Getting Started
Obviously if you are looking to advertise online, you are already have or are investing in a website. Your website is your storefront on the internet and should represent your business in the same way a physical location would. It should be easy to navigate, provide helpful information and blend with your image. There is no point in driving traffic to this site until it is exactly what you want it to be.

The basic idea behind most online marketing is to help direct those searching on the web for products or services that you offer to your website. It is that simple, however, with millions of other websites to compete with, it is also very complex. Search engine optimization or SEO is the key to driving these customers to your website.

SEO Basics
Let’s say you’re a plumber in Cleveland, OH. You want to drive those looking for a plumber in your area to your website. SEO is about ensuring that when a potential customer does a search for a plumber in that area that your site is one of the first that pops up. To do this, the information on your website much match what they are searching for. Also, the more times that information appears and the more links there are to your site from other sites, the better chance you will have of being on the coveted first page of a search.

There are several ways to increase SEO. There are entire books, seminars and companies dedicated to SEO, but there are some simple tactics you can use.

• Increase the content on your site. The more information you have on your site, the better chance you have of matching searches.
• Update information regularly. Make sure that your site is maintained and kept current.
• Add a blog. A blog page connected to your website can do wonders for SEO, and its free! Post blogs or articles at least once a week on topics that may interest your customers. Try to stay away from sale pitches and just be informative.
• Keyword use. Although keywords are important in SEO, if you have sufficient content and are adding blogs, these words will come up naturally. Do not force them into content.
• Link up! Linking your website to other sites is a great way to increase SEO. Link your social media pages, do guest blogs that link to your site and never miss an opportunity to put your link on another site.

SEO is an ongoing endeavor that constantly needs to be monitored and adjusted. However, if you are consistently adding new content to your web pages and addressing hot topics in your industry, you are on the right page. Just remember that the more content and links that you have out there, the easier it will be for new customers to find you.

Go Electronic
The more financial transactions that you can set up to do electronically, and even better, automatically, the better. Everything from utility bills to taxes can be set up on electronic payment, saving the time needed to write out checks and send them snail mail. It even saves you on postage! For those who are still holding on to the cumbersome paper checkbook, let go and make the move to electronic payments.

Consolidate Insurance
If you have several insurance policies all expiring at different times of the year, you may be wasting a large amount of time reviewing each when it comes time to renew. Simplify the process by consolidating your insurance policies under one agent and rewriting them so they all end on the same date. This way, you can meet with your agent once a year, review your insurance needs and then not be bothered with them for another year.

Consistent Payment Method
Choose a payment method and stick to it. Keeping track of purchases made with several different payment methods can make even an experienced bookkeeper want to pull their hair out. The fewer accounts and payment methods you use, the easier it is to keep track of your expenses. Stay away from cash payments or using personal accounts if at all possible.

Outsource Options
Regardless of how big or how small your business is, sometimes a business owner can get overwhelmed. It can make financial sense to outsource some tasks to free up time and simplify your day-to-day routine. Outsourcing certain jobs such as managing your online web pages or even handling marketing can be more cost effective then hiring an employee and give you the time you need to focus on growing your business and handling your financial operations.

By making a few changes to the way you handle your financial transactions and operations, you can save yourself time that can be better used elsewhere. Even if simplifying may cost you a little more but saves you hours every week or month, your time is often worth more the cost difference. Little changes can have large impacts when you are able to focus more time in the areas that matter most.

Collaboration Is Key
Creating a work environment that focuses on collaboration of all parts of a business to achieve the best experience for the customer is the best way to streamline efforts and ultimately serve the customer. Back office positions such as accounting, human resources and other interoffice jobs all impact customers, even if indirectly. Finding ways to connect everyone and their position within a company to sales and customer objectives is how a business can move from mediocre to outstanding.

Ideas To Improve Collaboration
Often times within both small and large companies there is a lack of understanding on the big picture. Each person knows their role but is relatively unaware of what other processes are going on around them. A bookkeeper and a sales associate have very different functions yet at some point, their efforts affect each other and ultimately the customer. To flush out better ways to perform tasks to improve customer experience and efficiency, these different roles need to interact. Some ideas to foster better understanding of these roles are:

• Organizational charts. Many companies use flow charts or even picture maps to show how processes interact throughout a company. When employees can visualize what happens throughout the company, they can see how their role relates to other positions and eventually the customer.
• Cross training. While you may not be able to train a cashier to do your accounting, having employees spend a little time in other departments can help bridge that gap. This also can foster empowerment to handle issues directly by learning who and what departments have answers they need, versus going through a supervisor.
• Social media interaction. Using social media in a work environment can be beneficial to improving collaboration. When employees are able to communicate easily with other departments and locations directly, they can make connections of how their processes are affecting others and the customer.

The benefits of employees learning how to collaborate with other departments and functional areas in a company can be widespread. New ideas on how to improve processes to better serve both the company and the customer come from opening up the discussion to include everyone in the business. Breaking down the walls that separate these different positions can spur new thinking and collaboration at a level that can benefit everyone, especially the customer.

