6 WordPress alternatives for building your website

WordPress alternatives

WordPress powers an astonishing 39.6% of internet sites in 2021, up nearly 5% from 2020, which begs the question… what WordPress alternatives are powering the opposite 60.4%??

WordPress could also be the foremost popular CMS (content management system), but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everybody. WordPress caters to a selected combination of DIY customization and convenience, but if you personally fall outside that audience—say you would like less customization and more convenience—then you’ll probably be more interested in the alternatives to WordPress.

We discuss the 6 best alternatives to WordPress.

1. Wix

Wix is one among the foremost popular alternatives to WordPress, and maybe its fiercest competitor. As with WordPress, Wix gives people with no professional design experience a user-friendly platform to create the sites they need, no prior experience necessary. However, Wix features a few perks that WordPress doesn’t, like free web hosting—paying for web hosting is one among the best drawbacks to WordPress.

But these perks come at their own cost. Although you’ll do tons with Wix customization, it still falls short in comparison with WordPress. Just check out their app stores, where WordPress offers 58,627 plug-ins, compared to Wix’s 250+ apps. It’s also worth noting that Wix pricing isn’t always what it looks, so sometimes the free plans aren’t exactly free.

2. Weebly

Weebly (ecommerce by Square) follows an equivalent business model as Wix and Squarespace, but more attuned for cheaper and easier solutions. That’s good for time and money, but means it’s limited in customization and features.

Compared to WordPress, Weebly is a breeze. It makes building a site easier, but you’ll need to sacrifice a number of the looks, features, and functionality you wanted. But if you’re willing to trade customization for convenience, Weebly may be a good selection.

3. Drupal

So far, our alternatives to WordPress are that middle tier of site-builders: a mixture of convenience and customization. But what if you would like a real WordPress alternative, an open-source CMS with more personalization from more effort.

Drupal comes in second behind WordPress because of the popular choice of CMS. At times it can get a touch technical, so there’s a clear learning curve, to not mention there’s no drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor, like Wix and Weebly. But that’s just the worth for flexibility—Drupal offers features and options for virtually any industry. Plus, it allows you to mix-and-match elements to make a singular blend, a bit like WordPress.

4. Joomla

If you want the complexity and community aspects of WordPress, Joomla could be the simplest WordPress alternative for you. Joomla is another open-source CMS, and may give WordPress a run for its money even within the blogging category.

Joomla features a lot of built-in features that are ready right out of the box, including SEO and multilingual functionality, which is out there on WordPress only through a paid plug-in. Even though it hosts a widespread community, the WordPress community remains larger, meaning WordPress has more add-ons and features for variety.

5. Jimdo

We’ve checked out the WordPress alternatives for both robust solutions and DIY customization. But what if you’re trying to find alternatives to WordPress that are quick and painless? Jimdo allows you to build basic and straightforward sites in no time with no hassle, but don’t expect anything too advanced.

Jimdo is for once you don’t want to bother with web design—you can even let Jimdo’s AI build a site for you during a few seconds, supported answers to a questionnaire. If you would like that sort of convenience, though, you’ve got to sacrifice individuality and personalization.

6. Squarespace

Squarespace is the other main opponent of WordPress alternatives, after Wix. This platform is similar to Wix, with a user-friendly interface designed for learners. That means if Wix was more appealing to you than WordPress, likely Squarespace are going to be, too.

The difference between Squarespace and Wix is subtle. Wix may be a little more user-friendly and Squarespace may be a little more advanced in customization. Despite that, Squarespace still offers less features and adaptability than WordPress, so if you’re trying to find more options, WordPress remains your most suitable option. On the other hand, Squarespace offers many beautiful, modern templates, so you’ll get an honest looking website more quickly and simply than with WordPress.

And if you’re trying to find something completely custom, you’ll even hire a Expert to style your website for you.

Picking the proper CMS or site builder for your needs is a crucial step, so don’t rush it. But none of those WordPress alternatives—or even WordPress itself—can prevent from bad design. No matter what platform or CMS you employ, you continue to confirm your website has all the proper visuals, layout and functionality for your business.

7 Characteristics to Make a Great Logo

Characteristics to Make Logo

If you had a thousand words to elucidate how great your company is, what would you say? Fortunately, that’s exactly what your logo characteristics do every day. So, the big question is: What does one want your logo to say?

Logos explain who you’re, what you are doing and the way your brand feels—all in only a moment. Colours, shapes, fonts and other design elements all influence how your audience experiences your brand. When you roll in the hay right, customers fall crazy with your initial sight.

Your logo which appears on all of your most vital marketing tools like your product packaging, stationery, leaflets, business cards, your website, and your social media accounts is your unique mark of ownership. As customers begin to note your logo everywhere, they start to associate your logo together with your products and services.

Even if customers forget the name of your business, company or organization, they’re likely to recollect your logo, after all, the human brain processes visual data sixty thousand-fold faster than text. Your logo design should give your products and services a brand recall value such when people see your logo, they will remember their experience together with your products and services.

It is something that customers can use to differentiate you from others who offer equivalent services or products. Sometimes, an efficient logo design also helps you to catch people’s attention and thus, it provides an excellent help in getting you an honest share of the market especially if you’ve got a logo that outshines that of your competition.

