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Educating Tomorrow's Franchisees
November, 2013
 

 

It is that wonderful time of the year when we get to spend time with family and friends. There are so many things to be thankful. I thought this month would be a great time to put together my 'Top 10 Reasons To Be Thankful'.

 

Family - immediate and extended are all first on the list

 

Friends - They provide color to life.

 

Freedom - We are free to try. Thank You to those who protect this freedom.

 

Teachers - Passing knowledge forward is so important

 

Travel - It expands our horizon like nothing else

 

Honesty - It is so hard to find but so valuable when you find it

 

Children - They are the bright lights for whom we build the future

 

Seniors - Their wisdom allows us to make better decisions.

 

Tolerance - These are the people who build bridges

 

Books - Few things are as comfortable or impactful as a good book

 

What are you thankful for? Make a list and paste it on your wall. Your day will be brighter for doing this.  

 

 

Respectfully, 

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Rick Bisio
Founder of The Educated Franchisee
Tax Prep Basics for Small Business Owners

Tax season got off to a bit of a late start this year, because of fiscal cliff legislation passed on Jan. 1, and filings are now pouring in. To help self-employed individuals and small business owners get through tax time with as little stress and hassle as possible, I checked in with Russell Fox, whose Las Vegas company, Clayton Financial & Tax, prepares returns for about 900 individuals and small business owners annually.

 

Clayton is an enrolled agent, an Internal Revenue Service credential that allows licensed tax professionals to represent taxpayers before the agency. His most recent book, Tax Strategies for the Small Business Owner, was published in January. Here are his suggestions for small business owners and the self-employed:  ... 

 

Go to Bloomberg Businessweek, Click Here 

SBA Encourages More Small Loans Under 150K

T
his week the SBA announced a plan to waive some fees and reduce others for loans of $150,000 and less.
 

The agency is waiving its upfront, 2 percent loan-guarantee fee for those smaller loans and reduce a monthly guarantee fee paid by the lenders by three-tens of a percent. The SBA didn't announce an end date for waiving the fees.

 

The changes mean small business owners borrowing $150,000 will no longer have to come up with $2,550 in upfront fees at the time the loan closes. That will help many of the Main Street retailers, service businesses, craft breweries, and car dealerships that apply for SBA-guaranteed loans at the Bank of Montana's Missoula branch, where Kimberly R. Shappee is a senior credit officer. "It's awesome. For small business owners who are just getting started, this will be a significant savings. We'll be able to help them grow into significant employers in our area."

 

Go to Bloomberg Businessweek, Click Here 
7 Conclusions About Small-Business Health Insurance

 

Having spent the last two weeks fully immersed in the baffling world of health insurance, I've decided that I need to present some information in a different way. If you need to renew your policies before Jan. 1, as I do, there is no time to waste.  

 

Let me start with a caveat: my experience is based on my own company and its location (near Philadelphia). I am a small manufacturer, who currently offers coverage to my employees. I have an insurance agent who has been my primary point of contact with the insurance market. Because I am in Pennsylvania, a state that does not have its own exchange, I am forced to use the HealthCare.gov site. However, the local market is dominated by three large private insurers - Independence Blue Cross, Aetna, United Healthcare - that all have their own websites where business owners can shop directly.

 

With that in mind, I offer seven hard-earned conclusions I have reached about the new world of small-business health insurance.

 

Go to New York Times, Click Here
The Integrity of 'No'.

 

Leaders often struggle with the process of saying "no" when communicating with their teams and making decisions. 

 

Some too readily say no out of fear of approving the wrong things, or because of a false sense of what it means to be in control. Some say no out of habit. Some lack a method to look at alternatives, and simply see "no" as the most convenient option.   

 

Then there's the opposite problem. Some leaders don't want to be perceived as negative, so they never say no.  

 

Whatever the underlying reason, obviously one can't say yes to everything. Leaders must understand the integrity of saying no, and how to do it constructively.  Here are a few fundamentals. ... 

 

Go to Inc, Click Here
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There is a reality in life.  Greater knowledge drives better decisions and better decisions reduce business risk.  Franchising is all about risk reduction but not all franchises are low risk.  Our books are designed to empower you.  By following the advice and guidance presented in our books you will recognize high quality franchises and confidently pass over those that are not.

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Author - Rick Bisio
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