Small business owners and self-employed people seeking help with federal tax information should visit the IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center, now available online. You'll find answers to questions, tools and educational material.

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The U.S. Small Business Administration just released an annual report, "2011 Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories," although much of the most-recent-available data are from 2009 and 2010.

The report consists of individual state profiles, and as usual it is a testament to the importance and influence of small businesses everywhere. (A small business is defined as one with fewer than 500 employees.)

Highlights from the Washington data:

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The National Federation of Independent Business, the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Policy Center have scheduled a news conference next week in Olympia to announce ways state lawmakers "can improve Washington's small business climate and spur economic recovery in the state."

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The state's chambers of commerce, including Economic Alliance Snohomish County, issued a news release today urging state lawmakers in Olympia to raise taxes only after they "reduce spending to the greatest extent possible" and "focus on job creation, education and transportation."

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Details in a news release from the U.S. Small Business Administration:

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Release Date: January 4, 2012
Contact: Cecelia Taylor (202) 401-3059
Internet Address: www.sba.gov/news

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The governor yesterday announced steps to streamline payment of state business-and-occupation (B&O) taxes and to obtain business licenses by centralizing the system at the state level. Today, local governments collect those taxes and issue licenses.

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I am not a small business owner. I am merely a small business customer and someone who has written a fair amount about big business. But after the retirement of Mike Benbow, The Herald's venerable business editor, I will be looking for news that's relevant to small businesses and entrepreneurs and sharing it with you here. So forgive me if there is at times a certain bent, that of a consumer. You can help keep me on...

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About 73 percent of small and medium-sized businesses will buy a tablet in the next year, according to a survey by market research group NPD.

The survey was aimed a companies with fewer than 1,000 employees.

It found that Apple's iPad is the device most frequently considered by small and medium-sized businesses.

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The U.S. Small Business Administration seeks nominations for small business innovation and technology awards.

The SBA is honoring small businesses and their role in the nation's economy.

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McClatchy-Tribune News Service distributed this Top 10 list of business books from 800-CEO-READ, which compiles it monthly based on purchases by its corporate customers nationwide. Here are the best sellers for November 2011:

1. “The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World” by Daniel Yergin; Penguin Press, 816 pages ($37.95)

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The Dallas Morning News set up a panel of six small business owners to discuss the issues they considered most important today and to talk about how they're adapting to the tough economy. Here's the newspaper's report. At the end is a look at members of the panel.

DALLAS — Dallas entrepreneur Nikhil Nilakantan is trying to hire two people now and more next year.

Fellow startup founders Shama Kabani and Steven White each plan to hire about 10 people next year.

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Here's a story by Dee DePass of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about how and why more small businesses are creating wellness programs for employees.

MINNEAPOLIS — Five years ago Alexandria Extrusion Co. invited nurses, dieticians, personal trainers — and even spiritual leaders — onto its factory floor to help workers battle obesity, diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure.

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Here's an interesting story by Rex Huppke of the Chicago Tribune on the difference in professional networking between men and women. There are different techniques between genders and the occasional disconnect, so it helps to understand the tactics.

I recently received an advance copy of a book that has the word “SEX” in the title in big, red capital letters and, because I'm a sucker and a guy, I opened it and started looking for pictures.

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Here's a story by Corey Williams of the Associated Press on a new board game developed by a Detroit woman on how to take an idea all the way to a startup business.

DETROIT — When Ida Byrd-Hill began thinking out an idea for an educational board game involving inventions, it wasn't out of necessity.

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The state will spend $1.6 million on a new export program aimed at helping small businesses ship their products and services overseas.

Officials said that 95 percent of state businesses are considered small, but only 4 percent are involved in exports. The new program, launched today, uses federal funds from the Small Business Jobs Act.

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The Small Business Administration is hosting a web chat about tax essentials for business owners from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific time on Dec. 15.

The talk will focus on what to do before year's end to save money on taxes. It will also offer tips on avoiding tax mistakes.

