Have You Sent Out Your Business Christmas Cards Yet?

Is it worthwhile to send out season's greetings to your business contacts? 

Yes!  In building and strengthening relationships with your clients and prospects, a business Christmas card acknowledges that you took the time and effort to think of them.

These tips will help you to use business Christmas cards to build and strengthen relationships with your clients and prospects:

• Don't go overboard with designer labels and customized messages on your business Christmas cards.  Dollar for dollar, no one really cares if your company's name was handwritten or if it was printed onto the Christmas card (remember, it's the thought that counts).
• Include a business card with your business Christmas card.  If family and friends are your customers too, send out two separate Christmas cards (one from your business and one just from you that is not business related).
•  Also include a handwritten note inside the Christmas card.  Make it short and sweet.
• Be sure to spell the company's name and the contact's name correctly.
• Buy next year's card just after the holiday season and get them at a reduced price.

Source: Mark McGregor, professional speaker and international writer

IRS To Offer Free Phone Forum on Recordkeeping For Small Businesses & Exempt Organizations

The IRS will be offering a free phone forum on recordkeeping on December 1, 2010.

The IRS Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) Division will run the forum. Small and mid-size exempt organizations may also find this phone forum useful, as many have the same recordkeeping issues as small businesses. 

Accounted For Bookkeeping, LLC. encourages all small businesses, self-employed individuals, and exempt organizations to take advantage of this free, helpful forum so you can be proactive in improving your understanding and maintenance of your important records.

Topics to be covered in the forum include:

§           Why books and records are necessary

§           How the IRS defines books and records 

§           What specific types of records are needed and 

§           How books and records should be maintained 

Other pertinent topics will also be covered.

Tax professionals may receive a Certicate of Completion that can be used to request Continuing Professional Education Credit if the forum meets the professional organization’s or state’s CPE requirements.  Enrolled agents receive one CPE credit for a 50-minute participation from the start of the program.

Three convenient time slots are offered. Select the time that works best for you below, and sign up now for the event of your choice:

CONFERENCE ACCESS CODES:

§           108604 – 10:00 a.m. (ET); 9:00 a.m. (CT); 8:00 a.m. (MT); 7:00 a.m. (PT)

§           886646 – 1:00 p.m. (ET); 12:00 p.m. (CT); 11:00 a.m. (MT); 10:00 a.m. (PT)

§           116600 – 4:00 p.m. (ET); 3:00 p.m. (CT); 2:00 p.m. (MT); 1:00 p.m. (PT)

Register at the AT&T TeleConference Services. Reservations are limited, so register early. You will receive a personal identification number to join the conference. If you have never registered with AT&T for a prior phone forum, you will first need to click on create a profile.

If you require special accommodations (for example, Braille, large print or interpreter services), the IRS requests that you contact Brian Finn at: nationalphoneforum@irs.gov. 

The IRS will e-mail presentation materials the day before the forum. If you do not receive this e-mail by noon the day before the event, they ask that you e-mail them at nationalphoneforum@irs.gov to request the materials.

Dial in on December 1, 2010
Toll free: (800) 683-4564 ** NOTE: DIFFERENT CALL IN PHONE NUMBER **
Toll: (913) 312-2904 ** NOTE: PHONE NUMBER CHANGE **

• Dial in at least 5 to 10 minutes before the scheduled time. Those who are first to arrive will be assured participation; when all lines are busy, you will be unable to join the session.
• Enter your access code, then the pound (#) sign.
• Enter your PIN, then the pound (#) sign.
• The participant's line will be placed on hold until the conference begins.

A question and answer period is included during the presentation. However, due to the public nature of the call, we will not be able to address specific client issues.

Have questions about the event or problems registering? E-mail us at: nationalphoneforum@irs.gov.