Tax Basics For Startup Home Businesses

Author : Kim Haas
I don't claim to be an accountant, nor very well versed in the art of creative tax preparation, but I do have a bit of experience in handling the day to day and month to month taxes. For the past five years, I have learned first and foremost that the most important thing in business is to keep accurate records for tax purposes.I always dread the end of each physical year when it's time to do the annual tax returns. It can be quite overwhelming for a beginner, but don't be scared... the IRS is very helpful in getting you on the right track and providing information to help you get through all the forms with a minimum of hair loss.If you will be generating an income from your business, (which is your whole purpose right?) you will need a federal tax ID number so the tax guys can associate your business to your name. This doesn't sound like much fun, but believe me, it's better to do it right the first time around than to have to deal with them after they discover that you have been running a business and not claiming your income on your taxes.You can get all the IRS publications on how to get your Federal Employers Identification Number (FEIN) from http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/ which will also provide you with a wealth of information regarding business startups, record keeping and and tax information.You will need to get a state sales tax identification number. This number is to identify you and help you keep track of your sales tax. You will need to charge a sales tax on tangible items that you sell. Sales taxes are based on your geographical location, so you will need to know what your state sales tax rates are and what the policies are for your particular state on sales tax and taxes on services. You can contact your local tax agency for assistance.There are significant tax savings for those who are running a home based business. You are entitled to certain credits, deductions and allowances. In order to claim these savings, you must first and foremost keep accurate records of the daily workings of your business.Since you will be "self-employed", you will be responsible for paying your own income tax, social security and medicare as well as any employee taxes if you have any employees. Property tax and sales tax are also your responsibility to report and pay them in a timely manner. Failure to do so could result in some pretty stiff fines.The IRS provides publications which are very helpful for starting a home based business. It would be a good idea for you to call your local IRS office and request their business startup package. They are more than happy to send you anything you need to start your business off on the right foot when it comes to taxes. I personally recommend the following booklets along with the startup publication:Tax Guide for Small Business (Publication 334)
Business Use of Your Home (Publication 587)
Self-employment Tax (Publication 533)
Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax (Publication 505)These booklets will provide you with all the necessary details to get you started. It will also contain a list of other publications that you may find useful and will guide you through the necessary steps for getting right with the IRS.Every transaction your business makes, will have an effect on your taxes. You make a sale, you will owe sales tax in most cases. This tax is reported monthly on a form ST-1 which will automatically be mailed to you prior to the end of each month once you have established your state sales tax ID number. You will also need to check into industry specific taxes. For instance, I have to file a quarterly ST-8 for my husband's business, which is a Tire Tax form in which we must collect and pay a "use tax" for any tires that are sold.Home based businesses also have certain tax advantages. You may be eligible for deductions such as a portion of your mortgage interest, auto expenses, phone expenses and depreciation for equipment such as your computer. Other tax deductions are for items such as certain membership fees related to your business, postage, software used for your business and copying and reproduction costs such as business cards and flyers.Dealing with business taxes can be very intimidating if you've never done it before but it doesn't have to be. Most tax agencies are very helpful in answering your questions and helping you get the proper forms. If you make a mistake in your tax forms, don't worry -- the tax agencies will find the mistake and correct it, but it's best to make sure you get it done right to save any penalties incurred if mistakes are found by the tax guys.Kim Haas is a WAHM and Founder of Womans-Net.com, a popular online networking community focusing on working from home and women in business and owner of http://Article-Host.com. To learn more about Kim, visit http://kimberlyhaas.comCopyright 2005 Kim Haas
Category : Finance:Taxes

Facing Your Daily Stresses And Anxieties As a Mother Or Father

Author : Stanley Popovich

Many parents today have to deal with maintaining a family and
also maintaining a career. This can produce a lot of anxiety and
stress. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a parent
can use to help manage their daily stresses and anxieties at
their job and/or in the household.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once.
As a parent, you may experience those times when you have to
take care of your family and also do your job at the same time.
When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to
find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of
the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music,
read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh
perspective on things.

