Jessyca Creasy-Hurter is the founder of Spoiled Rockin' Kidz- North Alabama's first and only salon and spa designed for children. She started her career in business and leadership as a young teen but officially graduated college with a B.S in Business Administration from Troy State University in 2005.  
 

Jessyca enjoys working in and with the community to make Huntsville a better place to live and to do business. She prides herself in providing a quality service based on the values of the goo d ole days.  
 

Spoiled Rockin' Kidz Salon & Spa opened its doors for business in March 2009 in Jones Valley and has quickly grown to be the area's premium choice for children's hair care and parties that spark a lifetime of memories. Jessyca and her husband Mark enjoy spending time with their 3 daughters, traveling and the spirit of healthy competition.
 

Read more about Spoiled Rockin' Kidz by visiting their website:

www.spoiledrockinkidz.com
 

FastTrac TechVenture begins March 1st

Meets Tuesday Evenings, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. beginning March 1st BizTech, 515 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville

The WBCNA is planning on hosting another Direct Selling Expo in September 2011, but we're calling it the "Home-Based Business Expo" so it will resonate with the general public.  Anita Eno, Team National, has agreed to chair the event. 

As a reminder, the mission of the expo is to connect companies who have business opportunities (like Mary Kay, Silpada, and Amway) with individuals who are looking for them.  This is a great venue for those in the direct selling industry who are trying to build their organizations and promote their products or services.  Many of clients, and millions of Americans, are already in the industry or looking into it.

What is Direct Selling?

Direct selling is the sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location, marketed through independent sales representatives who are sometimes also referred to as consultants, distributors or other titles.

Just about any product or service can be purchased through direct selling somewhere in the world. Many people think of cosmetics, wellness products and home décor as products that are often sold through direct sales, but add to that countless other product categories including kitchen products, jewelry, clothing, organic gardening supplies, spa products, scrapbooking supplies, rubber stamps and much, much more.

For more information, check out the Direct Selling Association (DSA) website at www.dsa.org.  For direct selling general FAQs, click here.

• Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction - As always, the premiums paid for health insurance by the small business owner will be deducted on page one of form 1040. But for 2010, those same premiums can be included on Schedule E, Self Employment Tax as a deduction reducing net earnings from self employment and reducing the related Self Employment Tax. This can be up to a 15.3% savings on the cost of health insurance.
• Increase in Maximum Section 179 Deduction - The maximum allowable deduction under Code Section 179 was increased from $250,000 to $500,000 providing additional incentive for small businesses who invest in new equipment. At the same time, the limit for the phase out of the deduction was increased to $2,000,000 from $800,000.
• Extended Net Operating Loss Carryback Period - The number of prior year's taxes that can potentially be recovered by carrying back a current year loss was increased to as much as 5 years. During a year of tough economic hurdles, this change can provide needed cash flow relief if 2010 was a year of losses.
• Standard Mileage Rates Adjusted for 2010 - Business owners using their vehicle for company business can deduct 50 cents per mile driven on their 2010 tax return. The rate has also been set for 2011 at 51 cents per mile. The rate for medical miles driven was 16.5 cents per mile for 2010 and 19 cents per mile for 2011, while charitable miles use the rate of 14 cents per mile for both years.
• Contribution Limits for IRAs and Other Retirement Plans - Where an IRA contributor who is not covered by a workplace retirement plan is married to someone who is covered, the deduction is phased out if the couple's income is between $167,000 and $177,000.
• Increase in Start-Up Expense Deduction - For 2010, the current deductible amount of new business start-up expenses was increased to $10,000 from $5,000. Any additional amounts must be expensed ratably over not less than 180 months.
• AMT Exemption Increased for 2010 - For tax year 2010, the Alternative Minimum Tax exemption for a married couple filing a joint return is $72,450, and $47,450 for single filers. The AMT has also been determined for 2011, $74,450 for a joint return and $48,450 for single return.
• Payroll Tax Cut for 2011 - Beginning January 1, 2011, the employee's part of the OASDI portion of Social Security tax was decreased from 6.2% to 4.2%, on the first $106,800 paid to each employee. For the small business owner, the OASDI portion of Self Employment Tax was decreased from 12.4% to 10.4%.