Your logo should be easy to read. That is, it must communicate something at a glance. Of course, it’s possible for your logo to possess many hidden messages, however, it’s important that it sends a message that everybody can understand quickly and describe to others if needed. For example, Apple’s logo design is very much simple yet customers are unlikely to forget it.

So how do you do it right? We’re here to tell you 7 logo characteristics all great logos have in common.

A great logo has the following characteristics…

1. The Right Shape

Graphic design is all about visual communication. The art of making a logo entails both knowing what you would like to mention and which visuals can say that. Certain emotions and feelings come to mind by certain images and even the form of the brand itself.

2. The Right Business Cues

Logos communicate need-to-know information about your brand. They achieve during a second what press releases, product descriptions and about pages do with paragraph after paragraph of copy.

Design cues that relate to your business can help convey information fast, which they will range from easy-to-miss subtle to smack-on-the-head bluntness.

3. The Right Colors

Just like shapes, each color has its own emotional implication. Often these meanings are fairly universal because they’re supported things we see within the world . Red, the color of blood, evokes feelings of urgency and application . Brown, the color of trees and wood, summon nature and land. And it’s a reasonably safe bet that folks everywhere the planet associate yellow with the heat of sunshine.

4. The Right Tone

There’s a reason cereal uses mascot for logos and law firms don’t. An confirmation from a cartoon tiger doesn’t go very far with alleged felons.

To beneficially optimize your logo, outline a solid brand strategy and identify your audience .

5. The Right Typography

All visuals can influence the vibe and mood of your logo. While that’s obvious for the pictures during a logo, it also applies to the typography. How your text looks can affect people’s perception of your brand even as very much like what it says.

Typography encompasses all visual choices in text: name your font and text size, but also details like serifs, boldness, weight, format, texture and therefore the way you extend the lowest of an L and use it to underline the rest of a word.

6. The Right Trends

You can also bring the newest logo trends into your design to speak that your brand is contemporary and relevant. Trends believe repeated usage and recognition to be effective, and that they change per annum , so smart designers stay top of what’s hot and what’s not.

7. The Right Sizes

Not size, but sizes—plural. In recent years, advertisers and marketers are coming around to the thought that having multiple versions of your logo is the best thanks to go, referred to as a responsive logo. That way, you’ll optimize your logo’s size to wherever it appears, whether a small in-app advertisement to a huge highway billboard.

The seven items in particular add up to making more memorable logos, which in-turn makes more memorable brands. And when an individual is deciding what to shop for or whom to try to do business with, you’ll be glad once they consider you.

Income Tax Implications for A Freelancer in India

Income Tax Implications

Unlike salaried professionals, tax implications are often a Gray area for those that are self-employed. Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner or consultant, you’ll have to suit various tax-related formalities and implications.

Here are some tips that could help with understanding your freelance tax implications:

Compulsory Maintenance Books of Accounts

If your freelance profession falls into any of the subsequent categories like—

Information Technology

Company Secretary

Film Artist

Authorized Representative

Interior Decoration

Technical Consultancy

Medical

Legal

Accountancy

and your gross receipts exceed Rs 150,000 in any of the three instantly preceding years or in that particular year. Then you will need to maintain books of accounts.

If your freelance career doesn’t fall under any of the mentioned categories. Then you’d have to maintain books of accounts as long as your income exceeds Rs 250,000 in a particular year or the 3 preceding years.

You can pick between two methods: cash basis or accrual basis. The main difference between the 2 is that in accounting you’ll have to pay tax only if the income is with you.

Whereas on an accrual basis, tax liability arises when income is booked. In terms, in accrual accounting, revenue is booked once you raise an invoice. While in cash accounting, revenue is calculated when payment is received.

Within Indian Law a person running a business where he/she is the sole owner is termed as a Sole Proprietor, an equivalent applies with a Freelancer. A person earning on his own is advised a Sole Proprietor and needs to file income tax returns using the ITR-4 return form. If you have any other source of income (maybe your full-time job) you need to include that as well while filing your income tax return.

Filing your IT Returns

Income tax returns will have to be filed by filling up the ITR-4 form. You will be able to determine the tax slab you belong to and calculate your tax using the calculator on the ITR website. Keep in mind that you will be taxed on your net income. Make sure that you simply apply all applicable deductions before you reach your taxable income. As a private, you’ll claim the Section 80 deductions that are available to your salaried counterparts. As a freelancer in India, you’ll also claim the deductions available to business owners.

What is TDS and is it Applicable just in case of Freelance Work?

TDS is Tax Deducted at Source; The Government of India has built regulations by which a company paying an individual or another company for services offered to deduct tax at source. But just in case someone deducts tax at source they need to supply a Form 16 to the person whose tax has been deducted. You can then use this TDS amount while filing your Income Tax Return and look for a refund in case your earning for the year doesn’t exceed 2 lakhs.

Advance Tax

Advance tax is calculated by estimating the present year income then applying tax rates thereon. Tax deducted at source (TDS) / Tax Collected at source (TCS) and Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) credit shall be deducted to reach Advance liabilities.

