In the coming months, the healthcare debate, business
incentives and changes to the tax code will be at the forefront of
local and national debates. Though important, these are issues in which
the individual small business owner has minimal say. Instead of
focusing on these larger issues, entrepreneurs should focus their
efforts on enhancing small business productivity, prudence, and profit
as we move into 2010.

Productivity

In the last few years, many companies learned to do more with
less as cuts in spending and employment left many small businesses
demanding more out of their employees. In 2010, small business
productivity will remain vital as employees continue to carry a heavy
workload. For companies to succeed, they need to arm their employees
with the right small business productivity tools.

By identifying and implementing the right small business
solutions, entrepreneurs can get more out of their employees and save
money. Increased productivity among full-time employees can result in
more sales, the development of better products and services, faster
completion of tasks, and improved customer service.

Regardless of the industry, many companies will turn to small
business communication solutions that can improve productivity. For
example, a doctor’s office may select an Interactive Voice Response
system (IVR) to more efficiently handle and direct calls during and
after business hours. Companies with hourly employees, like field
service repair companies, may use location-based services to track
field technicians and redirect them based on cost drivers like fuel
consumption. Or, many companies may look to deploy BlackBerrys to their
staff to help them stay connected anytime, anywhere helping fuel better
small business productivity. Finding small business solutions that
improve productivity will greatly impact a bottom line.

Prudence

While the economic freefall has halted and the economy even had some
bright spots in 2009, most companies are not popping celebratory
champagne. And as much as we’d all like to see 2010 herald a recovery
of small business productivity, many economists and so-called
“financial experts” are predicting only a slightly stronger economy in
2010. Next year, prudence will be the name of the game when it comes to
small business solutions.

With a sharp eye on spending, small businesses will need to be
prudent in their decision making and ensure they are making the right
investments. Finding employees that have the right skill set, investing
in developing or marketing your best product, and selecting small
business solutions that will help your company grow will all demand
prudence.

But this careful decision making will not only focus on
spending, but on all aspects of small business productivity. Many
companies may reexamine their niche market or how they “have always
done things” to find new and better small business solutions. Just as
Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “…a little rebellion now and then is a
good thing,” a shake-up of how your small business operates may be in
order.

Profit

One consequence of the downturn is that many companies
unfortunately closed their doors. As a result, those who survived the
recession now have fewer competitors vying for customers. As the
economy stabilizes, banks begin to loan more money and businesses are
more comfortable with spending money, the small businesses that
positioned themselves correctly will have a stronger opportunity for
market penetration than they’ve likely seen in recent years. By making
prudent decisions and focusing on driving small business productivity,
companies will be well-positioned to profit in 2010 and beyond.

If the past 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that no
amount of economic forecasting is completely precise. But, let’s all
look forward to 2010 with a focus on small business productivity,
prudence, and profit, as well as the promise of what a new year will
bring to small businesses.

This story first appeared in Corp! magazine Dec. 3, 2009.

Keep Your Home Well Maintained

It increases the value of your home and if you can add a room or garage to it, all the better. So, considering the cost of home repair, lenders have produced this type of loan, backed by the equity of the house and for a determined purpose.

The Result

The result is a Home Improvement Loan, with a longer payback term than a personal loan, shorter than a mortgage and with even less risk than a mortgage, since the home is acquiring more value through the repairs or improvement. As a consequence, we have a convenient loan to enlarge our assets.

The Seeds Of A Good Deal

When you set out to get a good deal on a loan, do not just think about the monthly payment. There is much more than that to a loan. There are three basic parameters: The length of the term, the amount drawn and the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Shopping around will let you have a good idea of what to expect.

Next come the expenses. Administrative costs, the loan fee, an appraisal of the property and the investigation of existing mortgages. All this adds up to your eligibility to get a loan with the best possible conditions. Note that if there is a fairly recent mortgage, there will not be enough equity to back up the new loan.

The Prize Of Sleeping On Safe Finances

Yes, it is the prize you get for having done your homework and acting responsibly. One of the things that will give you a good image is a proper plan and detail of the improvements you will carry out. Get at least three quotes on the materials you need, as well as those for the labor involved.

Being An Organized Borrower

The quotes are not the only things that make a good impression on the lender. When you are talking over the conditions, ask some well-prepared questions on what extra expenses there are, whether you can skip any payment and other things of the sort.

Last But Not Least

Something absolutely priceless is being a responsible borrower. That means, from your side of the counter, to be aware of the stumbling blocks that might make you have trouble paying for the loan every month. Make a list of worst case scenario bugs. Think up a way to solve those in advance or at least an emergency plan.

Unexpected medical bills, a thunderbolt burning out your fridge, TV and other appliances, whatever you can think up, you know better than I do. It is always better to be one step ahead of circumstances so that you have a happy ending to your loan.

A visit to a doctor is a very unpleasant thing to do, no matter what doctor you are going to visit. What has to be done to avoid this? If the situation is familiar to you, read this article and find little clues on how to avoid an appointment.

