Friday, March 15, 2013

What Are the Ultimate Home-Based Business Tax Advantages?


One of the great things about starting a business from home is the tremendous tax advantage they provide. Just think, when April comes around again, you will be rejoicing instead of crying! So, let's see exactly what the tax advantages are for your home based business.

First of all, in any home business you have tremendous more tax advantages than if you were self-employed. These advantages really become huge when you consider how you can improve the profitability of your home business by declaring all of the deductions you are entitled to. Never forget to claim all of the necessary deductions. If you have difficulty figuring it out, go to a CPA.

You will also need to itemize your deductions for your home business operation on a separate schedule just as you would for your personal deductions. Knowing which deductions you are entitled to can save your home business hundreds of dollars a year. Isn't this great news? Just the tax advantages make starting a home-based business makes it worth it.

Here is some background information on how your income tax amount is arrived at by the IRS.

The U.S. taxation code states that almost all income is subject to federal income tax. How can you, the guru of your home-based business, arrive at the final amount of income tax? Here's how:

Gross Income - (All Expenses + Miscellaneous Deductions + Depreciation on Assets) = Taxable Income.

Taxable Income X (Your Tax Rate) = Income tax for the fiscal year.

Here is a quick definition of the terms in the above taxation equation:

Gross Income = The total of all income for the year after the cost of the inventory has been paid for. Make sure you leave nothing out.

Expenses = All costs of doing business during the fiscal tax year. Examples include payroll, materials, supplies and interest on business loans, etc. To find out if an expense qualifies as a legitimate business expense, consult your CPA. You can also call your local small business bureau, or even the IRS.

Depreciation = This is the way of spreading out the deductibility of an asset over a period of more than one year.

The IRS has certain different depreciation schedules for different business property. This is done for assets like real estate, equipment and other assets with a long economic life. This method of taxation write-off has certain advantages. Be sure to talk to your accountant regarding proper depreciation rules. These rules are subject to change by the Congress and the IRS.

Miscellaneous Deductions:

This is an often misunderstood and overlooked way to save a lot of money on taxes. Remember that these types of expenses must be totaled up and declared on a separate schedule of your income tax forms.

Always track your expenses and be sure to save at least one copy of every deduction. You will be asked for proof of every transaction that is declared as a deduction if the IRS audits you! Never make the mistake of not keeping records of yAlso, save them for 7 years.

Here is a list of some of the things you can deduct from your income taxes:

Business related expenses include:

1. Air fares
2. Auto expenses
3. Books and Magazines
4. Educational Expenses
5. Home Office Space* + a portion of utilities, telephone, and maintenance costs
6. Office Furniture
7. Cleaning Expenses
8. Meals with Business Clients
9. Laundry Expenses (When Traveling)
10. Advertising
11. Impairment-related Expenses
12. Licenses and Regulatory Fees

* If you own your home you must use the IRS depreciation rules to determine this deduction. If you rent you may also deduct a portion of your rent.

Check IRS Publication 535 to find out if you can deduct any or all of the above.

As you can see there are numerous deductions that are allowable for your home-based business. The best way to get more information on tax deductions and related information on income taxes is to go online to www.irs.gov. There you will find a helpful search engine containing thousands of government publications that you can research and print out if you need to.

Now you have a good idea of the deductions you are entitled to take. So do your research, keep track of your expenses and take all of the deductions you can for maximum profit every year. April will never be a time again for weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

Home Remedies Cold Sores - What Works For A Cold Sore

Home remedies for cold sores work better than most store bought treatments. It is true! The drug companies have not yet offered as safe or effective options to home remedies cold sores.



The great news is that you really do not have to suffer any more with these miserable outbreaks. There are a lot of home remedies cold sores that work. This article will look at a few of the most useful.



Some people confuse cold sores (aka fever blisters) and canker sores.



A canker sore is different. A canker sore is inside the mouth and is a wound in the mucous soft tissue. The cause of a canker sore is not fully understood. It is suspected that food allergies can cause these. Canker sores are not caused by a virus and thus cannot be spread to others.



Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). They are extremely contagious and can be spread to other people through saliva. Herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) is most common for genital sores but causes about 20% of the facial outbreaks also.



