As a small business owner who operates my business fully online, I utilize technology and gadgets on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean however that I am not technology challenged or that I don’t get so frustrated that I want to jump up and down on my laptop or throw the printer in the lake. Of course I don’t because that would just cost me money but I do think about it some days. Or should I say visualize it.

Sounds a bit drastic I know but there really are those days when nothing seems to go right and everything you touch either breaks or fails to function properly. Take Monday for instance, I was exhausted, but had a to-do-list a mile long. If it wasn’t one thing that went wrong it was at least ten.

First, my laptop was running so slow it was crawling. So I took time to update everything and also scan it for viruses etc. Then my BlackBerry, well that’s another story and not a good one from where I’m standing. As much as I love my BB, the thing is driving me NUTS. I’m on my 2^nd replacement and still having problems. It texts the wrong people, skips around while I am creating an email and decides to do a 1,000+ message dump from the server, ACK! But, of course, it doesn’t stop there, that would be too easy. The printer has completely ceased to function. And lastly, as I turned to my Zune for some comfort, I found the ear phones were broke. Seriously?!

So what to do from here? Buy a new printer, get another replacement BlackBerry, buy some new headphones and make the best of it. But again, it surely doesn’t mean that I wasn’t annoyed. All the aforementioned happened on Monday and today’s latest update is that the fax machine doesn’t work. It refuses to print anything and it just beeps in a very taunting and annoying manner might I add. Whatever!

After stressing out about having to deal with all of that and also pay for all those new shiny gadgets, it’s time to take a break. Because these types of days just continue down the same path in my experience. I stumbled on VideoBash.com while taking that much needed break and found several funny videos to help distract me from the chaos. But the one I embedded below is by far my favorite and made me laugh the most. It’s a clip from The Goonies! Who doesn’t LOVE that movie?! I do!

Anyway, upon watching this clip, I realized that it represents exactly how I am feeling. Like something is smacking me up. You’ll have to watch the video to understand what I mean but hopefully you see the correlation. The next thing that came to mind was that technology used to be so much easier than it is today. It’s a blessing AND a curse. But that’s another post for another day.

So friends, what are your frustrating technology challenging moments? Please do share! And also share how you deal with them. Oh, and, if you have a suggestion for a new printer and fax machine that would also be good.

Chrissie Cole is a freelance writer for various blogs, including Speedy Incorporation, which helps new small business owners incorporate their business online as well as offering advice and information about running their business successfully via their small business advice blog.

With tax time upon us do you have your travel expenses in order? We hope so, if not it can be a nightmare of sorts. Let us rephrase, a confusing nightmare of sorts.

First and foremost travel expenses must fall into the category of ordinary and necessary for them to be deductible. They must also have incurred when traveling away in connection with an existing business. Also, the expenses must be considered reasonable when weighing the circumstances. Lavish or extravagant expenses are not deductible.

Travel expenses that are deductible, include but are not limited to the following. But also keep in mind that the policies are based on several variables and as such can vary considerably so some research is required on your end.

Any flights, train, bus or car rides between home and business can be deducted. However, if you are riding free due to a provided ticket or frequent traveler program, your cost is zero.

Transportation such as taxis to and from the airport to your hotel, the hotel to the work destination and from one customer to another can be deducted.

Tips paid for services related to any of the expenses outlined above can be deducted.

Mileage can be used and calculated if your own vehicle is used to conduct business.

Business calls and faxes during your business travel. And other ordinary fees such as computer rental, stenographer, etc.

Business owners can typically write off 50% of business meals. That said, extravagant and expensive meals are not included.

Laundry and dry cleaning expenses are also deductible.

Gifts given to associates or clients during the holidays and such and typically be written off at a maximum of $25 per recipient.

Save All Business Receipts

Proof of expenses can include a canceled check, or a written log. The records are not submitting with the return. However you should keep them should you be audited. Which also leads to the fact that you should have a receipt for deduction should that time arise.

As an aside, saving receipts pertains to business in general, not just your travel expenses.

