09/28/2010
Fixing the economy and addressing the state budget shortfall are on a lot of people's minds right now, including mine. As a small business owner, dealing with red ink is the kind of thing that will keep you up at night.

To create jobs and cut the deficit, we need to jumpstart the economy and support small businesses that are poised to expand and lead the recovery. As a small business owner, and one who works with many other businesses to address their financing needs, I believe addressing the small business credit crunch and reinvesting money from expiring tax cuts to support local economies are two effective ways to move the economy forward.

09/27/2010
President Barack Obama wants to phase out the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, those individuals making more than $200,000 a year, or $250,000 a household. But some small-business owners are worried they could get trapped in that wealthiest Americans net because their business income doubles as personal income.

Precisely how many small-business owners will get caught in that situation is hard to say.

Most small businesses -- barber shops and restaurants and small manufacturers -- do not clear $250,000 a year in profits, and of those that do, many pay presidents and owners a salary for tax purposes.

complete article

09/22/2010
Halloween PowerPoint Templates

09/21/2010
Check out a new website need gift idea for finding the perfect business or personal gift.

09/20/2010
The technical search giant, Google, alone is the inspiration and sole cause behind the creation of thousands of new businesses. There are now companies dedicated solely to Pay-Per-Click campaign management. Thousands of individuals and companies now make money through search engine optimization and outsourcing their services to improve website rankings, specifically to see that a website ranks well in Googles organic search results. There are now software applications that can determine what keywords to use in optimizing a website for search engine rankings, and other software programs that assess and evaluate website traffic and popularity. These products and businesses were all brought to fruition as a result of Googles Internet search domination and technical stature.

Technology Has Spawned Industries

09/15/2010
When the tax man comes knocking at the door of a small business, the visitor can cause an owner to go dizzy with questions of what to do next, and how best to handle the overall tax audit process. And who better to answer those questions than the Internal Revenue Service, which now offers  small businesses a guide to tax audits. The video series entitled, Your Guide to an IRS Audit is a step-by-step guide to a small business audit.

09/14/2010
Customizable invitations for all occasions.

09/13/2010
Trying to fix an organizations content problems by installing a content management system -CMS is like trying to save a marriage by booking a holiday. We know that a successful web project needs a content strategy—but when it comes to the CMS, we stop thinking strategically. Despite all the talk about user-centered design, we rarely consider the user experience of the editorial team—the people who implement the content strategy. We do not design a CMS, we install it.

The problems with Content Management Systems

09/09/2010
Many webmasters work very hard on their websites, but they often overlook glaringly-obvious mistakes that may be costing them sales or potential customers. Here are what we consider the Top 7 such mistakes...

1. JavaScript Navigation

Many website visitors now have JavaScript turned off or disabled in their web browsers, due to ever-increasing security concerns. If you are using JavaScript in your navigation menus, some potential customers may be unable to navigate your website. More often than not, this means that potential customers will click away and turn to a competitor. In addition to avoiding JavaScript navigation, you should also avoid using JavaScript in the ordering process. Ordering systems that require JavaScript to function may also result in your customers being unable to purchase, and going somewhere else instead!

7 Mistakes that Can Cost You Money

09/07/2010
For small-business owners, creating and implementing effective marketing strategies can be an uphill battle. The question always becomes: What kind of strategies should you employ to grow your business and are they going to work?

So when a Miami Herald reader recently asked BizBytes whether green marketing strategies could help grow their small business, I turned to D. Steven White, professor of marketing at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and interim director of its Sustainability Studies Program.

What is green marketing anyway?

According to American Marketing Association, it is defined as the marketing and promotion of products and services that are environmentally safe. reen marketing for small businesses is really about introducing green products and adopting sustainable practices to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Green Marketing

09/06/2010
More than a dozen programs aimed at spurring hiring among small businesses have been introduced or proposed. They include:

-- Under the Recovery Act, the government raised the maximum guarantee for Small Business Administration loans and temporarily suspended fees charged to business owners. Money in that program ran out in the spring and the Obama administration is pressing Congress to approve an extension.

-- As part of the new HIRE Act, business owners get a tax cut on their share of payroll taxes for hiring unemployed people. They get another cut if they keep the employees for a year.

-- The administration is proposing to eliminate all capital gains taxes on small-business investments as well as to extend provisions allowing them to deduct the cost of capital expenditures and write off certain investments.

08/30/2010
Compelling customers to take the final step from browsing to purchasing is not always an easy transition. Marketers and entrepreneurs who have studied purchasing habits have found that the following enticements can help encourage potential customers to take the final step to purchase...

Enticing Purchasers - Closing the Sale