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Types of Data the Government Can Access Without a Warrant or Advance Notice

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Finance expert Mike Periu on the surprising information Data the Government Can Access without a warrant. Many small-business owners are embracing new technologies to manage confidential business and personal information. This has many benefits, but privacy isn't one of them. Beyond security risks, many new types of information storage aren't covered by existing privacy and consumer protection laws. As a result, the information can be accessed by government and law enforcement officials without … [Read more...]

Fortune 500 companies are supporting small businesses

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Finance expert Mike Periu on a variety of ways that many Fortune 500 companies are supporting small businesses. Big Companies Spending to Support Small Businesses Small business has been in the spotlight recently and this is starting to payoff in many ways. Most recently several Fortune 500 companies have launched campaigns to publicly support small business growth through various programs. Sam's Club, owned by Walmart, is offering $1,000 of free merchandise to 102 companies selected by SCORE, … [Read more...]

Use These Strategies to Reduce Your Income Taxes

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Finance expert Mike Periu on strategies to implement now Reduce Your Income Taxes. Small-business owners still have time to implement several strategies that will reduce their 2012 income tax liability. The catch is that they must be put into place before the new year. Consider the following opportunities: Accelerate income. Given the near-certainty of income tax increases beginning with the 2013 year, small-business owners that use cash-basis reporting should try their best to invoice … [Read more...]

The Best Business Books of 2012

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Finance expert Mike Periu on the best business books of 2012 chosen by leaders in their field of expertise. Strategy+Business, the blog for consulting firm Booz & Company, recently announced the winners of its annual best business books competition. Unlike other lists, these books aren't selected based on sales or by popular vote; instead experts in the chosen category choose the winners. The categories themselves vary from year to year depending on what's timely or particularly … [Read more...]

5 Cash Flow Mistakes New Businesses Must Avoid

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Finance expert Mike Periu on the most common Cash Flow Mistakes small businesses make, and how to avoid them. December 04, 2012 Debt solutions attorney Emily Chase Smith has seen many small businesses fail throughout her career. She finds it frustrating that many of the businesses, especially newer ones, fail for reasons that were completely avoidable with better financial planning on the part of the founders. She offers the following advice to business owners to avoid failure: 1. Don't … [Read more...]

$80 Billion in incentives state and local governments are offering

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The money incentives state and local governments are offering to lure new companies their way. $80 Billion in Business Incentives Up for Grabs State and local governments across the country are aggressively competing to have companies—both old and new—relocate to their territories. Last year, $80.3 billion in business incentives were awarded across 1,875 different programs. The incentives typically consist of sales tax exemptions, sales tax discounts, property tax abatements, income tax … [Read more...]

There must be tax rate increases to avert the fiscal cliff

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A recent statement made by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that there must be tax rate increases to avert the fiscal cliff. U.S. Treasury Secretary Indicates Tax Hikes Must be Part of Fiscal Cliff Deal Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner indicated that tax rate increases on the top 2 percent of households in the country must be part of any final agreement to avert the fiscal cliff. This has been a point of contention in the negotiations and it now appears that both sides are still far … [Read more...]

Rebuilding Your Business Credit After a Disaster Like Hurricane Sandy

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Finance expert Mike Periu on how businesses can minimize damage to their credit score after a disaster like Hurricane Sandy. Even though Hurricane Sandy doesn't dominate the headlines anymore, small businesses in the affected regions are only just beginning the long road to recovery. Among the casualties are small business credit scores as invoices go unpaid and bills pile up creating a short-term cash crunch. To minimize the damage to your score, it's important to first notify all of your … [Read more...]

U.S. Economy Enjoys a (Short-Lived) Boost

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Finance expert Mike Periu on a spike in the U.S. Economy and how it is likely to decline in coming quarters. The Gross Domestic Product of the U.S. grew at 2.7 percent during the 3rd quarter, the highest return this year. GDP is the best and broadest measure of economic conditions. The U.S. economy growth was primarily due to three factors: government spending, inventory purchases from companies and exports. While this is good news, there are serious concerns that the reasons for this growth … [Read more...]