Top 10 Thursday features 10 of the most interesting articles that I found the previous week. There is so much news and information available on the web – it’s difficult to read everything and stay up to date. As I read articles on the web – I’ll share some that I feel are important.
General Business:
- Losing focus? 9 ways to concentrate at work
- Why to-do lists set you up for failure
- Have a pet? Perhaps they can help you out at work {sorry this is just a really cute YouTube video}
Bookkeeping, Accounting, Payroll & Taxes
Construction News
- Checking and Documenting Federal Debarment Status of Vendors
- Asphalt group questions life-cycle cost analysis procedures
- Check out the January issue of Construction Digital
Marketing & Social Media
- 8 Easy Ways to Boost Your Website on a Budget
- Easy Tips for Smart Social Media Strategy {YouTube video}
Well, there’s our Top 10 most interesting articles for last week – do you have some interesting news that you’d like to share?
QuickBooks, while a great software program, is a “generic” accounting program. Even though there is a “Contractor version”, it was designed to meet the needs of all types of contractors – from the home handyman to a general contractor. Only through the use of QuickBooks integrated add-ons will you find that it then becomes a viable substitute for the more costly construction specific accounting programs available.
Welcome to Tuesday Training!
Tuesday Training is a new feature here on the QuickBooks for Contractors blog. While everyday focuses on training of one sort or another, Tuesday’s are dedicated to more in-depth training.
We’ll teach you the things you need to know about using QuickBooks, that you won’t find in the QuickBooks Help file, in order to successfully run your construction business and obtain accurate job costing reports; from eBooks, live webinars, and recorded training sessions.
You’ll find high-quality (budget friendly) training without having to leave the comfort of your home or office.
Choosing QuickBooks and QuickBooks Add-Ons for Your Construction Business
Whether you currently use QuickBooks or are thinking of using QuickBooks for your construction accounting package you need to be aware that QuickBooks, while a great software program, is a “generic” accounting program and will not do everything that you may need it to for your business by itself, unlike more expensive construction specific software.
If you are like most contractors, you probably do not think of yourself as a “computer hardware/software expert’. In fact, when faced with the thought of purchasing new computers and/or software to automate critical, time consuming tasks within your business, you end up feeling overwhelmed. Many contractors end up turning the project over to someone else. This unfortunately, is one of the major reasons that this type of project fails.
Download the complete article to find how you can make your project succeed!
We hope that you’ve found today’s Tuesday Training article to be helpful to your business – if so please take a moment to leave a comment or share this with others on your favorite social media network using the buttons below.
Top 10 Thursday features 10 of the most interesting articles that I found the previous week. There is so much news and information available on the web – it’s difficult to read everything and stay up to date. As I read articles on the web – I’ll share some that I feel are important.
General Business:
- Guarding Against Fraud: How to Protect Your Organization
- Business-driving technology worth considering in 2012
Bookkeeping, Accounting, Payroll & Taxes:
- Committee to start work on payroll-tax cut in mid-January
- Taxpayers Warned of Changes for Tax Season
Construction:
- Top 10 transportation issues for 2012, including texting and cell phone usage while driving
- Indian considers right-to-work legislation
- Understanding General Liability Insurance for Contractors
- The Science of Bidding
- New York state plans to invest $15B in infrastructure improvements
Marketing & Social Media:
Well, there’s our Top 10 most interesting articles for last week – do you have some interesting news that you’d like to share?
Strategies for Making the Move to Public Works Construction Projects Seminar – American Subcontractors Association, San Diego branch, January 19, 2012
The current economic situation has dealt a serious blow to both homebuilders and commercial contractors and many are finding themselves make the move to Public Works construction and Prevailing Wage projects. Make the move to Public Works construction will require planning and quite possibly a variety of changes in the way you currently run your existing construction business.
Join industry experts; Steve Kuzmack, President of Fringe Benefit Experts and Nancy Smyth, President of Sunburst Software Solutions, Inc. for an intensive 2 hour session on January 19, 2012; on strategies for lowering labor costs and complying with certified payroll reporting requirements on Federal and/or State funded construction projects.
Learn How:
- To reduce payroll taxes and insurance premiums on your prevailing wage projects.
- “Bona Fide” benefit plans operate and how they decrease labor costs while increasing company profits and enhance employee benefit programs.
- You, the owner, can put more pre-tax money into your personal 401K.
- To smooth out the wage discrepancies between Private and Public Work.
- To save $2.00 – $4.00+ in payroll burden per man hour – based on San Diego Wage Rates.
- Supplemental Unemployment Benefit {SUB} Plans operate – and why your field workers like them.
Learn the Pros and Cons of Paying the TOTAL Hourly Prevailing Wage Rate on Payroll:
- Impact on your company
- Impact on your employees
Learn About Types of “Bona Fide” Fringe Benefit Plans:
- SUB Plan – “Field Workers Get Paid When Not Working” {Holidays, Layoffs, Reduction in Hours}
- Pension Plan – How to Increase Owner and Staff Pre-Tax Contributions
- Health Plan – Make Health Insurance Premiums not only Pre-Income Tax but Pre-Payroll Tax as well
Learn About Bookkeeping, Accounting & Payroll Procedures:
- When you pay the full fringe rate as part of employees hourly rate of pay
- When you pay the full fringe rate to one or more “bona fide” fringe benefit plans
- When you pay a portion of the fringe benefit rate to a plan and the balance in cash
Learn About Certified Payroll Reporting Requirements:
- What is a Certified Payroll Report?
- How do I complete a Certified Payroll Report?
- Are there different requirements for State and Federally funded construction projects?
If you want to get more competitive, grow your company and create more profit; then this seminar is for you.
This event will be held:
January 19, 2012 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the SMART Safety Office, 9471 Ridgehaven Ct. #C, San Diego, CA 92123. Non-member Price $60.00. Member Price $45.00. Register for the event OR download a seminar flyer.
Top 10 Tuesday includes our favorite tips and news stories from around the web. This week there are some important articles for you to read and information to be aware of, split out into the following categories:
QuickBooks News & Tips:
- Bookkeeping in Bunny Slippers – An Update for Your Software is Available: Do You Really Want It Yet?
- QuickBooks and Beyond – QuickBooks 2011 R8 Has Problems
- Intuit QuickBooks Support – Resolve Problems after installing QuickBooks 2011/Enterprise 11 R8 Update
Tax News:
- accountingTODAY – Companies Had to Cope with 270 Tax Changes in Q2
Construction News:
- Construction Law Blog – Legislative Update for the New York Contractor, Part 1 of 3
- Construction Law Blog – Legislative Update for the New York Contractor, Part 2 of 3
- The Contractor’s Perspective – Reinstating the contractor’s role in past performance evaluations
- Construction Advisor Today – The Cumulative Impact of Multiple Change Orders
Business, Social Networking, Customers & Website
- American Express Open – Balance of Work And Life Is A Myth
- American Express OPEN Forum – Building Buzz: Responding to Negative Reviews Online
Well there you have it, these were the top 10 most interesting articles that we found on the web last week – do you have an article that you’d like to share?
Have a great week!
