TranslateFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: I own a small local business. How do I get some free exposure on the internet
There are several recommended actions:
A1. Register your business with search engines. When local searches are made for your product or service, your listing will appear. It's free. Here's how you do it:
- 1. Go to Google (or any search engine);
- 2. Type and search the phrase "local listing center;"
- 3. Click on the links and add your company info;
- 4. Repeat the process to register with Bing & Yahoo and any other lesser search engine(s) of your choice.
A2. Add metadata to the internal code of your site's home page, such as the following example for a senior tennis website:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title>Tennis for Adult/Senior Men (30-90)</title><meta name="description" content="Supersenior tennis, super senior tennis, senior tennis, men's tennis, tennis, tennis tournament schedule"><meta name="keywords" content="Supersenior tennis, super senior tennis, senior tennis, men's tennis, tennis, tennis tournament schedule"></head> The <meta name="description"> portions are especially important and entries should tie into content on your site's home page. A3. Searchability is improved as traffic increases. Build traffic to your site by encouraging as many people as possible to visit it. A4. Consider paying for ads using Google AdWords -- an effective, budget-friendly way to reach your customers.Q: I operate an Ohio-based business and ship retail product out-of-state. When do I need to collect sales tax?
A: You are obligated to collect sales tax for retail sales in any state where you have connections (a nexus) to assist in the sale. A nexus would include direct employees, owning or leasing offices, warehouses, stores, or equipment within the state. However, some states interpret the nexus more broadly to include other indirect connections within the state such as:
- Sales through independent sales representatives authorized agents or distributors;
- Makes deliveries (or pick up goods) by company-owned vehicles;
- Participates in trade shows within the state;
- Uses contractors or employees to make warranty repairs;
- Uses contractors or employees to provide installation services;
- Makes payments to any person or entity located within the state in connection with any sales made there;
- Uses contractors to accept returns;
- Have officers maintain a residence.
There is no consistency between the states on the indirect nexus. If you ship a significant amount of retail product into another state, a thorough review of any nexus is recommended. When in doubt, contact the appropriate State Treasurer. A proactive approach can avoid potential back taxes and penalties. To read more, see these articles:
