Tucson Kent's World

This morning I read that Philadelphia is charging bloggers a business privelege fee just like anyone else doing business in the city - which is $300 + taxes on the income.  My first thought was along the lines of, "Where will the taxation STOP?"

After a bit, I started wondering if we bloggers have enjoyed a business privelege without paying the price that other businesses pay as a normal course of responsibility.  Many people get a decent amount of income from their blogs - affiliate marketing can produce a good income stream for some, others like myself generate income indirectly as a result of the traffic generated by their blogs (about 70% of my clients find my real estate practice via my blog).

Should I be any different from the restaurants, architects, attorneys & auto repair shops in my community?  Probably not. I don't want to pay more fees and taxes, but as a business owner and good citizen, I should not be treated any differently than other businesses.  It isn't fair.

Several questions come to mind concerning the business license aspect of it though:

• Will a business with an existing license have to pay another fee for their blog? (Double taxation?)
  
• How will local governments enforce such a measure? (Most of the time my blog is written & published in the county, not the city)
• Will multiple, interrelated social media platforms be taxed? (Facebook, Twitter, etc)
• What about the legal aspects of a blog that is hosted in another state?  Will that dictate the actual residence of the blog itself? (visualizing all sorts of hosting operations popping up in low-tax states)
• Do cash-strapped governments actually have the staffing or technical experts to truly exercise measures like this?

All in all, it comes down to this:  The Philadelphia Experiment is an indicator of the future.  Blogging for fun & profit will soon face more governmental fees.  We all know that the marketplace has changed to cyberspace...and we're going to have to pay for it as cities & other governmental structures catch up.

It has been a nice ride, for free, for a while.  Gotta pay the piper someday.

It is no secret:  I enjoy blogging - but how to blog better, more effectively for my readers and Google Rankings?  Check out these guys...Jason Crouch & Jeremy Blanton.

While many people know them from ActiveRain, they have formed a company, 210 Consulting, to teach what they've learned about social media to anyone interested in taking their blogging to the next level.

On Monday, I attended their first webinar, "How To Chug Google Juice & Get 15 Years of Fame" and not surprisingly, was very glad I did!  What I like about their approach is that they teach in a very user-friendly manner, engaging with the attendees and answering questions without making me feel like a pupil in 3rd grade.

In the future, I hope to attend more of their seminars, perhaps even hiring 210 Consulting for some 1-on-1 coaching.  Often, money spent on paid "training" sessions is little more than finding yourself in the middle of an infomercial that leaves the attendees feeling ripped off while the instructor gives endless "now or never" plugs for spending more money on their "secrets" - not so with Jason or Jeremy.

You get what you came for, the price is right - and you leave with a head full of good info, ready to learn more.

Thanks 210 Consulting - you guys are doing this right.  I wish you much success & look forward to learning many new things from you.

Ryan Shaughnessy, of PREA Signature Realty in St. Louis, Missouri, and I are launching a new show on BlogTalk Radio:  Real Estate Roundtable!

For the first show, we are proud to have Jason Crouch join us to discuss Social Media: Are Consumer Wants & Needs Being Met This Way?  The show begins at 9 AM Central Time (10 AM Eastern, 8 AM Mountain).  I'll be broadcasting live from Sedona, Arizona this week - beautiful scenery...and host of the Social Media Mastermind Conference this weekend.

Hopefully, we will have one or more of the presenters at this conference join us for the discussion too.

Please join us and feel free to chime in on the discussion and express your thoughts - that's what Talk Radio...and social media is all about!

Future shows will center on real estate & the industry at large - tell us what you'd like to have a discussion about.  After all, it is a RoundTable, isn't it?

Go To Show Site          Listener Call In Phone Number:  (347) 677-1559

Well folks...I've been neglecting my friends & my blog on ActiveRain - and it isn't a smart thing.  Neither in the realm of friendship nor business-wise.

It is easy to get caught up in the excuses:  "...but I've been doing this! ...had to do that instead! ...my dog ate my computer!" ...you get the picture.

Sure, it has been easy to do some "drive-by" blogging and read a few other posts without commenting or taking some time to really digest what is going on lately - and my business has suffered a little for it.  It is true.  No excuses, it is the reality.

Just so you folks won't think I've been doing nothing all summer - here's a screenshot of my new baby:

Its my new hyper-local website!  TheTrolleyBell.com

Inspired by ActiveRainer Nick Bastian's RailLife website - I saw the opportunity to do something similar in Tucson - with the changes coming by uniting the University of Arizona's Main Gate Square, Fourth Avenue, Downtown Tucson and the Mercado District together with a new Modern Streetcar.  This transportation oriented development project is going to have a major effect in Tucson's downtown revitalization.

Check out the site - Bookmark It - and as we grow, you'll be sure to know What's Going on in Tucson's Downtown Core.  Follow @TrolleyBell on Twitter, too!

I'll do my best not to neglect the 'Rain...just know I'm not putzing around!  ...by the way, during my absence, I've also come up with a way for nightclubs & concert halls to go completely paperless with their event ticketing.  If you know of a venue that might be interested, lets talk!