Idea of the Day®
October 24, 2025
Donate unsellable returns?
According to one source, as much as 80% of returns to retailers end up in landfills. LiquiDonate, named to TIME’s 2025 Best Innovations List, has a solution. It routes these unsellable items to local nonprofits using sustainable retail logistics software. Retailers benefit by a potential tax deduction for their donations as well as the savings from clearing warehouse space and reduced shipping costs for disposal. #IdeaoftheDay
Big Ideas for Your Business
Resources For Your Business
October 24, 2025
By James Thompson
If you’re intending to buy or sell your company, utilizing business brokers is a game-changer. Brokers are middlemen who assist in the transfer of ownership of complex business transactions. Whether you’re navigating the market in major US cities or smaller communities across the country, selecting the right broker requires caution. The right questions will guarantee […]
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October 23, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
Now that we’re in the fourth quarter of 2025, it’s time to make a preliminary budget for 2026. You’ll likely have to tweak it on a regular basis as things change, but you’ll have a general idea of what your outlays will be for the coming year. The following is an update of last year’s […]
October 21, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
You know that the IRS requires taxpayers to cross their t’s and dot their i’s. Other federal departments and agencies do so as well. Small business owners for the most part can’t afford to ask their accountant or other professional adviser for help at every turn. The good news is that there are some sample […]
October 20, 2025
By James Thompson
Sales training is necessary for cultivating the skills it takes to negotiate, communicate, and engage with customers. But it tends to be a dull, cyclical process. The implementation of games into the training program provides the basis for a dynamic learning atmosphere that keeps the participants inspired and engaged. It can also result in 11% […]
October 16, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
A logophile is a lover of words, and that describes me. I read many books a month and am in multiple book clubs. I’ve transitioned from turning pages on a printed book to swiping them on my iPad. I like most genres…historic fiction, biography, nonfiction…with my favorite being magical realism (e.g., 100 Years of Solitude; […]
October 14, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Why is this important to know? The CDC says that 28.7% of adults in the U.S. (about 70 million people) have a functional disability. Many of these individuals are in the workplace. And many more want to be (disabled vets are struggling to find post-military employment). According to Disability: IN: […]
October 10, 2025
By Erin Shea
Holiday cards have long been a symbol of warmth and tradition, but they’re not just for friends and family. Businesses are now part of the ritual too – and customers welcome it. A recent national survey from VistaPrint of 1,000 U.S. consumers confirms that holiday cards remain a highly effective way for companies to express […]
October 9, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
The deduction for no-tax-on-tips, or more simply tips deduction, was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA). Even though OBBBA was signed into law on July 4, 2025, the tips deduction is effective as of January 1, 2025. About 4 million people in the U.S. work in tipped occupations, but it’s […]
October 7, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
Earlier this year, a group of Starbucks employees filed a lawsuit when the company imposed a new dress code. The company requires baristas to wear sold black shirts with long or short sleeves (with or without collars); they must cover midriffs and armpits. They also have to wear khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms without […]
October 6, 2025
By James Thompson
Brand activation is a marketing strategy to create real-world interactions that speak to an audience and move beyond traditional advertising to form stronger relationships between businesses and consumers. It’s essential today because brands often get lost in the huge clutter of products around us. Brand activation is particularly valuable in competitive markets like New York, […]
October 2, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
On September 16, 2025, I presented a webinar for SCORE entitled “Year-End Tax Preparation – Opportunities to Reduce Your Overall Tax Burden.” It covered the tax changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that are effective in 2025 and impact 2026 tax planning. At the end of the webinar, there was a Q&A […]
September 30, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
Economies of scale is the “cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to their scale of operation.” By definition, small businesses are small and often pay more for the same things than larger organizations, at least when it’s figured on a unit basis. For example, there’s buying power for bulk purchases and there’s the ability to […]
September 25, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