Presumptive Taxation

Section 44ADA of tax Act, 1961: Profits and Gains of execs on Presumptive Basis

This section is applicable if Gross Receipts of resident assessed (who is engaged in profession as per section 44AA) is up to Rs. 50 lakhs.
As per the provisions of 44ADA section PGBP income will be 50% of Gross Receipts. Income tax will be calculated on the 50% income on the basis of slab rates.
Deduction of business expenses shall not be allowed as it is assumed that all the deductions are included as only 50% of the total gross receipts are taken for tax purposes.
There is no need of maintaining Books of Accounts as per section 44AA and get it audited as per section 44AB of the assessed declared income on Presumptive basis.
However, if the assessed declared income is lower than 50% but its Net Taxable Income is more than basic exemption limit then such assessed is required to maintain Books of Accounts and get it audited.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

If your turnover exceeds Rs. 20 lakhs (or Rs.10 lakh for north eastern states), you’ll have to seek GST registration. Since GST registration is state-wise, you’d have to obtain separate registration for every state. To understand more about this tax, read another blog on Simplest guide to GST for freelancers in India

TDS and Refund

Under certain conditions, you’ll save even more by claiming back the TDS that’s deducted by clients.

Once you get used to it, freelance and taxes do go hand in hand!

Read Is Freelance Income Taxable in India

How to Evaluate Logo Quality

Questions to Check Logo Quality

Businesses have now realized the importance of branding because they need to determine a relationship supported trust and integrity with their consumers. Hence, visual components are necessary in making up a robust brand and that’s the rationale marketing experts recommend on using your brand logo everywhere! Your logo identifies your business. It has to face out, be unique and memorable.

Designing the brand may be a crucial process because you only need to catch on right! You don’t want to risk your company’s sales by making common mistakes during the brand design process. For businesses, time is money.

Let’s make a thing clear: “good logo design” is impartial. Personal taste and preference will inevitably become an element when assessing logo quality. Still, there are certain principles of logo design that a high-quality logo must adhere to, so it’s an attempt to check out the brand objectively. Pare it down and approach it with fresh eyes, albeit it’s hard to step back. We recommend thinking of the brand as a communication tool: it should speak clearly.

We’re here to assist distinguish what makes a top-quality logo for your business. Remember: whether your brand is bold and edgy or refined and stylish, you need to look good—and “good” doesn’t always mean flashy and expensive.

Questions to ask yourself when evaluating logo quality:

Does the logo personify the brand itself ?

First impressions are everything, and for several newcomers to your brand, your logo is probably their first experience of who and what your brand is all about. A high-quality logo will say exactly who you’re, right from the beginning. To get there, you merely need to ask, what makes your brand unique? Make sure you’re confident about the solution then make sure that your logo matches up.

A great logo will often have a built-in message or meaning which supports the brand’s overarching purpose and goals. Here, we’ll inspect two top-quality logos—one long-standing logo and one from a rebrand effort—which both thoughtfully convey a message.

Is the logo aesthetically pleasing ?

Let’s talk about aesthetics. A good logo shouldn’t only look good, but it should also adapt well to any space, and even have a way of individuality. A high quality logo is adaptable in various environments and unique to its brand. Let’s break down these two aesthetic concepts.

A quality logo is resilient

Great logos are chameleons: they appear good anywhere, anywhere and in any color scheme—yet still recognizable. Logo quality shouldn’t be impacted by whether the brand is big or small, or maybe digital versus tangible. It just needs to adapt.

A quality logo is Unique

The clever and unique logo design also means that the image will stand out in the market from the rest of the competitors. Many brands fail to create a brand identity within the absence of a powerful logo. So, make sure that your logo isn’t an imitation of famous brands or the logos of your competitors. You should try to create something that is unique from those logos that are already making rounds in the market.

Nobody likes a copycat—or a generic logo that blends into the gang. It can cause a scarcity of identity, also as confusion for the buyer.

Keep in mind that more and more brand interactions are happening in mobile settings. So, once you believe your logo looks unique, don’t ditch what it’s getting to appear as if in several settings, like your app icon. It’s essential.

How to Recognize Bad Logo Design and Avoid it

Is the logo memorable and identifiable?

Face it: a number of the simplest logos within the world also are the foremost widely identified. But being indelible and identifiable can mean many things.

Interestingly enough, one among the foremost memorable, identifiable global logos has barely changed since its inception within the late 1800s. We’re talking about Coca-Cola. The logo is really timeless, and despite many technological advancements in culture and society, the brand has remained constant through the years. Even the beverage packaging has barely changed, and consumers still cherish the nostalgic nature of the glass bottles. Coca-Cola is easy to spot in a crowd. It’s approachable and relatable. It’s ingrained within the minds of consumers young and old, male and feminine, labor and wealthy. Coca-Cola speaks to all or any, and that’s what makes it great.

A logo needs to be functional

In addition to being easy to recollect, an excellent logo must be functional. In this day and age, this suggests serving its purpose in both tangible and digital environments. Think about all of the places where a logo can live: A T-shirt, a sack, a card, a website, an app—the list goes on.

Think about what the user wants to ascertain during a digital space. More than anything, the brand should provide convenience and simple use. Symbol-driven logos tend to be the foremost versatile in both sorts of environments (look to Swirl, Resto, LovedUp and FitMarguerite for fresh samples of multifunctional logos).

