MP3 Tours

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What could be better than having an insider walk you through his or her favourite spots in a new city or travel destination? How about having access to a whole library of such tours that can be downloaded right to your iPod or MP3 player? That's what Chicago-based AudioSnacks is offering consumers. Users can download audio tours of select destinations and can put up their own tours for purchase.

“AudioSnack is a place to find, purchase, download, listen to and appreciate audio tours that people just like you have created to share, and a place where you can do the same for others.” Tours are modestly priced—some are even free. Many feature downloadable maps to accompany the audio footage, and customers can listen to a sample snippet of a tour before deciding to purchase.

Already there are tours available for destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa and more. Customers get a unique perspective and insights: they can take an audio tour through Chicago with a Jewish hip-hop poet, for instance, or see the sights in Seattle with a hot DJ. Since members are encouraged to create and upload their own tours, the library is likely to grow quickly. The company is also building a new section, offering campus tours for (upcoming) freshmen "who look lost no matter how many times they've looked at their maps."

[Via Springwise]

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MP3 Tours

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What could be better than having an insider walk you through his or her favourite spots in a new city or travel destination? How about having access to a whole library of such tours that can be downloaded right to your iPod or MP3 player? That's what Chicago-based AudioSnacks is offering consumers. Users can download audio tours of select destinations and can put up their own tours for purchase.

“AudioSnack is a place to find, purchase, download, listen to and appreciate audio tours that people just like you have created to share, and a place where you can do the same for others.” Tours are modestly priced—some are even free. Many feature downloadable maps to accompany the audio footage, and customers can listen to a sample snippet of a tour before deciding to purchase.

Already there are tours available for destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa and more. Customers get a unique perspective and insights: they can take an audio tour through Chicago with a Jewish hip-hop poet, for instance, or see the sights in Seattle with a hot DJ. Since members are encouraged to create and upload their own tours, the library is likely to grow quickly. The company is also building a new section, offering campus tours for (upcoming) freshmen "who look lost no matter how many times they've looked at their maps."

[Via Springwise]

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A very important topic to talk about is how to organize your time when working on your blog or web site. Many readers ask me how I structure my day and it has taken me a couple of months to get to a point where I can function at my peak levels. I will share a few suggestions with you that can really help you be more productive.

Keep A To-Do List.

Each day when you wake up, write down the top 5-10 things you have to accomplish that day. It is best to not do any other web based activities until you can cross off each item on your list because it is too easy to get caught up reading other blogs and forums before getting your own work done. Before you know it, you have spent 3 hours reading and getting none of your work done. If you did not finish an item from your list, carry it over to the next day.

Assign A Certain Amount Of Time For Important Items.

Tell yourself the first thing you will do each morning is check and respond to email for 30 minutes. I know some people think email should not be the first thing you do in the morning, but I prefer to get it out of the way first. You also never know who sent you a pressing item that can help you monetize your site. If you read an email but do not respond immediately, mark it “un-read” so you do not forget that you have to respond later.

Figure Out What You Like Least And Make Yourself Spend Time Doing It.

Sometimes I struggle to write ReviewMe posts and the only way I can get myself to do it is if I sit down and tell myself that for the next 2-3 hours, the only thing I will do is research and review the web site. I force myself to write a review and I go back and proof read it later. Whatever your weak points are, be sure to take the time to do them anyways. They could be valuable to your readers and your blog’s value.

Do Not Check Stats More Than Twice Per Day.

This is a big one. So many people waiste time hitting refresh on their visitor stats and affiliate sales all day. I used to do the same, only to realize that my productivity is so much better now that I only check stats once in the morning and once in the evening. There is nothing you can do to increase your statistics that much by hitting refresh every 10 minutes that you cannot do by checking stats in the beginning and end of the day. Try this for a few days and you will be happy you did.

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A checklist for first time filers of business tax returns

It’s your first year in business, and tax time has arrived. How does the new business owner prepare for getting those returns filed accurately, timely and achieving the most favorable results for the business?

Review the form completely

First, take a look at a copy of the business tax return you will file to see what line items on the return the government expects you to fill in with amounts. Also, if there are questions asked on the return, make sure you have the answers to those questions. These could include the nature of the business, is it your first year in business, and your business location. Make sure your chart of accounts has the correct categories of income and expenses for you to both manage your business and properly file your returns. While all businesses must keep complete and accurate records, many do not reach that mandate without an effort to insure they are in compliance with the law.

Accounting basis

One decision the owner must make is whether to prepare the tax returns on the cash or accrual basis.

