in another tax realm.

I believe 1099 is the way to go, but I d double check that at your local IRS office.

How can i get ready to own a coffee shop? -

i am just a freshman in college and i am wanting to own a coffee shop someday :)I need to know where to start, what i need to research, classes to take, stuff like that.im thinking about getting a job in a coffee shop so i can get the feel of things and learn new things.thanks! :)

check out obxtara.igetpaidtodrinkcoffee.com

I have 4 years of coffee shop experience, here s how I think it should be done:Break down the costs: Building, 2 espresso machines (verisimo for example), a dishwasher (Hobart makes good ones), 2 brewers, 2 fridges, 1 freezer, 4 carafes for keeping coffee, and the POS system (3000.00) are all the big purchases. Next get the finances organized. (If you re broke like me, that means loans...but no worries, a well organized cafe can pay these off relatively fast)Then start scouting for a good location. This is HUGE. Cafes that hide fail. It needs to be very visible, and hopefully near a school or shopping complex. Organizing store appearances, recipes, and the ordering the small stuff like cups etc are what comes next, and at this point the order isn t a big deal.

Your best bet. Find someone that ;s in the business and ask them to mentor you. People love teaching other people and find it flattering when asked the right way. Other than that you just need to get a good grasp of the world around you. The numbers and the mechanics of owning a coffee shop are easy. The other stuff takes a lot of work, such as employee relations, customer service, marketing to your target audience, and lots of other things. Good luck and never give up. The only guarantee for you is that you ll be tested and run into rough spots. Push through it....it s worth it!!

I love your spirit of entrepreneurship. Here s some pointers.Major in business. Take courses in management, marketing and accounting. Learn salesmanship. Owning a business is all about providing value to your customers. Go to your local library and check out books on selling.A retail/restaurant business is one of the most challenging types so you will need to be ultra prepared in order to succeed. If you fail it is not the end of the world. Just learn from your mistakes.Hope this helps and may God bless your day!

all you need is time and money

How to make a website for a small family company? -

My family need a website for the company, any good ideas? Are there websites that can do this or do you have to use programs like Adobe Dreamweaver?

If you need a real website (like www.yourwebsite.com) you need to buy hosting and a domain name.I recommend one of these http://www.webhostingtable.comFatcow has the best offer right now.Their standard price is $88/yearbut they have the 50% sale right now.Disk space: UnlimitedBandwidth: UnlimitedA Free domain nameUnlimited domains and subdomainsPrice: $44/yearThey re one of the oldest hosting companies, founded 1998, they re also one of the largest, currently hosting about 500,000 websites.Their hosting plan includes a web builder, so you can create your site just by drag and drop (without any programming), or you could install Wordpress (easy, one click install from their control panel), choose a theme that you like, and start adding content.

If you want to do it quickly and cheaply, Take a look at weebly.com or yola.com. They both use templates so you can just plug your content in and make it live. You also have the option of either using thier domain name or buying a domain name and using thier servers to host it.Alternatively, you could set up a wordprss blog and do something similar. Or another option is to design it with dreamweaver, buy a domain name and host it on a 3rd party hosting site.

You should try this site called webstarts: http://webstarts.com/?aff=TrentIt s really easy to use.- free web hosting- free website builder (the simplest way to make a website, looks professional too)- a WebStarts web address (which will be www.webstarts.com/yoursitename)The website builder is really user friendly. It basically like...click here to ad image/video/whatever, it appears on your site, then drag and drop, resize etc.If you want to see an example of a site using WebStarts, http://www.orangepants.net is a good one.You can always upgrade later on if you want more features, costs like $4/month. You get a domain name (www.yoursitename.com) and a lot more storage and other stuff, but there heaps you can do with the free account. Check it out.

You could use opensource software (free software) read the article below for more details:http://www.theproductdeveloper.com/free-articles/45-free-articles/170-the-easiest-and-quickest-way-to-build-a-professional-looking-website-webpage-without-needing-any-technical-or-coding-experience-Hope this helps

It depends what you need. One.com do ones where you just pick a template and then add the info you need. Costs about ��10 a year including your domain name.

Try sites.google.com , they provide you with the webspace and all the free tools to create a great website for your family buisness.... they also allow you to add forms etc using google docs...

Freewebs.com allows you to make a website completely freehttp://www.webs.com/good luck!