Making a high-quality logo comes right down to embodying a brand, offering good aesthetics and being memorable. Now is the time to look at your approach to logo quality. Remember its sizable impact on your overall success!

Simplest Guide to GST for Freelancers in India

Guide to GST for Freelancers

When the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was started in July 2017, it replaced the VAT & Service Tax. While it brought in uniform tax laws for giant and little businesses alike, most businesses struggled with deciding if they needed GST registration. Today, much of the mist has lifted and most businesses have some measure of clarity.

As a freelancer in India, who has not registered under a business name, you’ll wonder why you would like to stress about GST. However, GST does apply to service providers. It’s an honest idea therefore to gauge if you would like to pay the GST on freelancers.

GST Registration for Freelancers

If you’re a freelancer whose turnover during a fiscal year crosses the edge limit of Rs. 20 lakhs, you’d be required to pay GST.

If you’re a freelancer who lives and functions from any of the North-eastern States, you’d cross the edge limit at Rs.10 lakhs and would therefore need to choose GST.

If you’re a freelancer exporting services over Rs. 20 lakhs, you’d need to pay GST. For example, if you’re designing an internet site for a US-based company and therefore the foreign currency you receive as payment exceeds Rs. 20 lakhs, you’d need to register for GST.

Irrespective of the mixture turnover, if you’re receiving payment for services under OIDAR (Online Information and Database Access and Retrieval), GST registration is mandatory.

What are OIDAR services?

Under the GST Act, OIDAR services includes:

1. Advertising on internet

2. Providing cloud service

3. Provision of e-books, music, movie, software via the internet

4. Providing information, retrieval or otherwise to any person in electronic form through a computer network

5. Online gaming

Which GST rates are applicable to freelancers?

The GST rates applicable to freelancers are 0%, 5%,12%, 18% and 28% counting on the sort of service provided. If there’s no specified rate for the service provided, you’ll need to charge 18% GST from your clients.

Documents required for GST registration

Your photograph
Copy of your PAN and Aadhaar card
Identity and address proof
Latest bank account statement or cancelled cheque
Your digital signature
Electricity or telephone bill
The rental agreement for office premises
No objection certificates

What are the invoicing rules for freelancers?

Any invoice lifted by a freelancer India should be GST-compliant. The invoice should contain all the required information like name, address, GSTIN of the service provider also because the recipient, SAC of services, date, the worth of service provided and so on.

How the GST Affects your Income

The GST on freelancers affects the customer and not the freelancer or service provider. This means that you simply charge the additional amount to your client. While it’s possible that some clients will choose a provider who doesn’t charge GST, most of them tend to look at GST registration as an indicator of your credibility.

How many GST returns does a freelancer need to file?

A freelancer will need to file 25 GST returns during a year if he’s registered as a traditional taxable person.

Is a freelancer eligible to say input tax credit?

The Indian freelancers, like any other taxpayer under the GST, are allowed to take the input tax credit of the services used by him for the motive of rendering service. For example, he could also be employing a laptop, electricity, telephone etc to supply taxable service. Further, the tax being charged by the freelancer also can be taken as input by the recipient of service. Therefore, we will conclude that the burden of GST doesn’t fall on the freelancer nor will his fee be reduced as he is going to be collecting the additional tax amount from the customers.

Default can Result in Penalty

Since all accounts are Aadhar and PAN linked, the government can more easily track your income through TDS deductions and payments made to your bank. Defaults may result in penalties and damage your credibility.

Voluntary Registration—the good and the bad

Even if your annual turnover is a smaller amount than Rs. 20 lakhs you can opt for voluntary registration. This would allow you to welcome projects from foreign clients, without worrying about possible defaults.

GST Filing

Once you receive your GST number, you would like to file regularly, regardless of your annual turnover. Delays in depositing GST would attract interest.

All payments will need to be made online. If your payments exceed Rs. 10000, the GST must be deposited with the govt on a quarterly or monthly basis. Annually, a complete of 37 returns would wish to be filed—three monthly returns and one annual return.

Clients who don’t want to pay for GST charges you have to explain to them that they can get a tax credit for it when they file for taxes. So, the clients who wouldn’t want to pay for GST charges are the ones who aren’t paying taxes or also aren’t interested in paying you.

To conclude, there are certain conditions under which GST is useful. Our suggestion would be to wait and watch before deciding if you need to register.

Top 5 tips for Mobile-Friendly Website Design

Tips for Mobile Friendly Website Design

A mobile-friendly website design is one that prioritizes the mobile surfing experience instead of treating it like an afterthought to the desktop version.

This approach has become extremely important within the last decade. According to research by Statista, just over half all-website traffic now occurs on a mobile device which includes roughly 45% of all online shopping. Considering that smartphones have only been around the last ten years, these numbers are only expected to travel up as mobile website browsing becomes even more ingrained and therefore the designs more intuitive.

This is why websites that fail to form a sincere, strategic effort to deliver a top-quality mobile experience risk falling drastically behind their competitors. In order to assist you retain up, we’ve put together this guide to a number of the foremost common but effective tips and tricks to designing the friendliest mobile-friendly websites.