Dolly Parton lamented the woes of working 9 to 5. Today, regular business hours of 9 am to 5 pm, five days a week can still be found, but this isn’t the rule in every business. Employees want more flexibility so they can achieve a better work-life balance. And employers want to find ways to […]
September 23, 2025
By Barbara Weltman
While large employers—50 or more full-time and full-time equivalent employees—must offer affordable coverage or pay a penalty, small businesses are free to decide whether to offer coverage and what type of coverage they will be. Health insurers usually announce their premiums for the coming year during the summer months, which makes now an ideal time […]
September 19, 2025
By Elida Berbeci
Most people don’t think about how much their environment affects them. Yet the spaces where we work are constantly shaping how we feel, think, and perform. Office design is not just about furniture and paint; it’s about psychology. The proper setup can increase energy levels, spark creativity, and reduce stress. The wrong one can drain […]
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Resources For Your Business
What Employers Can Do to Alleviate Employees’ Financial Stress
Smart Offboarding Practices When an Employee Leaves
Outgrown Your Space? How to Scale Up
Business Planning in a Period of Uncertainty
Barbara’s Books
By Barbara Weltman
COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SMALL BUSINESS TAX WRITE-OFFS AND STRATEGIES FROM A LEADING NAME IN TAX If you own a small business, this comprehensive guide explains in easy-to-understand terms the essentials of business taxes to prepare you to work better with your CPA or other tax adviser or handle tax responsibilities on your own. Whether you’re […]
By Barbara Weltman
THE COMPREHENSIVE HANDBOOK FOR AMERICAN TAXPAYERS LOOKING FOR EVERY LEGAL TAX DEDUCTION AND CREDIT This edition of this popular book has been fully updated to reflect the latest law changes, rulings and court decisions impacting 2024 returns. It’s organized in a way that allows you to easily refer to the appropriate deductions and credits for […]
By Barbara Weltman
Ideas you’ll use everyday! With only so many hours in the day, it’s impossible to stay on top of key developments and opportunities to help you run your business better and smarter. 500+ Big Ideas for Your Small Business gives you quick access to resources and tips you can use every day. Whether you’re a […]
By Barbara Weltman
Your GPS to Get You Where You Want to Go in Your Business Do you enjoy driving and being your own boss with flexible work options? Are you looking for a part-time (or full-time) activity that earns good money? Maybe you’ve already discovered that there are great opportunities for making money with your car. Or, […]
By Barbara Weltman
A Step-By-Step Road Map–with Checklists–to Get You Started Up, Profitable, and Successful Whether you want to start up a part-time home-based business or jump in full throttle and work on it full time, you need a start-up guide. A road map! Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide will help you chart your course to work-from-home success. Written […]
What every self-employed person needs to know about their taxes! If you’re self-employed, chances are the majority of your time is spent finding new customers or clients, servicing existing ones, and handling each and every aspect of your business. Freelancers, independent contractors, gig economy participants, and other individuals working for themselves need to be aware […]
By Barbara Weltman and Harvey Bezozi
Created for Uber and Lyft drivers as their GPS — to help them get where they want to go in their business, safely and securely. Note: This e-Book has been updated with a new title and revised content (shown). Do you enjoy driving and being your own boss with flexible work options? Are you looking […]
By Barbara Weltman
Presenting a recently-launched, updated, paperback edition! Barbara Weltman takes an inspired look in Smooth Failing at the hard lessons learned when things go wrong. Through extensive interviews with entrepreneurs whose ventures failed for a variety of reasons — some stunningly unexpected, some painfully inevitable — Weltman gleans valuable insights about the small mistakes that can lead to large scale catastrophe. Smooth Failing seeks to save readers from similar disaster — while empowering those who are learning from failures and adversity to bounce back stronger and wiser on the often rocky road to success.
By Barbara Weltman and Jerry Silberman
12 surefire ways for your business to survive and thrive! Owning a small business can be a fulfilling and financially rewarding experience, but to be successful, you must know what to do while the business is up and running, and, most importantly, what to do when the business runs into trouble. This book is definitely […]
By Barbara Weltman
As Vicki Raeburn of Dun & Bradstreet notes in the forward, “…the successful creation of credit by small business has a significant effect on one of the most important business drivers, namely cash flow. … [This book has] the information needed to understand and build business credit.”
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