Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts

CAST Shop of the Week: TheOldPostRoad
I'd like to introduce you to the CAST Team Shop TheOldPostRoad.  The Old Post Road has lovely little floral oil paintings, Christian art, prints and note cards.  I have to admit to being a big fan of "white on white" type of paintings so I find her white hydrangeas, tulips and milk glass vase paintings charming. I'm sure you'll enjoy browsing the shop.

White Vases in a Row original painting




Please note that the only way to be featured as the CAST Shop of the Week is to tag your shop items "castteam" on Etsy and to not hide your teams in your Etsy profile. You will also have to have at least 12 items to feature. Those are the ways that I find great CAST shops to feature each week. 

CAST Members: If you have a minute or two, please feel free to favorite ♥ this shop or promote it on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or other social media.  Thanks!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns
10:36 AM | Category: , , , , , , , | 8 comments

God loves a cheerful Giver


Any time of the year it is well for us to reflect on the history of giving and on the challenges and motivation for being philanthropic.

As far back as Ruth, the great great grandmother of David, we see examples of anonymous giving. As you recall Boaz gave orders to his men to pull out some stalks from the collected bundles and leave them for Ruth to pickup as she gleaned the fields. He further directed, his men, that she not to be embarrassed by knowing that the gift was being made available.

The gift's financial value is not as important as our savior points out when he describes the significance of the 2 coins given quietly by the widow in contrast to the greater values contributed flamboyantly by the rich.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/37842211/thankful-give-thanks-bodysuit


"For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." The loud giving in front of men, is its own reward and will receive none from our father in Heaven.

Whereas, the quiet righteous giving, in secret, is seen by God and he will reward you. God will give unto you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. "For with what measure ye give it shall be measured to you again".


http://www.etsy.com/listing/76842321/he-who-gives-project-wisdom-proverbs-28

Matthew further directed in his gospel that "when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what the right hand doth."


This guidance is pertinent during our entire life time when our giving to one another has often become an "exchange obligation" and not the true act of giving. The magi in presenting the Christ Child with their gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh for example, were not looking for the adoration of their fellow man but a way to worship the greatest gift of all - to us- God's Son.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/77697129/painted-and-hand-stamped-ceramic-tile

                                                The Giver

There are 3 kinds of givers; the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb.

To get anything out of the flint you must hammer it and then you get only chips and sparks;
To get water out of a sponge you mussed squeeze it and the harder you squeeze, they more you will get;


http://www.etsy.com/listing/63171651/crayon-tote-spongebob-squarepants-on
But the honeycomb just overflows with it's own sweetness!


http://www.etsy.com/listing/28449154/honeycomb-and-rainbows

Some people are stingy and hard they give nothing away if they can help it.
Others are good natured and yield to pressure and the more they are pressured the more they will give.

A few delight in giving, without being asked at all, and of these it is said:

                      The Lord loveth a cheerful Giver

Let us reflect on what true gifts we can give to God and each other, present them in secret and return the Christian meaning to the too often commercialized world.


Prayer
Father help us to appreciate all the many gifts we have been already given to us, your son, his death and resurrection and the grace by which we may be saved regardless of how ineffective in following your commands we are. Help us see the turning point and instill a willingness in us to spread your will.
Amen


Until next Monday, spread the word...
Monika of Myeuropeantouch on Etsy

9:14 AM | Category: , , , , | 4 comments





Late Late Late Late Late! Today I am very late with this and I do apologize. My children are finishing up their last 2 school days today and tomorrow and I nearly forgot. Sometimes I am easily distracted with all the busy-ness of life, the comings and goings of four children, running a business, volunteering at church and in the community. It makes me marvel at God's ability to keep tack of everyone, everywhere, all the time. I am in awe of His provision in all things and that He can be at work in my life and my neighbor's life and my families lives and all of your lives all at the same time. He never forgets us, He never drops the ball and misses an opportunity, He's always right on time, (even if we think differently), He's never stressed out AND He invites us to share in His perfect peace, to sit and take a deep breath and know that He has it covered, even when we don't, He has it all under control and He wants us to rest in that knowledge, to trust Him in His sovereignty.