Both herpes types can be sexually transmitted. If you have a cold sore, precautionary measures are necessary to avoid passing it on to your partner.



Once a person has had one cold sore, they are likely to have other outbreaks throughout their life. The virus hides in the nerves and activates periodically.



If you have frequent or severe cold sores, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral, however these have not proven to be of significant help. The anti-viral pills are also quite hard on the liver.



For the occasional cold sore attack, you can buy several different over-the-counter cold sore treatment products.



These generally are comfort remedies. Many of them contain numbing ingredients to help reduce the pain. Do not expect them to speed recovery and healing by very much.



So many home remedies for cold sores exist today!



Let us examine some of the more popular ones. Please keep in mind that this is not intended as medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns or questions about your cold sore.



Many say ear wax or your body oils, applied directly to the sore, will stop a cold sore cold. Advocates of this method advise putting ear wax directly on the cold sore when you first feel it coming on.



Body oils can be easily obtained from behind the ear or along the side of your nose and then applying directly to the cold sore. Nobody seems to know why this works, but some people swear by this method.



Another method recommends using drying agents ranging from alcohol to hydrocortisone to nail polish remover to white stick deodorant to hemorrhoid cream to the bubblegum pink medication you take for a sour stomach.



According to this method, you are supposed to apply the drying agent two or three times a day. It is said to work best when you begin quickly, at the first sign of tingling.



Also, there are several oral home remedies cold sores.



Folks who like to use oral treatment often recommend taking lysine capsules beginning at the first sign of a pending cold sore. At the same time, avoid foods high in arginine, such as chocolate, grains and peanuts.



Some people claim to put a garlic and salt mixture on the cold sore and say they get good results. They recommend you apply it two or three times a day.



Many folks claim applying an ice cube to your cold sore reduces pain and the swollen lip syndrome. In between ice cube sessions, most folks will use at least one of the treatments mentioned above.



Some apply Tea Tree Oil, warm tea bags or facial masks on the sore.



As you can see the home remedies cold sores treatments are quite varied. What most of them have in common is the use of a drying agent. This is frequently used along with other treatments.



It is likely you will need to try some of these home cures to see which one works best for you. Do not forget that each of us, and you, are unique. What works for someone else may work for you, or it may not be exactly right for you.



Most importantly, devise a treatment plan that works best for you. It may take a little experimentation for you to discover which home remedies cold sores are best for your unique needs.





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HOW TO NAME A MOBILE HOME PARK

When you buy a mobile home park, and if you currently own a mobile home park, it's a pretty safe bet that you need to change the name. Because most mobile home parks have terrible names that, sadly, could be used as a marketing tool if only they were different. Just like Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue", many mobile home parks have names which are extremely inappropriate and downright embarrassing for their residents to live under. And a wonderful marketing opportunity is missed every day that they are not changed.



The Problem



Most mobile home parks were built in the 1970s or earlier, at a time when mobile home park residents dreamed of having their own private jukebox and pink flamingos in the yard. They were the very essence of tacky. And the park names matched the customer. Some were clever take-offs on the mobile home concept, like "Roll-A-Home". Many were rustic sounding like "Wagon Wheel". But rarely were they created with any marketing strategy involved. Some are so bad that you have to wonder if the owner was trying to make fun of his tenants or the whole concept of trailer living. Some parks don't even have a name, just a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood with a phone number or "Mobile Park" crudely painted on it. Just like the grave of the unknown soldier, they are nameless plots of dirt where tenants live and die and don't even know how to identify themselves.



The Early Creators



Many of moms and pops that still own parks in America don't know diddle about naming a property. They might be good with a carbine in WWII, or great with laying their own sewer line (until it flows backwards the first time around), or building parking pads with asphalt out of the back of their pick-up truck. But when it came to marketing, they were at the bottom of the class. Just look at the marketing materials from these folks even today. A professional quality flyer is a Xeroxed sheet written by hand with a marks-a-lot (both capitals and lower case letters interchanged). These folks ruled over cheap pieces of farmland with new infrastructure and some trailers, and were not serious real estate investors. They never dreamed their parks would be worth anything some day. The bottom line is that while they may have attractive mobile home parks, they have no idea how to name a property properly. Is it appropriate to have a lousy name on an expensive park?



