A monthly roundup of our top stories:
I Hope You Will Join Me for this Important Webinar! 

Experian Webinar

If you own a pass-through entity-sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, or S corporation -- you may be eligible for a new tax deduction. It is a significant tax reduction for business owners who qualify for it. But it isn't simple because numerous limitations and acronyms come into play.
Profile of Nonemployer Businesses

Small businesses fall into two categories: those with employees and those without employees. The SBA's Office of Advocacy has released information describing the latter category, termed nonemployer businesses. It sheds light on what these businesses are like and how they contribute to the economy.

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Why Employees_ Opinions Matter and How to Get Feedback
Why Employees' Opinions Matter and How to Get Feedback

With unemployment at historic lows, the job market now is tight. It's so tight that the   NFIB August 2018 report found that a quarter of all small business owners cited the difficulty of finding qualified workers as their single most important business problem. So how do you ensure that the employees you have will stay and the openings you have will be filled?

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Do You Have a Will?

Music legend Aretha Franklin died in August at the age of 76 but didn't leave a will. The same is true for Prince, who died in 2016.  Do you have a will? If you do, when was the last time you reviewed it? As a business owner, here are some issues you should consider for your will and your overall estate plan

Hispanic Heritage Month and Your Business

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 (the anniversary of independence for 5 Latin American countries) to October 15. It recognizes the contributions made and the important presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrates their heritage and culture. From a business perspective, this portion of the population is significant.

Estee Lauder, Inspirational Entrepreneur

One hundred and ten years ago, a girl was born in Queens, New York, and grew up there, like me. She would go on to found, with her husband Joseph Lauter (later changed to Lauder), a cosmetic empire. According to TIME Magazine, she is one of the 20 most influential builders and titans of the 20th century (the only woman to make the list). Her personal story and professional success are inspirational. And her famous quotations are motivational.

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School Activities
Employee Time Off for School Activities?

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are more than 34 million households with children under the age of 18, and members of your employees may be among them. They may want to attend school plays, sporting events, and teacher conferences, or volunteer at school functions. With employees' children back in school, be sure you know the correct policy for employees taking time off for them to attend school activities.

Lessons from September 11th

It's been 17 years since terrorists drove planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. The devastation to the lives of families of those who died, and the destruction of property was catastrophic. Since that terrible day, there have been smaller terrorist incidents, and the threat of a massive one has never been erased. For small business owners, the possibility of a terrorist attack of any size cannot be ignored.

7 Deadly Sins for Small Business Owners

Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, sloth ... the 7 deadly sins that the Catholic Church warned against in the middle ages. It's easy to see how each of these sins can be applied in a business context. For example, Harvard Business Review posted an article on  The Seven Deadly Sins of Management , explaining lust is all about vanity projects, pride about overestimating abilities (you get the picture). But I think there are other sins that business owners can commit to the detriment of their businesses. Here are my top 7:

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Thinking of Changing Your Business Structure in Light of Latest Tax Reform? Read this First

With the dramatic drop in the corporate tax rate to 21% and the introduction of the new 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction for owners of pass-through entities, there has been growing focus on whether businesses should change their legal status to take advantage of new tax breaks.
Here is a brief overview of the consequences of changing entity status.
Understanding the New Qualified Business Income Deduction

The IRS recently released more details about the Qualified Business Income Deduction, a new tax regulation that will impact small business owners. In this guest post for Experian, I share my first impressions on the regulation and potential impact for small businesses.

I'm honored and grateful for the ongoing recognition of my blog! The most recent mention is being listed in the  Top 50 Small Business Blogs 2018


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SMB Taxes 2018
J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes 2018: Your Complete Guide to a Better Bottom Line

This is the small business owner's ultimate guide to a money-saving, stress-free tax season and your year-round tax planning!
Get your copy from Amazon today! 

Note: The FREE, online Supplement to the book has been published on my website here. It includes revisions made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and other tax changes.

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October, 2018 | Copyright © Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc.