Top 10 Tax Tips I Didn't Know

Tax time for small businesses is typically very stressful. With the April 15 deadline approaching, now is the time (if you haven't already) to get started on preparing your taxes. While researching for this week's tax tips and blog, I came across many tax tips that I didn't know about. Check out my Top 10 Tax Tips! File Your Tax Return for Free - The IRS Free File program provides free federal income tax preparation and electronic filing for eligible taxpayers through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance LLC, a group of private sector tax software companies. Free tax preparation and filing via online software is available to anyone with a 2009 Adjusted Gross Income of $57,000 or less. If that’s you, head to the IRS website and choose from a list of approved tax preparers, and get started. If you aren’t sure which preparer to use, ans... [Read Full Article]


Banks Pull Another $1 Billion From Small Business Lending

Management and Operations 21st Century Career Development and Its Implications for Learning and Development There has been a significant change between what career development means in the 21st century and what it meant when our parents' generation, or even when my fellow Boomers, entered the workforce. ManageSmarter.com Management and OperationsFirst Lady Michelle Obama Promotes Work/Life BalanceDuring her visit with 400 employees, Obama touched on an issue that has been central to her professional life—simultaneously managing the demands of home and the workplace. Workfor... [Read Full Article]


A Jump Start for Stalled Small Business Lenders

Management and Operations Marketing Lowdown: Five Steps To Better Retail Displays A recent poll asked average Americans which of their five senses they would least be willing to lose. The result? Overwhelmingly, the eyes have it. But before we can learn anything with our eyes, we must be interested enough to look. Our attention must be captured. ManageSmarter.com Management and OperationsManaging the Direct Marketing Supply ChainA direct marketing offer can reach its potential customers through print mailings, e-mail blasts, Website offerings, television advertising, Internet... [Read Full Article]


Tech: The Return of Risk-Taking

Government, Politics, and the EconomyTech: The Return of Risk-Taking Suddenly, there are mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and investors galore. Will the reenergized industry lead the U.S. out of the Great Recession? BusinessWeek.comManagement and Operations33 Highly Useful Presentation Tools Use these tools for presentations to engage your audience, and get your point across using the latest technology. SmallBizTrends.com Management and Operations [Read Full Article]


Small Biz Tip: Pre-Screening Employees: Background Checks

Tips from June 27, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about background checks for new employees. One of the most important reasons to conduct a background check on a potential future employee is to eliminate those who lied on their resume.  With the economy struggling and people desperate to find jobs, it is important to hire those who are truthful and have the proper credentials. Before diving into potential employees’ personal records and history, be sure to look into what constitutes as a legal background check and which does not.  Being safe and preparing yourself is essential to avoid court and legal problems. Conducting a background check ensures that your employees will retain a sense of safety at the workplace.  Employees will be less stressed about the possibility of incidents at the workplace. It is very important for small businesses to conduct background checks to save money by hiring th... [Read Full Article]


Small Biz Tip: Pre-Screening Employees: Legal Interview Questions

Tips from June 22, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about legal questions you can ask when hiring an employee. Questions regarding citizenship are tricky to ask during an interview. You cannot ask if your potential employee is a U.S. citizen, but you may ask if they are authorized to work in the United States. Asking about age could lead to cases for discrimination down the road.  Instead, ask if they are over the age of 18 to be sure your potential employee can legally work for you. Although it would be good to know if a potential employee has been arrested, you cannot ask that question in an interview.  Instead, ask if they have been convicted of a specific crime (fraud, theft, etc).  The specific crime should be related to the performance of the job in question. Asking potential employers if they “have any disabilities” is illegal and will be discussed further in later tips. If the interv... [Read Full Article]

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