When facing a current or upcoming task in your household or
career that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the
task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of
the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks
will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances
of success.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small
notebook of positive statements that make us feel good. Whenever
you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write
it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you
in your pocket. Whenever you take a break from your chores open
up your small notebook and read those statements.

In dealing with your anxieties at your job, learn to take it one
day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may
seem real, there are usually other factors that can not be
anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Get all
of the facts of the situation and use them to your advantage.

As a Layman, I know that our anxieties and stresses can be
difficult to manage at our place of work and in the household.
The more control you have over your stresses and anxieties, the
better off you will be in the long run and the easier it will be
to achieving your goals.

Category : Music

Keeping Affiliates Motivated and Selling

Author : Kevin Robb

Running an affiliate program is becoming easier and easier with
all of the software and help available now. But keeping your
affiliates motivated and selling isn't quite so easy. If the
success of your business rests on how well your affiliates do,
you need to make sure that you provide your affiliates with the
right tools to get the job done. This may take some time and
effort on your part in the beginning - but it is an investment
in time and effort that will greatly pay off in the end.

If you are already running an affiliate program for your product
or service, you know that a great number of people sign up for
your program, never to be heard from again. You can reduce the
number of unproductive affiliates you have by staying in touch
with them constantly. Remind them of their usernames and
passwords. Tell them again where to log in to check their stats
or to get creatives. Keep them informed about new product lines
or changes in policies or procedures. Keep them up to date on
related news.

Just make sure that you stay in touch. Pay attention to who your
top sellers are, and make sure to contact them personally on a
regular basis. Also pay attention to who your worst producers
are, and stay in touch with them constantly as well.

One reason that most affiliates don't perform well is that they
don't have any leadership or guidance. You can easily change
this by writing a marketing course. You can even offer it for
sale to non-affiliates. But make it available to your affiliates
free of charge. If you don't want to write a course, see about
buying master resell rights to a course that has already been
written, and make that available free of charge to your
affiliates. It doesn't matter what method you use, as long as
you tell them how to market the product. Provide them with sales
copy and creatives. Keep the information up-to-date, and request
feedback and input from your affiliates. Set up a support forum
where they can come together to share ideas and learn new
things. You might also consider forming sales teams - small
groups of affiliates who meet on a regular basis, share ideas,
and keep each other motivated.

Keep your sales copy and creatives up-to-date. Provide new
material for your affiliates to use on a regular basis. Just
providing them with a text link and one banner doesn't generate
much excitement. Provide them with sales letters, testimonials,
reviews, ads, banners of varying sizes and shapes, and anything
else you can think of. Make sure that your affiliates know the
new material is there for their use. Listen to your affiliates,
and get feedback on your sales material.

Hold Virtual Meetings. Set up a chat room where your affiliates
can attend a virtual meeting on a monthly or quarterly. Answer
questions, give away 'door prizes', have motivational 'speakers'
and anything else that you can think of to make the meetings
informative and enjoyable. Remember Amway? Have you ever been
invited to one of those meetings? The point of the meeting is to
inspire your affiliates - get them so excited about your product
or service, that they can't wait to get out there and tell the
world! Hold contests for your affiliates. Make the prizes
worthwhile. Award a first, second, third, and grand prize for
the highest sales in a given time period. Contests are great
motivators.

Give your affiliates the recognition that they deserve. Every
month, in your affiliate newsletter, give recognition to the
best performers. Give them small bonuses. You could also set up
a payment structure that awards higher commissions for a higher
volume of sales.

Do everything that you can to make sure that your affiliates are
succeeding and making money in your program. If they are
succeeding and making money - your are succeeding and making
money as well! Their success really is your success.

