Licenses, Etc.

Congratulations, February licensees!

2012-03-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in February:

Glenn Babst at Glenn's Plumbing, Inc. of Marco Island, FL
Keri Croswell at Acts Construction, Inc. of Orlando, FL
William Samuels, Sr., at Approved Roofing, LLC of Bradenton, FL
Craig Miles at Miles Custom Builders of Naples, FL
Rene Suarez at Professional Building Restoration, Inc. of Wellington, FL
Chris Riendeau at CR Building Services, Inc. of Lake Clarke Shores, FL
Michael Delia at Home & Property Management Resources, Inc. of Wellington, FL
James E. Wark at JWARK Construction, Inc. of Clinton Township, MI
Dustin Dubois at Dubois Construction Services, LLC of Deerfield, FL
Robert Ainslie at Cambi, Inc. of Jasper, AL
Michael Brown of Winter Garden, FL
Matthew O'Brien of Wesley Chapel, FL
Benjamin King at Ben King Construction, LLC of Lehigh Acres, FL
Margarita Maria Alvarez at R&A Construction Services LLC of Margate, FL
Thomas Chad Lane of Winter Springs, FL
Leslie Hope at Hydra Engineering & Construction, LLC of Crawfordville, FL
Joe Hope at Hydra Engineering & Construction, LLC of Crawfordville, FL
William Frenzel at Frenzel Services, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jack Wilburn at Compass Building Services, LLC of Mount Dora, FL
Richard Haff at Pro-Tech Building Systems, LLC of Bonita Springs, FL
Jacob Werthem at TJRW, LLC dba Tact Services of Stuart, FL
Eli Smith of Naples, FL
Shawn Cook of Punta Gorda, FL

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Has your license been unexpectedly suspended?

2012-03-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

We are always on the lookout for information we believe is share worthy. The article we found in the Construction Industry Licensing Board Newsletter is one such informational piece. You can see the entire newsletter by clicking here. Read on below for what to do if you suddenly find your license suspended.

“Has your Florida contractor’s license been suspended unexpectedly and you aren’t sure why? If so, there is a possibility that the suspension is for failing to comply with disciplinary actions taken against your license by the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) or failure to comply with the terms of probation on your license. If the CILB has taken disciplinary action against your license or placed your license on a term of probation, you may have items that required your compliance in order to maintain your license in a current active status. For example, you may have outstanding fines and/or investigative costs you owe to the Department; or you may have failed to provide proof of restitution made to a homeowner. If you were given a period of probation, you may not have complied with the terms of that probation. You may have even been ordered to take additional continuing education hours, but haven’t provided proof that they have been completed.

Please feel free to contact the Department to obtain information regarding your license status and to assist you with achieving compliance with the CILB’s requirements. If you have outstanding fines, investigative costs or other unresolved disciplinary issues, please contact the Department at 850.487.1395 to make payment arrangements or to be put in touch with CILB staff. If you have received a notification letter of your suspension and have already made payment, you must provide proof of such to the Executive Director of the CILB. Please be sure to follow up with Department staff by contacting the CILB office to ensure that your suspension is lifted once you have complied with any outstanding discipline.

~David Spingler, Discipline Coordinator
Construction Industry Licensing Board”

Home Inspection Grandfathering

2012-02-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

We have been talking about it a lot so you have probably heard by now that the state ‘re-opened’ the window for grandfathering when applying for a home inspection license. Right now it is as easy as it ever will be to obtain. Just remember that grandfathering will be allowed until July 1, 2012. After this, we doubt the state will ever give this opportunity again.

What qualifies you to apply? A Division 1 license is all that is needed, which means individuals who hold a Certified General, Building & Residential Contractor License. No testing or education is required. The fee to the DBPR is $330 and fingerprinting is still required.

Generally, our applications are getting processed and approved within 2 weeks although the state officially has 30 days to complete their review. If you would like additional information, please let us know. As always, the gals at Licenses, Etc. can help you with the application. Give us a call today to find out more.

Congratulations, January licensees!

2012-02-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in January:

Frank Herreda of Key West, FL
Daniel Swanson at DR Swanson Company DBA Titan-DRS Construction of Port Charlotte, FL
Linda Shaw at Shaw Design and Build, LLC of Lake Mary, FL
Robert Dean Vogelgesang at Blue Water Contractors, Inc. of Naples, FL
David Bienashski at Lash Builders, LLC of Monroe, CT
James Love at JDL Construction, LLC of Naples, FL
Erick Green of Gainsville, FL
Fred Rust at Art of Structure, LLC of Ocala, FL
Lourdes McLeod at McLeod Maintenance Service, Inc. of Cape Coral, FL
Crystal D Anderson West at Olneya Restoration Group of Florida, LLC of St. Louis, MO
Gary Weeks at GMS Home Repair Services LLC of Harmony, FL
Joseph Shieh of Arlington, VA
Mike Utley at Utley Construction, LLC of Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Maynard Baker at AJS Construction Corp. of Tampa, FL
Daniel Josie at Premier Showcase, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL
Rob Forbes at Paul Davis Systems, Inc. of Orlando DBA Paul Davis Restoration of Orlando of Winter Park, FL
Ian Morrissey at Solar Pool Heaters, Inc. DBA Fafco Solar of Alva, FL
Rodney Rupert of Palmetto, FL
Donald Mount at Scarab Construction, LLC of Naples, FL
Jeff Demme of Riverview, FL
Kevin Arnold at Crescent Beach Building Company of Fort Myers, FL

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Consumer Alert Concerning Annual Minutes

2012-01-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

It appears that there is a scam out there regarding the annual report filing for the Department of State, Division of Corporations. Please be aware that COMPLIANCE SERVICES (not to be confused with the Florida Corporation, Compliance Services, Inc.) is mailing businesses a notice for "Annual Minutes" to be ordered for a fee of $125.

These notices are NOT from the Dept. of State, Division of Corporations. "Annual Minutes" are NOT required to be filed with any agency. Do NOT confuse these notices with the messages sent by the Division of Corporations reminding each business to file its 2012 Annual Report. If you receive this letter from COMPLIANCE SERVICES saying that you need to file your Annual Meeting Minutes--toss it out.

You DO need to file an annual report with the Department of State, Division of Corporations (AKA Sunbiz), but these are two separate issues. Annual Reports can be filed online directly at www.Sunbiz.org or you can call us for help with the filing.

As always, the gals at Licenses, Etc. are here to help you in any way that we can. If you have any questions or need assistance, give us a call. We can help make sure that you don’t get scammed.

Home Inspection Continuing Education Requirements

2012-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

So many of you are taking advantage of the home inspection license while the state has ‘re-opened’ the window for grandfathering. This is only for those who currently hold a Division 1 license with the state (Certified General, Building & Residential Contractor License). There is no testing required, and also no education required. It is definitely the easiest it will ever be to get one, but the license expires on 07/31/2012, so what about the renewal?

We wondered the same thing so we went straight to the source and found out that the first 14 CE credits will not be required until 2014 renewal cycle. Home Inspectors should not start taking CE until after July 1, 2012. CE credits taken before then will not be counted towards the 2014 renewal cycle. Moving forward, a minimum of fourteen (14) hours of continuing education will need to be completed every two years in order to keep the Home Inspector License active.

