5 Tax-Wise Ways to Cash in on Recovery

Although the much-talked about economic recovery is still largely invisible to most small business owners, now is a good time to position yourself to take advantage of special tax benefits as activity starts to improve. “Although tax rates may trend upward in the next few years, most businesses can offset a big portion of those increases with proper planning now,” says Steve Henley, national tax practice leader at the accounting firm CBIZ MHM, LLC.  Here are some things to do:

Secrets of Online Success for Local Business

Dear Dan: Okay, I admit we’ve taken our eye off the Internet ball a bit, and maybe we’re falling behind in the race to win more business online, and with social media. Is it really that important? How are others doing it?  — Social Slacker

Dear Slacker: Internet users conduct billions of online searches monthly. And since one in every five searches is spurred by a local need of some kind, the implications for local businesses are huge. It comes down to this:  If you aren’t leveraging online business-building strategies to their fullest, you’re putting yourself in a competitive ditch.


The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently stepped up its efforts to inform business owners about all the ways they can build business online – from Internet yellow pages (IYP) and mobile marketing to social media and online video.