Business Toolbox

How can I protect my wine investment?

BY KATJA ZIGERLIG AND RYAN O'CONNELL

Building a wine collection is not just a passionate pastime; it also can be a savvy financial move. Investment-grade wines – including high-end Bordeaux, Burgundies and cult California Cabs – have consistently held their value.

Many investment-grade wines get better with age, giving you time to decide whether you want to drink or sell select bottles. Either way, you can take steps to preserve both...

Why small businesses should re-recruit their most valuable employees

BY BOB NEALON

At small businesses without a dedicated human resources function, it’s easy for employee recruitment and retention efforts to fall through the cracks. The pressures and demands of day-to-day duties often do not allow business owners or other key managers to focus sufficiently on their roles as coaches of their teams. This article is the first of a three-part series from Robert Half International offering helpful tips on recruiting and retai...

Do you know your customers?

BY DONNA KAPLAN

Sounds like a strange question, right? You’d be inclined to say, “Of course I know my customers.” The fact is that most people do not know their customers well at all. In terms of your marketing, “knowing your customer” means tracking their purchase history in detail, knowing their birthday, gender and likes or dislikes. While this sounds like a lot of information to keep, it’s vital to your long-term marketi...

Do you qualify for a higher manufacturing deduction in 2010?

BY JAMES J. BAILEY JR., CPA, MST, CFP®

Despite its nickname, the so-called “manufacturing deduction” is not necessarily limited to traditional manufacturing companies, although those firms are certainly eligible for the write-off. It is available to more businesses than you may think. If your company qualifies, it can claim a new “high point” deduction for 2010.

Under Section 199 of the tax code, a busi...

Printing services add mobile marketing

BY JON BOND

Many printing companies are branching out into customer-focused technology tools for broader reach. These forward-thinking firms have added a new marketing tool to help customers sell more products and services to their customers. Many technology experts see mobile marketing as the next frontier of technology – using cell phones, PDAs and handheld devices as a complement to more traditional marketing methods. Many printers have incorporated m...

Why small businesses should re-recruit their most valuable employees

BY BOB NEALON

At small businesses without a dedicated human resources function, it’s easy for employee recruitment and retention efforts to fall through the cracks. The pressures and demands of day-to-day duties often do not allow business owners or other key managers to focus sufficiently on their roles as coaches of their teams. This article is the first of a three-part series from Robert Half International offering helpful tips on recruiting and retai...

How to achieve staffing flexibility

BY BOB NEALON

Businesses have learned many valuable, albeit difficult, lessons from the recession. Perhaps the most important is that they need to be more strategic and flexible in their approach to staffing.

Given the prevailing economic uncertainty, many businesses remain understandably cautious about hiring. But as companies begin to see a gradual increase in customer demand, reinforcing employee teams with interim professionals as needs dict...

In search of the Holy Grail: Increased revenues

BY TERENCE J. SHEPHERD

An executive director of a chamber of commerce recently told me that of all the seminars she puts on, the seminars on business development and increasing sales are the most highly attended. Not surprising, given the struggles most businesses experienced during the Great Recession.

Owners are also finding it more difficult to bring in more business than they did in the past. During the good times of yesteryear, businesses d...

Creating a more energy-efficient home (or business)

BY NICOLE GOLDMAN

When it comes to energy-efficiency, it’s hard to know where to begin. You may feel drafts in the colder months, be running extra fans in the summer months, and paying more than you feel is necessary, but without some type of evaluation, whether diagnostic or visual, you’ll be plugging leaks in one space only to be letting air in through another. With the talk in Congress about the HomeStar (Cash for Caulkers) program, which will p...

Collaborate your way to a stronger business

BY NIKKI MANNA

Today’s successful small businesses embrace a collaborative work environment and understand how to use technology to foster that collaboration. Working together with colleagues, partners and customers gives companies the agility to drive innovation and success.

Collaborative work environments are taking off due to a number of trends:

■ Global customers, partners and suppliers
■ Increasingly sophisticate...

An overview of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act

BY PAMELA GRIFFIN

It is critical that all employers are aware of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which was recently enacted into law. This is a two-part tax benefit for employers hiring workers who were previously unemployed or working only part time.

