Big clue to the next recession: It's likely to occur when the Federal Reserve tries to tame inflation. Predicting when the next recession will hit is as much art as science. Economists, financial analysts, bloggers—frankly, all those who have an incentive being the first to call a recession—are at risk at having their judgment affected by these incentives. An analysis of post-World War II recessions and their causes, studied after the fact, indicate that certain changes in monetary policy in … [Read more...]
Investment Clubs: Can a Gang of Investors Help You Build Wealth?
Small-business owners are failing to set aside money for a good retirement. Joining an investment club can change that. I’ve written several articles recently on the lack of participation and planning on the part of business owners when it comes to preparing for retirement. Small-business owners tend to concentrate most or all of their wealth in one asset: their company. This can be very risky, as businesses take a long time to succeed but can fail overnight. Losing your only source of income … [Read more...]
IRS (Finally) Makes it Easier to Claim Home Office Deduction
The IRS now offers a simplified process to claim a home office deduction tax up to $1,500. The home office tax deduction is one of the most complicated calculations that taxpayers have to perform. The form runs over 40 lines and comes with dozens of pages of instructions. It’s also considered an audit “red flag” by many tax preparers. For these reasons, millions of the estimated 52 percent of small businesses in the U.S. that are home-based don’t take the deduction. The IRS has now announced a … [Read more...]
5 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Tax Accountant
Even though the tax season is slightly delayed this year, don't wait Hiring a Tax Accountant. Here are some tips on interviewing candidates. The IRS has already announced that tax filing season will be delayed so that the tax provisions of the fiscal cliff deal can be processed. That doesn’t mean you should delay hiring a tax accountant to help your company manage and file its returns. As your company grows, preparing tax returns becomes more complex, and the right tax accountant can add great … [Read more...]
Are New Federal Regulations Stifling Economic Recovery?
A former senator believes excessive government regulation is a huge obstacle to business growth and employment and Economic Recovery. Former Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas believes the “breakneck pace” with which federal agencies are issuing new regulations is stifling business growth and employment across the country. These regulations are leading to excessive costs and tremendous uncertainty, paralyzing expansionary activity. In the 90-day period leading up to the November … [Read more...]
Latest Job Growth Numbers Could Signal Economic Momentum
ADP announced that business added 215,000 new jobs during December, significantly more than economists expected. What does the latest job Growth Numbers mean for small business? According to ADP, one of the largest payroll processing companies in the country with over $10 billion in revenues, U.S. companies hired 215,000 workers during December. This is significantly more than the 140,000 workers economists had expected. Such strong hiring is a positive sign, especially considering that the … [Read more...]
New Phishing Scam Sends Small Businesses Fake Government Email
A brand new phishing scam fools business owners into thinking the FTC is investing consumer complaints against your company. Phishing is a type of fraud that attempts to collect private information via electronic means for nefarious use. A new type of phishing scam has appeared in the past 48 hours targeting small-business owners. The scam begin with an email that appears to come from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It notifies recipients that the FTC is launching an investigation of the … [Read more...]
4 Proven Tactics to Get Paid on Time
Late payments from customers can cause serious cash flow problems. Follow these four tactics to make sure you Get Paid on Time. Late payments from customers can cause serious cash flow problems at your business. If you you need customer cash for regular expenses like rent and payroll, late payments can lead to late payment fees, interest costs on borrowed money and anxiety among your staff. It also increases the risk of nonpayment if the delay becomes extended. If you want your customer to … [Read more...]
Zeus Malware: The Sneaky Malware Stealing Your Money
An estimated 3.6 million PCs in the U.S. are infected with the Zeus Malware. Be warned: It's one of the sneakiest, most vicious malware programs out there. Small-business owners need to be on high alert for the latest variants of the so-called Zeus Trojan horse. This malware uses sophisticated methods to gain access to your online banking information and deplete your account balance via electronic transactions. While there are numerous pieces of malicious software that can accomplish this, Zeus … [Read more...]
The End of the Postal Service As We Know It?
The Postal Service is in a financially dire situation and. Small businesses that use it for marketing or distribution need to find alternatives. Last March, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) launched an aggressive marketing campaign targeting small-business owners. In a bid for survival, the goals were to convince more businesses to advertise via direct mail and to use the USPS to deliver products to customers. Working with the USPS, however, has become a risky proposition. The USPS is in a … [Read more...]
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