Call China From Your Computer Cheap

Cheapest Way to Call to China

Making calls to China can be extremely expensive if you simply call from your land-line and allow your traditional carrier to bill you for international calls at the regular rate. There are dozens of plans for calling China, but many have hidden charges, and reading the fine print is crucial.
The overall monthly cost to call China will depend on several factors, including what part of China you are calling, whether you are calling a landline or mobile, how long the calls last and how often they are made. You should carefully evaluate exactly how your time is spent on calls to China and look over all your options before making a decision.

Beware of Other Prepaid Phone Cards to China

Many who may not be able to afford a landline or expensive international mobile calling plan, calling cards can allow cheap calls to China and will work from almost any phone - even a pay phone. The rates posted will generally run anywhere from 2.0 to 6.5 cents per minute, but hidden fees will greatly increase your costs - weekly fees can range from 69-89 cents, plus there is often a per call connection fee which can run up to nearly a dollar per call.
In addition, most calling cards round each call up to the nearest 3-6 minute mark which can quickly run up your costs if you make lots of short calls. If you need to call China with a calling card, read the fine print - many calling cards charge ten times as much to call there compared to other areas of China.

Home or Mobile Phone Plans for Calls to China

Home Phone and Mobile carriers are still some of the most expensive ways to call China, but for very infrequent calling they may be the most hassle free option. AT&T offers a $3.99 per month mobile plan for US to China phone calls, with a per minute charge of 9 cents a minute; their land-line U-Verse international charges are 5-7 cents per minute for calls to China over and above the regular phone bill. Verizon’s Nationwide Plus China plans range from 20-45 cents per minute, depending on the level of plan purchased.

Using Your Computer to Call China

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) let you use your computer connection to make cheap calls to China. The most popular VoIP option is Skype, which has prepaid plans allowing calls to China for as low as 10.5 cents per minute as well as monthly subscriptions. Google Voice charges 4-19 cents per minute for call to China depending on whether you are calling a landline or mobile and what city you are calling.

Zoom SIP Offers Extremely Cheap Calls to China

Cheap calls to China can be made using Zoom SIP, with rates as low as ONE CENT per minute for most cities. Zoom SIP charges no monthly fees or connection fees. You can also use the Mobile App or Call from PC feature to make calls from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Many people need to call China regularly for business or simply to stay in contact with friends and family members. Being able to make cheap calls to China means your life is easier and you are able to stay in touch without incurring insane phone charges!
You can sign up for as little as $3 here: sign up now!

Incorporating Your Business

So, you’ve done your research and decided to form an LLC or incorporate your business. Maybe you want to protect your personal savings and other assets, maybe your financial advisor mentioned you could save in taxes, or maybe you simply need a legal structure to win a large client contract. Whatever the reasoning, it’s time to take the next step for your business.

The only question is how?

For the small business owner, this process raises many questions. Where do I start? How much does it cost to incorporate or to form an LLC? How long does the process take? Can I form my own corporation or LLC or is an attorney required? In this post, I’ll break down the steps required to incorporate a business or form an LLC, as well as explain the three different methods: do-it-yourself, legal filing service, or an attorney.

In most cases, you can set up an LLC or Corporation with the secretary of state’s office for whichever state you choose as your ‘state of incorporation.’ And as a general rule of thumb, if your business will have fewer than 5 shareholders, it’s best to just incorporate in the state where you actually live or have a physical presence.

Here’s a quick overview of the process for both the LLC and Corporation:

How to Form an LLC

The LLC requires much less formality, while still protecting the personal assets of the business owners from any liability of the company. For an LLC, you’ll need to file Articles of Organization or Certificate of Organization with your state’s secretary of state. While the LLC is less formal, these documents must contain at least the minimum requirements as described by state law before they can be successfully filed (and your LLC processed).

How to Form a Corporation

To form a corporation, you’ll need to take the following steps:

Draft “Articles of Incorporation” or “Certificate of Incorporation”

The Articles of incorporation must be executed by a person designated as “incorporator.” The incorporator must be an adult and doesn’t need to be affiliated with the corporation in any way other than merely filing the document. Later, this person will pass a resolution assigning all rights and duties to the board of directors.

Submit your articles of incorporation. In most states, the agency responsible for corporate filings is the Secretary of State (usually the Corporations Division).

Once the state office has processed your documents, they will return the certified documents to the address provided.

Elect a board of directors: The Incorporator executes a corporate resolution electing a board of directors assigning all rights and duties to the board.

Issue shares: The Board of Directors issues shares to designated shareholders.

