It is easy to be fooled, because most of these bogus emails carry the famous BBB torch logo, and come with a subject line such as “Complaint from your customers.”  Below is an example of one of the phishing emails Harvard Business Services recently received:

From: BBB Subject: BBB processing RE: Case ID 43616056

Attention: Owner/Manager

Here with the Better Business Bureau would like to notify you that we have been filed a complaint (ID 43616056) from your customer in regard to their dealership with you.

Please open the Complaint report below to view the details on this matter and let us know of your position as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Faithfully,

Gerard Johnson

Dispute Counselor
Better Business Bureau

As you can see, it would be easy for an unsuspecting business, concerned about keeping a high ranking with the BBB to open this.

The BBB recommends to anyone receiving such email:

• Do not open any attachments
• Do not click on any links
• Delete the email from your inbox, and then delete it again from your trash or recycling folder

The Better Business Bureau was founded in 1912 and is a private, nonprofit organization that provides programs of assistance to businesses and consumers.  Their focus is to promote ethical business practices by encouraging honest advertising and selling practices.  They also can serve as a neutral third party to settle marketplace disputes.  Their role in helping to resolve a buyer/seller complaint against a company is very helpful in many cases, and encourages corrections and improvements where appropriate. As the BBB states, “Our mission is to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence.”

This posting will spell out these requirements, and will show that very limited information is made public as a result of filing the Certificate of Incorporation.

Anyone seeking to create a Delaware corporation is required only to file the Certificate of Incorporation.  No publication or public notice is required as in some other States. Also unlike other states, Delaware requires very little information to be made public in order to form a corporation.  The Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State is required to contain only a few pieces of information, including:

-          The name of the Delaware Company

-          The address of the Delaware registered office and the name and address of the Delaware Registered Agent. (Harvard Business Services, Inc. we serve as registered agent for 30,000 companies)

-          The purpose of the company (typically this is drafted broadly to include any lawful activity and is not specific)

-          The number of shares of stock and par value

-          The name and mailing address of the incorporator

In Delaware, your corporation is filed anonymously; the officers/directors and shareholders are not usually listed on the Certificate of Incorporation.  Preparation, execution and filing of the Certificate of Incorporation must be handled by an Incorporator.  An Incorporator is an individual that forms a Corporation on behalf of the directors by filing the Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State.  The Incorporator will then name the initial directors of the Corporation until their successors are elected and qualified internally within the company.  The powers of the Incorporator are then terminated, and the Incorporator shall no longer be considered a part of the corporation.

Harvard Business Services, Inc. is the incorporator for the companies we file on behalf of every client.  The Certificate of Incorporation is signed by Richard H. Bell, II, as President of Harvard. The powers of the Incorporator are limited to executing the filing of the document with the Division of Corporations. Once the document is filed the incorporator releases the company to the initial directors.

No information about the officers or Directors is required to be filed publicly in Delaware, allowing the corporation to be filed anonymously in the beginning. It is a nice feature of Delaware; this way should an officer or director change, the company is not constantly filing an amendment with the Division of Corporations to update that information.  Instead, the change is only recorded internally and allows the business owners to focus on the operation of the corporation.

We are here to assist should you have any questions or concerns about the company formation process!  To file a new company now go to www.delawareinc.com/order

QR codes have thousands of uses, and creative business owners are coming up with new ways to use them in marketing their businesses.

QR codes engage customers! Using a smart phone and a free QR Reader app, your customers simply scan the QR code into their phone and it takes you right to the web page you specify. This turns a once-boring print ad into an interactive experience, because the computer-generated codes contain all kinds of information that you specify, including print, pictures, web links, email addresses, Facebook links, coupons, and other promotions.

Many businesses are finding that QR codes offer an effective way of bridging the gap between print and online.  For example, while tried and true business cards still work in paper format, including a QR code on them will provide a quick link to your company’s web site.  Including your company’s QR code in newspaper and magazine ads will expand marketing potential.  QR codes combine offline information to online content, thus linking a multimedia experience to print advertisements.

QR codes are easily scanned by any modern mobile phone.  As smart phones become increasingly more popular, people want faster and more direct lines of communication between products and services they use. Customers using QR codes don’t have to type or remember anything. At this rate, it won’t be long before most people will recognize and use QR codes, so small businesses should consider being ready to take advantage of this emerging and very low cost technology.

We are only scratching the surface of how they can be used, but here are a few ideas to put QR codes to work for your business:

·                  Link to social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, turning foot traffic into web traffic.

·                  Use QR codes on receipts to send customers to a testimonial page for your business.

·                  In storefront windows – when your business can’t be open 24/7, customers can still access your information and even shop online.

·                  On business cards – help new contacts find your business faster.

·                  Include on product tags and customer feedback forms.

·                  Alternate special offers by linking your QR codes to new or updated landing pages.

