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Procurement pre-conference trainings set
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Pre-conference training will help companies prepare for the 2012 Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference which will be held April 24 at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. The conference provides a unique opportunity for businesses to meet with corporate and government purchasing contacts. Led by the conference planning committee, the training sessions will help you understand what buyers are looking for, answer questions you may have about the procurement process and cover everything you need to know to participate in the conference. The first pre-conference training was Feb. 21 in West Memphis. Upcoming training events: - Feb. 28 (morning) - Bentonville
- Feb. 28 (afternoon) - Fayetteville
- March 1 - Fort Smith
- March 15 - Pine Bluff
- March 27 - Conway
- March 29 - Little Rock
- April 3 - Hot Springs
See the Pre-Conference Training page of the conference website for more information, including how to register. To preview the conference agenda or learn more about the April 24 event, visit arkansasprocurement.org.
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VetFran incentives help 2,100 veterans open franchise businesses
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Veterans interested in owning a franchise business can get discounts, financial incentives and mentoring through VetFran.
For example, 7-Eleven gives honorably discharged veterans a 10-percent discount on its franchise fee and provides up to 65 percent of the startup financing. According to VetFran's statistics, the service has already helped more than 2,100 veterans become franchisees.
More than 400 International Franchise Association member-companies voluntarily participate in VetFran. To view the participating companies' financial incentives for vets, see the VetFran directory.
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Get your business idea off the ground
at Business Boot Camp for veterans
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 Get your business idea off the ground at Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center's Business Boot Camp for veterans May 8 in Jacksonville. Using the book, Business Plan in a Day by Rhonda Abrams, this full-day event will explain and illustrate a business plan format that will assist Arkansas veterans in starting or expanding a small business.
A well-thought-out business plan is key to establishing and running a successful business. Developing a business plan will help you define your concept, evaluate your competition, set goals, determine risks and estimate your costs.
Business Boot Camp registration will open March 1 at ArkansasVeteran.com. The $50 registration fee includes a copy of the book and lunch. 2 for 1 offer: bring your spouse at no additional charge. Pre-registration required.
Veterans interested in one-on-one intensive business planning assistance can apply for ASBTDC's free 16-week veterans mentoring program that will follow the one-day boot camp. Watch Vet Net for more information.
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IRS gives guidance on claiming expanded tax credit for hiring veterans
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Feb. 9, the Internal Revenue Service released the guidance and forms that employers can use to claim the newly expanded tax credit for hiring veterans. The IRS also announced that employers will have more time to file the required certification form for employees hired on or after Nov. 22, 2011, and before May 22, 2012.
The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 enacted in November provides an expanded Work Opportunity Tax Credit to businesses that hire eligible unemployed veterans and for the first time. The credit can be as high as $9,600 per veteran for for-profit employers or up to $6,240 for tax-exempt organizations. The amount of the credit depends on a number of factors, including the length of the veteran's unemployment before hire, hours a veteran works and the amount of first-year wages paid. Employers who hire veterans with service-related disabilities may be eligible for the maximum credit.
Businesses claim the credit on their income tax return. IRS Notice 2012-13 provides further details.
- From Internal Revenue Service IR-2012-17
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Change proposed to FMLA military family leave provisions
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A proposed change to the Family Medical Leave Act provisions would expand eligibility to caregivers to take leave from their jobs to assist military family members with a serious illness or injury. FMLA leave typically entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons.
The proposal would include a provision to grant up to 26 weeks of FMLA leave to care for recent veterans with a serious illness or injury, including conditions that did not arise until after the veteran left military service.
For more about the proposed changes to the military family leave provisions of FMLA, see the Department of Labor website.
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Contact the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at 501.683.7700 or toll-free 800.862.2040
 
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