| Business owners: Resolve to use your time for growth in 2014 |
| Each year offers a chance for new beginnings - an opportunity for people to reflect on the past and make personal resolutions to use their time effectively to prosper in the year ahead. The same is true for businesses, as entrepreneurs and business owners set new strategic goals and plans for growth. Here are some tip resolutions for business owners in 2014. |
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| Get back to basics with your business technology |
| Technology can do a lot for home offices as well as small and medium-size businesses, but choosing and investing in the appropriate level of technology can sometimes feel overwhelming and time-consuming. Business owners and consumers alike sometimes overspend on technology rather than selecting the right tools to help them improve their productivity while keeping their costs at a minimum. |
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| Top apps help keep small-business owners efficient and on the go |
| With all the buzz surrounding business use of "cloud computing," you might think the concept of conducting business anywhere - on the road, in the board room, on a soccer field or in the gym - was a new one. But small-business owners (SBOs) have been working on the go for decades. The arrival of mobile apps has just made things a little easier for them. |
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| Aviation Rescue Swimmer: 'So others may live' |
| When lives are on the line, Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers answer the call. These brave men and women embody the courage of America's Navy - often going into harm's way to complete their rescue missions in some of the most extreme environments imaginable. |
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| Three big ways small-business owners can save on taxes |
| If you own a small business, every dollar matters - especially when it comes to taxes. Whether your business is a partnership or corporation, Uncle Sam offers some sizeable deductions to lower your liability, allowing you to put those dollars toward capital and employees. |
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| Best business investment for 2014: Fueling employee engagement |
| Do your employees feel personally connected to the organization they work for? Would they recommend your workplace to others? If the answer to any of those questions is "no," you're far from alone. Employee engagement is way down, so low that a recent study found that two-thirds of the U.S. workforce is not fully engaged. Here's what every manager should know about engagement and how to make a difference with his or her employees. |
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| Who needs a 1099 or a W-2? |
| As the year winds down, it is time to start thinking about recent tax changes and how they affect you, especially if you run a small business. But keeping tax details straight is tough - even for those who live and breathe the industry. One of the most common questions during this time of year is "who needs a 1099 or a W-2?" |
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| Digital world demands new IT workforce |
| It's no secret that technology has changed how we live. From tablets and streaming video, to big data analytics and network security, we live in a digital world that impacts us every minute of every day. However, technology not only improves the way we live and work in the present, but also offers great opportunity for the future. |
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| Check your tax forms for errors and avoid fines for 2013 |
| Tax season will be here before you know it and businesses everywhere want to handle their reporting quickly, efficiently and on time in order to avoid the penalties and fines associated with missed deadlines. In recent years, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has increased its penalties for misfiled or late tax forms. As a result, it's more important than ever for leaders of small- to mid-sized businesses to stay on top of changes and be doubly vigilant in assembling and reviewing their reporting documents. |
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| Five key deadlines to help small businesses avoid IRS headaches |
| The adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure still rings true - especially for businesses preparing for tax season. If you oversee your company's filing requirements, knowing what is due and when can save you and your employee's penalties, time and stress. |
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| Tips for branding your small business |
| McDonald's golden arches, Target's bull's eye and Starbucks' mermaid are all instantly recognizable symbols for their brands and they have an impressive retail impact. But more than just a name and logo, your brand includes everything from printed materials to your customer's experience. |
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| Small businesses go leaner, more effective with technology tools |
| While the Great Recession convinced many big corporations to improve efficiency and reduce spending, small businesses have historically known the value of operating "lean and mean." Many have never had another option, and have always had to accomplish more with less. Fortunately, technology is making it easier than ever for small-business owners to work smarter and more efficiently - and continue growing their businesses. |
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| In a do-it-yourself world, we still need professionals |
| We live in a world that encourages us to DIY - "do it yourself" - in everything from remodeling our houses to building our own websites. While smart, dedicated people can certainly accomplish a lot, professional expertise is still extremely valuable, especially when it comes to investing. |
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| Memo to job seekers: It's not the economy, it could be you |
| Job seekers are growing increasingly pessimistic about their ability to gain employment. Nearly two in five job seekers lack confidence that the job market will improve next year. Hiring managers, however, disagree. Here's what you need to know. |
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| Tips to secure your future despite an unsure economy |
| Despite the recent deal to re-open the government and gains in the economy, the business community is still somewhat skeptical about the economy's stability. While many employers acknowledge that overall business conditions are improving, respondents generally feel the present recovery is fragile and the health care changes might potentially slow the recovery down. |
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| The energy efficient, safe and warm solution to evening fireplace challenges |
| When the weather is cold, few experiences warm your soul - or your home - as effectively as sitting in front of a crackling fire. But if you've ever avoided building an evening fire in your wood-burning fireplace because you didn't want to wait up for the embers to go out, you might appreciate Scott Harrison's ingenuity. |
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| Power shoes: Choosing the right footwear for climbing the corporate ladder |
| Climbing the corporate ladder requires marketable skills, initiative, creativity and ... the right shoes? While the importance of proper footwear may seem obvious for professions that require standing or walking all day, such as waitressing, nursing or cooking, poor shoe choices can also trip you up in an office setting. |
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| Avoid the flu this season: Tips for keeping your employees and business healthy |
| Each year the flu results in 75 million days of work absences and 200 million days of diminished productivity for businesses nationwide. Cumulatively, the flu costs businesses an estimated $6.2 billion in lost productivity each year, with small businesses proving to be no exception. To keep your staff healthy and business booming, here are some tips to avoid catching the flu this season. |
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| Think mobile: marketing tips for local businesses |
| No doubt about it, mobile technology is transforming the way consumers live and businesses operate. Today nearly 5 billion people use mobile phones around the world, with 1 billion of those phones being smartphones. According to research conducted by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Americans check their smartphones more than 150 times a day. |
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| Job searching skills to help boost confidence |
| Finding employment can be a full-time job these days. High numbers of job seekers can make it a challenge for those looking for long-term jobs and careers. Before your confidence begins to wane, it can help to remember that the skills applied to a search for employment can strengthen performance on the job. |
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| How to mentally prepare for a crisis in the workplace |
| Recent events in the news have reminded us that unexpected, dangerous and stressful situations can happen anywhere: on the street corner, at the grocery store, and in the workplace. While these situations are often chaotic, there are steps you can take to mentally prepare yourself to handle them better, whether you are an employee, a business owner or manager, or a bystander. |
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| Being your own boss: getting your freelance or small business off the ground |
| It's one of the greatest American dreams. You make your own hours and choose your own clients, while doing what you love and getting paid for it. Starting your own small or freelance business can be an empowering and life-altering experience, but before you get to the good part, there's plenty of work to create the foundation of a successful business. |
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| Safeguarding your business when you become a victim of identity theft |
| Anti-lock brakes and driver assist systems aim to help motorists avoid an accident, and when one occurs, a host of safety features, like airbags, activate to help minimize injury to the vehicle's occupants. Cybersecurity for businesses functions much like those assist systems in your car, working to prevent a security breach of sensitive identifying data. |
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| Certifications: the new key to employment |
| A professional certification may not always be a job requirement, but it is often a deciding factor between qualified candidates. In fact, technology is one of the most in-demand career fields, but recent graduates and professionals are both struggling to find new jobs or get promoted because they don't have a certification - a third-party validation of their skills. |
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