Monday, April 30, 2012

Child care for Wahm's



Many potential Wahms think that starting an at home daycare business will be an easy way to make extra money and stay at home with their children. Owning a childcare business can be rewarding and does have many perks. However, the realities of this type of business are far from the ideal expectations of most people considering childcare.

If you have experience in child care or a degree related to the child care field, then opening your own daycare as a Wahm is a natural extension of your our of the home job. However, there are a few important distinctions between working for someone else taking care of children and running your own in-home facility.

The first is money. At home childcare businesses can be profitable, but it normally takes six to eighteen months for Wahms to see any substantial income coming in. This may not be a problem for you, and if you are committed to building the quality and size of your business, the start of your profitability can be on the low end of that scale.

It takes several months to a year to turn a daycare into a profitable daycare for many reasons. First of all, each state has its own licensed childcare requirements. Getting licensed to have a home daycare means attending classes, passing certification and having your home inspected. While you are going through this process, you can look into doing some unlicensed childcare for a few children to start building your business. Each state has its own rules for unlicensed childcare. You should take the steps, however, to get licensed because it will increase your clout in the eyes of parents and make it easier to get funding for your daycare.

It can also take a while to become a profitable daycare because of the start up costs involved. While you do have some baby and child items from your own children, there are many things that you’ll need to buy in order to make your home functional as a daycare. You’ll want to buy tables and chairs, art supplies, music CDs, games and other activities that the children can use while they are in your home.

Finally, it takes time to build up a list of children who attend your daycare. There are many home daycare centers to choose from in every town, and once parents find a good center they normally stay there long term. Finding new clients can be difficult, especially if you don’t take care of infants or babies. Getting clients can be easier when you are licensed, but to begin with you need to rely on networking with parenting groups, people at your church, people in your community and friends in order to build your business.

Despite the long start up time, many Wahms find that owning their own in home childcare center is a great solution to their work at home problem. There are many benefits to taking care of other people’s children. Your children will never be without playmates to entertain them. You’ll have access to many fun and exciting programs made especially for daycare business owners, including discounts on supplies. You may even be eligible for federal subsidies for food and diapers for your cares.

To find out if owning a home daycare is right for you, read up on the subject. Visit other home daycares and ask how those Wahms are enjoying their business. Find out what your state and local regulations are regarding licensed and unlicensed daycare. Once you’ve done your homework, you’ll know if owning a childcare is right for you.

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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Blogging for your business


If you run a small company, you may find that the world
of blogging for business owners is a world that you
want to be a part of. Blogging is a great way to get the
word out to consumers about your product or service,
and it can even be useful for inspiring employee loyalty
and helping you keep your workers at peak morale. If
you are looking for a way to take your business to the
next level, consider what starting a blog might be able
to do for you.

Blogging for business owners has a lot in common with
all other types of blogging, but it has its own unique
pitfalls and strengths. The key to having a successful
blog as a business owner is keeping your goals clear
and concrete at every step of your blogging adventure. It
can be all to easy to get sidetracked, especially if you
are just learning about the exciting possibilities of
blogging technology, but if you want your blog to
succeed you need to stay focused. Write up a plan for
how often you will update, how you will promote your
blog and retain readers, whether you will feature
photographs or video, and other aspects of your blog,
and then stick to it with the same kind of determination
that you used when you built your company.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

LEGALITIES & TAX ADVANTAGES IN A HOME BUSINESS

              

Every year, several thousand people develop an interest in "going
into business." Many of these people have an idea, a product or a
service they hope to promote into an income producing business
which they can operate from their homes.

If you are one of these people, here are some practical thoughts
to consider before hanging out the "Open for Business" sign.

In areas zoned "Residential Only," your proposed business could
be illegal. In many areas, zoning restrictions rule out home
businesses involving the coming and going of many customers,
clients or employees. Many businesses that sell or even store
anything for sale on the premises also fall into this category.

Be sure to check with your local zoning office to see how the
ordinances in your particular area may affect your business
plans. You may need a special permit to operate your business
from your home; and you may find that making small changes in
your plan will put you into the position of meeting zoning
standards.

Many communities grant home occupation permits for businesses
involve typing, sewing, and teaching, but turn thumbs down on
requests from photographers, interior decorators and home
improvement businesses to be run from the home. And often, even
if you are permitted to use your home for a given business, there
will be restrictions that you may need to take into
consideration. By all means, work with your zoning people, and
save yourself time, trouble and dollars.

One of the requirements imposed might be off street parking for
your customers or patrons. And, signs are generally forbidden in
residential districts. If you teach, there is almost always a
limit on the number of students you may have at any one time.

