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"In times like these it is good to remember that there have always been times like these."
~ Paul Harvey (1918 - 2009), American radio personality
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 My New Book Is Available for My Readers Now ...
I'm very pleased to announce that we're making my new book available to you now in two eBook versions!
1) Standard Kindle Edition; $4.99
2) The Living Edition: $9.99
This edition continues to grow ... because NEW stories from business leaders on their business failures and the lessons learned will be added regularly at no additional cost. Alerts will be sent out automatically when each new version is available. And, our readers can submit requests and challenges for future consideration -- these will dictate how often and how many additional stories will be made available.
Which edition do you prefer? We'd love to know before we have the official book launch around Labor Day.
Both editions available at Amazon now!
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Wellness Programs are Win-Win
Having a healthy workforce benefits your workers and your business. In short, workers have a better life and the company gains productivity. The Affordable Care Act carefully delineates what you can do with wellness programs if you want to write off the costs of sponsoring these programs while avoiding legal hassles. Here's what you need to know.
Overview
A company can pay for wellness programs and deduct the costs as long as the programs adhere to government regulations. These regulations require that access to programs is nondiscriminatory (i.e., not limited to owners or other key people). The regulations also group wellness programs into two categories: participatory wellness programs and health-contingent wellness programs; each has its own rules.
Participatory wellness programs
These are programs that do not provide a reward that is based on an individual's satisfying a standard that is related to a health factor. Additionally, participatory wellness programs may not include conditions related to an individual's health or wellness.
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What to Do When Things Are Slow
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 For some businesses, summertime is slow time. Still, many companies retain all their workers even though customer demand is down. What can you do to maximize your business activities at this time? Let your staff take vacation timeSummertime is vacation time for many workers (77% will take vacation this year according to the Wall Street Journal). The smaller your company, the more challenging it is to schedule time off, so do this as soon as you can to make sure your bases are covered. Consider:
- Engaging temporary workers if vacations leave you uncovered
- Using summer interns (as long as you comply with federal rules regarding payment to them)
As the owner, you might also want to take time off, even if only a long weekend, to relax and regenerate. It's been reported that vacations make you more productive. Read More... |
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Special Assistance for Veterans Starting or Growing Businesses
| The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA's) Office of Advocacy found that about 9% of U.S. businesses are veteran-owned. One in four veterans become business owners, compared with 1 in 11 in the general population.
Military service may prepare you for business success. Whether you're just out of the service or have been out for some time, the federal government offers a number of programs to help you start your own business. Many programs also help veterans expand existing businesses.
Access to funding
The SBA has a new initiative to help veterans access capital to start businesses or expand existing ones. Called the SBA Veteran Pledge initiative, it represents a new commitment by national, regional, and community lenders to increase lending to veteran-owned businesses by 5% per year over the next five years.
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Our Readers Ask
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Q: Can I claim a business deduction for a donation made to a charity that solicited it from my company? I have a sole proprietorship and the business wrote the check.
A: The donation may be tax deductible, but not as a business expense on Schedule C. You can only claim the deduction as a personal deduction on Schedule A of Form 1040 (assuming you itemize).
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Book Reviews
Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business
Karen Leland ~ Entrepreneur Magazine Press ~ Softcover: $21.95
If you want to learn how to use Pinterest (an online pinboard) for your business, this book shows you exactly how to proceed.
You'll learn how to get started and create a strong community of followers on the social media site, while strengthening your online marketing efforts.
It contains strategies for driving traffic to your site and building your brand through Pinterest's highly visual interface.
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I'm pleased and honored to be nominated - your support is greatly appreciated!
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It's a Fact!
60th Anniversary of the SBA The U.S. Small Business Administration started in July 1953 to "aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns." The charter for the SBA also said it would ensure that a "fair proportion" of government contracts and sales of surplus property go to small businesses.
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Build Your Business Radio and
Business Leader Radio
Listen to live broadcasts on
Business Leader Radio each month -- every 3rd Tuesday
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Did You Know? ...
You can now get your Idea of the Day® and all the latest news and information from Big Ideas for Small Business® on your mobile devices.
Don't miss out -- get your
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