Personal vs. Business Travel

This is where it can get a little tricky. The IRS watches for taxpayers that classify nondeductible personal trips as a deductible business trip. In simple terms, if your travel is to engage in personal and business activities, you can deduct expenses to and from but only if the trip is mainly for business. If the trip is personal in nature, you can’t deduct any part of your travel expenses. The distinction is important as it may cause a problem for your later if you were to be audited.

Tax Forms

According to the IRS.gov Web site, the three forms below are used to deduct travel expenses when preparing your return:

Form 2106 (PDF)

Form 2106-EZ (PDF)

Form 1040, Schedule A (PDF)

More business related tax forms you may find helpful are located on the IRS Website under Tax Topic Index.

This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of travel expenses and allowances, if you are unsure what can be deducted it’s always a good idea to consult a tax consultant. A problem with the IRS is unpleasant and definitely something you want to avoid at all costs.

Chrissie Cole is a freelance writer for various blogs, including Speedy Incorporation, which helps new small business owners incorporate online as well as offering advice and information about running their business successfully via their small business blog.

As a resource site for all things business and office supplies – from the best hosting companies and laptops, to gadgets and more we also concentrate on working productively. It’s all about saving time while saving money.

Most days I work from my home office. But as of late, my house is on the market and that means a million showings and during those times I have to leave my house. It can be quite intrusive if you aren’t prepared. After getting used to it and coming up with a plan, I am now dealing with it rather well. Below are some tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Working on the Go

Utilizing wireless internet means I can work from anywhere. Depending on the day I either work at the library or visit my favorite Starbucks. I have a netbook and laptop – the work I have planned for that day will determine which one I use. My T-Mobile BlackBerry helps on the days that I don’t want to work but keep up with what is going on – whether it’s emails, Twitter or my blog comments.

I have a laptop bag that is ready to go at all times with the items I need to work out of the home. I typically just need to grab a few papers that I might be working on but I am otherwise ready to go. I’m still one of those people that carries around notepads and pens (Sharpie, anyone!) I work online so much that there are days I need to disconnect and write down my thoughts to get focused.

The items I have in my bag include headphones so that everyone doesn’t need to hear what I am listening too – whether it’s a video by my favorite vlogger or music. I’m as sociable as the next person but I don’t want to hear what you are doing and as such I don’t want you to hear what I am doing – it’s disturbs my train of thought. And, I really just don’t care what you are doing.

I also keep a mouse in my bag because I tend to work faster and better with one. I find that using my track pad is often annoying for me because I do a lot of writing and my hand hits the track pad and the page scrolls. It’s very annoying.

Fully charge your laptop or netbook before leaving the house. Finding a free outlet isn’t always an easy task. I’ve often forgotten to do so and find myself frustrated which in turn means I wasn’t very productive with my work. When people take their laptops to the bookstore and coffee shop, like you they are planning to stay a while, plan in advance.

Organization is the key to staying on task and running your personal life and business life together in a smooth manner. Whether you use your BlackBerry or a regular day planner you need to keep track of your appointments and project details. Without proper organization you are setting yourself up to fail. And, yes, I am talking from experience. I’ve learned this lesson more than once and each time was more unpleasant then the next.

I often find that when I am away from my regular environment I am the most creative. I have a notepad with me at all times to jot down new site ideas or when I remember something I have to get done that I may have forgotten.

Make a habit of backing up your work when you get home. There are a couple times over the last decade that I have lost EVERYTHING and it wasn’t pretty. Once it’s gone, its gone. So, when you return home make a habit of backing up any important information you were working on and would be devastate to lose.

Rinse and repeat, for the past few weeks leaving my home for chunks of time has become a habit. Some days I enjoy the outing and other days not so much. But I can’t allow these situations to interrupt my productivity. For you it may be that your child is only in pre-k for three hours and it may not be worth the trip back home. Whatever your reason is, work smart and plan ahead or you will soon find yourself very frustrated.

Chrissie Cole is a freelance writer for various blogs, including Speedy Incorporation, which helps new small business owners incorporate online as well as offering advice and information about running their business successfully via their small business blog.

The market is flooded with tablet PC’s. Picking one might be hard for the average person but for me the decision was rather simple. You see, I’m a huge BlackBerry addict and it only made sense to pick a PlayBook when I was on the market for a tablet PC.

