And no I am not referring to holiday cheer, parties, gifts and the like. And not even ringing in the New Year with its associated celebrations and resolutions. But, as all you bookkeepers and accountants are aware, year end for most companies is right around the corner.

One of the first issues to be deal with no matter the timing of your fiscal year end is all those pesky payroll chores. W2’s to be prepared, proved and mailed. And let’s not forget our favorite year end chore – preparation of 1099’s. If you have been keeping on top of things through out the year, then these processes should not be too onerous.

One thing you should know if you are not using a payroll service, but preparing your W2’s in house is that on the W2 form Box 12 has new two codes this year. Code AA is for Roth Contributions to a 401k plan. And Code BB is to be used for Roth Contributions to a 403 (b) plan.

And don’t forget to report fringe benefits such as cash which includes bonus, severance, vacation or sick pay, and non-cash gifts. These might include concert or sporting event tickets, meals, gift certificates or cards. Remember these benefits are subject to Income, FICA and FUTA taxes. Check with your accountant for the laws in your state as well. You do not need to report employee discounts, working condition fringes or use of employer owned or leased athletic facilities or what are termed as de minimus fringes (you know that free turkey the company gave to everyone). If you have any situation that might be unusual or that you don’t know whether it should fall into the reportable fringe benefit category, then do check with your accountant.

This is also a good time to have your employees review their withholding requirements and to supply W4 forms to them should they need to make changes.

By now you should have reviewed your vendor list and made sure that all subcontractors are marked to receive 1099’s. Your software program should be set to print a 1099 for each marked vendor that has earned $600 or more during the calendar year. You also should have already checked that you have entered the correct addresses and EIN’s for each company/person receiving a 1099. Make sure you verify with the company that the name registered with the IRS for the EIN you have in your files is the same name you will be issuing the 1099 to. For example, if you have been making checks out to John Smith he might have an EIN in his dba (doing business as) name. Or maybe you have been issuing checks to the dba and he is using his personal social security number as his EIN in which case his 1099 must be issued in his name. It is very important to use the matching name and EIN number when issuing 1099's. Otherwise you will be receiving a letter from the IRS requesting you to verify the information and even perhaps asked to withhold backup taxes from your vendor to be submitted to the IRS. Having each vendor make out and sign a W9 form when they begin doing business with you and also at the beginning of each new year will help insure you have the right information. You can get these forms at any IRS office or online at www.IRS.gov. They do not have to be submitted to the IRS as they are for your records only.

The filing dates for W2’s is February 28th however you are required to have mailed the forms to your employee no later than January 31, 2007. These dates are also in effect for filing of 1099’s.

So enjoy your holidays while they are here, for come January 2nd you will be quite busy.

You will be quite busy.

If you're not presently using an Internet or email fax service you could be losing out on a lot of benefits and advantages. Any company or individual must closely examine the benefits of using Internet fax, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you will discover.

First, as you probably already know, Internet or email faxing uses the Internet and your email system to send and receive faxes. You simply sign up with an Internet fax service provider and receive the use of a Toll free or local fax number for a small monthly fee. You can check and send faxes from your own online login control panel and you can also store your faxes online.

Once you start using an Internet fax service you will realize it has many advantages. Here's a quick run-down at what you will find:

1. Lower Costs

The set-up cost of any Internet fax service is much cheaper. There is no need for a traditional fax machine and NO need for an extra phone line. This will save you or your company money in the short term and over the long haul. If your faxing requirements or needs are very minimal, you can sign up for a lite service with very inexpensive monthly or yearly fees. Some yearly fees are as low as $20 or monthly fees under $5.

2. Convenient And Portable

Internet fax is very convenient and portable, you can access it anywhere, anytime -- wherever you find the Internet. And these days that's just about anywhere on the planet.