S-Corp: And lastly, if you want the pass-through tax treatment of an S-Corp, you’ll need to file IRS Form 2553 with the IRS within 75 days of the start date of your corporation.

How long does the process take?

Depending on the state and its current workload, processing time may vary from 1 day to 3 months. Unfortunately, as states are facing budget issues and staffing cuts, we are seeing longer backlogs, particularly at the beginning of the year. There’s also a ‘rush filing’ option, which in many states must be done via walk-in delivery. If you’re filing yourself, you can bring the completed forms in person to the secretary of state’s office. And if you’re using an online filing service, they will have a courier located near the state office to bring in your forms for rush service.

How should I file?

The three methods for filing your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation are: do-it-yourself, a legal filing service, or an attorney. For full disclosure, I am founder and CEO of CorpNet.com, an online legal filing service, but will hopefully provide objective advice here, because depending on your specific situation, each option has its own set of pros and cons.

Do-it-yourself: In this case, you can download or request the forms from your secretary of state’s office, complete, and submit the forms on your own. This is obviously the lowest cost method (you’ll still have to pay the state filing fee; exact fee amounts vary by state; for example, in California it’s $100 for a Corporation and $70 for an LLC for standard filings). This is a good option if you’re more concerned about saving money than time, and if you have a relatively high tolerance for paperwork and minute details.

Online legal filing service: An online legal filing service will file the documentation for you. This option is slightly more expensive than filing yourself, but for some, the time savings is invaluable. Legal documents can be tedious, time-consuming and fraught with details. Regulations and requirements vary across states, even down to the little details like paper size, font size, number of copies, ink color, etc. By turning to a service that specializes in these matters, you can save yourself the headache and hassle of learning and staying current on each and every detail. And you can focus your time and energy on your own business.
Of course, it’s important to understand that a document filing service is well… a document filing service. It’s not a substitute for an attorney, accountant or tax advisor. These service companies cannot give you specific legal or financial advice for your set of circumstances.

Attorney: If you have particularly complex business needs — for example you have strict requirements for shareholder structure or stock allocation, or you’re dealing with millions of dollars up front — you should retain your own expert counsel to help get you started. An attorney will be able to assess your situation and provide specific legal advice. Likewise, a tax or financial advisor can help you figure out the financial implications in forming an LLC, S Corporation, or C Corporation.

When it comes to legal matters, I’ll be the first to say that trying to save a few dollars up front can end up costing you big in the long run. Trust your gut; if you feel like you need to bring in expert counsel, then by all means do so. Just remember that you are able to file for incorporation or LLC formation without an attorney, and this could be a reasonable and cost effective way to go. Whatever method you choose, make sure to pat yourself on the back for taking this important step for your business and yourself.

Merchant Accounts: What to look for

Although the actual payment processing is nearly universally the same across all merchant account services, the best merchant account providers have high approval ratings, get your account up and running quickly, have low start-up and monthly fees, offer great customer service and posses a wide array of hardware for their clients. It takes a combination of all of these things to stand out in the marketplace.

Average Approval Rating 
This term means something a bit different in a merchant-account context than it does in common usage. The approval rating for online merchant account services refers to the percentage of applications a company approves. The higher a service's approval rating, the higher the chance you have of getting an account through that service. This is an important number to know, especially if the service charges an application fee.

Cost per Month 
It does you as a retailer very little good to accept payments if the service takes more in fees than you make in profit. The best merchant account services offer low monthly service fees as well as low per-transaction costs.

Start-up Cost
 Any merchant account service that makes it too expensive to start accepting payments shouldn't warrant your consideration. Some services can cost as much as $300 before you can even accept a dime in payments. 

Account Set-up Time
 In addition to having low start-up and monthly costs, the best companies turn your application around within a day or two after you submit it. Lesser services can take up to a week.

Customer Service 
Allowing a company to handle your payments involves a huge amount of trust. If a company does not have great customer service, it doesn't deserve to handle your livelihood.

Internet-based Features
 More and more companies are moving to a primarily online business model. Therefore, virtual terminals and gateways are features we look at very carefully.

POS Swiper Features
 Brick-and-mortar retail outlets are not going away, no matter what the digital evangelists may say. You will always be able to walk into a store with money and walk out with goods or services. The best merchant account services provide a wide array of point-of-sale hardware for your physical retail outlet.

An internet merchant account is a simple but important thing. When you are shopping for a merchant account service, always keep in mind that the service needs you more than you need it. There is no reason to go with anything less than the best company you can find.