Some Small Business Tax Changes For 2011

As with any client I've ever had when discussing taxes I always need to preface the conversation when they ask about stuff they can "look back" on and write off and say that after this time you have to think a head. There is no reason a small business owner isn't up to date with upcoming tax changes that could help them, or at least their tax man better be and let them know about it in January instead of waiting until next January. Sure they may be jerks and want to look like they pulled a genius idea out of their butt, but they aren't doing you many favors. It doesn't do you much good to plan backwards does it? Of course not. PLAN A HEAD. I don't care if you run a vending machine business, or a lemonade stand.

Even as you prepare your 2010 taxes, consider also looking ahead to make investments in equipment or other fixed assets before Dec. 31, 2011. The Small Business Jobs Act enacted in September doubles the Section 179 expense limitation to $500,000 for fully writing off fixed assets the year they were acquired. This specific tax break is applicable to 2010 and 2011 tax returns. Eligible investments include office furniture and equipment, machinery and computer software. Another provision from the same law allows 100 percent writeoffs of up to $250,000 of qualified real property such as leasehold improvements and some restaurant and retail improvements. more

Oh Captain My Captain: Motivating Your Team

You may have a lot of stars at your office, but are they really motivated to do their best job? What helps motivate your workers? Are there some things that all employers can work on to give their employees more motivation? Of course there are. Give them a bunch of samsung lcd tvs and a PS3 to play games with instead of work? Nah...

In a recent study by TowersWatson, an international HR consulting firm, fewer than 21 percent of employees surveyed described themselves as "highly engaged," down from 31 percent in 2009. 8 percent admitted to being fully disengaged.

Having only one-fifth of your employees highly engaged is not the hallmark of a "Winning Business." Other studies show that employee engagement derives from three important factors:

-Alignment of the employee with the goals and vision of the company.
-Faith of the employee in the competence of management and their commitment to realize the goals and vision.
-Trust in their direct supervisor that he or she will support his or her people and help them to succeed.

14 ways to motivate them all

There Are Niches Everywhere

Do you think there is anything else left in the matchmaking industry to try and make money off of? At least something where you don't have to beat the competition to death, or at least just try and share a piece of a piece of the pie with every other low rent website out there matching people up?

Apparently someone found a niche and is doing it up right. I'm not exactly saying this was brilliant, as I'm shocked that someone actually could make this work, or was the first to really bring it all together.

It took two years of Internet dating for Jasbina Ahluwalia to find a husband--yes, online--but she found a business idea, too: A matchmaking service for South Asians in the U.S. that combines the personal elements of Indian matchmaking with online technology and social networking. Everything but a side business of document management. Sparks flew.

Just goes to show that the right person coming a crossed the right business, at the right time can be extremely profitable. You still ahve to get it right, but there are niches everywhere if you keep your eyes peeled.