Upcoming Expiration of the 2009 ARRA and Section 179

The Economic Stimulus Act and Section 179 “ The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” has been officially extended. The Section 179 Deduction increases made available in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 through December 31, 2009, if you have purchased and installed the equipment.

With the current news that is all around us it is sometimes hard to justify opening our pocketbooks and investing in our companies. We all know that the best way to improve ourselves and our businesses is to invest time, energy and money in accomplishing our goals. As the year draws to a close you need to take a look and see what can be done to improve your business. The decision to improve may save you money.

With the changes to the Section 179 Deduction made by the Economic Stimulus Act signed in February 2008 there are some exciting benefits for business.

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22 Ways To Work Quicker on your Computer
Used with permission from the HP Small & Medium Business Center

Work, family, friends and a few hours for yourself? Sometimes it seems impossible to fit everything in one day. If you are looking to spend less time at your computer and more time somewhere else, check out these clever keyboard shortcuts.

Windows of opportunity
If you often work with several windows open simultaneously, you’ll save valuable minutes using these quick key options.

1. To minimize a window to your toolbar, press ALT, SPACEBAR and N.
2. To maximize a window to your full screen, hit ALT, SPACEBAR and X.
3. To reduce the size of a window without hiding it, press ALT, SPACEBAR and R.
4. To close a window, hit ALT and F4.
5. To go to the last window you had open, simultaneously click ALT and TAB.
6. To select one window when you have several open, hold down ALT, and maneuver by clicking TAB to the window you want.

To speed up Excel
You can easily accelerate your spreadsheet skills with these handy tricks.

3 Reasons Online Services Save Money
by Heather Clancy
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

It is almost unthinkable to run any business successfully without e-mail. Or, for that matter, without conference calls or instant messaging services that allow employees to share information more efficiently. The good news is that small-business owners can now opt for many of the same communications and collaboration tools much bigger companies have at their disposal-without having to shell out the on-premise technology investment once necessary for these applications.

How? By subscribing to online versions of these apps; that is, by joining the ranks of companies which have opted for software as a service.

Microsoft offers one example. A Standard subscription to its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) provides a small company with Exchange e-mail, SharePoint site hosting, Communications Server instant messaging and presence applications (which tell people
within your network when you're online), and LiveMeeting Web conferencing service. The Dedicated BPOS option layers additional security and archiving features on top of these basic applications.

Market research firm IDC estimates that most United States companies will be using these business applications and shifting more of their technology budgets to support this model.

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5 Green Ways to Save Big Bucks
by Heather Clancy
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Skeptics suggest an economic crisis will stall sustainable business practices. They cling to the myth that going green costs more money. But many small businesses are discovering green habits save big money, especially when it comes to information technology. The savings are many: Reduced power consumption, IT maintenance and hardware procurement costs. This can lead to increased productivity. You say your technology strategy isn't sophisticated? No worries.

Here are five ways you can make it greener and budget friendly.

November 2009

Just for Laughs