Staying positive and having a sense of humor is an important part of being a sane business owner. So once in a while, we would like to share fun internet items that we are enjoying during our breaks at the SBDC and CITD. This week: indexed.

Indexed is a site with funny diagrams, published “every morning as the coffee brews.” Here are some of our favorite diagrams:

Do you have a morning ritual at your business? Share your best practices in the comments section below.

In the “green” issue of Deliver Magazine, the United States Postal Service studied some companies who made conscious efforts to go green. They related how direct mail can be compliant with such practices. But at the SBDC we understand most small businesses can’t afford much direct mail for advertising. But we liked the list of other practices for going green. Check them out:

• Purchase renewable energy to power your office or store
• Compost food and paper waste
• Recycle computer paper, plastics, and other items, including:
  • Packing materials
  • Computer equipment
  • Fluorescent lamps
  • Carpeting
  • Furnishings
  • E-waste
• Apply reflective film to windows
• Add low-flush toilets
• Install motion sensing lights
• Use eco-friendly cleaning supplies
• Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient ones

The article also had specific recommendations on how to set goals for:

• Paper procurement and use
• Data management
• Mail design and production
• Packaging
• Recycling
• Pollution reduction

The complete list of specifics is available at http://www.delivermagazine.com

Are you instituting any changes around your small business? If so, share the practices in the comments section below. If not, tell us what prevents you from taking green steps.

SBDC and CITD staff are digging a cool office conference room being displayed on Lifehacker. It is located at the advertising firm Mono. According to LH, “The offices of Mono offer plenty of space for conference rooms, tent-like workspace pods, a huge kitchen, and—one of the more interesting parts of the office—the Heart.” Read more at Lifehacker.

We’ve been passing around Guy Kawasaki’s “Reality Check” at the SBDC & CITD. We previously mentioned “Zen of Business Plans,” but we also really liked the “Art of Surviving” chapter.

Especially interesting was his answer to the question, “What are the key stages of overcoming a crisis?”

• Face facts: This awful thing has happened. I can’t roll back the clock. This sucks.
• Choose life, not death: I want to find hope and create options for a positive future.
• Reach out: No one survives alone. Isolation will kill us. Let others into our lives.
• Get moving: You have to get up and out of the house. Do your “survivor sit-ups.”
• Give back: Become a benefactor, not just a beneficiary. Yes, you will add value.

SBDC and CITD staff found this to be a salient topic considering our current economic conditions. And one way you can reach out is by setting up an appointment with one of our small business advisors. Just call (619) 482-6391 to discuss your concerns and we will try to help out.

Have you employed any of these tactics? Something else? Let’s talk about what works in the comments section below.

Over the next few weeks, every business owner not registered with the State Board of Equalization will receive a letter indicating they must register as a “qualified purchaser subject to a use tax return requirement”. 
Steven Liebold, presenter for the IRS Tax Workshop, tell us that small business owners are obligated by law to complete the contact information and return it to the State Board of Equalization.  You will then annually receive a Use Tax Return to complete by April 15th of each future year.

In California we have a Sales and Use Tax Law.  This means, if you purchase items outside of California and do not pay California Sales Tax on those purchases, but you bring them into California to use them in California, you must pay 8.75% or your location sales tax rate on those purchases.  This is meant to capture out of state and internet purchases. 

It is believed this is the starting process of determining future business audits for non-compliance to the Use tax law. 

We recommend you begin maintaining a record of items you purchase for your own businesses use that you did not pay California Sales Tax on.  These are the items we must report on your annual Use Tax return and pay the Use Tax on.

Questions about how this applies to your business? There will be IRS Tax Workshops at the Small Business Development Center and Center for International Trade Development (SBDC and CITD) on October 15 and November 19 at which you can ask questions. Click the links to register or call the SBDC and CITD at (619) 482-6391.

In addition, the BOE is hosting a Small Business Fair on October 21. You can find staff members to ask questions at this event!

Our next Meetup on November 10, 2009 will also cover this issue so you may want to consider attending. Call (619) 294-4286 for more information on that.