The Cure



Naming a mobile home park is very easy. Virtually any name you choose will be better than the current one - you are probably 1,000% more marketing savvy than the person you bought the park from. You certainly have more at stake than they did. But there is a strategy to derive the ultimate name if you put a little work into it. Here's the process:



· What is the number one sales point for someone moving to or living in the park?



· Reduce this sales point to one or two essential words.



· Add the name "Estates" at the start or end of these words.



For example, if your park has huge pine trees on it that everybody loves, then the appropriate name would be "Pine Tree Estates". Or if it's the frontage on Lake Forest, then it should be "The Estates of Lake Forest", or "Lake Forest Estates". It's that simple.



Why a classy name? Because people in mobile home parks don't want to be reminded of the fact with a lousy name that they have to use among the rest of the world who does not live in a trailer park. What kid at school wants to tell his friends, "I live in Roll-A-Home"? Nobody. Everybody wants to feel important and equal. Give them that opportunity!



Enacting the New Name



Once you have settled on a name, it's equally easy to put it into practice. First, notify the city of what you are doing, and make sure it is legal to change before you begin. I have never seen a city that had a problem with changing the name. Then, it's time for a new sign for the park. This time around, get a decent quality one from a professional company, at a cost of about $2,000. Then send a letter to all the tenants about the name change. And you'll have to change the marketing materials at all of the dealers. The final change is your yellow page ad - so keep watching for that renewal notice.



That's all there it to it. That's not too hard now, is it?



The Benefits



A new, classy name will have multiple benefits to your property:



The name alone delivers your sales message to potential customers (remember to put the key sales point in the name).



The residents will have more pride of ownership when they can take pride in the name of where they live.



A new name erases the park's past ills



A new name is a turn-on to lenders who look at financing it (remember that the name will be throughout your loan application documents).



A classy name will help you get a higher sales price when you go to sell the park someday.



Conclusion



The benefits of changing the name of your mobile home park are priceless. The cost is nominal. There is no excuse not to do it. So start immediately. You will be very happy you did. And so will your tenants!



To view Mobile Home Park Investing articles click here


Dave Reynolds is regarded as one of the leading Manufactured Housing Industry experts. He has purchased over 50 mobile home communities, 100's of mobile homes, and through his



Mobile Home Parks
website, he has helped thousands of investors buy and sell mobile home parks. Mr. Reynolds has also authored and co-authored some very informative books on investing in Mobile Home and RV parks and is founder of

Mobile Home Park Store
. He can be reached at 1-800-950-1364 or via

email
.





How to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages From Blackberry Cell Phones


On any given day there are individuals suffering because they suspect their spouse or partner is engaging in an affair. Much of the communication that cheating partners engage in with 'the other person' is done with their cellular device. They believe that if they erase texts, pictures, and other data, their spouse will never be able to recover it again. There are also cases where parents believe their teenager is engaging in bullying, sexting, and illegal drug use, yet they do not know how to retrieve deleted text for evidence they need to confront their teen. If you are among the individuals that have asked 'how can I undelete deleted text messages' then you will be happy to hear that there is help available.

A cell phone forensic investigation is a helpful service that can provide you with text that you may have accidentally deleted from your blackberry, or incriminating evidence you have been waiting for to confront your cheating partner, or teenager that is dabbling in unacceptable activities. If you have caught your wife texting another man, or if you have seen your husband deleting text messages from his blackberry, an expert can retrieve deleted text within a matter of about 48 hours, and then you will be supplied with a disk that contains a detailed report of the information that has been found retrieved. Some of the deleted data that professional investigators can recover from a blackberry cell phone would include the following:

· Text messages

· sms messages

· Sext messages

· Address book

· Calendar

· Device properties

· Memo's

· Pictures and graphic images

· A detailed record of calls that have been made and received

· Tasks that have been performed

· Other data that has been erased from the cell phone

Before you retrieve deleted text messages or any other data from your blackberry device, it is important that you stay away from SIM card readers that can be purchased in over-the-counter form. First of all, it is very rare that a person is able to find a reader that works as it should in undeleting deleted text from a specific device, and generally individuals end up permanently losing the data that they were trying to recover to begin with. Even knowledgeable professionals that have thousands of dollars in tools for this type of procedure will often have to try several different tools before they locate the right on that works perfectly on a specific type of cell phone.