Father, thank you that nothing escapes your attention, that you are with us every moment of everyday and that you know our every need. Thank you that you never forsake us or abandon us even in the times we are distracted and lose sight of what is important. Help us to remember that even when we stumble you still love us. In Jesus Name, Amen!
4:56 PM | Category: , , | 5 comments

Grace




GRACE

Luke 23:41 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Grace, I’ve heard it defined “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense” but I think there is so much more to it. It is a sovereign God hanging on a cross in pain and torture and torment extending forgiveness to the criminal beside him who has nothing at all to offer in exchange, he is about to die, he can’t even tell one person about God’s grace and yet it is extended to him anyways. In reality, it is the same with us. Ephesians 2: 1 “ And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, “ . We are not promised another day or even another hour and yet at any time in this life that we call out to Jesus from our state of being spiritually dead and say “Forgive me” He does so even in spite of all our future failures that He can see down through the ages. His graces picks us up when we stumble and when we repent it dusts us off and restores us to that right relationship with Him.

Shouldn’t we also extend mercy and grace to those around us, and even more important, shouldn’t we proclaim God’s grace and mercy with every fiber of our being, in word and deed and thought? I would say that in light of the fact that Christ willingly chose to endure the cross for our sake and even asked the Father to forgive those who tortured Him, that grace is born out of great love that is lavished upon those who are so undeserving, and that is each and every one of us. It has been poured out on us freely, richly, extravagantly.

Matthew 10:6a “Freely you received, freely give.” What have you done with God’s grace?

by Cherry's Creations


9:27 AM | Category: , , , , | 5 comments
Christ Our Shepherd



Everything Jesus did while He walked on the face of this earth in human flesh, He did out of great love for us and as an example of how He wants us to love others. He came as our shepherd, putting himself between us and the perils of Satan and sin. He left us the Holy Spirit and the inspired word of God as the Bible that we would know His voice and heed it.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/62503585/psalm-23-sheep-good-shepherd-baby

There was a purpose for every word Jesus spoke, every place He traveled to, every miracle He performed, every one of the 40 days and nights of temptation in the wilderness and every moment of pain He endured upon the cross. That purpose was to reconcile the lost with the Father who loves us beyond comprehension. And so also there is a purpose for every trial and every blessing in our lives, every triumph and defeat. God wants to work in each of those things so that His glory will be made manifest to those around us and that they too will be reconciled with Him. In order for that to happen we must become ever more Christ like, willing to endure those trials for His name sake, willing to share His victories in our lives with others, willing to empathize and minister to those whom God places in our lives and our paths daily.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/43579894/needlefelted-lamb-magnet

1 Peter 5:2-4 puts it this way “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”


http://www.etsy.com/listing/30396698/god-an-archival-print

Who is the flock under your care? Your own children and their friends, your spouse, your friends, your coworkers, your brothers , sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, the clerk at the grocery store, the teller at the bank, the person who cuts your hair, your doctor, very simply put: whomever you might cross paths with today.

by Cherry's Creations

3:00 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , , | 5 comments

CAST Shop of the Week: birose

I thought we'd start giving our CAST Shop of the Week a little more exposure by displaying some of their items on Saturdays in addition to featuring them in the side column all week. Birose is the first!

Ducks in a Row Fabric Yoyo Bracelet Snappie

Please note that the only way to be featured as the CAST Shop of the Week is to tag your shop items with the team tag "castteam" on Etsy and to not hide your teams in your Etsy profile. You will also have to have at least 12 items to feature. Those are the ways that I find great CAST Shops to feature each week.

By Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

7:00 AM | Category: , , , , | 9 comments

Friday Finds: Spring Blossoms

Blank Photo Greeting Card - Tulips


11 See! The winter is past;
   the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
   the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
   is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;
   the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. 
Song of Solomon 2:11-13 

Hawthorn Blossoms Pen and Ink..Watercolor Print

Spring Maze Lap Size Quilt

Chocolate cherry blossom small wallet

Pink Spring cherry blossom panorama print

11:32 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 10 comments

Thorns

by Diana of beantreedesigns

142 times. That is the number of times my Bible study program shows the word “thorn” in the Bible.

