Insurance Insights
How to Minimize the Risk of a Small Business IRS Audit
Here’s the good news: The odds of a small business being audited by the IRS is low. Some tax experts set it as low as under one percent. But because a small business IRS audit can be a hassle and a source of stress, if possible, it’s a situation best to avoid.
The Future of Your Home Office Gadgets Infographic
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While more and more Americans are working from home than in the past, whether for their own home business, as telecommuting employees, or just taking work home with them at night after their day job, the home office is ever evolving when it comes to technology. Just think that before the internet was in almost every house, how important the fax machine was to the home office, or the typewriter before computers.
The Risks of Cloud Computing
More and more small businesses are finding ways to reduce operating costs through cloud computing. That is, they’re moving business functions and processes from on-site and in-house to servers on the world wide web. But before making the leap into the cloud, make sure you’re aware of the risks of cloud computing:
5 Legal Mistakes Small-Business Owners Should Watch Out For
Even though you’re a small-business owner, rather than an attorney, you still need to make sure you’re not violating any potential legal issues. Litigation fees can be astronomical, not to mention the drain of time and resources on company personnel.
6 Ways Your Small Business Can Use the Cloud
If you google the phrase “the cloud” today, you won’t see anything remotely related to the sky — at least not on the first page. Instead, what you’ll find is information describing cloud computing, a term that refers to services in which data is stored in a virtual Internet-accessible environment rather than on your physical business’ premises. Turns out “the cloud” isn’t just another over-hyped tech phrase, it’s actually useful for your small business. What’s more, among current small business cloud users, 76 percent said that implementing cloud computing reduced their application costs, according to a CDW Cloud Computing Tracking Poll.
How to Protect Your Small Business Copyrights
Provided by the laws of the United States, a copyright is a protection for originally produced work, be it music, written material, artistry, or other intellectual works. Examples of works that are typically copyright, include books, white papers, online content, articles, photographs, artwork, songs, and software codes to name a few. A copyright provides you with the protection that someone else doesn’t use or reproduce your work to their gain and your detriment.
7 Ways to Cut Small Business Expenses
Whether your business is a start-up or a seasoned operation, it’s important to find ways to cut small business expenses to increase profits and grow revenue. Here are 7 ways to trim expenses that you may not have considered.
What is Intellectual Property and How Can You Protect It?
You probably have heard the term, but aren’t exactly sure what is intellectual property and how can you protect it? Intellectual property is the ownership rights to an artistic, scientific, or commercial innovation, symbol, design, or logo. Intellectual property is protected by copyrights, trademarks, patents, or trade secrets.
What’s In Your Trash Infographic
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The cleaning services industry brings in more than $50 billion a year, from janitorial services to residential cleaning agencies, and the industry is projected to continue growing. Americans generated more than 250 tons of garbage in 2010. In BOLT’s What’s In Your Trash infographic, find out what is really in your trash and how important cleaning services and janitorial services are. Through recycling and waste incineration, as much as 90% of waste can bypass the landfill! Presented as an infographic (created for bolt by Infographic World) to help you more easily visualize and retain this important information.
Tips to Get Customers to Pay on Time
You may have heard of the saying “being profitable but cash poor.” That’s exactly what some business face because of late paying customers. Slow or late paying customers can drain critical financial resources – or worse, put a small business in a cash crunch. While it may be tricky collecting from a late-paying long-standing customer or a customer going through a financial rough patch, here are 5 tips to get customers to pay on time from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
1) Give discounts for early payments. Most people, if given the opportunity, will do what they can to save money. That goes for paying bills early. If you can swing it, reward customers who pay their bill early with a discount, say of five percent. In doing so, your business may save on administrative costs by not having to send out late notices or make bill payment reminder phone calls.