1. Make Mobile-First Approach:

With mobile website browsing having almost surpassed desktop, designers have had to maneuver far away from considering the desktop site the “main” version. This is why the mobile-first approach—designing the mobile website first before the desktop version—has been a commonly held effective practice for years now.

By centring the artistic direction round the mobile experience, designers are encouraged to reign in design decisions by virtue of the restrictions. Not only are there size constraints, mobile users often interact with one hand and input beyond tapping and swiping tends to be more cumbersome than it might be on a desktop.

As a result, mobile-first design tends to stress simplicity and simple use right from the start. Keep in mind this approach doesn’t doom desktop versions to minimalist sparsity. On the contrary, it’s easier to expand on an easy layout than to simplify a posh one.

2. Work on Recommended Size Dimensions:

On a handheld device, space can feel more limited than in the other design context. But taking size constraints into consideration at the beginning of your project is the best thanks to avoiding conflicts afterward.

Mobile screen resolutions will vary by device, but as of immediately the foremost commonly used is 360×640 (aspect ratio 9:16) consistent with research conducted by stat counter. Google Analytics can tell you which of them specific devices your users’ favour, and you ought to confirm your website design is responsive enough to accommodate variations.

When it involves font size for mobile design, a minimum of 16px is suggested for body copy. This can also vary counting on the typefaces used (based on their construction, some fonts are going to be less legible at 16px than others).

There is no standard size for headline fonts, but the goal is to determine a transparent typographical hierarchy through contrast in size, weight and elegance. But when unsure, simply test the font sizes on a mobile device for yourself.

Last but not least, button size is extremely important in mobile-friendly website design. It gives touch screens much less reliable at learning user input than a mouse and keyboard. Research showed that elderly mobile users recommend touch screen buttons between 42 and 72 px for optimal accessibility.

3. Optimize for Portrait Orientation:

Although mobile websites can technically be utilized in landscape mode with the device turned on its side. Portrait mode is overwhelmingly more common. The Blackberry popularized the two-handed mobile hold within the 2000s, but this has been a thoroughly phased call at the increase of the smartphone, with users favoring a one-handed portrait mode.

The narrowness of portrait mode is ideal for single column layouts. This style contains site elements placed sequentially from top to bottom. Although a center alignment for content tends to be common. Alternating left and right justification can create visual interest and therefore the illusion of a two-column layout. In addition, smaller elements like icons and photos are often presented during a grid, while image carousels can hack vertical scrolling with horizontal swiping.

4. Collapse Secondary Content:

Desktop websites often have space for in-depth body copy, product specs and other content. But as mobile sites require information to be to the purpose, designers must eliminate or shorten all non-essential content. This is where collapsible/expandable sections come in handy.

Collapsing content involves making explanatory information optional with an icon like a triangle or sign that expands or reveals the hidden content. While hiding your content might sound sort of a bad thing, the gains of simplified browsing strengthened by persuasive headlines far outweigh the potential for missed information. The micro-interaction of toggling is additionally yet one more invitation for the user to interact with the page as against passively reading.

5. Minimize the menu:

Navigation is another area which will quickly become difficult counting on the number of destinations and options a user is given. While desktop websites tend to possess a full header navigation bar with multiple main menus and sub menus. It’s become standard to contain all of this within the straightforward, recognizable hamburger icon. As a result, most of the mobile website headers tend to be reduced thereto icon and therefore the logo.

Depending on how complex your menu is, each menu option may contain more nested menus, or a sub menu. When the user clicks into one among these sub menus, it’s best to possess the new list of options to replace the prevailing menu so as to stay the list short.

Closure:

While the ideas during this article will offer you a baseline for practical solutions to mobile-friendly website design challenges. It takes tons of care and practice to master them. In order to urge a mobile website that’s a help and not a hindrance to your users, consider connecting with a talented website designer.

Is freelance income taxable in India?

Foreign Income Taxable for Freelancers

If you’ve been securing freelance projects through a web platform, it’s quite likely that a number of your clients are from another country. While the cross-cultural experience is often interesting, will freelance tax be an excessive amount of a hassle?

The initial steps may certainly seem cumbersome, but here are a couple of steps to simplify freelance taxes:

Check out your Residential Status:

If you’re an Indian citizen and haven’t figured out of India, this is often pretty straightforward—you’d be a resident Indian. The case can get a touch more complex however if you were working abroad, have just relocated to India and are freelancing or consulting for a far-off company.

As per law, an Indian resident would be someone who has lived in India for a period of 182 days or more within the Financial year. Also who has been in India for 60 days or more during a Financial year and three hundred and sixty-five days or more within the 4 years preceding that specific fiscal year.

Change foreign Income into Indian Currency:

If you’re a resident Indian, the income you are earning from another country will have to be included in your total income. Convert income earned outside India into Indian currency. Convert your income in foreign currency into Indian Rupees by using the depository financial institution of India telegraphic transfer buying rate (TTBR) of the Judgment Day of the month before the month during which income is due. For example, for converting salary income of June 2019, use the TTBR of the relevant currency for May 2019 and convert your salary into Indian Rupees.

Uniform laws for Foreign and Domestic Income:

You have to treat this income as the other income which is earn by you locally. Minimum exemption of Rs 2,50,000 is allow on your total income and rest income is taxable as per income tax slab rates.