“Health is above wealth”, says the saying. Really, what is more valuable than the condition of your body when all the systems function well? It must be our first concern and we have to treat out bodies properly. But today we seem to forget what is the most important. We ignore all the signals of our body until the pain is unbearable.  

Then you put away your visit to the supermarket, your work on custom research papers, and your plans for the day and get the rest of our strength together to go and consult a doctor. People don’t feel positively about any hospital. The direct association is with pain and illnesses. No matter how friendly staff is, no matter how well the interior is designed, you will not see a lot of smiling faces around. So, you are on your way to the hospital with pains but entering the building you wonder what doctor you need to consult. If you are not familiar with fields of practice of different specialists visit a pediatrician first. He will advice you where to go next. Still feeling bad not only because of the pain but also because of being in the hospital, you go to see the right specialist. And here you meet with another typical trait at public hospital, extremely long lines. You see at least a dozen people waiting in front of you and think about a custom research paper left at home. You could finish it by the time you get to see the specialist. But you came for purpose and will wait till needed. After an hour and a half of waiting you finally get to consult a specialist, who makes you go through seven circles of hell. You had to do various not quite understandable movements that made you exhausted. Angry on yourself, the doctor and the whole system you run out of the lab with a sheet of paper. This is medication required along with a dozen of so called “useful advice”. Regretting about the whole thing you buy expensive medication and go home, hoping for the pain to disappear under attack of different remedies. After a week you have to go back and show up for the doctor to see the result. Here is one more unpleasant visit and another strain. Finally, you go out of the hospital with assurance that you are fine. 

You are cured but what is the price? Numerous strains and worries still sit in your head and you keep thinking that there is still something radically wrong with you. During your life you are to visit a hospital quite a few times. How to lower the frequency? Try to keep fit and there will be no problem. Why do we become concerned only after there is no other way but to go to the hospital? When you hear or feel the first signal that there is something wrong, try to delete the cause immediately and start working on improvement. You don’t necessarily need to stay on medication to be healthy. There are a lot of other ways to avoid an unpleasant visit. If you seek, you’ll find a way, but the first step is to love your body and treat it the right way to prevent trouble from happening. If you don’t agree with proposed advice you can decide what the lesser evil is: To follow it or to prepare for the better world.

Starting a business can be overwhelming enough trying to get up and running but when you think about all the tax requirements, your cup may runneth over. Here is what you must know in order to start your own business on the right foot and avoid paying penalties and interest which can cost more than paying an accountant to do things right the first time.

WHAT FORM OF BUSINESS SHOULD YOU SET UP WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS?

There are several different options including a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, S corporation or limited liability company. In general a sole proprietorship works fine if you are very small, not too profitable and aren’t concerned about legal liability issues. A partnership is like being married to the other partners. If you aren’t that cozy with them, you may want to set up another type of entity. Corporations are best suited for business owners who want personal legal protection and have profit available beyond what they will need for their personal use. See http://www.dgoodmancpa.com/smallbusinessretirementplan.htm for an example of what you can do with that available profit tax deferred until retirement. S Corporations are best when you are operating at a loss and want business owner legal protection. Limited liability companies will protect the business owner from personal legal liability and, if structured properly, can be a partnership, corporation or owner for federal income tax purposes.

DO YOU NEED AN EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN) WHEN YOU START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

You need an employer identification number if you have employees, have a qualified retirement plan, operate as a corporation or a partnership, or need to file employment or excise tax returns. You do not need an employer identification number if you are a sole proprietor and don’t meet any of the requirements above.

WHAT METHOD CAN YOU USE TO ACCOUNT FOR YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES WHEN YOU START YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?

The two most common methods are cash and accrual. The cash method in general allows you to report income and expenses in the tax year you receive it. The accrual method in general allows you to report income and expenses in the tax year you earn or incur it even if you haven’t received payment or paid it yet.

WHAT KINDS OF FEDERAL TAXES WILL YOU OWE WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS?

All businesses must file a return. The form used depends on what form of business you set up when starting your business. The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go tax. In general you must pay the tax as you earn or receive income during the year to avoid penalties and interest if your tax liability for the year exceeds $1,000 including self employment tax for sole proprietors, partners and S corporation shareholders. Corporations should make estimated quarterly payments if they expect to owe $500 for the year. Estimated tax payments are due quarterly. Penalties and interest can be hefty so you should make sure you comply in order to avoid wasting money on IRS penalties.

WHAT TAXES ARE DUE IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES IN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?

Your small business must pay social security and Medicare taxes, federal income tax withholding, federal unemployment tax along with your state and local income taxes. The associated tax returns for reporting these taxes are in general filed quarterly. Your business is entrusted to pay these taxes on behalf of your employees and not only do you have penalties and interest that you will pay for not filing them timely but can also be committing a crime due to the fiduciary responsibility. You need to be sure you know what you are doing here as the consequences could be costly.

WHAT RECORDS SHOULD YOU KEEP WHEN YOU START YOUR BUSINESS?