What I , and I expect most of us have in mind when we think of thorns in Bible terms is the crown that was placed on The Savior’s head during the time leading to the crucifixion.

Matthew 27:29 (KJV)
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

I suppose the crown of thorns seem a small thing when thought of in terms of all the other things involved. The spear in his side, the nails in his hands and feet, thirst and hanging from the cross had to be so much more devastating to the physical pain He endured than the prick of thorns in his skin. A lot of people, I suppose, think of rose thorns when they visualize this “crown”.

I have a different view. In our area we have thorn bushes. I think Hawthorne is the official name. I’m not sure, but I am sure they are nasty.


When I was a child my father ran one into the palm of his hand while clearing out some land, and it caused him months of problems. It was if the thorn had poisoned him. They are a thick, dense bush which is pretty in the spring and summer with it’s leaves and blooms on but shows it’s true colors in winter. The thorns are often 2 inches long, tough and hard and a demon if you are unlucky enough to have one pierce your skin.



Whenever I come across one I think of the crown of thorns. I think of What Jesus endured, and what his gift was to us. How he suffered. If the crown of thorns was a small thing, which in comparison it was, how the rest of the suffering is amplified when viewed alongside the crown. And how looking at the thorns brings home just how painful and significant the crown was. How he wore one on the way to the Calvary. How he knew that the worst was yet to come.

And then I come across a thorn bush with something else.



Some birds will build their nest in the middle of a thorn bush. They are protected. Not many predators will brave the thickness and wicked thorns to get to the nest. The birds build their nest, lay their eggs, and raise their young nestled in the safety or the thorns. They know that the thorns will protect them.



I am struck with the feeling each time I see this, that Jesus has done the same for us. Protection, security, the knowledge that we can be safe from the things in life that threaten us and cause us pain. The birds can rest knowing that their young are safe. As we can rest knowing that we are surrounded by the love of our Father to protect us.

by Diana of beantreedesigns


Diana was so gracious in offering to write this wonderful blog post as a Guest Blogger and to share her photos. If you have an idea for a post you would like to write for the CAST blog, please contact me SueRunyonDesigns.
9:40 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , , , | 10 comments

CAST Team members meet in Florida

Radyne and Rita

Radyne of ahdquiltsandsuch and Rita of sammygrammy meet in Florida this past week.  This is what Rita had to say:

Radyne (Rae) and I had an iced coffee this afternoon in the Towne Center Mall in Boca Raton, Florida. We had a lovely time getting to know each other. Talked about so many different subjects, I wish we had a tape recorder so I could remember them all. Rae hails from the same part of the country as I do (western NY state). She lives in Florida now and I'm visiting (temporarily fleeing the snow, though I'm sure it'll still be there when I return). We made a date to do this again the next time I travel there to visit my children.

Rita


7:00 AM | Category: , , , , , | 7 comments

Blessed Water

I find water to be one of the most fascinating things God created. It can be in three different stages, vapor, frozen or liquid.

Without water we can not survive. We are made up mostly of water and we die of thirst faster than hunger. The food we eat also survives on water. Water covers most of this earth we call home. We clean with it and play in it.  We humans design  many toys so we can play in the water. Swimming in a river, or boating it is one of my favorite things to do.  Us northerners strap sharp blades called skates on our feet and dance around the frozen water we call ice. Some do this better than others and I'm not one of them. We sit on a board or a molded piece of plastic and slide down the hill on frozen water called snow.

Water not only brings us life but it can also take it away.  People and houses can be drowned and  swept away in floods.  Despite the plentiful water on this planet many people die from lack of water or get diseases from drinking dirty water.

Water is such a diverse commodity no wonder God calls himself the river of life. In Ezekiel 47:1-12 Ezekiel gets a vision of a river. In verse 2 it starts as a trickle coming out of God's house. By verse 3 it is up to his ankles. In verse 5 it is a gushing river forcing him to swim or drown.  I imagine if this river were in the natural it would be strong enough to sweep Ezekiel away along with the house, but God's ways are not our ways.