Because it's web based, you are not tied down to the office fax machine or limited to any physical location. Online fax services are perfect for mobile professionals and business travelers. It is also ideal for those people who work in the field: real estate agents, sales people, medical personnel, engineers and architects. Those workers will find Internet fax is flexible, portable and very convenient to have.

3. Scalable For Any Business

Internet fax is completely scalable to meet any company's faxing needs, big or small. Most Internet fax services will offer special rates for large scale fax broadcasting and other faxing requirements of large businesses. It can be a good alternative faxing service for most companies, one that is easier to manage and run. A viable alternative to the old fax machine whose days may just be numbered.

4. It's Easier and Less Messy!

Internet fax is very easy to do, just attach a TIF, PDF, or JPG file to an email and hit send. It is also a lot cleaner, no more messy inks or paper jams. It truly is faxing simplified.

5. Internet Fax Is Progressive

Not to sound like a technical or business snob but Internet faxing is the modern way to fax. In our increasing technical world, it is probably the right route to take, unless we want our company or business perceived as operating in the dark ages. Granted, this is more a perception than actual fact. Many companies and workers would rather have their work confined to the office and the old fax machine -- don't bother me after business hours, thank you please!

However, from a competitive angle, it would be beneficial for any company or business to be permanently tied into their work or clients. Imagine not getting that latest real estate bid or losing that million dollar order that came in by fax over the weekend and had to be finalized immediately, ouch!

As you can see from the examples and points stated above, Internet fax does have many advantages and benefits. Online faxing can save you money and help make your company more competitive. Using or switching to Internet Faxing is one business move that requires some thought and consideration on your part.

Online faxing is the wave of the future and it is gaining ground quickly in the business community. Since an Internet fax service has so many advantages over faxing the old-fashion way, can you really afford not to test-run this relatively new way of faxing? The benefits of using an Internet fax service will make it worthwhile for you or your company. It is a smart way to do business.

The low-carb diet trend is having a huge impact on fast food restaurants. Customers don't want the bun, the bread, or the sugar candy soft drinks. They want high-protein, high-fiber meals, and if you restaurants are listening and starting to deliver what customers want. Those restaurants include Burger King, Subway, and Carl's Jr.

I think it's an excellent example of how consumer demand can change the practices of an industry in a free-market society. And it isn't just fast food restaurants who are paying attention to the Atkins diet: it's also local, sit-down restaurants who are increasingly offering low-carbohydrate menu items to customers.

As a person who has avoided refined carbohydrates for nearly a decade, this is a great relief to me, because it makes it a little bit easier to eat at restaurants or while traveling. Hopefully, these restaurants offering low carb menu items will experience a great deal of success from it, and customers will experience improved health by avoiding refined carbohydrates in their diets.

* The scene is repeated throughout Chicago, where fast-food restaurants are clustered within easy walking distance of elementary and high schools, according to a study by Harvard's School of Public Health.
* A Burger King restaurant is seen across the street from the Orr High School campus in Chicago on Friday, Aug. 19, 2005.
* Researchers in a study by Harvard's School of Public Health, say the pattern of fast food restaurants clustered within walking distance to schools is likely present in urban areas across the country and is likely contributing the nation's obesity epidemic.
* "It can be very hard for children and teens to eat in healthy ways when they're inundated with this," said lead author Bryn Austin, a researcher at Harvard and Children's Hospital Boston.
* Statistical mapping techniques showed there were at least three times more fast-food restaurants located less than a mile from schools than would be expected if the restaurants had been more randomly distributed, the researchers said.
* Previous studies have shown that on a typical day, almost one-third of U.S. youngsters eat fast food, and that when they do, they consume more calories, fats and sugars and fewer fruits and vegetables than on days when they don't eat fast food, the researchers said.
* The findings beg the question of whether fast-food companies intentionally locate their restaurants near schools to make them easily accessible to young people, some of their key customers, Austin said.
* He called the study assumptions speculative since the researchers didn't assess whether proximity of fast food affected students' eating habits.
* If students were to take advantage of the Whopper special outside the Chicago campus, it would lead to a sizable calorie and fat intake.
* Two "Original" Whoppers have 1,400 calories _ over half of them from fat, according to Burger King's Web site.

