The Internal Revenue Service has launched a year-long campaign to help educate new self-employed small business owners about federal tax responsibilities and about filing Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business.One of the biggest challenges faced by people starting out in business is understanding and meeting their tax filing requirements," said Kathy Petronchak, commissioner of the IRS's Small Business/Self-Employed operating division. "It's a new, different and potentially overwhelming experience for them.

Just in time for summer, Gevity, which serves as a full-service human resources department for small and mid-sized businesses, has provided its "Ten Ways to Motivate Your Employees This Summer" list. Compiled from Gevity research as well as existing research on this topic, the list provides a fun and helpful way for small business owners to motivate their employees as the warm - and often slower - summer months approach.

By Raissa EvansCompanies around the world are now on the “going green” bandwagon for a number of reasons. Some do it for the sole purpose of marketing “green,” others do it for tax incentives. However, very few do it because it is the right thing to do for their clients, employees, and the environment.While not all green initiatives will save your business money, cost you nothing or get you more customers, having a green business can align good business sense with community objectives, branding, and reputation.

With April 15, "Tax Day," just behind us, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) has published the "Business Tax Index 2008: Best to Worst State Tax Systems for Entrepreneurship and Small Business," ranking the states according to the costs of their tax systems for small business start up and growth.SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan said, "Entrepreneurs and small businesses have to struggle every day with the costs of taxation, which affect a wide array of decisions, including hiring, investment, expansion, and location.

As small business owners scramble to secure the working capital they need to maintain smooth business operations and banks continue to reject more lending applications than ever, business owners are choosing new alternative financing options. Among the most popular of these options are merchant cash advances, also known as MCAs. A simple concept, merchant cash advances are cash advances based on a percentage of future credit card receivables which provide immediate working cash for businesses. Upon approval, the merchant cash advance is electronically wired to the recipient's bank account.

By Yvonne OlsonI find it difficult to have pity on people who procrastinate about filing taxes on time.I do admit, however, that I myself am a procrastinator. But when it comes to filing taxes, I don't leave them until the last minute.

Attention CPAs in Chicago, New York and Houston: Your cities rank No. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the list of Top 10 Tax Procrastinating Cities in America.And if last year is any indication, next week should be brutal. Intuit, which makes TurboTax products, based its list on the number of federal tax returns electronically filed last year between April 14 and April 17. First, there are the clients. You know the type.

By Dr. Pam Brill - "I'm burned out," "I've lost my drive," "I'm not interested," - these are words and images that sales pros have used to describe their falling motivation that accompanied their failing numbers. A sales pro in financial services, Chris had lost the passion and the spark that fueled him for making chilly cold calls and energy for the heated sprint to close the deal. With numbers down and still falling, Chris blamed the competition, the internal competitors, including the other sales pros in his division and the new kids on the block.