Just because there are no CEUs required this round, you’re not totally free. The license DOES expire on 7/31/12. A renewal notice will be mailed to the address that you have on file with the DBPR office 90 days prior to renewal. Renewal fees are $205 and may be mailed to the department or you may renew your license online at www.MyFloridaLicense.com or with a Customer Contact Center Agent at 850.487.1395.

We will keep you up to date on all requirements as they are made known. Keep an eye on our blog and e newsletter for the most current information available. If you are interested in obtaining this license or have any questions, just give us a call! We are always here to help.

Congratulations, December licensees!

2012-01-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in November:

· John Zalud Jr. at D&D Painting and Restoration, LLC of Sarasota, FL

· William, Keith and Doug Daubmann at KDD, Inc. DBA My Shower Door of Fort Myers, FL

· Andrew Ernst at AC Ernst Building Corp of Oviedo, FL

· Gerald Reed at Reed & Co DBA Dreammaker Bath & Kitchen of Naples of Naples, FL

· Anthony Robison of Lake Mary, FL

· Elmer Edmonson at Pro Tech Plumbing & Insulation, Inc. of Lehigh Acres, FL

· Dustin Parramore at ServPro of Cape Coral of Cape Coral, FL

· Matthew Jamison at IRB Services, LLC of Indian Rocks Beach, FL

· Paul James Yasbeck, JR. at Yasbeck Construction, Inc. of Leesburg, FL

· Joseph Trufan at Air Care of SW, FL LLC of North Fort Myers, FL

· Keith Reed at Can Do Construction Services, Inc. of Naples, FL

· Travis Haehnle at Lazer Built, Inc. of Cincinatti, OH

· Timothy Webb at Webb Construction Services, LLC of Cutler Bay, FL

· Frank Herreda at F.M.H. HVAC, Inc. of Key West, FL

· Andy Colombino at A F J Construction Company, Inc. of Orlando, FL

· Anthony DiVergilio at Zanotti Divergilio, Inc. of West Bloomfield, MI

· Robert Davis at Davis Company Homes of Pensacola, FL

· Michael Greenan of Cocoa, FL

· James Houser at Advantage Plastering & Finish Carpentry, Inc. of Bonita Springs, FL

· Mario Maenza at Sticks & Stones Home Services, LLC of Orlando, FL

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Resolve to Be Licensed

2012-01-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year and that means a fresh start. Resolutions are flying everywhere. These are supposed to be goals that you want to accomplish for the year. Some people seem to think they are making a wish. Goals take action to accomplish…

What resolution did you make for this year? If it was to be licensed, start your own business or add on a new service to your existing business, then there are clear steps you must take. First, decide which license you need. If a test must be taken to be able to apply for the license, you will need to sign up for a class and then take the test. Once you pass the test, the application needs to be submitted and you have accomplished your resolution!

Starting the New Year off right is as easy as that. But if you want to make it even easier, contact the gals at Licenses, Etc. We can advise you on the license you are able to apply for, assist in starting the business and help the application portion go as smoothly as it possibly can. Don’t just wish, resolve and accomplish!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this little Christmas jingle from us:

Congratulations, November licensees!

2011-12-07T11:27:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in November:

· Ronald Maret at Ocala Plastering Inc. of Ocala, FL

· Jose Pose at Posetek Appliance Services, LLC of Bonita Springs, FL

· Steven D. Moss at Liberty Solutions Florida, LLC of Charlotte, NC

· Glenn Babst at Glenn's Plumbing, Inc. of Marco Island, FL

· James Hawley at Storm Solutions, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL

· Henry H. Sherrill, III, at Custom Climate Concepts, Inc. of Palmetto, FL

· Adam Canales at Gator Cooling, LLC of Fort Myers, FL

· Brien Mastriana at Matriana Construction, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, FL

· Garrett Grabowski at Certified Property Restoration, LLC of Port Saint Lucie, FL

· Christopher S. Fox at Precision Roofing of North Florida, Inc. of St. Augustine, FL

· Robert Mauceli at Vision Developer of Naples, FL

· Patrick Hynes at The Martin Group, Limited Liability Company of Matawan, NJ

· Brian Rippl at 5 Smooth Stones, LLC of Fort Myers, FL

· James Hawley at Storm Solutions, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL

· Khalil Nemer at Sonrise Construction, Inc. of Swartz Creek, MI

· Donald Fecher at Donald Fecher Construction Services, LLC of Largo, FL

· Derek Isaacson at Citory Solutions, LLC of Harmony, FL

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Fictitious Name Renewal

2011-12-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

So we all love this time of year. The ending of another glorious year. We can start wrapping things up and hope that next year will be even better. But it is also a time when a lot of renewals come due. One of those is fictitious name renewal.

When you file for a fictitious name, it is good for 5 years. Your renewal must be filed by December 31st of the 5^th year since you filed to remain active. This can easily be done online at www.Sunbiz.org. If you fail to file the renewal, the registration will "Expire" and will not be able to simply be renewed or reinstated. You would need to file a new fictitious name registration all over again. This will include another ad in the paper, too.

When you renew your fictitious name, it will be active again for another 5 years. The fee is $50.00 and at this time you can change your mailing address, the county of the principal place of business, the federal identification tax number and the name and/or address of any owner.

Many people have questions regarding if they need a fictitious name or not. This is because most people don’t understand what a fictitious name is. All it means is any name being used to do business other than the legal name of the company. An example would be ABC Contracting, Inc. that would like to advertise themselves using the name ABC. This usually pertains to franchises like when a local company wants to do business as McDonald’s.

If you have a fictitious name and aren’t sure if you are due this year, go to http://www.sunbiz.org/ficinam.html and type in your name. Click on the link for your name that should appear on the next page and find the expiration date listed under the filing information. As always, if you need help in filing or would like further clarification, give the gals at Licenses, Etc. a quick call. We are always here to help.

Business Aside, Let's Talk Gifts for the Females in Your Life

2011-11-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

As you know, our blog is all about providing information that will help your business succeed. We keep tabs on the latest rules and regulations at the state, remind you when deadlines are approaching, find the newest marketing strategies and share our personal insights about it all. But life is more than just business.

Christmas is fast approaching once again and yes we know that you hate to shop. Looking high and low for that perfect gift for the women in your life just is not what you want to do with your spare time. You would rather be fishing, out on the boat, or maybe just hanging in front of the TV. Well, we thought this could be our opportunity to help you in your personal life and give our award winning author a shameless plug in the process!

In honor of Small Business Saturday, we want to help you find the perfect present and support a small business in the process! With over 50,000 copies sold this year, Kristie's best-selling, award-winning books Promise, Purpose and now Genesis are the perfect presents for any of the women in your life and it is as easy as visiting: http://www.readourwrites.com/shop/

Not sure this is the right gift? Be sure to check out what readers on Amazon are saying!

“I recommend this to anyone looking for a unique, heart-warming romance.”

“Could not put it down. A total page turner, love, fantasy and hot scenes. I recommend it!”

“I loved this book. A very sweet love story that every woman dreams of. “

“She also brings humor to the table and I found myself smiling several times while reading...I also laughed out loud to the point of crying at one part of the book, and ultimately also felt like crying.”

This could be your ticket to an easy Christmas Miracle – A present she will love and love you for.

Congratulations, October licensees!

2011-11-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in October:

Rolando Echeverria at Dryway Group Corp and Diversified General Services, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL
Theresa Cleary of Lake Park, FL
Thomas Shelton Blalock at All Natural Air, LLC of Cape Coral, FL
Brian Moschello at Brian's Complete Home Improvements, LLC of Naples, FL
Danna Quanstrom at DaPau Enterprises, Inc. of Orlando, FL
Lynn Redding at Southernmost General Contractors, LLC of Ronda, NC
Ed Rush at Rush Hour Residential Construction, LLC of Tampa, FL
Pablo Arnaud at Above and Beyond Services and Construction, Inc. of Winter Haven, FL
Ken Smith at Ken Smith Enterprises, Inc. DBA Servpro of Collier County of Lehigh Acres, FL
John P. Kustra at Tropical Island Restorations of Fort Myers, FL
Grove Bolt at Fathom Pools & Services, LLC of Punta Gorda, FL
Ron Reichert at TCI Architects/Engineers/Contractor, Inc. of La Crosse, WI
Thomas McConnell at Robert Castellano Building & Design, LLC of Cape Coral, FL
James E. Hobbs, III at Fla. Stronghold Plumbing, LLC of Cape Coral, FL
James Ferguson at H & H Fergusons' Contracting, Inc. of Pinellas Park, FL
Richard Botolino of Lake Park, FL
Don Martin at Sims Construction & Remediation Services, Inc. of Rockledge, FL
Thomas Cuenot at Air Ref Co Inc. of Delray Beach, FL
Andrew Baker at Midpoint Cooling & Heating, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL
Robert Rush at Bay to Bay Inspections, LLC of Tampa, FL
Tony Ankersmit at Multiband Engineering and Wireless, Southeast, Inc. of Sarasota, FL
Jared Odom at Odom Custom Pools, LLC of Vero Beach, FL
Jeffery Smith at Atlantic Construction of South Florida, Inc. of David, FL
Nathan Brown at Image Paving, LLC of Miami Shores, FL
James Williamson at Dalo Plumbing & Air, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL
Neal Horrell at Guardian Hurricane Protection, Inc. of Lehigh Acres, FL
Saleh Rabah at All Phase Solutions, LLC of Delray Beach, FL
John Connolly at Connolly General Contracting of Cape Coral, FL
Ron Federico of Chatsworth, CA
Chris Clemann of Clemann Holdings LLC, DBA Clemann Design & Remodeling of Bradenton, FL

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Congratulations, September Licensees!

2011-10-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clientswho were approved in September:

· JosephSelf at RustConstructors, Inc. of Birmingham, AL

· DanielKiesel at Bellwether Construction Services, LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· KennethGoetzman at Goetzman Development, LLC of Starke, FL

· DavidDoran of Naples, FL

· HarroldElie at Clear Sky Construction, Inc. of Lehigh Acres, FL

· AndrewLombardi at AmericanOverhead Doors & More, Inc. of Molino, FL

· BrianMoschello at Brian's Complete Home Improvements, LLC of Naples, FL

· BrookeEmrick at Atlantic Steel Construction, LLC DBA Atlantic Steel of Miami, FL

· DennisThiel at Kristal Pool Construction LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· JaySullivan at UR Solar Power, LLC and UR Solar Power Licensing, LLC of Frederick,MD

· DanielHamilton at Hamilton Electric, LLC of Naples, FL

· SharleenHoadley at CenterpointConstruction Corp of Coral Springs, FL

· LeeLitton at Gulfside Air Conditioning & Heating, LLC of Phoenix, AZ

· TimBeebe of Pompano Beach, FL

· ArturoParades at Paredes Mechanical, LLC of West Palm Beach, FL

Andremember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, callLisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Business Lessons From a Visionary

2011-10-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Many people around the world are mourning the passing of Steve Jobs this week. He made a tremendous impact not just in the technology arena, but in various areas of our lives. He's even been called a world-changer.

According to a myriad of articles all over the internet, Jobs was known to be determined, focused, enthusiastic and a perfectionist, even to the point of being called crazy. He didn't give up, though, and he didn't stop at "good enough." He went the extra mile - and beyond. We can all learn from Jobs, including owners of small contracting businesses.

Here are some quotes we hope you'll think about as you go to work in your own business:

"When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."

"To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that."

"When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don’t put in the time or energy to get there."

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me."

"You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever."

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Sand Dollar Awards

2011-09-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

As chair of this year's Sand Dollar Awards Committee for the Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA), our very own Lisa Adams played a significant role at this year's banquet and awards presentation. The Sand Dollar Awards is the equivalent of the Oscars for local building contractors. It's a major gala event with 59 awards granted this year in categories ranging from best home design to best kitchen remodel to best website for an associate member.

Lisa and her committee put together a spectacular event with an oriental theme of Good Fortune. The night included the awards presentation, a silent auction and a performance by the Robert Williamson Band. A reward for all of her hard work, Lisa got to enjoy a beautiful evening at the formal event.

Lisa (2nd from right) with friends at the 2011 Sand Dollar Awards Gala. Photo by John Sciarrino, Giovanni Photography.

We're proud of Lisa and all she's done with the Sand Dollar Awards and the CBIA. Well done, Lisa! We'd also like to say congratulations to all the winners, including client The Lykos Group for their multiple awards!

CBIA is a local chapter of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Local chapters are located across the state. If you're not a member of your local building industry association, you ought to consider it. Numerous benefits include continuing education offerings, networking events and promotional opportunities, such as annual awards like the Sand Dollars.

Social Media Seminar for Key4Women

2011-09-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the seminar yesterday! Key4Women is a group started by KeyBank that provides customized business advice, access to capital, ongoing education, and networking opportunities. Lisa was invited to be a guest speaker presenting information on Facebook, LinkedIn and the usage of social media in general There was an amazing turnout of 42 people to this breakfast meeting! A few of the topics discussed were:

· Actions to take to promote businesses

· How to use Facebook to increase customer traffic

· How to use referral marketing to outsell competition

· Ways to use Social Media to increase brand awareness

· How to increase your knowledge of customer attitudes and preferences with Social Media

To see the presentation in its entirety, go to http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/key4-women-presentation. There are active links within this presentation, so click away!

If you have any questions after watching this (or would like to hire us to perfect your social media message), please don’t hesitate to call Lisa at 239-963-5369!

Lisa Adams with Joe from KeyBank

Congratulations, August licensees!

2011-09-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in August:

· David Blom at D&B Electrical Contractors of Longwood, FL

· Michael Soule at Gulfshore Construction Partners, LLC DBA Gulfshore Homes of Bonita Springs, FL

· Greg Walls at Schear Construction, LLC of Lehigh Acres, FL

· Matthew O'Brien at Execuvest Properties Corp of Tampa, FL

· Calvin Wayne Hebb at Ultima Construction, LLC of Oakland Park, FL

· Brian Noyes at Sun C.G., LLC of Seminole, FL

· Andrew Ernst at AC Ernst Building Corp of Oviedo, FL

· David Williams at Exceletech Coating and Applications, LLC of Clermont, FL

· James R. Ceavers at H.A. Contracting Corp of Miami, FL

· Kenneth Freeman at Kenneth Freeman, Inc. of Bonita Springs, FL

· Brian O'Hara of Fort Myers, FL

· Glenn Davis II at Kingston Construction Enterprises, LLC of Merritt Island, FL

· Pamela FaJardo at B&D Roofing, LLC and B&D Construction of SW FL, LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· Mitchell Sadlowski at SADAIN Building Contractors, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL

· Julie Chambers at America's Best Contractors of Bonita Springs, FL

· Andrew Shafer at Air Conditioning By Southern Climate Solutions, LLC of Naples, FL

· Dennis Masters at BRD Inc. DBA BRD Construction Inc. of Buffalo, NY

We're also pleased to share the newly created or revamped Social Media Networking pages for these fine businesses we get to call clients:

· Invitation to Paper

o Facebook: www.Facebook.com/InToPaper

Be sure to check them out!