Obtaining zoning approval for your business, then, could be as
simple as filling out an application, or it could involve a
public hearing. The important points the zoning officials will
consider will center around how your business will affect the
neighborhood. Will it increase the traffic noticeably on your
street? Will there be a substantial increase in noise? And how
will your neighbors feel about this business alongside their
homes?

To repeat, check into the zoning restrictions, and then check
again to determine if you will need a city license. If you're
selling something, you may need a vendor's license, and be
required to collect sales taxes on your transactions. The sale
tax requirement would result in the need for careful record
keeping.

Licensing can be an involved process, and depending upon the type
of business, it could even involve the inspection of your home to
determine if it meets with local health and building and fire
codes. Should this be the case, you will need to bring your
facilities up to the local standards. Usually this will involve
some simple repairs or adjustments that you can either do
personally, or hire out to a handyman at a nominal cost.

Still more items to consider: Will your homeowner's insurance
cover the property and liability in your new business? This must
definitely be resolved, so be sure to talk it over with your
insurance agent.

Tax deductions, which were once one of the beauties of engaging
in a home business, are not what they once were. To be eligible
for business related deductions today, you must use that part of
your home claimed EXCLUSIVELY AND REGULARLY as either the
principal location of your business, or place reserved to meet
patients, clients or customers.

An interesting case in point: if you use your den or a spare
bedroom as the principal place of business, working there from
8:00 to 5:00 every day, but permit your children to watch TV in
that room during evening hours, the IRS dictates that you cannot
claim a deduction for that room as your office or place of
business.

There are, however, a couple of exceptions to the "exclusive use"
rule. One is the storage on inventory in your home, where your
home is the location of your trade or business, and your trade or
business is the selling of products at retail or wholesale.
According to the IRS, such storage space must be used on a
REGULAR Basis, and be separately identifiable space.

Another exception applies to daycare services that are provided
for children, the elderly, or physically or mentally handicapped.
This exception applies only if the owner of the facility complies
with the state laws for licensing.

To be eligible for business deductions, your business must be an
activity undertaken with the intent of making profit. It's
presumed you meet this requirement if your business makes a
profit in any two years of a five-year period.

Once you are this far along, you can deduct business expenses
such as supplies, subscriptions to professional journals, and an
allowance for the business use of your car or truck. You can also
claim deductions for home related business expenses such as
utilities, and in some cases, even a new paint job for your home.


The IRS is going to treat the part of your home you use for
business as though it were a separate piece of property. This
means that you'll have to keep good records and take care not to
mix business and personal matters. No specific method of record
keeping is required, but your records must clearly justify and
deductions you claim.

You can begin by calculating what percentage of the house is used
for business, Either by number of rooms or by area in square
footage. Thus, if you use one of the five rooms for your
business, the business portion is 20 percent. If you run your
business out of a room that's 10 by 12 feet, and the total area
of your home is 1,200 square feet, the business space factor is
10 percent.

An extra computation is required if your business is a home day
care center. This is one of the exempted activities in which the
exclusive use rule doesn't apply. Check with your tax preparer
and the IRS for an exact determination.

If you're a renter, you can deduct the part of your rent which is
attributable to the business share of your house or apartment.
Homeowners can take a deduction based on the depreciation of the
business portion of their house.

There is a limit to the amount you can deduct. This is the amount
equal to the gross income generated by the business, minus those
home expenses you could deduct even if you weren't operating a
business from your home. As an example, real estate taxes and
mortgage interest are deductible regardless of any business
activity in your home, so you must subtract from your business
gross income the percentage that's allocable to the business
portion of your home. You thus arrive at the maximum amount for
home-related business deductions.

If you are self-employed, you claim your business deductions on
SCHEDULE C, PROFIT(or LOSS) for BUSINESS OR PROFESSION. The IRS
emphasizes that claiming business-at-home deductions does not
automatically trigger an audit on your tax return. Even so, it is
always wise to keep meticulously within the proper guidelines,
and of course keep detailed records if you claim business related
expenses when you are working out of your home. You should
discuss this aspect of your operation with your tax preparer or a
person qualified in the field of small business tax requirements.

If your business earnings aren't subject to withholding tax, and
your estimated federal taxes are $100 or more, you'll probably be
filing a Declaration of Estimated Tax, Form 1040 ES. To complete
this form, you will have to estimate your income for the coming
year and also make a computation of the income tax and
self-employed tax you will owe.

The self-employment taxes pay for Social Security coverage.
If you have a salaried job covered by Social Security, the
self-employment tax applies only to that amount of your home
business income that, when added to your salary, reaches the
current ceiling. When you file your Form 1040-ES, which is due
April 15, you must make the first of four equal installment
payments on your estimated tax bill.