Under the cash basis, income is recognized when collected and expenses are recognized when paid. Under the accrual basis, income is recognized when earned and expenses are recognized when incurred. While lenders will generally prefer to see accrual basis financial statements, tax returns can still be prepared on the cash basis even if the financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis.

A new business might have more unpaid expenses than uncollected income at year-end, and therefore might consider taking those additional net expenses as a deduction. This would be done by selecting the accrual basis. However, in later years when the business is profitable, receivables should be greater than payables, and so the business would be recording additional net income and paying more taxes if it had selected the accrual basis instead of the cash basis. Once you make the decision on which basis to use you will stay with it throughout the life of your business, although changes are permitted. Certain businesses, including those with larger revenues or inventories, must choose the accrual basis.

Depreciation method

The next decision to consider is which depreciation method to use. The Internal Revenue Service permits a first year deduction of up to $100,000 for most furniture and equipment, instead of writing off the cost over five or seven years. So most business owners would generally elect to take the first year write off. However, businesses without profits can’t deduct the first year depreciation deduction, although they can carry it forward to profitable years. A business in its early stages might consider taking the slower depreciation route so that most of the deductions will be available when the business has income and is a higher tax bracket than in the startup phase.

Home office deduction

Sole proprietors in home-based business locations should consider the ability to deduct a portion of their residence as a business deduction. To be successful in this widely contested area, the business area used in the home must be used exclusively for business. The business owner would measure both the square footage of the home used for business and the total square footage of the home. The resulting percentage of business use would be applied to home office expenses to determine the amount to be deducted. If the business has a loss, then a home-based business deduction is not allowed, but can be carried forward.

In order to properly account for the business use of the home, the business owner would first deduct the percentage of the real estate taxes and mortgage interest that would otherwise be taken as an itemized deduction. If there are still profits remaining, then other home expenses such as landscaping, and general home repairs would be allocated to the business and personal portion, and a deduction would be allowed for the business portion. Finally, if there is still a profit, then depreciation on the home is allowed on the business portion. To calculate depreciation, the cost of the home must be allocated between the cost of the land (which is not deductible) and the building. The building must then be allocated between the business and personal portions by the percentage calculated earlier. The resulting depreciation deduction is then written off over almost a forty year period, and the actual annual home depreciation expense would usually not be more than a few hundred dollars.

Non-employee compensation

Another piece to year-end tax returns is the review of independent contractors you paid to see if the government must be notified of their non-employee compensation. Your employees receive a W-2 form to identify their income and withholding tax. Similarly, your contractors who make $600 (as of 2004 tax year) or more would receive form 1099-MISC from you, and the federal and state governments would also receive a copy. Contractors who are corporations are exempt from receiving this form, but partnerships and limited liability companies with more than one member must receive them. If you wait until year-end to obtain the contractor’s social security number or employer identification number you might not be successful in obtaining that required information.

Have your contactors fill out form W-9 to give you the needed information.

Automobile expenses

Automobile expense can be a major expense for a new or existing business. The business owner should maintain an auto log to keep track of where and when he or she traveled to, who was seen, and if there was a business purpose to the trip. While some individuals only track business use, I recommend keeping the log for all auto expenses, since those who itemize their deductions can also deduct transportation as a medical expense, and as a charitable contribution deduction if active in a charity. The business tax returns will want to know when you placed the vehicle in service, and the amount of the business, commuting and personal miles for each vehicle for the year.

Self-employment tax

Profitable sole proprietors are sometimes surprised to find that self-employment tax ( social security and medicare tax for self-employed individuals) can be overlooked and may be a significant part of their total tax bill. Be sure to calculate these taxes as part of your total estimated taxes when paying quarterly estimates. Also be prepared for the April 15 surprise. Not only is the balance due for last year’s taxes, but also due is the first quarter installment of the next year’s taxes. Cash flow must be monitored to have these funds available.

This list covers only a few of the many items a new business owner should consider in preparing for the initial business tax return. Those who work with business tax preparers should also consult with them to determine in what format the business data should be transmitted to them for preparation of your returns.
____________________________________
Joseph L. Rosenberg is a Certified Public Accountant in Florham Park, NJ, specializing in working with entrepreneurs and small business owners. He can be reached at (973) 443-4332 or josephlrosenbergcpa@consultant.com.

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How to Deduct a Home Office

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NEW YORK -- One of the most tempting but also terrifying small business tax deductions is for a home office _ deducting the cost of operating out of your home can help you save on taxes, but complying with IRS regulations can be a little daunting.