Staying positive and having a sense of humor is an important part of being a sane business owner. So once in a while, we would like to share fun internet items that we are enjoying during our breaks at the SBDC and CITD. This week: what was the Number 1 song on your birthday?

#1 Song on this Date in History tells us what was the biggest hit when different SBDC and CITD staff members were born. Some of the songs are (we will keep the names anonymous):

• “I’m Walking Behind You” by Eddie Fisher
• “Morning Train” by Sheena Easton
• “Angie” by The Rolling Stones
• “Teen Angel” by Mark Dinning

Want to share your number one birthday song? Post yours in the comments section below!

Have you heard that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits are up?

The presenter for SBDC and CITD’s IRS Tax Workshop, Steven Liebold, has some numbers on his website:

“As reported in a statement issued by IRS, it has continued to make strong progress in a number of key enforcement areas. IRS enforcement efforts increased in fiscal year 2007; overall, enforcement revenue reached $59.2 billion, up from $48.7 billion in 2006.  (Note: Because the enforcement activities take place in years after the filing years, the results are always 2 or 3 years behind.)

Business enforcement – Overall, the total business return audits were up 14% in 2007. The table below is a summary of IRS audit activity for fiscal year 2007:

(2)Assets between $10 million and $50 million dollars”

Wondering what this means for you? The answer is: attend one of the SBDC and CITD’s monthly IRS Tax Workshops to make sure you’re doing everything right. Our presenters give you information on how best to keep records, so:

• You can correctly file your taxes and avoid auditing
• So you can present a good case if you are audited
• To help you make the most of possible deductions.

The next workshop will take place on Thursday, October 15^th. More information is available at: http://www.sbditc.org/EventsDetail.asp?EventDate=10/15/2009&EventID=903

At the SBDC and CITD, we came across this cool video on the TED website.  It’s a speech from Dan Pink, a career analyst. During his talk, he deconstructs the puzzle of motivation using social science and humor. According to the TED site, “Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories — and maybe, a way forward.” Could be good for a small business owner…
TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year’s TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize.

Do you watch videos on TED? Share links to your favorites in the comments section below.

The Internal Revenue Service today announced the availability of video and audio products to help taxpayers take full advantage of the 2009 tax provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The IRS has launched a YouTube video site and an iTunes podcast site to better serve taxpayers.

People can visit the video site at www.youtube.com/irsvideos to view information about the Recovery, tax tips and how-to videos. These videos will be in English, Spanish, American Sign Language and other languages.

The YouTube focus will be on the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Videos will highlight the $8,000 first-time homebuyer’s credit for those who purchase a house this year, the sales or excise tax deduction on new car purchases and the expanded credits for education and energy conservation.

The IRS YouTube channel will debut with seven Recovery videos in English and ASL and eight in Spanish. Also, included will be a video on using the IRS Withholding Calculator. Many workers received the Making Work Pay tax credit in April through their tax withholding at work. However, people who have more than one job or working spouses should especially check their withholding to ensure neither too much nor too little is being withheld. People can use the calculator to help determine if they should make adjustments.

People can visit the audio site at iTunes to listen to IRS podcasts about ARRA tax credits. People without an iTunes account can hear those same podcasts, in English and Spanish, on IRS.gov’s Multimedia Center.

As part of the Sweetwater School District’s implementation of the Long Range Facilities Master Plan funded by Proposition O, they have established a great website for contractor’s interested in business opportunities: http://www.buildingpropo.com/
The site has a section specifically for contractors, with information about Prop O, Business Opportunities, Online Vendor Registration, Related Documents, FAQs, and more.

The current project is “Mar Vista High School Project 1 – New ASB Building; Renovation of Student Services and Annex Building Bid #89-2162-JF.” They are currently seeking sealed bids for the award of the contract.

In addition, we’ve received word of some great news for small contractor clients that want to bid for contracts. The Sweet water Union High School District just approved the $644 million bond to convert the schools into LEED certified buildings.

For information regarding future business opportunities, forward your business contact information to construction.info@suhsd.k12.ca.us, or call 619-407-4955.