Another good way to trim taxes is by setting up a Keogh plan or
an Individual Retirement Account. With either of these, you can
shelter some of your home business income from taxes by investing
it for your retirement.





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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Faith or Science| An Extraordinary Conversation



TAKE TIME TO READ. It's worth reading it. Trust me :)


Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?


Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?

Student : Yes.

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Is satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor: Where does satan come from ?

Student : From … GOD …

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor: So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them ?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor: Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theatre became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

P.S.

I believe you have enjoyed the conversation. And if so, you’ll probably want your friends / colleagues to enjoy the same, won’t you?

Forward this to increase their knowledge … or FAITH.

By the way, that student was EINSTEIN.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Celebrities and Their Bizarre Endorsements

Bizarre Celebrity Endorsements
Bizarre Celebrity Endorsements - Shove enough money in front of a celebrity and you just might be able to get them to endorse anything, -- no matter how non-glamorous the product or how tenuous the connection between it and the star.

Never one to pass up a promotional opportunity, who is kim kardashian dating, Kim Kardashian once endorsed a product that may seem surprising... until you remember which of her body parts made her famous. She cut the ribbon at the grand opening of an, ahem, "office" where this product is used. kim kardashian charmin toilet paper, who is kim kardashian dating,Kim Kardashian to do crazy things for self-promotion. She went ahead and launched a New toilet. Kim Kardashian attending the opening of Charmin toilets.

Kardashian really does have no shame, nor limits to what she deems an acceptable product to lend her name to. Pretending that I’m not swelling with pride at having just wiped my backside with the same star-studded brand, all I really have to add is Kardashian is fully-clothed. And there are no shots of her sitting on the toilet making number one or two.


Though, one would assume opening something like the 5th Annual Charmin Restrooms in New York City would require just that. Not that I want to see pictures of Kardashian pooping, mind you. Just saying. I remember seeing Joey Fatone, formerly of NSync, doing this a few years back, and feeling really sorry for him that his career was such a mess. I guess shilling for ass paper pays better than I thought. Pictures of Kardashian cutting the Charmin ribbon are below.



Canada's little moneymaker Justin Bieber has found a great many ways to squeeze money out of his adoring fans. And given that his followers are largely female, his marketing opportunities aren't always the most masculine.. justin bieber nail polish, justin bieber most charitable, justin bieber tour tour dates 2012,

Not to be outdone by her daughters, Kris Jenner has lent her face to more than a few products. But one hygiene brand stands out as being less glamorous -- though more practical! -- than most Kardashian family efforts. kris jenner poise bladder leak, whoopi goldberg poise commercial, kris jenner music video,

Ozzy Osbourne has had two distinct phases in his life. First, he was the screamy, Devil-invoking rocker, and then he was the mumbly, fumbly patriarch of his squabbling reality show family. Which one made him a candidate to endorse this everyday food product? Good question.ozzy osbourne i can't believe it's not butter,

One-woman masquerade ball Lady Gaga makes a point of standing out. In fact, her dedication to weirdness makes it strange that she wound up endorsing a product that's such an embodiment of Americana. lady gaga polaroid, gaga new year's eve kiss,

When you consider what an entrepreneur 50 Cent has been, it's maybe not so surprising that he's now endorsing a major brand. But when you consider that this particular product is beloved by yoga pants-wearing yuppie moms, the association is a little weird. 50 cent vitamin water, who is 50 cent dating,

Though she's remained in shape well into her 50s, Jamie Lee Curtis didn't worry about her sex appeal when she signed on to endorse a product with an... um... "productive" result. jamie lee curtis activia yogurt, jamie lee curtis activia parody,

You may have seen the commercial where Shannen Doherty dresses up as a chef, a nurse, a CSI investigator, a "technologist" and a... flapper? Why did she do that commercial, anyway? shannen doherty education connection, +shannen doherty red carpet,

Think about all the commercial tie-ins that could be made with The Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am. There are sound systems, headphones, music software... peas, I guess. But none of those are the deal that will.i.am landed. will.i.am intel, black eyed peas breaking up,

Ke$ha had tried her best to popularize the whole "lady pirate who slept in a dumpster" look, so the fact that she'd get associated with a product that usually has hygienic associations is just plain odd. Ke$ha lifestyles condoms,

What products might you associate with Helen Mirren? Classic British tea, perhaps? Maybe a line of clothes for the senior citizen who still likes to look sexy? Well, what about video games? Because that's one deal she scored. helen mirren wii fit,