Accountants say the good news is that the deduction, which used to be considered a fast way to an audit by the IRS, doesn't raise red flags with the government as it did in the past. Still, business owners often make mistakes trying to claim the deduction that can grab the attention of the tax authorities _ something every taxpayer wants to avoid.

Stephen Fishman, an attorney and author of "Home Business Tax Deductions" said a common error company owners make is to try to deduct space in their homes that has both business and personal uses. That won't fly with the IRS.

"You have to use the space in your home exclusively for business," Fishman said.

An office with PCs and a fax machine isn't the only way to take advantage of the deduction for using your home for business. If you manufacture goods or store inventory in your home, the space you use for that can also be deducted. The same applies if you run a business like a day care center or nail salon in your home.

You don't necessarily have to have a separate room for your office or business space, but taking the deduction is less complicated if a room is indeed set aside for business purposes. For example, it might be hard to convince the IRS that the home office in part of your family room is never used by your children to do their school work or play computer games.

Whatever the space is, it must be regularly used for your business. It doesn't have to be your only place of business, however.

An owner with a home business can deduct the expenses used to maintain the business space _ the portion of utilities, mortgage interest or rent, insurance, repairs and maintenance and other expenditures that can be attributed to that space. One of the big pluses of a home business deduction is that you can also depreciate the portion of a residence used for business; normally, a residence cannot be depreciated.

To determine how much of their expenses they can deduct, most owners divide the total square footage of the home by the square footage allotted to the business. For example, if 5 percent of a house was used for a business, and the owner had $5,000 in expenses for the entire house, then $250 could be deducted.

But square footage is another way owners can run into trouble with the government _ for example, if it appears to the IRS employees examining your return that your home business space is too big for the kind of business you operate, they may question the size of your deduction.

If you're thinking of claiming the deduction, you need to get yourself educated about the IRS' requirements. The first thing you should probably do is download and carefully read IRS Publication 857, Business Use of Your Home, from the IRS Web site, http://www.irs.gov. There are also several small business and home business tax guides available in bookstores that can give you a grounding about the deduction.

Also take a look at the IRS form you'll need to file, 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, and its accompanying instructions. They can also be downloaded from the IRS Web site.

It's probably a good idea not to try to claim the deduction without consulting a tax professional. Jeffrey Chazen, a tax partner at the accounting and consulting firm Richard A. Eisner & Co. LLP in New York, noted, "there are little quirks you have to look out for" with a home business deduction.

For example, he noted, if you've been depreciating the space for your home office but now sell your home, you'll have to "recapture" the depreciation, or adjust the profit you made on your house to account for the tax break you already received.

Another, important quirk: Your deduction cannot be larger than the net profit you make. But you can use the excess to offset profits in succeeding years.

Chazen suggests that now, as you're preparing your 2006 tax return, isn't the time to be thinking about the home business deduction for last year. If your business space didn't already meet the requirements for the deduction, you can't shoehorn it in after the fact.

You can, however, start working now so you can claim the deduction for the 2007 tax year.

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MP3 Tours

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What could be better than having an insider walk you through his or her favourite spots in a new city or travel destination? How about having access to a whole library of such tours that can be downloaded right to your iPod or MP3 player? That's what Chicago-based AudioSnacks is offering consumers. Users can download audio tours of select destinations and can put up their own tours for purchase.

“AudioSnack is a place to find, purchase, download, listen to and appreciate audio tours that people just like you have created to share, and a place where you can do the same for others.” Tours are modestly priced—some are even free. Many feature downloadable maps to accompany the audio footage, and customers can listen to a sample snippet of a tour before deciding to purchase.

Already there are tours available for destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa and more. Customers get a unique perspective and insights: they can take an audio tour through Chicago with a Jewish hip-hop poet, for instance, or see the sights in Seattle with a hot DJ. Since members are encouraged to create and upload their own tours, the library is likely to grow quickly. The company is also building a new section, offering campus tours for (upcoming) freshmen "who look lost no matter how many times they've looked at their maps."

[Via Springwise]

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Immigrant entrepreneurs are starting businesses at a higher rate than native-born residents, according to a new study released Tuesday by the Center for Urban Future, a New York City-based think tank.

The study, which focused on immigrant entrepreneurial activity in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Boston, found that immigrant entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly powerful economic engines for big cities. Among other sectors, immigrant entrepreneurs are stimulating growth and creating more new jobs in food manufacturing and health care, the study found.

Despite that impact, tapping into the economic potential of immigrant entrepreneurs will require far more attention and support from policymakers, business-advocacy groups, and community development organizations, the study's researchers said.