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1. Organization. Office managers are the extreme multi-taskers of the office environment. To effectively be able to do several tasks simultaneously, they must be organized. The excellent office manager has a place for everything and everything in its place.
2. Patience. Whether dealing with vendors, clients or employees, an OM that does not let their frustration get the best of them is a gem. Some of the best office managers that are out there are also mothers. They have honed the skill of taking a deep breath and calming themselves before sharp words come out of their mouth.
3. Intuitive. The OM that knows what information they need to get before they proceed will save themselves and the company time and be the most efficient. This skill takes experience; knowing what questions to ask and what information to gather before they begin a project will stop them from having to back track later.
4. Communication. While verbal skills are vital to communication, an OM will most likely also be bombarded with written correspondence that they must excel at as well. When you receive dozens or even hundreds of emails a day, it is easy to let down your guard and respond cryptically. However, staying professional and considering the tone of written responses is critical to how messages are received.
5. Relationships. The old adage that you will draw more flies with sugar than vinegar is especially true for an OM. With so many duties on their plates, they need the cooperation of those they work with. Office managers that are able to build friendly relationships with their co-workers and outside constituents will be more successful. These friendships will work to their advantage when they need to ask for a favor or extra help to get the job done.

Any business owner that has found one of these talented individuals knows the value that they can provide to a company. They are worth every penny of their salary. An excellent office manager can make the difference between a company that runs smoothly and one that struggles to keep its head above water. If you are looking to hire an OM, consider the benefit of finding that unique individual that has these traits. Anyone can learn your systems and industry, however, someone that has these qualities is a rare find and worth searching for.

Basics Of Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is the documenting and storage of knowledge that is used in your business. This can be daily processes, log on information or client preferences, basically anything that an employee uses to do their job. While much of this may be proprietary and remain business property even after an employee leaves, if it is not stored and saved in some way, it can be lost.

Small companies often are very susceptible if there are no knowledge management practices in place. The smaller a company is, the more likely that employees have more than one role that they perform in the company. A receptionist may on paper be in charge on answering the phones but also does ordering of office supplies and other tasks that get taken for granted. If the receptionist suddenly became ill or quits without warning, no one else may know exactly how to do these other miscellaneous tasks.

Documenting Knowledge
Information is constantly changing in business and the need to keep that information updated and stored is what knowledge management is all about. It is not enough just to have job descriptions and duties written out for each employee; there must be a way to ensure that this information is consistently kept current.

There are several ways to do this. A secure server can allow you to have each employee update a job file that contains this kind of data. Or you may assign a person that collects any updated information periodically. Some information that should be available on every position within a company:

• Job duties. What is this person responsible for on a daily, weekly and monthly basis? This is similar to a job description and can be used as such if you need to hire for the position in the future.
• Log on or passwords. If a position requires them to have log on and passwords to certain systems, this is important to have saved and stored. Owners or managers will need to be able to access these systems if the employee is ill or leaves unexpectedly.
• Outline processes. There should be outlines of how processes are handled within their duties. What days are certain items due, contact names and numbers they work with, step-by-step instructions for complicated processes, etc.

For a business to be successful, you must hope for the best and plan for the worst. Knowledge management procedures help keep owners and managers abreast of what their employees are handling and prepare them in the event that the employee one day is no longer there. By keeping an ongoing collection of all business procedures, if you must replace that irreplaceable employee for whatever reason, you at least are prepared to do so.

Filing For Previous Years Returns
The IRS allows up to three years for taxpayers to file returns for owed tax money. Of course if you owe taxes, it is due by the April 15th deadline each year. However, for those lucky enough not to have to pay, many may be leaving money on the table by not filing.

Filing for previous years is no different than filing for a current year. Both the IRS and state revenue agencies will always accept late returns. However, if a refund is owed, you may need to file within the three-year period to receive it. To find previous years tax paperwork and forms, you can visit the IRS website at irs.gov and download or print the forms. Most tax software has the software available for the past 5-years as well. Also, any tax professional can file previous years returns for you.

IRS Interest
All money owed to the IRS and owed to taxpayers is subject to interest. If you are late in paying your taxes, you can expect to pay interest on the money you owe as well as possible fees and penalties. If the IRS owes you money for a previous years return, you may also receive interest on the amount owed.

The IRS evaluates interest rates every quarter. For the first two quarters of 2013, the interest rates have remained the same.

• 3% paid on overpayments, 2% for corporations
• 3% owed on underpayments
• 5% owed on large corporation underpayments
• .5% paid on overpayments of over $10,000 for corporations

Interest rates are based on short-term rates and daily compounding. These rates will be good through the 2nd quarter, ending July 1st, 2013.

For anyone that did not file in the previous years and had a refund due, it is worth the time to prepare and send in a tax return. Not only will they get the money owed, but they may also receive interest on it as well. For 2009, time is running out on close to a billion dollars in tax money that is just waiting to be distributed. Don’t lose out on money that is rightfully yours!