Did you know that you can literally make money while you are catching some z's? There is nothing more rewarding than opening up your email program in the morning and hearing all the email come in filled with sales from around the world. You have worked hard to master your expertise and now it is time to turn it into products that not only provide a ton of value to your customers, but also provide you with another stream of revenue.

It's true -- building a passive income is your key to earning more money without working harder. Here are some ideas for how you can build an automatic income source for your online business in less than one week.

I once heard someone say "If you know how to: fix something , find something , save something, do something more quickly, do it better, do it more efficiently, do a greater amount of it, do it with greater quality, do it less expensively, do it more easily, do it more often, be happier doing it, do it automatically, or more effectively, take existing knowledge and apply to a new situation then you have a subject to create an information product about!"

There are two reasons to create an information product:

1. To create a system you can provide to your clients to eliminate the repetitive work that you dole out time and again.

As an example, I have many people hire me to help them create more profit through promotions. I found I was telling them the same information over and over that they could easily do themselves with the right information. I was sending the same worksheets and giving them the same resources. So one day, I decided to put it all into a home study program. This program is packed full of everything my coaching clients needed to effectively promote their business. Now when I have a coaching strategy session with them, we truly get to focus on the strategies, rather than the tactics. It is a win-win for both of us!

2. To create an alternative source of income.

Using this home study program, as an example, I have now "bottled my brain" and am able to offer a highly comprehensive solution to my clients promotional woes for a fraction of the cost. When companies would hire me to come in and do it for them, I would charge a minimum of $5K per month. I am now giving people all over the world access to my consulting for under $150.00. These sales add up too! If I sell 10 in a day that is $1500.00 I didn't have before.

I bet you are raring to get started now! I recommend that if you get this accomplished in less than 7 Days, you will play to your strengths. Are you a writer? Do you have connections with other people in your industry you want to partner with on a project? Do you love to speak publicly?

I want to give you three product ideas you can EASILY create almost instantly.

Idea #1: Host a 60-90 minute Teleclass with another well known expert and turn it into a product.

Simply set up a bridge-line that allows recording, invite the guest and host the interview. Once the interview is complete you can offer it as a download on your site as well as in a product box in the back of the room.

Here are a few winning product tips:

Always offer audio combined with written work. As an example, send the MP3 file to a transcriptionist and have her transcribe it into a word document. Add a cover page and PDF it. It highly increases the value and also appeals to both auditory and visual learners. Take the same product, burn it to a CD and put it in a DVD Box with the PDF in a booklet form. With DVD boxes you have much more space to write marketing text and it looks so much better than a CD case. Set your pricing generally between $27 and $47. Use greatteleseminars.com for an easy one stop shop solution. They record it, burn it to MP3 , disk and send you a transcript via email. It is a great service. info@greatteleseminars.com Tell Dan I sent you! Idea #2 Write an e-book and turn it into a printed special report

If you aren't a writer, don't worry! You can go to www.guru.com and hire a writer. An e-Book is generally more than 25 pages.

Here are a few winning product tips:

Use a shopping cart like www.oneshoppingcart.com and it will host your e-book and let people automatically download it. The money will just show up in your account. Make sure you have your product professionally proofread. Boy did I learn that one the hard way! Take the e-book to Kinko's or CopyMax and have them spiral bind it for you. You can then take it to conferences or tradeshows and sell them. e-Books generally sell (depending on length and subject) for around $17 - $27. Once it is printed, you can sell it for $27-47 to cover your costs. Idea #3 Hire a Videographer to Tape your Next Speech and Turn it into a DVD. LIVE!

