SmartDeals for Business

In these tough economic times many small businesses need to embrace the new frugal market. You don’t need to start from scratch, but reinvent your business by adding new products or services that are more compatible with the new marketplace. Rhonda Abrams, of USA Today gives her advice on this topic and outlines 5 strategies to “navigate the uncertain waters of change.”  Rhonda Abrams is president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books for entrepreneurs.

Read Rhonda Abrams’ article

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This has been a long, on-going battle for many small and micro businesses.  Should you take the deduction? Am I making the right accommodation when I do work at home? Haven’t the rules changed?

But over time, the definition has become clearer and allowed for more flexibility.  The Washington Times reports that with the proper setup and use, a home deduction is available to workers on the home front.

Consult with your tax professional and pursue this valuable option again.

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Constant Contact is a great place to start if you already have customers and you want to keep them informed about your business.  Give them a try with the free 60 day trial offer.  I have found that their customer service personnel is very knowledgeable and will help you determine if their service is right for you.  Don’t forget to come back and let us know what you think, we want to hear from you!

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With the high cost of plane tickets or time spent on the road in traffic, GoToMeeting may be just what your small business needs to help cut your costs. Let us know what you think of this ad, we want to connect you with deals most relevant to small business. Thanks for stopping by.

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According to BusinessWeek, in an article written by Karen E. Klein, businesses will do more to reward their customers than their own employees this year. Her article is based on research obtained via 516 interviews by Echo Research from Oct. 6th to Oct. 14th. I agree with the commentary in the article in that we need to find lower cost ways to appreciate our employees even in these tough economic times. There are some good ideas in the article and they are worth mentioning here if you’re looking to reward your employees to let them know you didn’t forget what they’ve done for you all year. Suggestions were to give a personal thank you note, have your company participate in a “shared” holiday party, have an “in-house” party instead of a gala, bring in home made treats, or give extra time off and flextime.

In the end, if your employees feel a lack of loyalty to them, they will be looking for greener pastures when better opportunities become available.  Find a meaningful way to show you care, because you know you do.  No matter how small, it’s better to be appreciated.  ”It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.”  ~Mother Theresa.  Merry Christmas.

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