1. Create a business plan. Just like any other business, successful freelancers have a business plan. This is a living document that outlines goals, marketing strategy and your basic plan for the first year or more of your business.
2. Get online. The internet is a hub for freelancers to gain new business. Creating a website, social media pages and using networking sites all will help build your client base. Dedicate a portion of everyday to updating your online presence.
3. Organize your weeks/months. Planning ahead is paramount for freelancers. Use your Outlook or other calendar to schedule what jobs and work you have so that when new work comes in, you do not overbook yourself.
4. Have a marketing plan. Just like a business plan, you must also have a plan to obtain new business. Whether you choose to use grassroots methods such as bidding for jobs through online want ads or you buy advertising, having an avenue to bring in new work is vital.
5. Keep good records. The taxman will come, and as a business owner, you better be ready. Keeping good records will make it easier to do your estimated taxes each quarter and also helps you see exactly where you are at financially.
6. Plan for slow periods. Freelancing is notorious for the ebb and flow that it contains. You may be swamped for three weeks straight and then suddenly find yourself with a dead week or two. Make sure you are putting away money for the slow times.
7. Ask for referrals. Referrals are the best way to gain new clients. However, not all clients will freely offer them up. Ask your established clients if they have anyone that may need your services. You can even offer a bonus or free service for every new client you get that they refer.
8. Don’t take on more than you can handle. It is hard to turn down work when you are a business but sometimes it is necessary. It is better to say no to work when you are already booked then to try and take it on and not deliver. Know your limits.
9. Set realistic expectations. When scheduling a job, make sure you are realistic both with your client and yourself. Always give yourself more time than you think you will need, incase of emergencies or other delays. It is better to come in ahead of schedule than late.
10. Make time for yourself. As your freelance business grows, it is important to make sure you do not overwork yourself. Schedule times to work and stick to it. Especially when you work out of your home, it is easy to find yourself working when you should be relaxing. Take time to enjoy your success!

Extension Process
For most businesses, the form that is needed to file an extension is Form 7004. This is a simple, 1-page form that allows for an automatic time extension for filing your yearly business return. Most small businesses can qualify for a 5-month extension, however some types of returns may qualify for a 6-month extension. The due date to file the extension is April 15th. The dates extensions will be due are:

• September 16th, 2013. For most corporate, trust income and partnership tax return extensions, September 16th is the deadline to file.
• October 15th, 2013. For individual and other qualified business returns with a 6-month extension, the due date is extended to October 15th.

Most extensions using Form 7004 can be filed either through the mail or electronically. The IRS no longer sends a confirmation of approval of extension. The only time they will contact an individual or business regarding an extension is if their application is denied. Most extensions are automatically granted as long as the form is filled out correctly, all taxes that are due are paid and the extension is submitted on time.

Late Filing Penalties
In most cases, you will still owe a penalty for filing late, even with a properly filed and approved extension. The penalty can be up to 5% of the taxes due for each month the return is filed late, up to 25% (the five-month extension). So even if you file for an extension, do not delay on getting your return filed. The longer you wait the more it can cost you. Additionally, the taxes owed must be paid by April 15th and must be at least 90% of the amount that you show owing on your tax return to avoid penalties for late payment.

While the IRS does offer the extension period as a courtesy to taxpayers, it is always best to file by the due date to avoid additional fees and getting into a poor habit of continuously filing late. If you must file an extension, make it a priority to get your return filed as quickly as possible. Then discuss with your accountant or bookkeeper to devise a proactive plan for next year to ensure that you stay ahead of the game and are able to file on time.

Choosing The Best Tax Credit
There are three college or vocational education tax credits that are available to be used for 2012 and 2013, however, only one credit can be used per student per year. Which credit is best will depend on whether the person is attending school part or full-time, is in graduate or under-graduate classes and the yearly income of those claiming the credit.

• American opportunity tax credit. For most this credit will offer the best tax savings if they qualify. This credit allows up a $2,500 credit for tuition, books and fees. Only taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income of $80,000, or $160,000 for married taxpayers, can use the full credit. Up to 40% of the credit can be refundable. It is applicable to students in the first four years of post-secondary education that are enrolled at least halftime. Other stipulations may apply.
• Lifetime learning credit. This credit is a permanent part of the tax code and did not need to be extended. This allows a $2,000 per year credit per tax return. For those not enrolled at least halftime or are taking graduate classes and do not qualify for the American opportunity credit, this may be an option. There are income limits for this credit as well and other stipulations.
• Tuition and fees deduction. For those who do not qualify for either previous credit, the American Taxpayer Relief Act extended the ability to deduct tuition and fees through 2013. This deduction expired at the end of 2011, but the act allows deductions retroactively for 2012 and 2013. The deduction is available for all levels of post-secondary education. There are income limitations on this deduction as well as other stipulations.

As with all deductions and credits, it is best to research the restrictions in the tax code or to discuss it with your tax professional. Each taxpayer with post-secondary tuition costs will need to look at their unique situation to decide which will bring the most tax savings for them.