If you like to speak and do it regularly, this is a great product idea. I recently recorded a 4 hour marketing workshop I did and I am turning it into a DVD. You are going to be there delivering it anyway, so you might as well turn it into a product!

Here are a few winning product tips:

Make sure you ask the audience if anyone objects being filmed. If they do, they can sit in the back of the class out of the cameras way. If you are really concerned, ask everyone in advance to sign a model release form and acknowledge that they know how you will be using the product. DVDs are the way to go today. VHS is about as popular as cassette tapes so keep that in consideration when you are choosing the format. Depending on how many DVDs are in your set , you can sell them for anywhere from $47 – 147. Products are a great way to create extra passive income and to create systems for your clients to use. I have created killer products in a matter of hours before that fly off the shelves.

So…what is your secret to success? Success sells, and if you have your own personal method to getting there, others will pay to hear it. That's why e-books on how to succeed and make more money are topping the sales charts. Ask yourself, "What you know that is special, unique , and could help others?" The answer to that will make a successful InfoProduct and create the Cha Ching! Cha Ching! Cha Ching! in your inbox in the morning.

Has anyone ever asked you what kind of business you're in? Of course they have and it doesn't matter what your answer is. You could be in the insurance, automobile, restaurant, Internet, investment, network marketing, writing, publishing, etc. The type of business makes very little difference, because we're all in the customer business. If we don't attract and subsequently keep customers there is no business.

Many people think McDonald's is in the hamburger business. Or that Domino's is in the pizza business. How about Gateway being in the computer business? Nope, all of these companies are in the business of attracting and then keeping customers. The product is of little importance without customers.

This is a very important key to remember in any business, because without customers business as we know it would cease to exist. Let's not forget what W. Edwards Deming said, "Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them." So there you go, without customers there is no business. We would all be better off spending our time focusing on both obtaining and retaining customers, because that's the key to business as we know it. You've no doubt heard the old saying that 'the customer is king'. Keep that saying in mind as you move forward on your quest to attract keep the most important part of your business…the customer. And never forget that whatever business you say your in, in reality your in the customer business.

Trevor Kugler - Co-founder of JRWfishing.com and founder of yourmoneyconnection.com Trevor has more than 15 years of business experience and currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country - Montana.

I didn't start out dreaming about my own home-based business. I had a good job that paid well, with excellent benefits. This is the kind of job that is becoming increasingly rare in today's job market

Here's a few reasons that were NOT part of my decision to start my own business.

1. Your time is your own. This is true, but the fact is that when you work for yourself, there's never enough hours in the day to get everything done

2. I can be with my family. Also true. But working for yourself involves discipline. No matter what you do in your business being productive = being paid.

3. Unlimited moneymaking potential. Once again, almost all home-based businesses has unlimited potential. You can't pay the rent on potential, however.

Nope, the reason why I left a well-paying job to start my own home-based business was traffic. I know. I know. You're thinking, a guy must be crazy to give up a six-figure income for the uncertainty of working for himself in a home-based business.

It was taking me two hours each way to get to work in return each day. That was four unproductive hours that I used to come up with some great home-based business ideas. All it took was some time to think outside the box and the idea started flowing.

During each passing month, traveling the freeway four hours daily, my dissatisfaction with working for corporate America increased. During the same four hours, my excitement about the possibility of working from home and having my own home-based business increased.

I'm not going to tell you what kind of home based business I actually started. All business, but especially small business is about doing what you love to do instead of being told what to do by someone else.

So although I am working longer and making less money has never been happier. As the business grows, I fully expect to be able to spend more time with my family and continued to grow that unlimited moneymaking potential into a solid business.

If you have any interest in following your dream of a home-based business, start looking at the possibilities. So many of my friends have wanted to start their own business but instead of figuring out how they can do it they only look at the challenge it is to be successful. Don't let the challenges of working from home, and starting your own business stop you from following your dream.

