Work Faster!
 By Lee S. Shaffer

You can’t add more hours to your day. But you can work faster by tapping into these small-business resources.

They’re all available online, so you can do what you need to do or find the information you need with a click of your mouse.

Plus, these sources will lead you to more resources. So you won’t waste time searching for the assistance you need.

Employer Assistance
If you’re an employer and you need access to the Social Security Administration (SSA), go to www.ssa.gov and register for Business Services Online (BSO).

BSO is a suite of Internet services for businesses and employers who exchange information with the SSA.

As a registered BSO user, you may be able to perform the following services:

• Submit W-2 wage files to the SSA
• Create, save, print and submit Forms W-2 online
• Create, save, print and submit corrections to Forms W-2 online
• View status, error and notice information for previously submitted W-2 data
• View status and error information for your company’s employer reports
• Acknowledge a notice from SSA requesting you to resubmit W-2 data
• Request a one-time 15-day extension to resubmit W-2 data
• Verify employee’s names and Social Security numbers

A tutorial at www.socialsecurity.gov shows you how to access each of the functions.

Going Green Resources
Business.gov has gone green to help small-business owners. The site has added content around environmental compliance, energy efficiency and money saving tips for small-business owners.

The tax page at www.business.gov highlights federal deductions and state incentives for small-business owners who purchase energy efficient products. You’ll also find a savings calculator to determine how much money you can save by using energy efficient products.

Business Planning Help
The Small Business Planner at www.sba.gov offers information and resources that can help you at every stage of the business cycle.

Available from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), this planner includes a wealth of information on topics such as:

• Writing a business plan
• Naming your business
• Getting licenses and permits
• Paying taxes
• Financing growth
• Planning your exit
• Selling your business
• Liquidating business assets

Women’s Business Development
The Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) gives women the assistance they need to achieve their dreams and improve their communities.

Through the SBA, the OWBO helps women start and run successful businesses, regardless of social or financial disadvantage, race, ethnicity or business background.

The entrepreneurial resources are available online at www.sba.gov. You’ll find links to and more information about:

• Women’s Business Centers
• Resources for women
• Success stories
• Association of Women’s Business Centers
• SBA representatives specifically trained to assist women entrepreneurs

Business Training
Through the SBA, you can get the small-business training you need right on your desktop.

The Small Business Training Network (SBTN) is a virtual learning campus that provides quality, targeted online training to small-business owners.

SBTN operates like an electronic umbrella under which many SBA and agency resource training programs are captured, sorted by content and made available in multiple formats.

Through the SBTN, small-business owners have access to online courses, workshops, publications, information resources, learning tools, direct counseling, and other forms of technical assistance.

Many of the learning opportunities offered by the SBTN are developed by cosponsors such as academic institutions and corporations. Some are developed by SBA’s resource partners. And others are developed internally through agency contracts. All of the offerings are free and most are self-paced.

To learn more, go to www.sba.gov.

Help From AFS
Get the business answers you need from the small-business consultants at AFS – at no additional cost.

Simply go online, ask your specific business question and get confidential answers within one business day. Plus, you have unlimited access to these professionals.

The certified public accountants at AFS ProTax can answer your questions about taking the home office deduction, finding more tax deductions, filing your estimated taxes and more.

The AFS ProTalk team can answer your questions about how to market your business, hiring employees, finding financing, getting trademarks and more.

 

(Posted June 2008)

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