God's river gives us life. Trees for healing and growing fruit for eating are planted along its banks, verse 7. This river is teeming with fish to eat, verse 9. Where ever the river goes it turns the salty water into fresh water, except the swamps. I wonder why? In our world the rivers continually flow into the oceans and it never turns their salty water into fresh water. God's ways are not our ways.

As I walk this Christian life I imagine this river is flowing through me purging out the evil, cleansing me, nourishing me, changing my crusty salty parts into fresh clean parts. What a blessing God's river is to us.

by Joyce of ButlerPottery
9:49 AM | Category: , , , | 9 comments

How do you study?
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.    Deuteronomy 6:6-9

With the start of a fresh new year our thoughts turn to how we can improve our life. Christians normally consider how to draw closer in their walk with the Lord. Do you have plans for that this year? Phyllis mentioned in a recent blog post that writing down a plan will increase the likelihood that you will follow through with it. I offer you the chance to do that here in comments.

I admit that I have allowed myself to be sidetracked in my Bible study times. I move often. Disruptions in routine are common for me as well as leaving good study buddies, small groups and Sunday School classes behind to start anew. I moved last summer and since then I've failed to re-establish a study routine. Before the move I spent 2 1/2 years leading my small group through the entire Bible. We completed it just before we moved and I should have started something else and didn't.

But I have a plan and I'm writing it down. Here.

A few years ago I read the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I really enjoyed it as it gave me much food for thought. I'm going to start my year re-reading the book (since I have a faulty memory) in the mornings after I walk my son to school. I'm going to place the book beside my comfy rocking chair in my front room that has a mountain view and which I enjoy spending time in. I think it's important to set up a pleasant and comfortable place to study if you can. I have my coaster ready for my cup of healthy green tea. I admit that I'm not a music person (gasp). It's true. I probably won't put on any music. I'll enjoy the rare peace and quiet. And I like incense so I may light an incense cone (frequent moves aren't kind to candles so I don't buy them anymore).

After I finish reading the book I will look for another study--perhaps one that will require me to move to my desk (I like my computer Bible for looking things up on and reviewing maps). I'm fascinated by Biblical geography and archaeology so I may choose something along those lines to study.

What will you be studying this year? Will you study while your kids nap or after work while soaking your tired feet? Will you have a special place in your home set up to study in or will you fill a basket or tote bag with the resources you need so it's portable? Will you listen to the Bible on CD while driving to work or on your ipod while walking the dog? Will you read the Bible on your laptop during your lunch break? Will you sign up for a Bible reading course on-line and have your chapters e-mailed to you daily? Will you use a devotional book or study guide or go it alone? Will you listen to contemporary Christian music, Gregorian chants or the birds in your garden while you study? Will you light your favorite jasmine candle or use a handmade room scent spray from one of your favorite Etsy shops to make your time with God's Word that much more special?

Leave a message in comments about how you will study this year.

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8
Following are some CAST Team items that could help you arrange a special study space. And don't forget to check the CAST blog throughout the week for the Monday Devotions written by our members, great inspiration that comes with reading about the life of members in Wednesday Featured Artists and wonderful thoughtful commentary with Friday Finds and Sunday Scripture posts.

Thanks,






 
11:06 AM | Category: , , , | 9 comments

Looking Back : Looking Ahead
 
Gorgeous Ball Gown--CUSTOM MADE in any fabric by StitchPrincess

If you were a member of the CAST Team at the beginning of 2010 you know there have been so many changes throughout the year. I just want to recap a few and mention some upcoming changes. You can chime in, in comments with others you remember or tell us what you'd like to see changed in 2011.

As I mentioned in my last post, this CAST blog was started at the beginning of 2010. We'll have over 265 posts by the end of this year. We've welcomed and featured so many great CAST Shops and items. I think the blog has become a nice hub for the CAST Team.

A more recent addition is the new CAST Facebook page. This is a wonderful new tool for our team. If you are on Facebook and haven't done it yet, please go by and "like" the CAST page.