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eBay Listings That Draw New and Repeat Customers

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Attracting customers online isn't so different from attracting customers to a retail store. Here’s a real-world example. Last week, I went to a mall to find a pair of jeans. Jeans used to be a simple purchase, but today they come in so many shapes, styles and sizes, it’s hard to keep track of them all. There was no one to help me through the maze of options in the store I first walked into, so I left empty-handed and went to another. There, I was immediately approached by a very helpful salesperson who explained all the varieties of jeans to me, and I bought a fancy pair of jeans at that store--at retail price! (Now that I know my size and style, I can buy them for half-price on eBay.) But which store do you think I would return to when styles change?

Expanding my jeans shopping experience to eBay, the lesson is, any item sold on eBay deserves more than a title, a picture and a one-line description. How many times have you found an item through a keyword search just to click on it and find no further information? Plenty. It happens to thousands of prospective buyers every day. As a seller, if you’re going to invest the money to list an item, give it a fighting chance for a successful sale.

An item’s description tells the customer what to expect about their possible purchase. Mention size, manufacturer, material, condition--basically, anything and everything to give the buyer more information about the item. Lucky media sellers get the advantage of eBay’s license of the Muze database, which supplies further details on books, movies, games and music. But believe it or not, some sellers don’t even take the time to click their mouse to include it in their listings--all you'll see in their descriptions is "New and sealed." Wow. What you should do is tell the customer what they’ll get and what to expect. Then take some time to sell yourself--tell them why they should buy from you.

If you're trying to sell multiple items on eBay, there may be many people who don’t know the difference between the types of jeans (curvy, boot cut, cigarette, etc.), light bulbs (fluorescent, true color, watts, etc.), cell phone accessories or other products you sell. The variations are endless. The solution is one: Write solid descriptions.

When writing descriptions, it's also important to think beyond your listing pages. If you have an eBay store, consider using one of the blank pages that come with your store for a product FAQ page. Or at the very least, put the information on your "About Me" page. That way, you can provide information about all the products you sell, so customers will know which of your listings to look at.

A stellar example of doing things right is eBay seller Beachcombers! In her eBay Store, Beachcombers!Bazaar, store owner Jody Rogers has several informative FAQ pages about her Henna temporary tattoos and other products. By explaining her products, Jody can ratchet up sales far beyond those sellers who don't take the time to build their businesses. Her store is colorful, friendly and offers lots of good reasons to shop there. She uses friendly customer service tactics like “no questions asked” returns (with no return shipping costs for the customer) and custom gift boxes so shoppers can select a group of gifts in one order and make a great impression. If you’re into her bangle bracelets--or know someone who is--she offers a “bangle bracelet of the month” club. Now that’s merchandising for success!

Once you’ve got the customer, it’s time to go full-gear into customer service. Send out these e-mails:

1. Thank you for your order
2. Your order has shipped (make sure to include a tracking or delivery confirmation number)
3. A post-sale thank you and an invitation to return to shop

Shipping quickly will get you lots of return customers and excellent feedback. And feedback always pays off in more customers. Here are a few feedback examples from my profile:

• Thanks so much! Fast shipping and received in excellent condition!
• Great service, nice to do business with, we need more like 'em. A++++++
• Super fast delivery. Certainly will do business with again. Thank you!

I’d easily shop with someone who has that kind of feedback. Wouldn't you?

I’m always shocked when I order an item on eBay and it takes two weeks to arrive. That’s just not acceptable. If there'll be a delay in sending out your item, be sure to e-mail the customer. Also, pack your items carefully. Ask yourself how you’d feel if your item arrived in the condition you sent it out in. Use new padded envelopes and boxes (though you can recycle bubble wrap).

Keep in mind, also, that as an eBay store owner, you can send out newsletters to buyers who've requested them. Write news about new products you carry, trends in fashion (if that’s your thing), ideas for gift-giving holidays and anything else you think your customers will find interesting. You can also use your newsletters to offer your customers a seasonal deal. How about a two-week sale? And free shipping is always appreciated, as is a 15 percent discount for a limited time.

Go the extra mile to give customers a reason to buy your items. Don’t fall into the “I just don’t have time for that stuff” pitfall. Investing the time to keep your customers informed will be well worth the effort; not taking the time will eventually drive you out of business.

Marsha Collier, a successful eBay PowerSeller, is Entrepreneur.com's "eBay" columnist as well as the author of the bestselling eBay references,eBay for Dummies andStarting an eBay Business for Dummies.

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