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

QR Codes – The Newest in Marketing

2011-08-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

A new technological buzz is on the street and is spreading rapidly. The new advancement is called a Quick Response code, more commonly heard and talked about as a QR code. It is a specific matrix barcode. The words “quick response” refer to the fact that the code can be read quickly by a cell phone or reader and then can transmit unlimited data. They were originally created and used in Japan and are now being used throughout the United States in both commercial tracking applications and convenient applications for cell phone users.

QR codes can be placed on many mediums including magazines, business cards, buses, signs, and any objects users could need or want information from. The type of information that can be accessed by the individual scanning the QR code includes contact information, text, a website, a video, and more. These codes are so advanced that they can even direct the user to compose a text message or e-mail or to receive a coupon for that specific business.

The QR code works very simply. The consumer needs to open the correct code reader application and hold their mobile device up to the QR code. The application then takes a picture of the code and directs the device to the information the code has been programmed to access.

Download your reader application. Choose yours based on the type of phone you have. Each site lists the phones that support their apps:

· KAYWA Reader: http://reader.kaywa.com/

· Mobile Tag: http://www.mobiletag.com/

· NeoReader: http://neoreader.com/

Quick Response codes help you as a consumer and they can also help your business, no matter how small or large it is. By putting these codes on your products, flyers, invites, print advertising, etc. you can connect your clients to endless information. The potential growth for your business and possibilities to further service clients are endless.

Congratulations, July licensees!

2011-08-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in July:

· Kevin Taylor at Stage Technologies, Inc. of Las Vegas, NV

· Richard Christiaens at Fort Myers Restoration Services, Inc. DBA Paul Davis Restoration of Lee and Charlotte of Fort Myers, FL

· Robert Miller at Robert's HVAC & Refrigeration Inc. of Venice, FL

· Ted Bickoff at General Plumbing, Inc. of Stoghton, MA

· Scott Davis at Bayside Structures, L.L.C. of Molino, FL

· Scott Ecker of Port St. Lucie, FL

· Brandon Garmon at G3 Contracting, Inc. of West Palm Beach, FL

· Joseph Bertolami at Lighthouse Pools, Inc. of Palm Beach Gardens, FL

· Fritz Sullivan at Sullivan-Tassin, Inc. of Naples, FL

· Anthony Geach at Roadway Management, Inc. of Sarasota, FL

· Andre Williams at AE Williams Construction, L.L.C. of Orlando. FL

· Neil Kynaston at Kynaston Construction, L.L.C. of Orlando, FL

· Calvin Jack Eason at Eason Contracting, L.L.C. of Tampa, FL

· Thomas Chad Lane at TCL Construction Concepts, Inc. of Winter Springs, FL

· Pietro Mortellaro at G&M Contracting, Inc. of Tampa, FL

· Jason Barfield at All Inclusive Maintenance & Construction, Inc. of Lakeland, FL

· James Stamps, III of Fort Myers, FL

· Robert Capozzoli at R&C Builders, LLC of Tampa, FL

· Alex Mirabal at Air Central Services of Miami Springs, FL

Be sure to check them out!

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Elimination of the Qualified Business Organization License

2011-08-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

A lot of you are sending in questions regarding the qualified business licenses that will be expiring this August. Effective October 1, 2009, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation no longer issued Certificates of Authority (qualified business licenses) to companies. This means that you no longer need to renew this license because they no longer exist.

House Bill 425 eliminated the requirement for a separate business license for construction companies in Florida. Contractors will still be required to qualify construction businesses with their license and provide background information for the business they are seeking to qualify.

If you ever have questions or concerns about your licenses, we are here to help. Just give us a shout.

Social Media Seminar Presented for the Interior Design Society

2011-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

The Interior Design Society recently offered a seminar on social media at the Miromar Design Center in Estero, FL. Lisa presented a beginner class in the morning and an advanced class in the afternoon. In these presentations she touched on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Accompanying her was Bronson Taylor of DumbPunk who spoke about websites and search engine optimization.

About 60 individuals came to learn, making this a highly successful event. The crowd had very insightful questions and everyone learned something. Beth Ann Tuyls, President IDS Naples Chapter, said, “I feel a huge THANK YOU is in order!!! What a wonderful, successful event today! We have received so much positive feedback from this event.”

To see the presentations in their entirety, click on the links below:

· Beginners - http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/ids-social-media-for-beginners-seminar

· Advanced - http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/ids-social-media-for-beginners-seminar

There are active links within this presentation, so click away!

If you have any questions after watching this (or would like to hire us to do the work for you), please don’t hesitate to call Lisa at 239-963-5369!

Electrical Rule Changes

2011-07-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Changes have just occurred in the electrical licensing world. The following rule changes went into effect on Sunday July 17, 2011. In a nutshell:

· The Statement of Bonding Limits or Irrevocable Letter of Credit is no longer required.

· Personal Financial Statements no longer need to be notarized.

· Forms on the DBPR website have been updated.

Here are the actual statutes now in place at the ECLB. The crossed-through portions have been removed from the requirements.

61G6-5.003 Requirements for Certification.

(2) Every applicant must submit:

(a) A comprehensive financial statement reflecting the financial condition of the individual applicant during the previous fiscal year; provided, however, that the statement must have been prepared within 12 months of the date of filing of the application. The financial statement shall include a balance sheet. ~~Unless prepared by a certified public accountant, the financial statement shall be signed in the presence of a notary by the individual applicant.~~

61G6-5.004 Requirement for Business Organizations.

In order that the Board may carry out its statutory duty to investigate the financial responsibility, credit, and business reputation of an applicant proposing to engage in contracting as a partnership, corporation, business trust, or other legal entity other than a sole proprietorship, an applicant shall be required to forward the following to the Department for review by the Board:

(1) A statement signed and sealed by an officer of a surety company licensed to do business in Florida, certifying that the company would issue a performance or payment bond in an amount of at least $10,000.00 to an applicant for a specialty certification and in an amount of at least $25,000.00 to an applicant for unlimited electrical or alarm certification at the time of application. However, an applicant may substitute an Unexpired Irrevocable Letter of Credit from a responsible financial institution in an amount of at least $10,000.00 or $25,000.00 respectively, in lieu of this requirement.

As always, look to the gals at Licenses, Etc. to help you get through the licensing process quickly and easily. We are always looking out for what affects you.

Facebook for Advanced Business User

2011-07-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

There are more than 750 million active users on Facebook. 50% are active users that log on to Facebook in any given day. The average user has 130 friends and people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. Last night we discussed how to leverage this information to benefit businesses.

A few of the topics discussed were:

· Facebook Advertising

· Check - In Deals

· Custom Applications including Fan Only Applets

· Posting as Your Business

· And much more...

To see the slide presentation in its entirety, go to http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/score-facebook-for-the-advanced-business-user-workshop. There are active links within this presentation, so be sure to click on the pictures!

A big thank you to Whole Foods Market Naples for donating the snacks for this event. What an amazing spread they made available last night. Yummy!

If you have any questions after watching this (or would like to hire us to do the work for you), please don’t hesitate to call Lisa at 239-963-5369!

Important information on Glass & Glazing Licenses

2011-07-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last week, we sent out an email blast regarding the Glass & Glazing license changes. Because this went into effect July 1, 2011, with very little publicity, we wanted to make sure you were aware of the changes. However, the effect of the changes on various licenses holders was unclear. Even for CILB!

We now have information straight from the CILB office. To be clear, Division I contractors ARE NOT affected by this change at all. If you hold a Division I license (CGC, CBC, CRC), you may continue to do glass and glazing work, including installing windows, storefronts, etc. The statutes have not yet been updated, but this is according to CILB executives. When the new statutes are posted, we will let you know.

Contractors who currently have a Specialty Glass & Glazing license will be receiving a new license in the mail with a new license number that begins with CGG. The numeric portion of the license should remain the same. Look for your license in the mail in the upcoming weeks. All of your marketing materials need to be updated to include you new license number. You can also verify your license number here: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID= Just like any other contractor, your license number should be on any and every thing that is remotely considered advertising or marketing. This includes, but is not limited to, business cards, truck or van wraps, brochures, advertisements, and more…

If you have any questions, as always please send them on over. The rules are not always easy to follow or understand. We are here to help you in any way we can.

Congratulations, June licensees!

2011-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in June:

· John Martyn at A.T. Construction, Inc. of Drexel Hill, PA

· Kevin ‘Andy’ Martyn at A.T. Construction, Inc. of Drexel Hill, PA

· Richard Souza at Patriot Plumbing Contractor, LLC of Pace, FL

· Ryan Van Tasell at Exceptional Aluminum, Inc. of Cape Coral FL

· James D. Martin at Sims Construction & Remediation Services, LLC of Rockledge, FL

· William Frenzel at Frenzel Services, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, FL

· Robert Vermurlen at C&A Construction Services, LLC of Troy, AL

· David Rios at River Dave Building & Plumbing Contractors, Inc. of Naples, FL

· Clemens Peschl at International Contents Experts, Inc. of Pompano Beach, FL

· Maynard Baker at Bakerfield Custom Homes Corp. of Tampa, FL

· Sean Gardere at Prodigy Construction & Development, Inc. of Windermere, FL

· Christopher Wood at CW Custom Construction, Inc. of Bradenton, FL

· Anthony C. Ferguson at Diesel Construction Group, Inc. of Jupiter, FL

· Saleh Rabah at All Phase Solutions, LLC of Delray Beach, FL

· Cherie Summa at Naples Dock & Marine of Naples, FL

· Kyle Klewin at Klewin Construction, Inc. of West Palm Beach, FL

· John Hose at i2 Visual, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL

Be sure to check them out!

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Revised Applications and New License Rules Effective July 1st

2011-07-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Some big things just happened at the state level regarding licensing and there are a couple of changes we need to report to you. Home Inspection licensing was made more attainable during this year’s legislative session. As of July 1st, Division 1 license holders can apply for a Home Inspector License via Grandfathering. There are no additional CEU or experience requirements during Grandfathering, so take advantage of this one-time-only opportunity. Grandfathering will be allowed until July 1, 2012. There are also provisions for certain other inspectors to be Grandfathered under this new rule. If you would like additional information, please let us know. The fee to the DBPR is $330 and fingerprinting is still required. As always, the gals at Licenses, Etc. can help you with the application. Give us a call today to find out more.

A big revelation was that the Glass & Glazing license has lost its status as a specialty license and is now a Division 2 license. This means that Division 1 licensees will need to hold a separate Glass & Glazing license in order to do work such as install windows, or will need to subcontract this work to a licensed Glass & Glazing Contractor. We have been told that they will continue to use the same exam for this new license that they have been using for the specialty license. All existing specialty glass and glazing contractors will be reclassified as Division II licensees. The next available date to test for a Glass & Glazing license will be in August 16th and 17th. The deadline to sign up is July 20th.

And finally a note of caution to remind all that enforcement of unlicensed activity for Mold Assessors and Mold Remediators has now begun. Please make sure that you are working within the laws. Any contractor going into a location to assess for mold or to address a mold problem will need to be licensed to do so. These are individual licenses and a license holder must be on site supervising or performing all work that is performed.

We know that these are big changes in the licensing world. If you have any questions as to how you may be affected, turn to the gals at Licenses, Etc. to answer all your licensing questions. We are here to help you.

Privacy Invasion?

2011-06-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Facebook’s new facial recognition software is being called an invasion of privacy by some. This software looks at photos of you to gather information about your face to store in a database. The kicker is that this happens whether you have an account or not.

Why are they doing this? Photos that are uploaded now have automatic suggestions of people to tag in them. It recognizes the face of your friend that you have uploaded and tagged several times and eventually will recommend tagging them the next time you upload.

Once again Facebook has angered the public at large because they didn't tell us they were going to use all those photos we uploaded to make its facial recognition software better. What some think is even worse is that all accounts were automatically defaulted to an enabled status for this feature when they installed it recently. Many think they should have been asked if Facebook could use them for this reason.

What can you do? While you can't delete the information Facebook already gathered and stored about your facial features, you can turn off this feature if you would like to.

How to opt out:

1. Go to Account Privacy Settings.

2. Click "Customize settings."

3. Scroll down to "Suggest photos of me to friends" and click the Edit Settings button.

4. Click the box where it says "Enabled" and select "Disabled."

5. Click "Okay".

Facebook for Beginners

2011-06-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

The crowd that came to the Facebook for Beginners Workshop proves how many individuals understand the need to learn about the biggest social media site on the web. This class really delved into topics that most think they understand, but many would be surprised to find how many little nuances there really are.

A few of the topics discussed were:

· Privacy Settings

· “Checking In” – How and Why?

· Uploading

· Mobile Devices and How They Differ

· And much more…

To see the slide presentation in its entirety, go to http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/score-facebook-workshop-for-beginners. There are active links within this presentation, so click away! If you are looking for more advanced techniques to apply to your business, please join us for the Facebook for the Advanced Business User on July 13^th!

If you have any questions after watching this (or would like to hire us to do the work for you), please don’t hesitate to call Lisa at 239-963-5369!

CILB

2011-06-14T13:16:00.001-07:00

Chrissi and Lisa were able to attend the May Construction Industry Licensing Board meeting which was an eye opening experience. They were able to hear discussions and comments as well as rulings made during this procedure. Hopefully you never have to go in front of the board, but if you do then maybe this will help.

The actual statute that exists regarding financial stability reads that any open liens or judgments stop an application. This will get you sent to the board where you will need to explain what you are doing to rectify these situations. They can then choose to ask for a certain amount of money in the bank, to ask that the applicant get a separate financially responsible officer or to deny the application immediately. A rule has been created that an applicant’s credit score be 660 or above, but at this time that rule is not being enforced.

When you fill out your application, you are asked to answer questions regarding your criminal history and background. You are also required to submit to a fingerprint scan that the FDLE and FBI cross reference to their databases. Anything in your past worst than a speeding ticket needs to be disclosed to the DBPR, and may get you sent to the board. Crimes less than 10 years old—particularly violent crimes or felonies – are most prone to board referral, as well as previous board referrals. The board has final say over who has good moral character, which is a purely subjective issue. An applicant that had been convicted of a felony, but had his rights restored, came in front of the board to ask for his license back and was denied because his experience stated a project during the time he was in jail.

