MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

The Northeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (NEHPBA) has contracted with a company that offers deeply discounted business services to its members, and is now offering that same service to other industry members.

For a nominal annual fee, companies can sign up for 25+ business service programs designed to help small businesses reduce costs on payroll processing, payment processing, office supplies, wireless services, operations products, fleet maintenance, uniforms, car rental and more.

Diane Rossi, Hearth Benefits Marketplace executive director, said that, "NEHPBA was looking to offer new and exciting benefits to help retain its members and recruit new members. Exhaustive research was done and, as a result, the Hearth Benefits Marketplace was born.

"Over the past year it has been enthusiastically accepted and widely received by NEHPBA members as something that brings real value to their membership in the way of actual financial savings.

"Member businesses save up to 20 percent on operational expenses. These savings allow members to spend less time worrying about business expenses and more time on customer service and running their businesses efficiently."

Hearth Benefits Marketplace is just one of over 150 different organizations bringing together 2.15 million business locations representing over 15 million employees and $300 billion in buying power. This allows smaller businesses to avail themselves of deeply discounted rates on business services that are historically only available to large corporations.

 

For more information, contact Diane Rossi at (603) 935-9186 or diane@hearthbenefitsmarketplace.com.   

WASHINGTON, D.C.

A federal tax credit on 75 percent efficient biomass heating appliances, which expired on Dec. 31, 2011, was reinstated by the "fiscal cliff" legislation - the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8) - signed by President Obama on Jan. 2, 2013. The bill includes a "tax extender" for Internal Revenue Service Section 25C, which provides a tax credit for, among many other things, qualifying biomass-burning stoves. 

The extender provides a 10 percent tax credit of up to $300 on a qualifying biomass heating appliance purchased between Jan. 1, 2012 and De. 31, 2013. The credit claimable on the purchase or installation of qualifying biomass units is limited to a "lifetime limit" of $500 (and may be impacted by the purchase or installation of other products that qualify for a 25C credit).

DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry's (NARI) fourth-quarter Remodeling Business Pulse data of current and future remodeling business conditions has experienced significant growth across all indicators, with forecasting in the next three months hitting its all-time highest level.
 
The significantly positive results have a lot to do with homeowner security, remodelers say.
 
"Remodelers are indicating major growth in the future, with many saying that clients are feeling more stable in their financial future and their employment situations; therefore, they are spending more freely on remodeling needs," says Tom O'Grady, chairman of NARI's Strategic Planning & Research Committee and president of O'Grady Builders, based in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
 
    Growth indicators in the last quarter of 2012 are as follows:
    Current business conditions up 2.1 percent since last quarter
    Number of inquiries up 3.9 percent since last quarter
    Requests for bids up 3.7 percent since last quarter
    Conversion of bids to jobs up 3.5 percent since last quarter
    Value of jobs sold up 4.3 percent since last quarter
 
Throughout 2012, the Remodeling Business Pulse produced less statistically significant increases and decreases; however, the fourth-quarter data shows movement in highly important business areas such as conversion rates and value of jobs.
 
Although they provide positive marks, NARI members are realistic about the reasoning, saying many consumers are spending on remodeling out of necessity.
 
As one NARI member put it: "Homeowners are still concerned about spending money but will do so because they cannot postpone any longer. They are spending more conservatively than they did prior to the crash."
 
Still, according to the data, expectations for 2013 are even brighter. Two-thirds of remodelers forecasted the next three months positively, and the rating jumped 13.1 percent from last quarter.
 
Drivers of this positive outlook continue to be postponement of projects (81% reporting) and the improvement of home prices (51% reporting).
 
Of the small segment predicting declines, 91 percent cited uncertainty of the future with commentary focused largely on tax increases and leadership issues in Washington.
 
"Now that the election is over, consumer confidence is starting to grow and so has remodelers' confidence," O'Grady says. "NARI members are looking forward to having a well-deserved, productive year ahead."

 

To review the research in its entirety,

please send your request to the email.