Here are the details"

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The Small Business Administration will offer a free webinar Dec. 20 on leading your business through a crisis or natural disaster.

The agency has partnered with Agility Recovery Solutions to offer business continuity strategies via its PrepareMyBusiness website. To get preparedness tips or access previous webinars, Click here

Here's the info if you want to attend the webinar:

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Here's a story by Diane Mastrull of The Philadelphia Inquirer about the increase in digital marketing by small businesses.

PHILADELPHIA — Bridget McMullin's expertise is designing home interiors. Her world is fabric swatches and paint samples. Floor coverings and window dressings. Exhaustive hunts for wall art and furniture pieces.

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Businesses will pay an average of 13 percent less in unemployment taxes in 2012 and will see rates for workers compensation remain flat, state officials said Thursday.

Gov. Chris Gregoire said a tax reform bill approved earlier this year will mean the unemployment tax rate will drop by 13 percent next year and that 88 percent of businesses will pay less than they do now.

Businesses should save about $207 million, the governor said.

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Here's a story by Celeste Smith of The Charlotte Observer on starting a new business.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The challenging economy isn't enough of a reason to hold off on your dream of starting a business.

If anything, startups will help push the economy to a stronger recovery, according to Marie Johns, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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More Small Business Saturday tips:

The National Federation of Independent Business is offering a web portal for small businesses to use to promote their deals.

The plan is to list the stores by state so consumers can use the site to buy from a local business.

To check it out, Click here

also

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If your business isn't ready for Small Business Saturday, you might get a free more tips from the Small Business Administration.

The agency has ideas for marketing materials (posters, press releases etc.) that you can check out by Clicking here

You should also check out Facebook by Clicking here

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Bruce Freeman writes The Small Business Professor column for Scripps Howard News Service. This week, he talked with Jessica Drost of PrintingforLess.com about cost-effective marketing.

Drost:

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Small Business Saturday is coming up in two weeks and it's not to early to prepare for it.

Experian Business Services recently listed 10 tips for preparing for the day, Nov. 26. Small Business Saturday started last year as way to encourage people to shop at local stores and to think about small businesses as an important part of their holiday shopping.

Here's summary of the 10 tips offered by the credit agency:

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Video is now available from Washington Post Live's Exporting for Growth Small Business Breakfast in Chicago, where experts discussed how small businesses can efficiently export goods and services abroad. For those who don't already know, I should tell you that The Post owns The Herald

Terry LaRocca, State of Illinois, says promoting export creates jobs.

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Bruce Freeman writes The Small Business Professor column for Scripps Howard News Service. This week he's responding to a question from a new college graduate about starting on a showstring.

Before you launch, it's important to make sure that your business idea has legs, meaning it has enough market appeal to be profitable.

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Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says small businesses are struggling to get loans more than two years after the recession ended. He says banks could help them by easing overly tight lending standards.

Bernanke says the Fed has been holding training sessions to ensure that banks are meeting the needs of credit worthy business borrowers while maintaining appropriate lending standards.

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Developing a disaster plan for your business not only helps protect the assets, it can also help you keep employees and customers and reduce operating expenses.

The Small Business Administration is offering a webinar in partnership with Agility Recovery Solutions about the far-reaching impact of developing a disaster plan and how it affects your bottom line.

Agility CEO Bob Boyd will provide the one-hour webinar at 11 a.m. Pacific time Nov. 15.

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This week, Google and American Express Open launched a national contest for Small Business Saturday, which is Nov. 26.

Thirty-six winning entrepreneurs will be featured on the event's YouTube homepage, reaching 20 million daily visitors, to drive business on Small Business Saturday, which is the day after Black Friday.

From the Google and American Express press release:

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If you're a woman business owner looking for federal contracts, you may be interested in an upcoming web chat with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The SBA's Michele Chang will talk and answer questions about the woman-owned business program at 11 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday for an hour.

Participants can join the chat and also can post questions beforehand by Clicking here and then clicking on the web chat event under What's New.

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