If TDS is subtract on your income, you’re allow to require credit of such taxes. For this motive, reference has to be made to the relevant Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) of the country where such income has been earned. India has entered into DTAAs with several countries. DTAA ensures that a taxpayer is not tax twice for the income earn outside the country of residence. Since income may be taxed at source i.e., from the place it begins and is also generally taxable in the country of residence, the DTAA ensures that the taxpayer is not adversely impacted. The taxpayer is additionally permits to require credit of TDS deducted.

Indian Freelancers may get their payments after tax being subtract at source. Similarly, freelancers need to deduct tax at source before making a payment. Here is an illustration:

How this Works –

Sonal may be a graphic designer who works as a freelancer for multiple clients. She is purchasing each project she works on and not a hard and fast monthly salary. In each such payment, the client deducts tax at source before paying them out. But she doesn’t realize the tax she has got to deduct at the source.

Many freelancers have a reputation for the business and an accounting meant for business purposes; they treat as small businesses from a taxation perspective. At times when Sonal has tight deadlines, she hires professionals to stay up with the deadlines. In this case, Sonal must deduct tax at source on the amounts payable to them.

Every time a freelancer in India or a small business owner makes a payment to professionals which exceeds Rs.30,000 per transaction or in aggregate during a financial year, TDS applies at the rate of 10%. Further, a freelancer must deduct tax or TDS as long as he has been audited during the previous financial year. A freelancer is going to be audited as long as the annual gross receipts exceed Rs 50 lakh. Otherwise, there is no need to deduct tax at source.

Be Conscious of DTAA:

Similar to TDS in India, the country laws of the client you’re employed for may necessitate that he/she cuts tax. This can mean that your income is tax at source and also within the country of residence. To prevent this, India has entered into Double minimization Agreements (DTAAs) with several countries. The rate differs for every country, so do check the relevant DTAA of the country where your income was earned.

The mandatory documentation for this is able to be a tax residency certificate. You can claim tax relief either through exemption or decrease.

Under the exemption method, income would be tax in one country and exempted within the other. In practical terms, if your client is predicated within the US, you’d have to submit Form W8BEN, which declares that you simply are a tax paying resident of India. Ask the client to not withhold taxes within the US. Under the decrease method, since you’ve got been taxed in both countries, you’d get a far-off decrease for taxes paid within the source country.

If you have earned foreign income on which TDS or any form of tax has been deducted. You may need help from an expert to get a TRC and make sure correct DTAA is applied, so you’ll take credit for the foreign tax deducted.

How to Choose Perfect Logo for Your Business?

Tips to choose Perfect Logo –

If you’ve tried to make your own logo before, you recognize how complicated it can get. There are many things to think about and do to seek out the proper logo for your business. The task is to make an appealing, memorable logo that speaks volumes about your business. In general, it’s to support the brand, its name, and therefore the purpose, all while communicating with the audience . Seeing how a logo is one tiny graphic, it is often really hard to realize all this.

Designing your logo is an essential part of your brand’s identity. It’s what creates recognition and boosts brand visibility. When it involves creating a logo for your brand, there’s no rule or law that says you ought to use any specific brand style for a selected business type. You are completely liberal to choose whichever one you would like . To make a logo for your business, you’ll use symbols, visual representations that somehow show your company’s purpose or goals, different colours and fonts.

Let’s discuss some design factors that every person should consider when creating a logo –

1. Define your Brand Identity –

You want your logo to speak your brand’s personality. And so as to try to do that, you initially got to understand what your brand’s core personality is. Once you’ve got a transparent idea of what causes you to be unique and what your brand is all about, it’ll be much easier for you to form design choices that complement and complete that picture.

2. Colour of your Logo–

You’ll study a whole subject dedicated to paint psychology in branding and marketing– it’s so important! Colours allow you to evoke various emotions in your customers. Popular brands have already used the facility of colour psychology to determine market dominance and appeal to pick demographics.

3. Typography –

Typography is a very important part of design. You can use it to speak your company’s personality also as its name. Fonts play a huge role in logo design. They carry emotions and reflect certain attributes which will be seen in attributes . For instance, Serif fonts are often utilized in conservative and classic designs to portray a classy brand, Helvetica fonts, on the opposite hand, are wont to grab attention and they come off as bold for an equivalent reason.

4. Make Simplicity your priority-

Many companies attempt to make their logos look more too elaborate and grand by adding different elements during a single design. This overcomplicates the visuals which are some things you don’t want. That’s the reason simple designs are more powerful and memorable. Think of all the favoured logos you know-Nike, Apple, Sony, etc. All of these logos are classic and well-recognized around the world. However, all of them are incredibly simple too albeit the brands generate billions of dollars’ worth of revenue per annum .

If you would like to be creative together with your logo, then, by all means, you ought to choose it. After all, the entire point of branding is to be unique and different. However, you can be creative while being simple. Most brands have done it including Twitter, YouTube, etc.

5. Flexible –

A virtuous logo isn’t designed in size small, medium or large- it’s versatile! In other words, it is often scaled up or down, or physically modified in several forms with ease.