Another major point of contention for the board is the experience verification section. They discussed in great detail the amount of experience necessary and what makes up the four story requirement for a Certified General Contractor license. One gentleman in front of the board had experience in a pump station project where one of the stories was underground and housed equipment. This was deemed unacceptable to be considered a four story project. The board gave him the option to receive his Certified Building Contractor license instead.

Qualifying an additional business is a very involved process and is scrutinized heavily by the board. They want to make sure that a contractor is not selling his or her license, but is actively involved in both companies. If the license holder owns more than 50% of both businesses, the application should be approved without going to the board (unless background, financial or other areas show instability). If the license holder does not own more than half of both, then the board will look at two main areas: Why do you want to qualify this business? How are you to be paid for this venture? If you are trying to qualify two companies that compete with each other, the board sees that as a definite sign that you are selling your license. As for payment, any individual who was not an owner and was paid by 1099 instead of W-2 was denied on the spot.

Reinstatement of a license after it has become Null and Void is also done by a board review. Several individuals were at the meeting requesting their licenses be reinstated, but only one was granted. A hardship endured must be proven to the board’s satisfaction for them to reissue their license. The two who discussed their divorces did not meet that standard, nor did the gentleman who just had no idea how his license was never renewed. The contractor who had been wrongly imprisoned in Cuba for a period of time before finally being allowed a liaison from the embassy was the only one to receive his license back.

After seeing all of this, we have several points of wisdom to share with you:

· You have the right to an attorney. This can help you know your rights and be able to communicate more effectively with the members of the board.

· You will be drilled about all of your application, not just the part for which you were sent board. Be sure that you know your application forwards and backwards.

· If you ever find yourself in front of the board hearing the words “motion to deny”, immediately stand up and either ask for a continuance or completely withdraw the application. This will save you from having a record of being denied by the board.

The gals at Licenses, Etc. are constantly on top of the newest rules and regulations to help our clients avoid a board referral if at all possible. Call us today to find out how we can be of assistance with your next application. www.LicensesEtc.com

Congratulations, May licensees!

2011-06-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in May:

· Robert Burton at Native Roofing Enterprises, Inc. of Davie, FL

· Timothy Abell at Security Vault Works, Inc. of Laurel, MD

· Andrews Delgado at Andrew Hunter Homes, LLC of Marco Island, FL

· Anne Towers at PFCI, LLC DBA Precast Keystone of Naples, FL

· Edward Rodriguez at E.R. A/C & Refrigeration, LLC of Northport, FL

· Erik Reed at EJR Construction, LLC of Boca Raton, FL

· Charles Stone at C-J Stone Construction, Inc. of Somerville, TX

· George Crabtree at Gulfshore Drywall and Stucco of Florida, LLC of Fort Myers Beach, FL

· Jeffrey Cindrich at Cindrich Construction, Inc. of Cape Coral, FL

· Darrin Miller at Blue Wave Construction Group, Inc. of Hollywood, FL

· David Blom at Structural Sign Solutions of Longwood, FL

· Jennifer Polkow of Fort Myers, FL

· Jeffrey Baller at J Baller Construction, LLC of Fort Myers, FL

· Bob Cory at Queenslander Construction, Inc. of North Fort Myers, FL

We're also pleased to share the newly created Linked In site for this fine business:

· Richard Pearson at Good Value Pharmacy, LLC DBA Prescriptions Plus

Be sure to check them out!

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

The Inner Workings of Twitter Workshop

2011-05-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the workshop last night! We were able to discuss in depth all of the inner workings of Twitter. The crowd had great questions and wonderful discussions were started! We are so appreciative of these opportunities.

A few of the topics discussed were:

· Creating custom pages

· Using hash tags

· Organizing Tweets with Tweet Deck

· Twitter parties

· And much more…

To see the presentation in its entirety, go to http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/twitter-workshop-for-score. There are active links within this presentation, so click away!

If you have any questions after watching this (or would like to hire us to do the work for you), please don’t hesitate to call Lisa at 239-963-5369!

Congratulations, April licensees!

2011-05-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in April:

· Ronald Holmes at RJR Holmes, Inc. / JNC Cabinets and Flooring, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL

· Brian Chrzanowski at B & A Design Builders, Inc. of West Palm Beach, FL

· Robert Tim Uzar at EcoMech, LLC of Newnan, GA

· David Wainscott at Naples Building Group, LLC of Naples, FL

· Bob Hine at Naples Building Group, LLC of Marco Island, FL

· Mike Denmom at Astor Construction Services, Inc. of Altamonte Springs, FL

· Dan Nunn at NETServices of Tulalip, WA

· Stephen Irwin at Irwin Builders, LLC of Prescott, AZ

· Justin Ostroff at Kona Construction & Consulting, LLC of Melbourne, FL

· Tony Rodriguez at Elite Concrete Designing of N. Miami, FL

· Nicholas Ceavers at Coastal / H.A. Contracting Corp Joint Venture of Miami, FL

· Vernon D Hope II at Hydra Engineering, LLC of Crawfordville, FL

· David Bienashski at Lash Builders, LLC of Monroe, CT

· Kenneth B. Whistle at Tremont Roofing, Inc. of Punta Gorda, FL

· Ken Hartem at Marker III Marine Construction, LLC of Naples, FL

· Daniel Gonzalez at Design Management Contractors, Inc. of Miami, FL

We're also pleased to share the newly created website for this fine business:

· Jeremy Johnson at Imperial Fire Alarm & Security, Inc.

Be sure to check them out!

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Tax Ramifications of Not Filing Your Annual Report

2011-05-09T11:16:00.001-07:00

Last week, we called each and every one of you who had not yet filed your annual reports. We love doing that for you and enjoy catching up on how you are doing! We hope that you got yours filed because if you have not, there is a $400 penalty fee on top of the standard fees.

One gentleman commented to us this week that since he was late, there was really no reason to hurry and do it now. But there is! The first reason is that if you wait till September, the business is made inactive and the reinstatement fee is $600. The second is the tax ramifications of not filing your annual report…

We recently heard the story of a business owner who ‘forgot’ to file her annual report for a few years, but still did her tax returns as an S-Corp. She was audited by the IRS for a completely different reason, but it was discovered that she had not filed the annual reports. This meant her company WAS NOT A CORPORATION!! Those wonderful IRS agents redid all of her tax returns as a sole-proprietor and she was subject to over $50,000 in additional taxes and fees!!

Also, if this business owner had been sued while not legally a corporation, her personal assets would have been at risk. There is no corporate veil for a sole proprietorship. She would have been perceived by the courts in that light all because she didn’t file her annual reports.

So please, take our word for it. If you forgot to file your annual report and still want to be in business, go ahead and pay the $400 fine. It will be worth it in the long run!

UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION WITH US!!

2011-04-28T11:02:00.001-07:00

We’ve been trying to call our clients who haven’t filed their annual reports to remind them of the due date. Unfortunately, a lot of numbers are no longer in service. We want to be able to pick up the phone and call you when there is a deadline that we don’t want you to miss, but when we don’t have the correct contact information, that is impossible.