Sheila from sewfaithful has started and maintains a first name list for us. You can find the link in the side column of this blog.

A new improvement has been thanks to Etsy implementing the new Team Format. We now have more tools on site at Etsy to use for our Team.  We have our own little "website" within Etsy and, as a result, have gained a lot of new members very quickly. Under the new Team Format Bonnie (AuntBonniesCloset and TIGGERBONN) is now "Captain" and Sue A from MYSAVIOR and I are additional "Leaders." It's now much quicker and easier for Etsians to apply to CAST Team and for us to review shops.

Our teams now appear on member profile pages. Etsy has plans to make it unnecessary to use our team tags for search as they will be added automatically. In the meantime, continue to use the tag "castteam." We also believe Etsy is working on a way for leaders to be able to convo all the members of a team at once instead of one at a time.

Our Yahoo Group is becoming obsolete. The Yahoo members and the official CAST members don't really have that much overlap anymore as there is no way to synchronize the membership (Yahoo names don't usually match with Etsy names). Also, there is no good way to keep spam out of the Yahoo e-mail. Now that we have so many more tools available to us on site at Etsy the Yahoo Group may be deleted. We shouldn't have to log in to another site in order to connect with each other.

Welcome to all the new members! With the rush of incoming members and the shuffle from one format to another we have suspended New Member Welcomes on the blog for a while, but hope to begin them again soon. There are still a lot of outstanding "invites" to old members to join us on the new format that need to be cleared up in the meantime. If you are a member from the old system and have not yet confirmed your membership under the new system please do that or simply reapply.  Thanks!

Just to let you know, CAST Team is allowing membership to all Etsians who wish to claim that they believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, their Savior and their Lord. We love having Christian Artists as well as their supporters on the team. Therefore, if you still have an Etsy membership, but no longer have an active shop, you can still retain your membership.

With the new format we now have the ability to create public or private discussion threads in our own team area on Etsy. If you haven't come by and joined in, please do. We are a friendly group and would love to interact with all team members.

Etsy has made lots of changes this year. Feel free to mention on your favorites in comments. Also, if there is something that you wish to see happen with CAST Team in the coming year, please let us know in comments as well.

Sue of SueRunyonDesigns
11:28 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 9 comments

CAST blog volunteers needed

 
We started this blog just one year ago and I think it's going quite well. We gain new followers each week and the blog has become a hub for the CAST Team. We have featured hundreds of CAST Team items and shops this year and have been inspired in many ways. I want to give special thanks to all the many volunteers who have contributed throughout 2010. You have been a great blessing to me and to the team.

We need a few new volunteers for 2011. We try to partner volunteers up with others to share the work so many of our volunteers are committed to only 1 or 2 blog posts per month. Following are volunteer positions that we are currently trying to fill:

Monday Devotion. In 2010 this has been our most popular feature thanks to Phyllis of pfdoriginalartworks who has written them weekly. Thanks so much Phyllis!  She'll be scaling back to only one post per month (2nd Monday). Monika of myeuropeantouch has volunteered to also write one per month (3rd Monday). Thanks Monika! We'd love to have a couple more volunteers to fill out the schedule. If you have a talent for writing, please pray about this. Posts can be longer, as Phyllis has done, or short and sweet. The format is up to the individual author, but at least one photo should be included with all CAST blog posts.

Wednesday Featured Artist. Cindy of cksilver heads this team and I think it's one of the best ways we have of getting our CAST Team artists some publicity. It's also a wonderful way for us to get to know a little more about our team members. Cindy could use help not only preparing posts, but in contacting and scheduling artists. There is a set format with a questionaire that each participating artist fills out so this does not require any special writing skills. Cindy would love one or two more volunteers to share the work. Please convo her if you are interested.

Guest Bloggers. These are our goals for the CAST blog:

1. To glorify God.
2. To be a refreshing, joyful place on the internet.
3. To be a central location where anyone can go to find out what is going on with the CAST team.
4. To draw in new members and to be a way for old members to discover how to interact more as a team.
5. To promote CAST shops, members and items.
6. To help each other in business.
7. To publish one new post every day in order to increase traffic and Search Engine Optimization.