When you wonder 'how can I retrieve deleted text from a blackberry cell phone', make sure to consult with experts that are experienced in cell phone forensic investigations.

Copyright (c) 2010 Ed Opperman

10 Characteristics of A Home Business Professional

Home Business Professionals are unique people. We are all very different people, with very different personalities and thinking processess. However, all successful home business professionals have the following characteristics in common.

1. home business professionals are usually leaders, not followers. We like to set the standards, not adhere to them.

2. Home business professionals are always looking for new and better ways to do things. We believe that there is always a better, more effective way to get things done, and we seek to find it.

3. Home business professionals are very open-minded. We never say that an idea won't work without looking at all the facts, and if possible, testing the theory in question.

4. Home business professionals are generally very organized. We are our own bosses. There is nobody to tell us when, or how, to get things done. It is something we must do for ourselves, and being organized is usually the first step in getting things done effectively.

5. Home business professionals are hard workers. We know that starting a business is hard work, with long hours. However, we know that eventually, we will be able to work fewer hours and enjoy the same success. However, we do understand that work will always be involved, even if the hours are shorter.

6. Home business professionals like to help out others. If you talk to a home business professional, the chances are good that you will find that person does charity work of some sort.

7. Home business professionals are honest in their business dealings. When they see others being dishonest, they are quick to call them on it, and point it out to others.

8. Home business professionals are very dedicated. We love what we do. It is something we have chosen for ourselves. We make our own rules, and we love "going" to work each day. Our love for what we do drives us to do it better than anyone else and keeps us very motivated.

9. Home business professionals are very energetic. We don't have the stresses that the people in the corporate world have. We are not a part of the rat race. This allows us to have more energy. While traditional corporate employees tend to go home from work and stretch out on the couch to watch television, home business professionals walk out of their home offices ready to go have fun. We have alot of energy left over at the end of the day.

10. Home business professionals are happy people. We love what we do. We've made our own rules, and we are living the lives that we have chosen to live. Who wouldn't be happy?

Home Business Career with Home Decor Products

Home is where the heart is. The memories of our formative years are attached with home. We all have a certain degree of yearning for home. That’s why we love home decors as much as we love home.

Running a home decor online store (Visit: http://www.milanodirect.biz/) is one such job where there is no off/on season. If you love home, have some appreciation for decorating, then a home business career with home decor products is the best job for you to express your creative self as well as win sure profits.

If you understand the quality of craftsmanship in home decor, and plan for extraordinary designs, you will in all ways be a successful businessman. Or else you can affiliate yourself with any great home decor business (Visit: http://www.milanodirect.biz/home-decorating-business.asp) and work from home. Today, the options to run business online from home are easy, effective and highly affordable.

Can you guess from where we get maximum comfort? Hotels? Restaurants? Corporate OfficesÂ…? No. It’s home, sweet home. Because home is a comfort zone for us. Not only as a physical surrounding, but in all aspects it touches our lives. By selling home décor products or promoting them, you touch the lives of people of all ages.

Throughout the history, well planned home decor business or for that matter any home product business has never drowned. The reasons are many. First, whether boom or burst, people need homes, if not other gadgets. Secondly, people make smart decision in buying home products, because they know the quality. So, as long as you are confident on your or your affiliate’s product quality then there is nothing to worry. You can make it big in home decor business.

At this time of cost optimization you don’t need inventory of your own, you don’t need logistics support at your home. Still as an entrepreneur you can benefit from virtual home decor business where on you have to help in lead generation and prospect creation.

You are exposed to a web of opportunities; you can make an intelligent choice and sign up with a company who specializes in home décor products. It can be fun and rewarding.

However, if you want to break free from all those affiliations you can start a business all on your own. But this requires a flair for interior decorating and business prudence. Then you can specialize in the home decor product where you can spell your bit of genius. Like costume designing there are infinite home décor ideas. All depends on your entrepreneurship. Again you have develop channel partnership with interior designers, home builders, contractors, decorators and furniture stores in order to make your business visible in the market.