Please let us know if any of your contact information changes: phone number, email address, or mailing address. Let us be able to go the extra mile for you. Take a moment to shoot an email to etc@licensesetc.com and let us know if you have changed your contact information.

Do You Have $400 to Throw Away?

2011-04-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah, neither do we! So we want to remind you to file your annual report by May 1^st. Every business formed prior to 2011 must file their annual report by this date. If a report is filed late, an additional $400 penalty is levied to the standard fees.

In the past, there was a ‘loophole’ that could sometimes allow you to avoid the penalty when filing late. That loophole was removed last year, so ALL late filings must pay the $400 late fee. It’s definitely not worth waiting! The standard fees are $150 for a Corporation and $138.75 for a Limited Liability Company. If you wait until after May 1^st, that means the fees are $550 and $538.75 respectively.

When filing your annual report, this is the time to make necessary changes. Update your company address, registered agent and manager/officer information. Be sure to check your spelling. If information is mistyped, an amendment must be filed, which is an additional $35.

To clarify, this is NOT your license renewal. Your license is up for renewal in August of every EVEN numbered year. This is to keep your business active and retain your business name with the Department of State. If you don’t file it, the State will eventually dissolve your company. If you have any confusion on this matter, you know who to ask!

Filings are done online at www.sunbiz.org, but as always the gals at Licenses, Etc. would be happy to take this task off your hands! Give us a call and we will make sure it is done correctly and on time!

Congratulations, March licensees!

2011-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in February:

· Ken Smith at Ken Smith Enterprises, Inc. DBA SERVPRO of Collier County & S. Fort Myers of Lehigh Acres, FL

· Amanda Koch at Koch Contractors of Christmas, FL

· Tyler Jackson at Tri-Town Construction, LLC of Naples, FL

· Pat Lyons at Dry Zone of Fort Myers, FL

· Luis Cubells, Jr. at Cubells Plumbing, Inc. of Cape Coral, FL

· Ryan Jones at Priceless Pool Plastering of Deland, FL

· Kenneth Lewis at WKL Roofing, LLC of Daytona Beach, FL

· Timothy Makarius at Contract Spec Installation LLC of Jupiter, FL

· Brett Moss at Black Diamond Construction Group, LLC of Key Biscayne, FL

· Charles Cotugno at Cotugno Contracting, LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· Rhonda Wigglesworth at Redline Construction Services, Inc. of Ft. Pierce, FL

· Riley Davis at Buzz Davis Pools of Deland, FL

· Bruce O. Fountain at Fountain Enterprises of Cocoa Beach, FL

· Ernest Floerke, Jr. at The Sweetlund Group, Inc. of Tampa, FL

· Scott Moore at Advanced Media Services, Inc. DBA AMS Sound & Vision of Naples, FL

· Patrick Tarzian at Global Equipment Sales & Service of Brandon, FL

· Steve Leon at The Leon Development & Construction Group, Inc. of Peachtree City, FL

· Walter Mulock at Fusion Remediation of Naples, FL

· Todd Emmons at Todd Emmons, Inc. of Hudson, FL

· Gregory Davis at G7 Holdings, Inc. DBA Garbageman.com of Miami Beach, FL

· Lance Counts at Herbert Counts Paving, Inc. of Ocala, FL

· Lynnen L Lambert, III at Atlantic Siding and Roofing of Central Florida, Inc. of Orlando, FL

· Michael McDonald at M. Alexander Construction & Renovations LLC of Orlando, FL

· John Pentland at Pentland Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Service, LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· Michael Adams at Teramore Development, LLC of Thomasville, GA

· Steven Luethje of Boca Raton, FL

· Rebekah Harp at Harp Homes, LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· John Thompson at Johnny on the Spot Remodeling, Inc. of Tampa, FL

· Scott Chadwick at STC Interiors, Inc. of Fort Myers, FL

· Mitch Webster at Elite Construction & Inspection Services, Inc. of Vero Beach, FL

We're also pleased to share the newly created or revamped Social Media Networking pages for these fine businesses we get to call clients:

· Willowood Kitchen & Bath

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/NaplesKitchens

o Twitter: http://twitter.com/WillowoodKandB

· DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/DreamMakerSWFL

o Twitter: http://twitter.com/DreamMakerSWFL

· TEC Plumbing & Construction

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/TECPlumbingandConstruction

· ProFloors

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProFloorsNaples

o Twitter: http://twitter.com/ProFloorsInc

· Vickie Miller Emanuele Energy Reader

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnergyReader

Be sure to connect with them all on Facebook and Twitter.

Would you like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, too? Call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Florida Annual Reports Due May 1st!

2011-03-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Filing your annual report each year keeps your business active with the Department of State, Division of Corporations for another year. Every business formed prior to 2011 must file their annual report by May 1^st. If a report is filed late, an additional $400 penalty is levied to the standard fees.

The standard fees are $150 for a Corporation and $138.75 for a Limited Liability Company. If you wait until after May 1^st, that means the fees are $550 and $538.75 respectively. In the past, there was a ‘loophole’ that could sometimes allow you to avoid the penalty when filing late. That loophole was removed last year, so ALL late filings must pay the $400 late fee. It’s definitely not worth waiting!

To clarify, this is NOT your license renewal. Your license is up for renewal in August of every EVEN numbered year. This is to keep your business active and retain your business name with the Department of State. If you have any confusion on this matter you know who to ask!

Facebook for Businesses Workshop

2011-03-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the workshop last night! What an amazing turnout we had with a standing room only crowd! 55 attendees and 14 SCORE representatives came to hear Lisa give a riveting workshop on how to use Facebook for your business.

A few of the topics discussed were:

· Custom welcome pages

· Applications that you can import into your page

· Ways to connect social media & make them work for you

· Methods of getting fans

· Studying insights to see what works

To see the presentation in its entirety, go to http://www.slideshare.net/lisaadamslicenses/score-facebook-for-businesses-workshop. There are active links within this presentation, so click away!

If you have any questions after watching this (or would like to hire us to do the work for you), please don’t hesitate to call Lisa at 239-963-5369!

Upgrades to Facebook Business Pages: We Requested, They Delivered

2011-03-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Some really cool upgrades have enhanced Facebook for those who have business pages. Developers have been asking admins how they can make business pages easier to use. We responded with a number of things that we would like to add to the capabilities of business pages. The developers listened and as of mid February they sent out emails detailing the new features they would be revealing.

The developers allowed us to see what our business accounts will look like and upgrade the pages ourselves if we would like. All pages will automatically be upgraded on March 10^th.

Here are some of the new features:

· Notifications when fans interact with your page or posts – Previously an admin would need to visit the page to see if a fan posted to their page, now it will give you a notification of this just like a personal page.

· A place to showcase photos along the top of your page – Just as the personal pages now have, pictures will be showcased along the top. Admins can choose to hide a certain picture if they would not like it showcased by rolling over it and clicking on the X button that appears.

· A news feed for your page - News Feed — the center column of your home page — is a constantly updating list of stories from people and pages that you follow on Facebook. You can “switch” to the business account to see this.

· The ability to Like and post on other pages as your page – “Switching” to the business account allows you to post on other business pages as your business. This gives your page more visibility. At this time you cannot post on personal pages as your business.