A logo should be versatile enough to be used for business cards, websites, billboards, and also on promotional products like coffee mugs and baseball shirts , hats etc. Professional designers know this which is why once they create new logos, they struggle to style them during a way that they will be utilized in various ways.

6. Find the Right Logo Type –

In addition to the general style there are 5 main sorts of logos you’ll choose between once you are creating your logo. You can pick the one that suits your name or overall aesthetic best, or combine them to make something unique.

Wordmark

Wordmarks are supreme for companies who are just stepping out, and therefore the reason why is fairly obvious. A wordmark clearly tells the name of the brand. There is no guesswork involved.

Lettermark

Lettermarks are great if your brand features a long name, or words that are difficult to pronounce.

By shortening a reputation right down to just the initials, it also gives the brand equal visual weight. So for instance if the complete name is 2 short words and one long word, by creating a letter mark, you equalise the importance of every one.

Brandmark

When it involves expressing a thought without the utilization of words, a brand mark may be a great way to go as it consists of a logo or an icon.

This is useful for brands which are global, because it can cross language barriers far more easily.

Combination Mark

The combination mark uses both text and symbols.

This sort of logo is usually the foremost popular because it is the better of both worlds, employing a wordmark and a brand mark together.

Emblem

Emblems are almost like combination marks therein they both use text and symbols. Where a mixture mark has the text and symbol next to at least one another, within the case of an emblem, the text is placed inside the symbol, making it all one shape.

7. Communicate with your designer –

Sometimes it’s going to take a little bit of trust in your designer, but attempt to stay hospitable. Remember, your designer is an expert and features a great pity what makes an honest logo. Giving many detailed and clear feedback is what gives designers an understanding of what you wish . It may sound cheesy but it’s true: the simplest design happens once you and your designer work together.

In today’s world where we’ve access to all or any sorts of branding tools, creating a premium logo has become easier than ever anyway. So, what are you waiting for? Create the right logo for your company today and see how it can make a huge difference!

Can GST help your freelancing business?

How GST Help in Your Business –

Taxes are often considered an unwelcome but unavoidable part of the freelancer’s life. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration for freelancers in India especially is taken into account optional, with many freelancers ignoring GST registration once they don’t cross the mixture turnover threshold of Rs. 20 lakhs in a financial year. However, GST registration is basically simple, and therefore the process has been made user-friendly to profit small-scale entrepreneurs and businessmen. At the end of the day, it can actually benefit your business.

Freelancers from India are selling their services with a turnover of above Rs. 20 lakhs yearly must register for GST. Those with a turnover of less than Rs. 20 lakhs and who offers services only within their state are exempt from GST. The law may be a bit different for freelancers within the northeastern states of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. There, you would like a turnover of but Rs. 10 lakhs yearly and must offer services only within your state to qualify for a GST exemption.

For one, it pushes the unorganised sector to become mainstream, giving them access to a bigger number of clients. Several small-scale entrepreneurs aver to the very fact that applying for GST actually pushed them to explore territories they’ll not otherwise have ventured into like e-commerce. Freelancers India can gain profit by lending projects from overseas clients and selling their goods via online channels.

Regardless of your turnover, if you offer freelance services in India across state boundaries, the govt. requires you to register for GST. For example, if you’re a field researcher based in Maharashtra and you provide services to a client in Tamil Nadu, you’ve got to register for GST, albeit you’re just stepping out and your yearly turnover is fairly low.

There’s also no GST concession for Indian freelancers who run their businesses completely online. So, as an example, if you’re a contract software programmer, writer, blogger or social media strategist, you’re required to register for GST.

Here’s a fast check out the varied sorts of GST and once they would be applied:

1. CGST or Central Goods and Service Tax –

CGST is enforced upon intra-state supplies by the Central Government for both goods and services. The SGST is additionally levied on an equivalent intra-state supply but is governed by the government. Both governments have an agreement on splitting the revenue between them.

2. SGST or State Goods Service Tax and UTGST or Union Territory Goods and repair Tax –

Depending on whether you’re registered from a state or a Union Territory, SGST or UGST would be charged alongside CGST. Ensure that you’re not levied both SGST and UTGST on an invoice.

How this would work:

Assume that Yash may be a website designer in Chennai selling his service to a corporation based in Chennai. The whole value of his service amounts to Rs. 2,00,000. The GST rate of 18% would come with CGST of 9% and SGST of 9%. So, Yash would collect an additional Rs. 36,000 from the client. Of this, Rs. 18,000 would attend the Central Government and Rs. 18,000 would go to the Tamil nadu Government.

3. IGST or Integrated Goods and Service Tax –

IGST would be levied on Import or Inter-State supply of products or services or both. The IGST is like the sum of CGST and SGST/UTGST. It is also applicable on cases important into India and export from India.

In the example above, if Yash from Chennai were to supply his services to a corporation based in Maharashtra, he would charge 18% IGST and therefore the amount would attend the Central Government.

Tips to remember before Filing for GST :

1. Filing for GST is really simple and can be done online on GST.gov.in

2. The extra amount is borne by the client and not by the service provider/freelancer.

3. You need to file a total of 37 returns– three monthly returns and one annual return.

4. If you cross the threshold amount but do not register and collect GST, you can be tracked on the basis of your TDS.

5. GST Payment has to be done before the 20th of the next month in the case of taxable supplies.

6. Under GST, a registered dealer has to file GST returns that include: Purchases, Sales, Output GST (On sales), Input tax credit (GST paid on purchases).