If an employer hires a qualified individual after February 3, 2010, the employer is exempt from the employer portion of the FICA tax (6.2 percent) on all wages paid to that ...

Green solutions that save time and money

BY SCOTT GLADISH

Oftentimes “green” products cost more or don’t work as well. Here are four things you can do that are good for the environment as well as your wallet.

EASY-CLEAN TREATMENTS FOR GLASS, TILE AND STONE
The “Time Bandit” fishing boat in Alaska, the Nike world headquarters, and the Monterrey Bay Aquarium are all using Diamon-Fusion to keep their glass surfaces cleaner longer with ...

5 tips for better subject lines

BY LISA SPARKS

It happens all the time: You’ve written the content for your newsletter. You have all the articles perfectly squared away and laid out. Then you’re faced with the task of writing a compelling subject line so irresistible that readers can’t help but open and read your e-mail.

The good news is you can craft powerful subject lines and article headlines that will attract readers. Here are five key steps to making it ...

Improve your property’s curb appeal

BY CHRISTOPHER JOYCE

The National Association of Realtors reports that curb appeal sells 49 percent of all houses. It starts with quality landscaping that enhances the style of the home. Landscaping doesn’t have to be expensive; only well-thought-out, interesting and cohesive. It doesn’t take much to make dramatic improvements, such as adding flower boxes, sprucing up the mailbox or constructing an elegant driveway.

A recent study es...

Getting started on your remodeling project

BY DANIELLE K. JONES

Remodeling can be overwhelming. There are so many decisions to make: laying out plans, hiring an architect and contractor, selecting materials and finishes. It may seem like it will never end. Starting your project with a set plan and goals will make your decision process much easier. The National Association for the Remodeling Industry has some general tips for getting started on your project.

• The most important step is...
  

  Planning to thrive

  Published on Jun. 02, 2010

  BY CHRISTINE PERKETT
  
  The current state of our business economy is not so different than the season at hand. While overall, the sky is still relatively gray and rain drops continue to fall, hope remains for sunnier days ahead. The question now is, how do you muddle through today and prepare for tomorrow at the same time? How do you stay positive as we continue to wait for a full rebound?
  
  While businesses continue to grapple with challenges such a...
  

  A solution for baby boomers

  Published on May. 24, 2010

  BY ROBERT MULLANEY
  
  “Throughout their lives, baby boomers have been faithful adopters of the latest gadgets that have come along to make life better. New technology will further aid in making in-home care an ideal senior care solution.”
  
  Baby boomers will start reaching retirement age in 2011. With 78 million of them in total, they’ll make a significant impact in their senior years, as they have at every phase of their l...
  

  The four steps to managing debt

  Published on May. 17, 2010

  BY STEVEN E. LOWELL
  
  As a modern-day consumer, you need the ability to borrow money. There was a time when if you couldn’t pay cash for your purchase, then you were told you shouldn’t buy it. That may have held true many years ago, but it is not a realistic approach today. The average cost of a home, a college education and even a car have outstripped most wage increases. To think that a person or a couple can operate without debt is not feasible fo...
  

  An insider’s view of the hospitality industry

  Published on May. 10, 2010

  BY MORIAH SACCARDO
  
  Participating in the hospitality industry in New England is a passion for me. I find myself feeling so much enthusiasm for the Plymouth, Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts region. I have the opportunity to brag to people nationally and internationally about all the amazing historical and culturally enriching attractions, restaurants, beaches, golf courses, bike paths, hiking trails, shopping and of course many fantastic hotels to retrea...
  

  Wastewater options must be reviewed

  Published on May. 06, 2010

  BY JOHN BOLOGNA, PE
  
  There are billions of taxpayer dollars at stake and towns can’t afford to make decisions that spend money needlessly.
  
  Residents of coastal communities in New England are facing difficult decisions about managing their wastewater and its impact on the fragile environment. Degradation of the coastal waterways from excessive nutrient loading will not only have a drastic impact on the environment, but will also ad...
  

  Employee classification: Independent contractor vs. employee

  Published on Apr. 29, 2010

  BY BETH O’NEAL, ESQ.
  