Legendary for his prowess in the boxing ring, muhammad ali roach traps, Muhammad Ali at one point became the spokesperson for a certain product. Like Ali, it aims to defeat opponents, just not with punches... muhammad ali roach traps,

As the slender host of "Top Chef," a show that prizes expert cooking, Padma Lakshmi is probably the last celebrity you'd expect to endorse this particular company... especially since the commercial showed her being an absolute slob. padma lakshmi carls jr, padma lakshmi carls jr, padma lakshmi singing in glitter,

A band as long-lived as Kiss surely has had its share of promotional opportunities. But it was only recently that Gene Simmons and his bandmates signed on for the strangest tie-in yet. kiss coffins, gene simmons married,

Better known for cracking jokes than the activity associated with this product, comedian Niecy Nash nonetheless volunteered her services as a spokesperson for this unglamorous household appliance. Even more surprising, Nash was doing it for a very charitable cause. niecy nash world toilet organization , raineesha reno 911, niecy nash dancing with the stars,

Football great Joe Namath doubtlessly had the opportunity to stamp his name on various products, so you have to wonder what motivated him to go with a product intended specifically for women. joe namath beautymist pantyhose, joe namath quarterback,

Regardless of what you might do with your later career, when you're a founding member of "Saturday Night Live," people expect comedy from you. That's maybe why Dan Aykroyd's fans were so surprised that he associated himself with a product that seems rather macabre. dan aykroyd crystal head vodka,

Here's the story of a lovely lady who for years has touted the effectiveness of a certain product aimed at older Americans. Here's the weird part, though: Florence Henderson doesn't use the product in question. +florence henderson polident denture cleanser , +florence henderson polident,

As a result of their longstanding beef with Mark Zuckerberg and their portrayal in "The Social Network," twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss have become media celebrities in their own right. They even lampooned their Facebook woes in a commercial for snack food. winklevoss twins wonderful pistachios, winklevoss twins rowing,

No, it's not vitamins or Fruity Pebbles that we're calling attention to here. Back in the day, Fred Flintstone gave an on-air endorsement to a product that cartoon characters are legally banned from endorsing today. My, how times have changed since the days of Bedrock. fred flintston winston cigarettes, fred flintstone winston cigarettes, censored classic cartoons,

Stand Your Ground Law in Florida|George Zimmerman a Free Man

A stand-your-ground law states that a person may use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a threat, without an obligation to retreat first. In some cases, a person may use deadly force in public areas without a duty to retreat. Under these legal concepts, a person is justified in using deadly force in certain situations and the “stand your ground” law would be a defense or immunity to criminal charges and civil suit. The difference between immunity and a defense is that an immunity bars suit, charges, detention and arrest. A defense, such as an affirmative defense, permits a plaintiff or the state to seek civil damages or a criminal conviction but may offer mitigating circumstances that justifies the accused’s conduct. Drawing the line between murder and self-defense can be excruciatingly difficult — as demonstrated by the ongoing saga of the search for justice in the Trayvon Martin killing in Florida.
Fortunately, it’s a line that doesn’t have to be drawn very often. Claims of justifiable homicide are rare. And typically they involved people that have a previously relationship, more so domestic violence situations, or involvement of personal property, such as a home invasion.
Laws like the one invoked by the man who shot Martin — commonly known as stand-your-ground laws — were enacted in Florida, Michigan and other states in the middle of the last decade at the urging of gun-rights advocates concerned that innocent citizens who are victims of attack could face the threat of civil or even criminal prosecution.The laws generally provide legal immunity for someone who uses lethal force in response to what he or she reasonably believes is an imminent threat.
The presumption of innocence is lost, however, if the person using the force has no legal right to be where the confrontation takes place — for example, uninvited in the home of an ex-girlfriend — or is in the act of committing another crime, such as selling drugs. Arguably too, when Zimmerman continued to pursued Trayvon Martin on that fateful night even though he was specifically advised by 911 not to pursue.
There are limits. You can’t chase down and kill an intruder who has broken off contact and is fleeing — even inside your house. But with most killings within the home, the owner gets the benefit of the doubt. But on a public street, can someone just pick a person at random, make a subjective decision that the person is “suspicious” and pursue them? Now let’s say if the person being pursued feels threatened and tries to defend themselves because they have no where to run, can the original aggressor then become the victim? Can you truly be the aggressor then the victim? Really? If you ask me that’s having your cake and eating it too. Where there’s smoke there is typically fire. I ask the reader, should George Zimmerman have been carrying a gun? Should Zimmerman have continued the pursuit despite being told not to? Given George Zimmerman’s past legal issues, should he even have been licensed to carry a gun? Guys weigh in, should Zimmerman even be out on bond at this point????!!