7. To file GST returns, GST compliant sales and buy invoices are required.

The good news is that under GST, you’ll claim input decrease on certain goods and services you employ for your business. For example, if you purchase a laptop and tablet and buy internet service, you’ll claim the GST paid on these as a credit. The credit created from your claim goes toward your GST accountability, lowering it.

There’re tons to find out when it involves GST. The good news is that, when it involves learning this new way of paying taxes, all business people in India are within the same boat. Once you learn the ropes, complying with GST is going to be as easy as opening your online accounting software and making a couple of clicks.

How can your Business Gain from Gig Economy?

5 Ways your Business can Benefit –

The past decade has seen a surge within the number of gig workers, showing wide economic and demographic shifts and raising concerns around long-term financial security for a growing share of the workforce, according to some experts.

“Gig” workers are folks who work on a contingent basis: meaning consulting, freelance or temporary. Their count has risen dramatically within the past decade. The rise stepped up around 2007 during the worldwide economic downturn, and by many accounts, gig workers now represent a 3rd of the workforce.

What composes the “gig economy” isn’t well-defined but usually includes people like independent contractors and on-call and temp workers.

This new industry has also created new sorts of jobs for people to earn good income. Gig workers include from an Uber driver to project managers, Web Developers and application developers who are influential in digital transformation projects that global companies are investing in.

By hiring gig workers and contractors (fixed term or project-based employees), companies are often more agile within the way they answer customer needs. They are set to bring experts freelancers from India with niche skills on board during the transition period, without having in touch high overheads of a permanent staff. A mingle workforce, if managed well, can give the corporate the launchpad it must stay before its competitors.

While the benefits that freelancers gain are many—including the pliability to figure from home and set their own working hours—the gig business are often incredibly advantageous to business owners also.

Here are the ways your business can enjoy the gig economy –

1. More Workforce Flexibility:

Hiring a full-time or maybe a part-time employee means you’ll need to offer them a group number of hours. Alternatively, hiring freelancers in India offers you the choice of flexible manpower. Whether it’s a small-scale project or a way larger one, you get the precise manpower that you simply need consistent with your requirements. For instance, you’ll hire a freelancer in India to figure on your social media pages over the weekend even when your business is closed. Since remote workers are hospitable flexible work hours, it works out well for both your business and them.

Understanding the freelance economy and aged board with the gig business revolution may be a great alternative to make sure your goals of sustained growth, greater output and increased revenue for your business are achieved.

2. Cost Effective:

A report titled “The way forward for Work is Anywhere – Gig Workforce” by Noble House revealed that 45% of the HR heads hired gig workers to supplement the talents of the prevailing workforce. Interesting to notice was that 39% said they chose gig workers to scale back the value to the firm. Hiring freelancers can help your business hamper its overall spending in various ways.

We all know that office spaces are priced at a supreme. Indian Freelancers are supplied with home offices which will reduce the necessity for office space and utilities. Independent contractors, who are specialists in their field, also require a coffee level of supervision and training, thereby lowering the coaching and development costs. Choosing a gig business strategy further allows you to eliminate costs on benefits like healthcare, retirement, transport and paid leave also.

3. Easier onboarding:

Any company that experiences turnover knows that the onboarding process is often costly and time consuming. Consistent with HR Onboard, a person’s resources consultancy, the annual onboarding costs for a little to medium business that onboard 100 new employees annually , can reach upwards of $40,000. And consistent with e Learning software company Panopto, half all corporate onboarding programs take as long as a month or more.

This is why, according to the KellyOCG report, 36% of companies are bringing gig workers into play. The report found that working with freelancers in India means faster onboarding and a neater thanks to lock in outside resources.

Doing business with remote workers is often an excellent way for companies to undertake prospective employees. And consistent with the KellyOCG report 26% of companies use independent workers to make early relationships with talent rather than browsing the normal hiring process of multiple interviews then possibly being disappointed with a replacement employee’s performance, companies can give assignments to freelancers to measure whether a prospective employee may be a good fit.

4. Reach Specialized Talent:

Freelancers constantly expand their skill sets to stay up with the evolution of the workforce. They have a tendency to be more innovative and receptive to new technology as they accumulate many experiences from using their specialized skill sets to figure with a spread of various businesses. This benefits businesses seeking to rent candidates with niche skills. The 2018 “Future Workforce Report: Hiring Manager Insights on Flexible and Remote Work Trends” highlighted how skills are getting more specialized and thus the way freelancers could fill this gap. As an example, gig workers are an excellent option for businesses seeking specialized skill sets like AI, robotics, data science and block chain.

5. Hire for Individual Projects:

Perhaps the leading cost-efficient strategy to lift gig workers is to recruit them for work on specific, time-sensitive projects. Such projects may lie outside the scope of your in-house staff’s core competencies and would necessitate additional (and costly) training to bring those employees up to hurry.

A freelancer, on the opposite hand, is usually ready and willing to work on a project requiring specialized knowledge — and should have additional insights (based on their experience) that move the project forward more efficiently and economically.