Except in a few cases, the law does not require any specific kinds of records. The most important thing to ask yourself is can you go back to all of the original receipts from the number on your return. If you were to be asked by an IRS agent to provide all the details of a certain number on your return, and you can not do that, you will be at his whim on whether he will allow that deduction. An efficient accounting system with a solid audit trail which has been reconciled is the safest way to be sure you have done this.

These are just some questions you may have regarding starting your new business. If you have more, e-mail me at dianne@dgoodmancpa.com and I will help you muddle through the tax and business issues you may have. After all, those of us that have our own business know it’s the only way to go but getting up and running can be a bit of a challenge.

This article was intended to provide general information about starting a business. It does not contain all the rules and exceptions that may apply to your situation. If you have further questions regarding starting a small business, I can be reached at www.dgoodmancpa.com.

Coming Soon – Year End Tax Planning and Preparation

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Dianne Goodman, CPA
Comprehensive Small Business Solutions, PC
505 323-2307
1 866-531-3035 toll free
http://www.dgoodmancpa.com

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The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics has compiled several statistics regarding safety and and information about injuries that occurred on the job in the construction industry. Some of these statistic are:

* One of every five workplace fatalities is a construction worker.

* There were 1,225 fatal occupational injuries in construction in 2001, excluding fatalities on September 11. Also in 2001, there were 481,400 nonfatal injuries and illnesses in construction. Incidence rates for nonfatal injuries and illnesses were 7.9 per 100 full-time equivalent workers in construction, and 5.7 per 100 full-time equivalent workers in all private industry in 2001.

* Because only about 10% of construction companies employ more than 20 workers, the great majority have no formal job safety regulations or programs in place.

* In 1992, the “lost-workday” rate for workers in the construction industry was 5.7 per every 100 full-time workers. The lost-workday due to injury rate in the construction industry is greater than in any other industry.

* Nationwide, about 15% of workers’ compensation costs are attributable to injuries in the construction industry.

Almost every injury that construction workers suffer could makes the worker eligible for workers compensation rights. Legal actions against people with in authority positions such as general contractors, construction managers, equipment manufacturers, or subcontractors can supplement the constrained rights. These rights depend upon the application of various complex laws and the individual circumstances of the accident.

For example, in most construction projects, many different contractors are involved. If any contractor other than the direct employer has responsibility for the injuries, full damages can be recovered. Likewise, if a defective tool, machine, or other product causes injury, an injured worker can be fully compensated.

Construction workers have a right to a safe workplace according to OSHA, the Federal governing body for occupational safety and health. If a workplace hazard exists and action is not taken quickly, an employee should contact an OSHA area office or state office via a written complaint. If the OSHA or state office determines that there are reasonable grounds for believing that a violation or danger exists, the office will conduct an inspection. A workers’ representative has a right to accompany an OSHA compliance officer during the inspection. The representative is chosen by a union representative, if there is one, or by the employees. At no time may the workers’ representative be chosen by the employer. The inspector may conduct a comprehensive inspection of the entire workplace or a partial inspection limited to certain areas or aspects of the operation. At the end of the inspection, the OSHA inspector will meet with the employer and the employee representatives to discuss the abatement of any hazards that may have been found. These need to be corrected or serious penalties and legal liabilities may arise.

As soon as you start a business, one of the most important factors that you need to consider is to come up with business cards online. When it comes to advertising whether online or offline, it is necessary to spread the word about your business and one of the most effective ways to do this is through the cheap business cards

Searching the internet is the best way to shop around for professional printing companies. This is where you can compare the prices, designs and quality of services from different providers.

As you shop for business cards online, you can compare from one website to another to find the right one for your needs and requirements. You can do it without the need to go out of the comfort of your home. You can save on fuel, time, money and energy. It is easier to look for different designs and templates that will match your business. A good and professional online printing shop can provide a huge selection of designs and templates. It is important to do your own research regarding the reputation of a particular provider to avoid waste of time and money. Once you have found out the one that you can trust, then that is the time when you can select from their long list of creative templates and designs for cheap business cards.

You can find some providers that can offer fast, free shipping service for bulk orders. You may find one that can do next day shipping, but it depends on your location. You can also find companies offering two to three days shipping service. A reputable and experienced printing company offers free shipping for a minimum amount of purchase. There is always a great deal that you can find if you are on a tight budget.

Even if you do not have your own business, you can still order business cards for personal use. If you are working for a law firm, then you really need to have your own business card. You can become popular in your field by just handing out business cards to friends, relatives and acquaintances. The beauty of having a business card is the fact that you personally interact with people that you meet. You will have a personal relationship with your prospect clients and be able to build a long term camaraderie. Even if you are working offline or you have an online business, business card can help you become popular in your chosen niche.

It is vital that you choose business card designs that go along with the kind of business or career that you have. If you are a lawyer, then you do not want a card that will make you look childish. If you are into daycare business, then colorful business cards are just right for you. This is also the same with print brochures if you want to attract new clients or customers to your business. There are endless possibilities when it comes to designs, but you need to choose one that will make you stand out. It is important to make sure that you have acquired the right type of business cards that will fit into the needs of your target clients. It is important to pick the types and the materials to use.