I think we are doing quite well with most of those goals, but we fall a little short on the last one. I just want CAST members to know that we love to have Guest Bloggers. If you are a CAST Team member and have an idea for a blog post, please contact me with your idea. It can be a business post, a post promoting CAST Team members, a recipe, a photo of you getting to meet another CAST member in person, a tutorial or any number of other things.  Being a guest blogger is also a good way to get an extra link to your shop for Search Engine Optimization.


Please pray about these positions and contact me if you feel led to work with the CAST blog team.


Thanks,
Sue of SueRunyonDesigns
12:31 PM | Category: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments

CAST Team Yahoo Group will be closing . . .
. . . . eventually.



Bonnie, our team Captain, asked me to post a quick announcement about the CAST Yahoo Group. She will be keeping the Yahoo Group open so that she has the option to e-mail all Yahoo Group members at one time. The CAST Yahoo Group may close entirely if Etsy implements group convo capabilities in the future.

However, Bonnie will be closing the Yahoo discussions as there is no good way to keep spam out of our inboxes over there.

I know there are some who really enjoy the Yahoo format, but we hope everyone will take the opportunity to come over to the new CAST Team Format on Etsy and join in our various CAST discussion threads there. Unlike in the past when we just had a profile page with a list of team members, we now have a dedicated area of Etsy with our own forums, a much nicer way to browse CAST Shops and links with the possibility of more capabilities to be added later. Come try it out!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns
7:00 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 comments

CAST Team "Migrating" to new team format on Etsy !

ROSE of Sharon -- Stretch Ring -- Sterling Silver by LoriDelisle

The new team format is LIVE on Etsy as of yesterday and the CAST Team is in the process of "Migrating" members to the new format.

All members from the old CAST Team list on Etsy should have received an invitation to join the new team list. All you have to do is confirm that you wish to continue with the team.

If you have not received an invitation it may be because of several things. For instance, if you were one of the many shops with broken links on our old list you will not have received an invite. If you joined the team within the last month or so when Etsy was not adding new members to the old list due to the upcoming migration, you will not have received an invite. If you have more than one shop, you will have to sign into Etsy under all shop identities to receive your invite for each. If your convo notifications normally get sent to your junk e-mail folder you may have to check there.

If for any reason you have not received an invitation to migrate, simply go to our new CAST Team Home Page on Etsy, click the "Join This Team" button and then click the "Apply" button. It may take a few days to get you approved, but we no longer have to wait for Etsy to add members to our list so it should be much faster than before.

There are many benefits to the new format. We now have our own centralized location with our own homepage and our own discussions (forums) that we can mark as either public or private. Also, our Captain can now add new members to our team list without waiting for Etsy to add them. If you wish to leave CAST or any other Etsy team you may now remove yourself. The Team Captain and Leaders can now moderate our discussions instead of having Etsy do it. Individual posts can be removed without closing a thread entirely.

Please keep all of our discussion threads public this week so that those who are still finding us on the new format are not excluded.

Thanks!

Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

12:36 PM | Category: , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments

Get legit ! #3: Do your research
This is the third post in my series on legitimizing your business by getting all the proper licensing (for U.S. businesses). If you would like to read the first two posts click the links:

Get legit ! #1 Getting your EIN#
Get legit ! #2 Your neighborhood

For our International Team Members, sorry, I don't know about getting licenses in your country, but you may still find some of this information helpful.

Remember, we are just taking baby steps.

At this point in the process take time to do the research on exactly what (if anything) you will need to do at City, County and State levels.

Calm down.

Look at this serene photo and take a deep breath.


Ah.

No need to panic. All you are doing is gathering forms and getting information on fees. You can divide it up and tackle just one per day. It will probably only take you a few minutes each since most business license and tax forms and information are available on-line these days.

NOTE:  You'd think you would apply first to your City and then your County before tackling the big guys at the State level, but I've discovered that's not the way it usually works. You almost always have to get your State paperwork done before other levels of government will even consider your application.