In a previous installment of medical billing software, we covered the many nightmares that a programmer has to go through to get that medical billing software on the market. In this article, we're going to reveal what the poor QA tester has to go through when getting the module fixes from the programmer. In the world of major headaches, this ranks up there with the worst of them.

The QA tester basically takes what the programmer does and makes sure it works the way it is supposed to work. But that's not where it ends. The QA tester, in smaller companies, also has to write up the documentation to show the end user how the software is supposed to be used. Sometimes just one wrong instruction can mean the difference between zero support calls for the software and a hundred calls an hour. What follows is a typical example of how this happens.

The medical billing software company is making an electronic billing module. The module requires that the user use a particular kind of modem with certain settings. The programmer sends the module to the QA tester and the QA tester walks through the procedure. The QA tester determines that the module is working correctly. What he or she doesn't realize is that the modem being used for the test was the wrong kind of modem and would only work on Windows 95 machines and not on 98 or 2000 machines. So the documentation goes out telling users that the modem has to be set a certain way but doesn't mention that this won't work on Windows 98 or 2000 because of a com port problem.

The software gets shipped out and the customers start to install the software, many of them on Windows 98 and 2000 machines. Much to their surprise, they find out that the modems do not respond to the commands from the electronic billing module. The calls start coming in. The first thing support does is ask the QA department if they bothered testing the software. Of course the answer is yes. They then demonstrate and low and behold, they are using a modem that is not supported. Turns out that they discover that this will not work on Windows 98 and 2000 machines. So what now?

The module has to go back to programming and somehow they have to figure out how to make the software work on Windows 98 and 2000 machines because of the com port issue. They ultimate create a program to emulate Windows 95 protocol for com ports and everything is fine.

It turns out that all of this could have been avoided if the QA tester had tested this on both a Windows 95 operating system and a 98 and 2000 operating system. But the software was only tested on 95 on an old modem so of course it was going to work.

If you think that the programmer has nightmares trying to get a piece of medical billing software to work correctly and the QA tech has headaches trying to test this software under every possible condition, imagine the troubles that the support tech has when he is basically stuck in the middle of this no win battle. In this installment, we're going to show you just what the support tech has to go through on a daily basis.

The biggest problem that the support tech has is that they are basically the last one to find out what the software does and the first line of defense when it comes to taking support calls. This gives them the least amount of time to prepare what is inevitably going to come down the pike. Need an example? Here's a perfect one.

The DME medical billing software company decides to add barcoding to their line of products. So the hardware department makes the barcoding machines that will actually read these barcodes. The printing department makes the labels. They have to be just the right size. The programmers then write the code to make it so that the barcoding machines read the barcodes correctly and print them properly on the labels, lined up just so. The QA tester then tests all of this to make sure it works just right.

After all this is done and it is determined that the product is working as it should, it is then handed over to the support techs so that they can learn how to use it in order to be able to support the product. They really don't have the chance to fully test the product because it needs to go out to the public right away. Besides, it's the QA department's job to make sure the software is working correctly.

Well, the software gets released to the public. Right around this time, another company comes out with a barcode reader. They claim that it will work with any software because it is generic. It turns out that this reader is cheaper than the reader that comes with the DME software. So customers opt to buy the new reader instead. Well, it turns out that the barcode readers can use one of two protocols. Unfortunately, the QA tester and programmer only made and tested this software for the more common protocol and the new reader uses the other protocol. Can you see what's coming down the road?

The support department starts getting bombarded with calls. Customers are complaining that their barcoding module doesn't work with these generic readers that are on the market. Support goes back to QA, who then goes back to programming, where it is discovered that they only programmed the barcoding system for the one protocol. So, programming has to add the second protocol, QA has to test it and then poor support has to get back on the phone with these screaming customers and send them the new software. They're the only ones who didn't screw up but they get all the fury of the customer.

The moral to this is simple. If ever you decide you want to work for a medical billing software company, you might want to think twice about becoming a support tech.