  I have been considering whether to hire another person to work part-time on a flexible schedule, and a few applicants have indicated their preference to be treated as an independent contractor instead of as an employee. If I hire someone who is an independent contractor, I could afford to pay him or her a higher hourly rate and my bookkeeping would be easier. Are there any other issues raised by hiring a worker as an independ...
  

  When to use a placement firm

  Published on Apr. 20, 2010

  BY WARREN J. RUTHERFORD
  
  As the economy slowly improves, businesses are turning more to temporary and permanent placement firms to save on hiring and benefits costs. We know that an effective hiring process is time-consuming and expensive and requires a good deal of focused effort and attention to do successfully. Add in the need to comply with a host of federal and state employment laws and practices, and the hiring process can become a challenge for even the ...
  

  List building for success

  Published on Apr. 12, 2010

  BY ALEC STERN
  
  You might put together the best-looking and most compelling e-mail campaigns ever, but without a permission-based list of people to receive them, your messages will go unseen. Fortunately, there are a number of simple ways to build and maintain your contact list so you can reach the people your business or organization covets the most: Your loyal customers and members.
  
  One thing you can do is simply ask people to join your list. Wh...
  

  Recovery Planning: The need to take control

  Published on Apr. 05, 2010

  BY TERENCE SHEPHERD
  
  In working with thousands of business owners as a CPA and business consultant, I’ve found that many owners envision writing a business plan as a task or chore much bigger than it needs to be. In a current survey I’m conducting, the top three reasons given for why they have no plan are: time, cost and/or knowledge.
  
  To the contrary, I believe an owner can put something together very simply and cost effectively.
  

  Small changes, big impact

  Published on Mar. 29, 2010

  BY LORI LABARGE
  
  Even with all the challenges of this economic environment and housing market, now could be the right time to invest in some renovation projects for your home. When you consider that interest rates are at record lows and the federal tax credit is available to qualifying remodeling projects through the end of this year, 2010 is on track to see a surge in home remodeling projects.
  
  Choosing the right remodeling projects can make your...
  

  Passing on wisdom

  Published on Mar. 22, 2010

  BY ROBERT MULLANEY
  
  Today’s seniors have lived through significant historic events and change – from the Great Depression and World War II to rapid-fire advances in technology and medical science. And along the way, through times both challenging and prosperous, they have collected a treasure trove of experiences and wisdom that could guide us today and in the future.
  
  Over time, many seniors do share their experiences, one by one, wit...
  

  Utilizing post-event feedback

  Published on Mar. 15, 2010

  BY MARY CROGAN
  
  After an event, it’s important to follow up with attendees to find out if it met their expectations and to find out anything that could be done differently in the future. Even if you don’t plan to hold the event again, it’s still important to follow up. This shows you care about the experience and value the feedback.
  
  Use a survey to rate everything from the logistics of your event to the quality of each speaker (...
  

  Expanded Roth IRA conversion opportunity in 2010

  Published on Mar. 08, 2010

  BY KAREN MATLAND, CPA, CTFA
  
  Effective for tax year 2010, there is an expanded opportunity to convert traditional IRA or certain other retirement plan assets to Roth IRA assets as provided for in the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act (TIPRA) of 2005.
  
  While this opportunity may not be appropriate for everyone, some taxpayers should review the changes and have a discussion with their Tax Advisor to assess the effects of converting all ...
  

  Printing: Tips for adding color to your project

  Published on Mar. 01, 2010

  BY JON BOND
  
  As a general guideline, we recommend incorporating color into almost any printing project. Use of color improves reader comprehension, calls for attention to important information and improves the overall appearance of your document.
  
  A common way to use PMS (Pantone Matching System) color is to combine it with black as an accent. The color draws the reader’s eye and emphasizes the information printed in color. Or, if used for h...
  

  Collecting pre-event feedback key to planning better gatherings

  Published on Feb. 22, 2010

  BY MARY CROGAN
  
  Putting an event together requires a lot of time, resources and money, so you want to make sure it’s a successful endeavor. The simplest way to ensure a good outcome is to reach out to guests to ask for input prior to your event.
  
  Conducting a survey prior to your event – before sending out invitations, even – can help with logistical planning, particularly if you have multiple options available. For example, if y...
  

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