To “switch” between personal accounts and business accounts:

· You must be an admin of the page

· Go to the business page

· In the upper right hand corner of the page, find the link that says “Use Facebook as [Business Name]”

· Repeat steps and click link that will now say “Use Facebook as [Your Name]” to switch back

These changes allow businesses a lot more freedom and visibility with their pages. As always, if you would like to discuss options for marketing your business with Social Media, contact Lisa Adams at 239-963-5369.

Congratulations, February licensees!

2011-03-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in February:

· Michael Wiecinski at Rohl Networks, LP of Pompano Beach, FL

· Bob Stull at Stull Contracting, Inc. of Cape Coral, FL

· Evan Gorny of Fort Myers, FL

· Rodney Locke at Locke Builders and Contractors, Inc. of Margate, FL

· James Brann at The Porch Factory, LLC of Fort Pierce, FL

· Omar Pareja at AB&P General Contracting And Engineering, Corp. of Doral, FL

· Michael Whitehouse at Oceanic Air Conditioning, LLC of Cape Coral, FL

· Michael Utley of Fort Lauderdale, FL

· Thomas Tomarelli at A/C Guys, Inc. of Ocoee, FL

· Gregory Wellet at Key King Enterprises, Inc. of Key West, FL

· Dazhi Yu at Unimeso, LLC of Gainesville, FL

· Ralph Collazo of Miami, FL

· Ernest Charles Miles at DR Swanson/Titan Golf JV of Port Charlotte, FL

· Lowell Jones at Action Air Conditioning of South Florida, Inc. of West Palm Beach, FL

· Josh Frank at Integrity Pools, Inc. of Port Charlotte, FL

· Robert Ruck at Environmental Demolition Partners, LLC of West Palm Beach, FL

· Russell Colodny at Excellence Property & Lifestyle Management, Inc.

· Jeff Brieler at Karlsen Corporation DBA The Window Professionals of Jupiter, FL

· Phillip Lee at Orion Merchant Solutions of Miami, FL

· Gerard Reed at Reed & Co DBA DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Naples, FL

· Jimmy Bowen/Michelle Apholz at Sun Star Energy, LLC of New Smyrna Beach, FL

· J. Mark Nash at True Mark Builders LLC of Naples, FL

We're also pleased to share the newly created or revamped Social Media Networking pages for these fine businesses we get to call clients:

· TEC Plumbing and Construction

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/TECPlumbingandConstruction

Be sure to connect with them all on Facebook and Twitter.

Would you like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, too? Call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.

Less Than a Week Left to Grandfather

2011-02-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

We are down to the final week. Anyone who wants to apply for the Home Inspection or Mold Remediation or Assessor License has very little time left.

The DBPR requires that they receive your application by the end of the day on Monday, February 28^th.

If you are looking to submit your application in the Grandfathering timeframe, the gals at Licenses, Etc will take care of you. Please contact us immediately to get this process started. This will be a rush situation because we are into the countdown, so for $400 for the first application and $200 for each additional we can assure a thorough job that will ensure you won’t miss out on the chance of a lifetime.

What You May Not Know About Worker’s Comp.

2011-02-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

Have you obtained workers' compensation insurance or filed for an exemption with the Division of Workers' Compensation?

The Facts:

· An exemption only costs $50 and is good for 2 years.

· Up to 3 people per company can be exempt.

· A person must own at least 10% of the company to file for an exemption.

· If the company qualifier is NOT an owner, he or she MUST be covered under the company’s WC policy.

· Same holds true for any non-owner employee.

You may think you’re “legal” because you’re covered under one company’s name, but that may not be the case. When you license a company, you are required to either have WC insurance or a WC exemption for that company, EVEN IF THAT COMPANY ISN’T ACTIVELY WORKING AT THE PRESENT TIME. The DBPR requires you to be in compliance with Chapter 489.114 and says, “any person, business organization, or qualifying agent engaged in the business of contracting in this state and certified or registered under this part shall, as a condition precedent to the issuance or renewal of a certificate or registration of the contractor, provide to the Construction Industry Licensing Board, as provided by board rule, evidence of workers’ compensation coverage pursuant to chapter 440.”

What can happen if you are caught without workers’ compensation coverage or an exemption for any and all companies that you qualify? The department shall notify the persons or entities governed by this section who have been determined to be in noncompliance with chapter 440, and the persons or entities notified shall provide certification of compliance with chapter 440 to the department and pay an administrative fine in the amount of $500. The failure to maintain workers’ compensation coverage as required by law shall be grounds for the board to revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance or renewal of a certificate or registration of the contractor under the provisions of s. 489.129.

You can find the exemption form here: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/wc/pdf/DWC-250.pdf.

Or call us and we will give you information on how to get coverage.

Would you like to verify your WC status with the state? Go here: https://secure.fldfs.com/WCAPPS/Compliance_poc/wPages/query.asp to access the state’s records for WC coverage and exemptions. If you’re not listed, you need to resolve this immediately!

These rules may not have been actively enforced in the past, but this is the law. The Boards are tightening their reins and pursuing prosecution. You really cannot ignore this.

Please contact us if you have questions about any of the next steps you should be taking after receiving your license. We are here to help you.

Florida UC Assessment

2011-02-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

It appears the Florida Department of Revenue is hitting mailboxes this week with tax assessment notices [bills].

These taxes ARE NOT due to an incorrect filing or underpaid deposit.

In a nutshell, the Florida unemployment ‘piggybank’ has been empty for years. Because that fund is basically insolvent, Florida continues to borrow from Uncle Sam to meet its unemployment obligations.

All of us as Florida employers must bear the burden of paying the interest on that debt, and that is what these notices pertain to. It appears the state is examining a look-back period of 7/1/09 through 6/30/10 for the purposes of computing each firm’s obligation.

The formula for calculating the payment is specified by law. The calculation is based on your taxable wages reported from 7/1/09 through 6/30/10 which is listed as line 1 on your bill. There will be a flat charge of $25 for any delinquent quarter which is line 2 on your bill.

Call us with any questions.

- Thanks to Greg Borden at Olde Florida Payroll for this information.

The Power of the Press Release

2011-02-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

You are constantly looking for the best ways to market your business… but I bet you are missing one of the most obvious ones: The Press Release! And guess what, other than the time put in, they are free. Plus a newspaper article holds a lot more credibility in people’s eyes than an advertisement because it appears to be coming from a trusted, third-party source, rather than the company itself.

Let’s start by saying what a press release is. Wikipedia defines it as “a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value.” This means if you have something that people would want to know about, the press wants to hear about it. This can be anything from a charity event you are hosting to the hiring of a new employee.

Press releases have a very regimented format and will only be considered by the media if written correctly. There are many online sources to guide you, and there are even entire books written about this topic. Take a moment to read up on this to be sure that you don’t waste your time.

Once your press release is written, choose the media contacts that you will be sending it to. They are usually listed on the websites of the papers and trade associations. Remember, not all of the media contacts out there are looking for the same stories. A charity event would be directed to most of the contacts, but a new employee would go to the business section writers and trade publications. So think about what you are sending and be realistic.

Thank them when your article is used. This is such a simple thing, but so many people forget to do this! You like to be thanked when you do something nice. They do, too.

The last tip I will leave you with… Only send a press release once. You may not hear back from your contacts even if they plan on using your story, but do not hassle them. Nothing will put you on their block list quicker.

So take a moment and learn to use this powerful tool. Or give us a call. We offer press release services. Isn’t it time to see your name in the headlines?