Category : Business

Groups Assist the 'Make Money Online' Syndrome

Author : Michael Fowler
William Shakespeare once wrote; "The world is a stage on which everyone is a player" ... and in Network Marketing, each player must play his/her part. To make money on the internet, working from home, you need to find the players that play their parts.Making money online is much easier when everyone is part of the performance...Groups play a large part in forming such an association. A Yahoo group is easy to form and allows communication to flow freely amongst the members. Keeping everyone informed of latest developments and ideas, is easily done through groups.To truely realise the "make money at home" principle, you have to communicate and allow people to interact with each other. Team players are known to be more likely to make money online, than their individual opposites. Many minds are greater than one.Groups are a think tank of ideas that can transform an individuals personal performance by injecting new ideas and methods into their flagging marketing strategies. To make money online, you sometimes need the sort of push that a Group can give you.While some groups live a short life, many have been around for over 6 years or more and still give that sort of unconditional support that a new person needs, to make money on the internet. Failure rates are lower when a group is active and being led by motivational methods. The Group structure produces loyalty and belief to many people.Anyone who is serious about learning how to make money online, should ask if there is a support group available within the business and then check it out, to see how active the group is, by looking at the mailing figures. Most groups record the number of posts made in any particular month. 78 or more would indicate some moderate activity.Belonging to a number of groups is also a great way of relationship marketing. Joining groups that are aligned to your own personal interests, often foster a great number of business associates. Those are the sort people who are most likely to play their part.Always remember that to make money on the internet, you have to socialise and be online on a consistent basis. Plugging people into an online group will also help you in your quest to make money online.Michael A Fowler, M.B.A. is the editor of the Internet's premier work at home resource: Work from Home Journal.An Online Trainer, Mentor and Coach, Michael has been helping people to succeed online since 1998.http://www.the-mba-way.com | Goldcard43@aol.com
Category : Ovarian Cancer

Get More Out of Your Tabbed Browser

Author : Jon Schmedt

Being someone that spends most of the day on the internet, I
have often looked for ways to simplify and speed up my daily
tasks on the web.

A few years back, I luckily stumbled onto the Mozilla browser.
Needless to say, I am now totally hooked on the tabbed browsing
features.

Background:

For those who are unsure about what tab browsing is, a tabbed
browser allows you to open a new web page without having to open
a new browser window. So, multiple web pages can be loaded in
the same window making it easy to switch between different sites
you find on the internet. When you're done surfing the web, you
only have to close one browser window even though you are
viewing multiple web sites.

Requirements:

This article will be most useful for those using the Mozilla
Firefox browser. You can also benefit from it using Internet
Explorer, but since I.E. doesn't support tabbed browsing yet,
you will end up with multiple windows open on your desktop. If
you have not yet tried Firefox, I highly recommend it regardless
of whether or not you plan on reading this article. It's free
and can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.org

Let's Get Started:

In this article, I will explain how you can unlock additional
tabbed browsing features built in the Firefox browser. Then, we
will learn how to open multiple web sites with one click through
the use of JavaScript. Finally, we will create your own
personalized home page that provides quick access to your
favorite sites.

STEP 1: Unlocking additional Tabbed browser features in
Firefox

One difference I noticed between the current Firefox version and
previous Mozilla releases is that by default, Firefox does not
provide an option to make all external links on a web page open
in a new tab versus a new window. After reading more at the
Mozilla site, I found out that this option is available, but
just needs to be unlocked. There are a couple of ways to unlock
this feature. But, I find the quickest way is to do the
following.

- With the Firefox browser window open, type (about:config)
without the parenthesis in the address line where you would
normally type a URL. This will list the main configuration
parameters for the Firefox browser with their current values.
Cool huh..?

- Scroll down the Preference Name list until you see
browser.link.open_newwindow. Double click on this line.
Change the Value listed in the text box from 2 to 3.

Now, whenever a link on a web page attempts to open a new
window, the site will load in a new tab instead. Now it's time
to take advantage of this feature. In the next step, you will
learn how to open all of your frequently visited sites in one
browser window with one click.

Note: You can also unlock this feature by creating a user.js file that will store additional
configuration parameters.

More information on how to do this and additional tricks is
available at http
://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/tips#beh_reuse

STEP TWO: Load Multiple Sites in Tabs Using
JavaScript

Now that the browser settings are set to load all external links
in tabs, we will begin creating a personal home page that will
take advantage of this feature. To do this, we'll create a basic
web page in html that will call on the use of a simple
JavaScript. To start, create a new .txt file in Notepad.

