Self Made
An NASE blog on the self-employed and micro-business
Monday, May 13, 2013
Posted by Molly Nelson - Wondering how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may impact your business, or how to achieve health business growth? Two webinars happening this week might have the answers you need. "Small Businesses Beware: Why You Can't Afford to Ignore the Affordable Care Act"
Hosted by ADP and HR.com Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 11 a.m. to noon ET Register for the webinar on the Affordable Care Act. "Death by Growth: Are You at Risk?"
Small Biz Club Success Saturday webinar Saturday, May 18, 2013, 11 a.m. ET Register for the webinar on business growth.
Friday, May 10, 2013
The Small Business Administration recently announced that they are amending regulations to allow greater access to federal contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses. This signals the commitment by the SBA to continue to advocate and support woman business owners. Previously, Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses had a limit to the contracts they could receive. With the rule change, the contracts can be at any dollar amount. This will not only help federal agencies reach their goal of five percent of contracts going towards WOSB but more importantly, get the funding in the hands of these entrepreneurs. ...
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Posted by Katie Vlietstra- On April 30th, the Department of Health and Human Services released the new, simplified exchange health care application for both individuals and families. The simplified application process will allow for the individual or head of household applying for health insurance to verify possibly eligibility in other federally administered health care programs, including the Health Insurance Marketplace (exchanges), Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and access to tax credits to pay for premiums. Applications to secure health insurance in the marketplace will be accepted starting on October 1, 2013, but we recommend spending some time and ...
Thursday, April 25, 2013
A buzz has been created recently as reports that the U.S. Treasury’s funding of the Small Business Lending Fund grew by over $1.5 billion between the third and fourth quarter last year. This is exciting as getting funding to local banks and community development loan funds and in the hands of America’s smallest business is a great way to stabilize and grow the U.S. economy. Getting money to the self-employed will lead to more jobs and stronger communities. Our very own President & CEO Kristie Arslan also weighed in saying “Seeing the growth in small-business lending is a promising signal ...
Monday, April 15, 2013
Posted by Keith Hall (NASE Tax Expert) - Well, it's here. April 15th and the tax return is due today. My guess is that a bunch of us have not completed all of the detail that we had hoped to and now we're not sure what to do. First, don't panic!
If you need more time to complete your tax return, the IRS will automatically grant you an additional six months to file the return by simply asking them. If you need more time, simply complete IRS Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income ...
Friday, April 12, 2013
If you’re waiting till the final hour (or weekend) to prepare your tax return, make sure you have read through the Internal Revenue Service’s Top Six Tax Tips for the Self-Employed. For a highlight of the article, read on below, and for more details and links to important Self-Employed forms that you will likely need, be sure to click on the link above and visit the IRS website. 1. Self-employment income can include pay that you receive for part-time work you do out of your home. This could include income you earn in addition to your regular job. 2. Self-employed ...
Monday, April 08, 2013
Posted by Keith Hall (NASE Tax Expert) - What if I told you that the IRS would subsidize your retirement savings plan? My guess is that you wouldn't believe me, but it's true. If you haven't filed your tax return yet, make sure you consider your options for contributing to a qualified retirement plan such as a traditional IRA or a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) Plan. The contributions that you make before you file your return are deductible even though it is already three-and-a-half months after the end of the year. This is the one true tax planning tool left for all ...
Monday, April 01, 2013
Posted by Keith Hall (NASE Tax Expert) - We knew it would happen. April is here and many of us still haven't finished our tax return. There are still a couple of weeks to go, so don't feel too rushed, but it's time to get busy. As you plow through all of the paper and numbers and receipts, let me plant one thing in the back of your mind to keep you focused. The number one reason that this return might spark that dreaded letter from the IRS asking for more detail, or worse, for more money, is math errors.
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Monday, March 25, 2013
Posted by Keith Hall (NASE Tax Expert) - Telling you not to be tempted by the fudge is probably a silly way to start a blog post about taxes. Silly for the most part because, of course, you will be tempted by the fudge, because it's fudge. (Duh!) But I'm not talking about the chocolate kind, I'm talking about that temptation to take a shortcut in completing your federal income tax return.
Whether you are getting your paperwork together for the accountant or getting ready to sit down with TurboTax, you are probably feeling the temptation to just guess. To ...
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
In honor of Women’s History Month, the NASE would like to showcase some contributions women have made to the business community and provide some resources for women looking to impact their community or the next generation of women entrepreneurs. Whether you plan to start your own business and contribute to the local economy, or have expertise that you would like to lend to an organization that supports women in business, this blog post is for you.
Women-owned businesses are a powerful force in the economy:
• There are over 7 million U.S. women who run their own businesses
• Women ...