The PlayBook is a seven-inch touch-screen tablet that costs anywhere from $500 to $700 depending on the model specs – with the choices being 16, 42 or 64 gigabytes. There are other comparable tablets available by Dell and other big brand names too but again, we are BlackBerry Geeks.

You might be wondering why you need yet another gadget when you likely already have more than a few – laptop, smartphone, Kindle. But a Tablet makes for easy connecting while on the go without all the hassle of a laptop. It’s lightweight and compact and also affordable. At the time of this writing I have more than 180 apps on my PlayBook and that is surely to keep growing. But this article is mainly about using meeting apps with your tablet for easy conferencing on the go.

Meeting Apps

Accutel Conference Assistant – Get-connected within seconds and manage all conference calls in one place. Other features include storing up to 256 unique sets of audio conference details, joining conference as a host or a guest and much more.

Fuze Meeting – The Fuze app makes hosting and attending teleconferences or video conferences easy. You can invite others into the meeting even if they do not have their own Fuze account. The app is compatible with MS Office apps, PDFs, videos and more making it easy to create and run multimedia presentations – on the go.

The app is free for up to three users, but pricing plans may vary. It comes with a FREE 14 day trial so you can take it for a spin and make sure it’s a good fit for your business.

Skype – Most people already know the joy that is Skype – for personal and business reasons – it makes connecting easy and effortless. And if you don’t, it’s time to catch up and join the party. It allows users to make free calls with other Skype users, call other contacts and if the tablet has a front-facing camera, the user can also make free video calls.

Skype is free, visit the site for more information.

WebEx – Location doesn’t matter when using WebEx. No matter where you are you can attend, schedule or present on the go utilizing the standards of a conference meeting – streaming data, audio and more. For tablets that have front-facing cameras, video conferencing is also an option.

WebEx is FREE and has a 14 day trial period, but pricing plans may vary.

To recap, tablets offer a new way of sharing and connecting while having fun and being productive – all with the convenience of a touch screen display. Gone are the days of being attached to your desk waiting for a conference call, now you can do it while you are out and about or from home should you be sick or for any other reason.
Work hard, but work smart.

Chrissie Cole is a freelance writer for various blogs, including Speedy Incorporation, which helps new small business owners incorporate online as well as offering advice and information about running their business successfully via their small business blog.

Many business owners don’t realize the significance of choosing the right business check. The right bank checks can make all the difference in the world to a company’s image; bank checks are a statement about the business and how detail oriented the business professional is. Further, business checks stand as an advertisement for the company; each time a check is used to pay a vendor or to pay some other business related bill, the check becomes much like a business card for the check writer.

It is imperative that a business owner attempts to order checks that make a statement about the business. Business bank checks should include the company logo and if it is possible, the design on the check should match the logo. It’s a fact that a decorative design is far more memorable than a plain business check—a business owner should consider this when they are trying to make an impression on another vendor or company. Also, all of the contact information should be included on the check; this will make it easier for the vendor to get a hold if you if necessary.

Fortunately, just because a business owner should choose bank checks that are capable of making an impression, it doesn’t mean that the business owner has to spend a fortune doing so. Business owners can order impressive bank checks online and have them shipped directly to their business address within a relatively short period for little cost. Plus, many companies make reordering selected bank checks simple by providing the business owner with an easy to use reorder form.

Networking is the key to a successful marketing campaign, whether you are an independent contractor, own your own company, or are drumming up accounts for a large corporation. The primary tool necessary for networking is to have a stack of business cards at the right moment: ready to hand out when you meet someone new, insert in company brochures, or leave in strategic locations.

Coming up with a striking and unique business card design is the most important part of creating your business cards, but you don’t have to go it alone. In fact, services such as Vista Print offer design templates so you can mix and match fonts, logos, and graphics until you come up with the perfect business card design that you would like to print and pass out.

When you network with your printed business cards, you are handing someone a written version of the referral that they can pass along to their clients who are looking for your services. Optimize your networking opportunities by finding businesses and services complementary to yours and exchanging a stack of business cards. Make sure that your business design represents your company – your tone, style, and services and get them in the hands of all your current customers as well as your prospective business partners. Networking with businesses as well as with clients will increase your bottom line.

Best Business Buys suggests using Vista Print for your business card needs.