You might ask why these contacts and contracts with so many people. The answer is plain – they can spread the word about your business and place you in front of prospective clients, irrespective of the nature of your business, online affiliation or own showroom.

While turning you hobby/passion into a business, you need to do a lot of research. You might ask why. Because hence forth you have to take care of other people’s passions also. Make a little survey what the people like/dislike. You can get the biz details from many sources. If you have started an online home décor business, then make your virtual showroom neat, convenient and make it to top page ranks. And try to build affiliates down you line.

Advancements in High-Tech Electronics and Safety Merge Together


Fuel efficiency isn't the only hot topic when it comes to automotive technology - safety continues to be a major issue with today's car buyers. That's why automotive manufacturers are working hard to enhance safety for the driver as well as the occupants.

Major advancements in technology are leading to a wealth of consumer technologies, but in some ways, it's the increasing use of these high-tech products that is making safety technology in vehicles more necessary than ever.

It's a good news bad news scenario.

The good news - more collision avoidance systems and other advanced safety systems that help collision avoidance are being developed to help keep drivers heading in the right direction.

The bad news, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, is that from now through 2015, more complex devices will be developed for use in cars that could increase driver distraction. The advanced and rapid evolution of complex products includes new applications and detailed screens in portable devices such as cell phones with text messaging and more advanced features, as well as MP3 players. Also of concern is the fact that teens are the most likely group behind the wheel to be affected by these distractions. This makes sense since younger drivers tend to be the earliest adopters of new devices and that the combination of driving distractions and lack of fully developed driving skills suggests significant risks for this group.

Thank goodness automotive safety engineers have been busy. There is an impressive array of safety innovations and advancements that can be found in most of the new vehicles in today's dealerships and an even more impressive lineup of technological innovations that will be available in the near future to assist and help refocus distracted drivers. Most cars on the road today already feature safety innovations such as:

Anti-lock Braking Systems: Help reduce the chance of skidding by pulsing the brakes to prevent the wheels from locking up, particularly on wet or slippery roads, or during a panic stop. This advancement in brake technology is helpful in enhancing steering and directional control. An anti-lock braking system (ABS) pumps brakes automatically so that the driver can concentrate more on the steering.

Traction Control: Works along the same principle as the anti-lock braking system; it detects loss of traction during acceleration on icy and slippery surfaces and pulses the wheels to enhance drivability.

Crumple Zones: Engineers have designed vehicle frames in such a way that during a severe impact the vehicle crumples in a predetermined pattern. This allows the frame to absorb some of the collision energy by displacing the crash impact and diverting some of it from the passenger compartment.

Crash Resistant Door Pillars: Similar in theory to crumple zones, this safety innovation is particularly significant in the case of a side collision, deflecting the force of the side impact away from the head area and toward the legs.

Head Restraints: One of the less talked about but important safety features, head restraints limit head movement during rear impact crashes significantly reducing the possibility of neck injury. These are present in the front seats and may also be found in the back seats.

Airbags: The argument can be made that no other safety feature has saved more lives in head-on collisions than the airbag. In the case of a front impact collision, an air cushion deployed in a split second helps to provide protection to front occupants. Airbags have evolved since their introduction and are now being fitted in doors and rear seatbacks to protect the driver and passengers from side impacts as well.

Safety engineers are continuing to push the envelope with innovative safety systems. The focus on passive safety has shifted to active safety more recently. Research and development of various radar and vision systems is taking safety to very impressive levels and includes:

Back-up Sensing System: This advancement in vehicle safety and security produces a warning signal when a person, pet or an object like a car, motorcycle or grocery cart is detected behind the equipped vehicle. Sensors are typically located in the rear bumper.

Adaptive Cruise Control: This innovation uses a long-range radar sensor to detect objects in the vehicle's forward path. Using the throttle and brakes, the system automatically manages vehicle speed to maintain a driver-selected gap between the equipped vehicle and the vehicle ahead.

Lane Departure Warning: This system tracks painted lane boundaries and helps alert the driver should the vehicle start to unintentionally drift out of its lane, helping to greatly reduce one of the largest causes of vehicle crashes.


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