·                  Create unique QR codes to include on invoices that take clients to a specific payment page

There are a number of sites for generating QR codes, and they are free.  An internet search for “QR code generator” will offer many choices. There can be a certain amount of fun and surprise with QR codes and with creativity your business may find them a valuable marketing tool.

Are you already using QR codes in your marketing?  If so, feel free to share in the comments how you are using them and the results you are seeing.

The conference highlighted the innovative businesses, from leading global companies to smaller startups. It was an opportunity for keynote speaker Governor Markell to present the many advantages of Delaware as a center for business startups, research and development, as well as finance.  Because of Delaware’s modern and flexible corporate laws and friendly business environment, it has an important role in enabling modern business partnerships that were the focus of the conference.

“Israel and Delaware businesses share a great potential for partnership,” said Governor Markell.  “Israel has led the world in finding ways to successfully commercialize research.  Delaware businesses and our universities have focused increasingly on finding ways to commercialize academic research.  We are becoming a strong national leader in bio-technology, alternative energy, composites, and electrical engineering.  Delaware welcomes innovation and we want more innovative businesses to call Delaware home.”

Further highlighting the business advantages of Delaware he added, “Though Delaware is a small state, we have the highest per capita concentration of patent holders and Ph.D. researchers in the United States.”

This event and many others continue to showcase Delaware as the highly favored state of incorporation for US as well as innovative world-wide businesses.

Quantum Computer Services -> AOL

BackRub -> Google

Diet Delux  -> Healthy Choice

Jerry’s Guide to the Worldwide Web -> Yahoo

Brad’s Drink -> Pepsi-Cola

Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation -> Sony

Auction Web -> EBay

Blue Ribbon Sports -> Nike

Stag Party -> Playboy

FreeDiskSpace.com -> MySpace.com

National Biscuit Company -> Nabisco

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co -> 3M

Peter’s Super Submarines -> SUBWAY

Sound of Music -> Best Buy

U-Tote’m -> 7-Eleven

Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory -> Canon

Marafuku Company -> Nintendo

Matsushita Electric Corporation of America -> Panasonic

Lucky Goldstar -> LG

Datsun -> Nissan

Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation -> IBM

In some cases, the original name may have been too specific such as Bob’s Deck & Patio LLC, when Bob began doing more general contracting and home building. In other cases a company may be redesigning its total image and the centerpiece is the new name.

A very foreign sounding name, one with funny spelling or great word length may seem good early on, but if people mispronounce it or they can’t remember it, your message could be getting lost in the translation.

Often, clients feel that a new company must be filed or that changing the name will be extremely costly and time consuming. In fact, your company name can be officially changed quickly and easily.  One of the most common filings we see clients make is the “name change amendment” or just “name amendment.”

After doing market research to find a name that is appropriate for you and the image you want your business to reflect, instead of filing a new company, simply call us. We will prepare and file a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Formation (for LLCs) or Certificate of Incorporation (for Corporations) with the Secretary of State’s office. This filing officially changes the name with Delaware Division of Corporations.

Filing a name amendment versus filing a new company will allow you to keep the history that goes along with your original filing. Assets don’t change hands, liabilities remain the same, all contracts remain in force, all accounting and tax records remain the same. The name will change but everything else will remain the same. This can save the hassle of opening new bank accounts, obtaining a new EIN, and creating entirely new internal documents. The formation date of the company remains the date of original formation. This is an important consideration for many entrepreneurs.

So, once you decide that filing a name amendment is the best decision for your company, what do you do to make it happen? The first step in the name amendment process is choosing the name. This can be a tough decision. For assistance in picking out the right name, check out this HBS blog post by Paul Sponaugle Three Easy Steps for Naming Your Company in Delaware

To make sure your company name is available in Delaware, take advantage of Harvard Business Services, Free Name Check. After the name is chosen, we will provide a Certificate of Amendment that will have to be signed by an authorized officer of the company. Once we receive back the signed copy, we will it with the Secretary of State, and the name will officially change as of the date and time the document is filed.  The State of Delaware typically takes two to three business days to return the approved documents. Quick and Easy!

Once the amendment is filed, clients need to make sure that everyone is aware of the new name for the company. The easy way to go about informing everyone is to make a list. Write down government agencies that the company works with, clients, vendors, and banks and inform them of the new name. Notify the Post Office, UPS, Federal Express Corporation and DHL as well as any other companies that your company deals with. Some of the bureaucracies involved may have a form to fill out and return with a copy of the approved Certificate of Amendment. The IRS allows this change to be made rather easily. Simply send a letter to the address IRS office where the return was filed for the previous year. The letter needs to state the new name of the company, the old name, EIN (Employers ID Number) the signature of a corporate officer.  Other changes may include marketing materials-ads, logos, company stationary, etc.

Finally, go forward and prosper with the new company name that properly reflects the business you have worked so hard to build!

Should you require assistance in the filing of a name amendment, or any type of amendment, feel free to give me a call at 800-345-2677 ext 6131 or send an email to brett@delawareinc.com.