If you are new to html programming for the web, don't worry. You
can copy and paste the code examples below if you like. The page
won't look fancy, but you can improve on it in your spare time.
I've also created a code generator form to help with this
article at http://www.4allgo
od.com/?mod=26 It will create all the necessary html code
for you to view, customize, and use.

One neat feature JavaScript provides is the ability to open
windows on the computer. Using JavaScript, we can open multiple
sites with a single click. In this example, I will load some web
sites that I frequent. On your page, just replace the links with
your favorite sites, or use the code generator
form to make your own links.

HTML/JAVASCRIPT CODE EXAMPLE:

<html>

<head>

<title>Personal Home Page for Firefox </title>

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=iso-8859-1">

<script>

var Engines = new Array (

"http://www.google.com",

"http://www.yahoo.com",

"http://www.ask.com"

);

var Classifieds = new Array (

"http://www.4allgood.com/adlandpro.php",

"http://www.4allgood.com/classifieds",

"http://www.4allgood.com/freeadposting.php"

);

var Finance= new Array (

"http://finance.yahoo.com",

"http://www.forbes.com",

"http://www.sharebuilder.com"

); function openPage (favorites)

{

for (i = 0; i < favorites.length; ++i)

open (favorites[i]);

}

&lt;/script&gt;

&lt;/head&gt;

&lt;body&gt;

&lt;h1&gt;A Sample Home Page for FireFox&lt;/h1&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="#" onClick="openPage(Engines); return
false;"&gt;Search Engines&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="#" onClick="openPage(Finance); return
false;"&gt;Financial News&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="#" onClick="openPage(Classifieds); return
false;"&gt;Online Classifieds&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/body&gt;

&lt;/html&gt;

CODE EXPLAINED:

Using javascript, the links to each of your favorite sites can
be listed in an array. Then, using the openPage function, we can
open all sites in the array whenever a link is clicked. This is
done by running the function as the onClick event occurs. The
variable names can be anything you like. (ex. var Whatever = new
Array) In the sample, I gave the variables a name according to
the type of sites listed in the array.

The openPage function will find and load all of your favorite
sites listed in the arrays. To call on the function, just enter
the function name followed by the variable name. Ex.)
openPage(Classifieds);

Once you have copied and pasted the above code, or the code
issued by the generator form into NotePad, save the file as
favorites.html.

STEP 3: Putting it all together into One Time Saving
Feature

If you have followed steps one and two, you should now have a
page that will allow you to open multiple sites in tabs with one
click. You can easily add additional arrays, or edit the links
contained in the arrays to include all of your most frequently
visited spots on the web.

To get the best use out of your new favorites.html page, you can
set it to be your home page. This way every time you open the
browser, all of your favorite sites can be loaded quickly.

Here's how to set the home page in Firefox.

- With the favorites.html page open in your browser, click on
Tools -> Options.

- Now, click the "General Options" icon located in the upper
left corner of the Window

- In the Home Page Option section, click on the "Use Current
Pages" button.

You now have your own home page with your favorite sites just
one click away. I hope you found this to be as fun as I did to
create. If you have any questions, or add-ons for this article,
please feel free to contact me at my web site.

Category : Hair Loss

Customer No Service - How to Lose a Loyal Customer!

