FRONT LINES

{MARCH 2015}
The Hot List

Info Bites to Fuel Your Business

1
CONFERENCE ESSENTIALS

Whether you’re heading to Vision Expo East this month or preparing for other business travel, you need to be ready to face the challenges that await you. That means making sure you’ve got more in your bag than business cards and breath mints.

MULTI-CHARGER. You have a lot of devices. Some hotel rooms only have a couple of accessible outlets. You do the math.

USB FLASH DRIVE. Stock it with pictures of your frame boards, so you can actually talk about display and variety with vendors. You can also fill it with spreadsheets, budgets, and other documents that might be handy to have when speaking with vendor representatives.

EXTRA SHOES. Two pairs, at least. This goes for men as well as women. Not only can you change from show floor shoes to “out on the town” shoes….but your sore feet will want a different pair of floor shoes toward the end of the show.

WIRELESS CARD. They’re cheaper than hotel Wi-Fi, and great to have when Wi-Fi just isn’t available (like in some areas of a convention center, or a restaurant meeting). All major phone carriers sell Internet cards that are usually compatible with both Windows and Apple.

(source: U.S. News and World Report)

2
TRADE SHOWS AND TAXES

Industry trade shows already provide networking, education, and exposure to new products and technology. Know what else they can provide? Tax write-offs. Under “other expenses,” trade show attendees may write off the following items.

Entrance fees

Travel costs (including taxis and parking)

Meal expenses (50% is deductible)

Seminars

But beware…the IRS will want a record of all these expenses beyond a simple receipt. You’ll need to indicate specific locations, time, destinations, and business purpose. As is the case with anything related to the IRS, special rules often apply. For a full explanation of the cans and cannots, visit irs.gov/formspubs/ and enter “463” in the search box.

(Sources: bloomberg.com, QuickBooks)

3
DID YOU KNOW?

Micro businesses (those with five or fewer employees) are a vital part of our country’s economy and business landscape. According to the California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity:
85% of all businesses in the U.S. are micro.
They generate close to 25% of all jobs in our economy.