The reason I'm telling you to go ahead and gather ALL your forms at once is because every state has different laws governing which agency and level of government does what. Some states have no sales tax so you don't even have to bother with that. In some states you will file a fictitious name statement at county level, in others it's at state level (more on that coming up).  Right now you are just on a fact finding mission.

Need another soothing picture?

 OK

Let's go on.

I mentioned before that I have held business licenses in Texas, Alaska, Nevada and now Utah. In each and every place the process was different. With the sole exception of City of North Las Vegas in Nevada, the process was also always surprisingly easy AND inexpensive. Let's face it. They want you to collect sales tax and pass it on to them. They want you to pay your licensing fee instead of working under the radar. They generally make it easy and affordable. They are almost always eager and willing to hold your hand and help walk you through the process. I'll give you an idea of what my experience was in all four states.

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My first business license was in Texas.  Texas isn't a fan of big government. All I had to do was walk into the Regional Courthouse with my application, look up to see if the business name I wanted was already being used, pay them $50 and sign in front of a notary. That took care of everything--all licenses, sales tax, etc.

In Alaska I got the form from the State, filled it out and mailed it in with a small check. Since I lived on a military base and had permission from them and since there was no sales tax, that's all I had to do.

In Nevada at the State level everything was very easy. They were nice and helpful. Since I had a small home business I didn't even need a state license.  I just had to get my Sales and Use tax ID# so I could collect sales tax and remit it to them quarterly. I paid $15 for the paperwork fee and another $100 deposit for sales tax which they are returning to me since I stopped doing business there. At the county level I filled out a fictitious name statement and mailed it to them with a check for $25.

The city was a totally different matter. I had to go in person to collect an application package which was many pages long. I had to go to the City Planning and Zoning commission in person and get permission from them which took a couple of weeks before I could return and pick up my packet and then I had to return to the City Business License office and turn in my packet and pay various fees for my business license which expired every six months and had to be renewed (by mail with a check and financial forms). I will stress to you that this is the exception to the rule. Most places will not put you through all that!

Here in Utah, where I just received my business license, I was able to complete the State application process on-line with a $22 fee and then go to my City's website and print off their application on-line. Since the City offices are nearby I took it in with my $40 check and they approved it and sent me my official license in the mail a week later.

I've done all these over quite a few years so I'm sure the process has changed in some places.

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WARNING: If you are looking up business license info and forms on the internet, be warned that there are services out there that will pop up looking like they are your state's official website. These basically try to get you to go through them to get your business license and will charge you a lot of money for it. You don't need them. You can certainly fill out all the forms yourself. You may wish to have your lawyer or accountant look them over, but they would probably charge you a lot less than these services charge. My accountant will look them over for free since I pay him to do my yearly taxes. And remember that the agency you are applying to will also usually be extremely helpful if you have questions. I gave the prices that I paid for my licenses above to give you a gauge of what to expect.

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Time for another break?
 
FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT: At some point in the process, whether it be at state or county level, you will most likely need to fill out a fictitious name statement. It may be a separate form and a separate fee or it may be combined with your state application. This is a simple statement saying that you personally are doing business under a business name. This links you to your business name in the records. The only way you can really get around this is if your business name is the same to the letter as your full name.

For instance:  

If your name is Janet Smith and your business name is Janet Smith you don't need a fictitious name statement.

If your name is Janet Smith and you are doing business under the name Jan Smith Enterprises or anything other than Janet Smith, you will need one.

My name is Susan Runyon and my business name is Sue Runyon Designs so I had to fill one out.

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Note that if you have sales tax in your state you will be dealing with both the Business License and the Sales Tax agencies at the state level. Sometimes they work together and use one application, most of the time you'll have two. In Utah it was all done on-line in one process with prompts taking me to different pages depending on the type of business I was setting up.

OK, we're done.

After all that you deserve a smile.  This always does it for me:
 


Remember--take baby steps.

Next time we'll discuss how to tackle those state forms. It'll be a short one. You've already done all the hard work!
9:34 AM | Category: , , , , , , , | 7 comments