Author : Phil Gerbyshak
So today was the day where I almost stopped going to my favorite supermarket here in Milwaukee. If you're in Milwaukee, you know the one I'm talking about: the cool one downtown that has 1000 different types of produce, and a whole aisle dedicated to gourmet coffee and teas. The one with the free samples, the wine tasting and cooking courses. Yeah, that one.Anyway, today I went to the market to buy a few things for dinner. I knew it was going to go wrong because my usual entrance to the parking lot was gated off by shopping carts lying on the ground to block my path. OK, I'm flexible, I'll drive around.The second thing was when they were out of my favorite glass bottles of skim milk. It's the best way to drink milk, in my humble opinion. They had every flavor except for mine.Next, I tried to check out by "paying by touch." Let me tell you, this can be the best system in the world, you just sign up with your driver's license number, your credit card number, your preferred customer number, and your phone number, and away you go. Notice I said CAN be the best. Many times, my preferred card number doesn't work in the system, and it doesn't take the savings off of the bill, and tonight was one of those nights.Now this would have been okay, had the checker just used the house card and given me the lower price so my debit card would be billed the correct amount, however she did not know how to do this. Instead, she said to go over to the service counter and someone over there would help me out.Skeptical, I walked over to the service desk to see 3 clerks talking to each other and cutting out something that was much more urgent than me and the 4 other people in line. For some reason, after a few minutes, one girl asked to help me. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I told her my dilemma, and she proceeded to go through my bags, re-scanning things and writing down what she thought was the correct cents off. I'm no cheapskate, but five dollars is 2 gallons of gas! Of course, she was doing all of this in her head, and didn't let me see the slip, and of course didn't do it correct, ripping me off to the tune of about 20 cents, plus I had to re-pack my own groceries.To add insult to injury, there was no ramp open to go down to the parking structure I was forced to use, so I had to grab my bags and carry them, with my wife, down 3 flights of 10 stairs.This is maddening to me! It's so easy to do things right. Here's how I would provide customer service.Plainly mark the entrances that are closed, and advertise it on your stores website, thus alleviating some of your customers' frustrations, and provide the alternative entrances.If you're out of something, put a sign up that lets me know when it's going to be back so I can return and buy it then, and apologize that you're out. A little sign is all I ask, not a big production.Make the error in favor of your customers, and scan the house savings card whenever in doubt. And give your checkers the ability to fix this, instead of sending us over to the service desk.Offer something extra to customers when your computer systems don't work as planned. It doesn't have to be a lot, but give me a coupon for a free loaf of bread, a free deli sandwich, or something nice. It's not my fault your preferred system doesn't work.Use loyalty cards for EXTRA things, not to get the every day lowest price. Why am I going to scan my preferred customer card if I know I don't have anything that's on sale? I'm not, that's why.That's all I've got. See, it wasn't so hard, was it? Making customer service great is a lot easier than you though. And oh yeah, you won't lose me as a customer if you at least try. Thanks!Phil Gerbyshak publishes the Make it Great! blog at http://MakeItGreat.blogspot.com. It's updated many days with thoughts about how to take control of your life and stop letting it take control of you! He also has a personal website at http://Gerbyshak.com. Feel free to stop in anytime or give me a call at 414.640.7445 so I can help you make it a great day!
Category : Writing & Speaking

Sewing Supplies For New Sewers

Author : Bryce G Werllington

What sewing supplies do I need to start sewing?The most obvious sewing supplies would be sewing machine and fabric. While less, obvious, there are a few more sewing supplies that the novice sewer will require to successfully complete their project. These other basic sewing supplies include patterns, thread, bobbins, sewing machine needles, regular sewing needles, scissors, pins, measuring tape and chalk line. Where do I find these sewing supplies?Most sewing supplies are easily located at local sewing stores, fabric stores, craft stores and department stores. They can also be located on numerous sites online.What is the difference between scissors and shears?When purchasing sewing supplies, novice sewers will be faced with the choice between buying scissors or shears. Scissors have blades less than 6 inches long and two finger holes the same size. Shears on the other hand have a large hole for the fingers and a smaller hole for the thumb. The blades on shears may be straight or bent and is more than 6 inches long. What are sewing notions?Sewing notions are another way of saying sewing supplies and can include tools, materials and sewing aids such as snaps, zippers, buttons, scissors, seam rippers, blades and pressing cloths. Safewebhost (http://www.safewebhost.net.com) offers a variety of internet services including domain name registration, web hosting, website development, search engine marketing and content writing. As part of their search engine marketing, they have created a sewing resource center Central Sewing (http://www.central-sewing.com) with information on sewing, embroidery and quilting.

Category : Work at Home Moms