Free Small Business Workshops - Marketing your small business

These online workshops can help you with nearly everything you need to know about starting a small business, including how to market and manage it. They present real-world business strategies from successful entrepreneurs as well as case studies and forms designed to help you develop your own strategies. You can access the workshops free of charge online at any time, day or night. In addition, you can take advantage of"Find a Mentor"*, sponsored by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives Association) with a resource of 11,200 counselors available to assist you.

Marketing Your Business

Personalization Strategies to Attract and Retain Customers
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Identifying Your Sales Strategy
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Building Your Brand
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Promoting Your Business
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Advertising Your Business
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Building a Web Site
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Free Small Business Workshops - Managing your small business finances

These online workshops can help you with nearly everything you need to know about starting a small business, including how to market and manage it. They present real-world business strategies from successful entrepreneurs as well as case studies and forms designed to help you develop your own strategies. You can access the workshops free of charge online at any time, day or night. In addition, you can take advantage of"Find a Mentor"*, sponsored by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives Association) with a resource of 11,200 counselors available to assist you.

Managing Your Finances

Preparing a Balance Sheet
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Managing Your Cash Flow
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Running a Profitable Company
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Creating a Profit and Loss Statement
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Preparing a Cash Budget
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Analyzing Your Financial Ratios
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Assessing Your Company's Financial Needs
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Partners and Investors
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Valuing a Business
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Free Small Business Workshops - Starting your small business

These online workshops can help you with nearly everything you need to know about starting a small business, including how to market and manage it. They present real-world business strategies from successful entrepreneurs as well as case studies and forms designed to help you develop your own strategies. You can access the workshops free of charge online at any time, day or night. In addition, you can take advantage of"Find a Mentor"*, sponsored by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives Association) with a resource of 11,200 counselors available to assist you.

Starting Your Business

Conducting a Market Analysis
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Developing a Business Plan
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Targeting Your Market
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Maintaining an Agile Company
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Creating a Strategic Plan
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Analyzing Your Competition
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Creating a Competitive Advantage
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Pricing Your Products and Services
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Determining Your Company's Legal Structure
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Protecting Your Business with Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks
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Microsoft Excel tip that saved my life - filter a column by more than two values

Do you ever find that you get lost in MS Excel as the deadline to deliver keeps tick, tick, ticking along?  Here is the most recent MS Excel tip that saved my life.

Excel: filter a column by more than two values

http://superuser.com/questions/623380/excel-filter-a-column-by-more-than-two-values

Filter -> Custom Filter only allows me to filter by 2 IDs total.
Excel's Advanced Filter can filter for as many values as you want

1. Set up your criteria range. The header must be named exactly like the column where Excel should apply your filter to (data table in example)
2. Select your whole table (A1:A11 in example)
3. Go to: Menu Bar » Data » Filter » Advanced
4. Select your whole criteria range including the header under Criteria range (C1:C4 in example)

Ahead of the curve: Running a small business in the cloud

A lot of the technological conveniences we enjoy today were but mere glimmers in the eyes of their creators in the late 90s. In 1997, the majority of people were still on dial-up Internet, Amazon was still basically an online bookstore, Netflix had just begun developing a mail-order DVD rental service and we were a decade away from being introduced to our first iPhone.

It was around this time Elisa Spurlin purchased a single store custom picture framing shop in Menlo Park, California. It was part of a franchise that she used to supplement income while launching her own company in the tech sector.

“The transition, permanently, into a brick-and-mortar retail operation was not a planned event,” Spurlin recalls. “Upon leaving one company in the tech sector to start another company in the tech sector, just in a different field, we needed income to survive the transition. We looked for a business that we could buy that would require minimal involvement and provide cash for living expenses until the tech startup progressed far enough along.”

Peabody Fine Art Gallery and Framing, located in Menlo Park, about 45 minutes southeast of San Francisco, was the first of a total of five stores that she would acquire in the following years.

Spurlin mentions the choice to transition from tech to a “hand built, custom crafted trade” was made even easier because the store was already profitable, had marketing support because it was part of a franchise and the existing employees wanted to stay. The first order of business was to do away with dated processes.

“As was true to our background, the first thing we did was automate the existing paper based system,” Spurlin recalls. “We landed in the top 10 in the country for sales and became more and more involved. At the same time, the tech venture we were working on started to hit snags.”

Sometimes innovation comes with hesitation

In 1997 Spurlin was looking to create a website for her flourishing custom framing business, which was at this time transitioning into an art gallery. From her background in tech she knew she needed to have an online presence, but it didn’t come without some hesitation from her partners.

“Our goal was to have an online catalog of what was available for each artist that we carried so that people who saw a piece in our gallery could go home and look at more choices and… show their spouse a piece they were interested in without having to sync schedules and drag that person into the store…,” Spurlin remembers. “Trust me, in 1997, this was groundbreaking. My partners didn’t expect to take online orders. I remember having to beg to get an online order form. I got one and orders started to come in.”

Although Spurlin was one of the early adopters of Internet marketing, she has some pertinent advice about online presence and search engine optimization (SEO) that still ring true today.

“We handled all of [our SEO] in the beginning because there was no one to contract with, it was too new,” Spurlin says. “Now, the hard part is making sure you get someone good at it. Everyone says they know the ‘secrets’ to SEO. It’s hard to ferret out who to work with. Also, you have to be committed to an online presence. Outdated content on a website is as detrimental to your business as dirty windows and filth in your brick and mortar.”

Small business is an adventure

Spurlin mentions it’s ironic that her venture out of tech had landed her in a framing business where there were more computers than there ever were in her tech company. What started as a supplemental side gig was now her everyday.

“Saying this was now our full time job was an understatement,” Spurlin says. “Having five locations that are open seven days a week, spanning three counties, with almost 30 employees was much more than a full time job.”

Spurlin offers advice for those looking to make the leap from a 9-5 to launching their own path.

“Every adventure is a different one,” Spurlin says. “But looking back, expect it to be all consuming of your passion and your time; therefore your family must be on board, really on board. Learn where the best happy hours are for food; money will be tight at times.”

She also notes the importance of understanding why people are buying what you are selling.

“Every business has to sell something to earn revenue,” Spurlin says. “You might think you are in the business of selling a particular product or service only to find out that people are buying it for completely different reasons than you anticipated. Your marketing strategies and product development need to center around the customer’s reason for buying, not around why you want to make your product.”

With change comes opportunity

Spurlin notes that technology has shifted tremendously since she started out in the early 90s. Along with this shift have come new opportunities and subsequently new requirements for reaching out to new and existing clients. But just as importantly, she says, technology has changed the way buyers make their decisions.

“Anyone who owns a business is struggling right now with the advertising,” Spurlin says. “Understanding your target market, what they want to buy and now how they are going to buy it is a struggle. Some industries have been hit hard when “price is the only difference” is your type of product. Services are harder to define and communicate in an online manner.”

She also mentions that making sure you are available to your customers in the mobile world “is a must”. While she is constantly looking for the most effective means of outreach, the means of measuring success is much harder than it used to be, noting, “it’s not simply count the number of coupons that get returned from a mailer”.

While on the topic of technology, Spurlin offers her insights on running her business in the cloud today. She mentions Peabody’s website was the first part of her business in the cloud, followed by their payment processing system and then their security system. Most recently, she has moved their accounting and payroll software to Xero. This has helped her move to a virtually paperless operating model. Xero’s dashboard enables small business owners like Spurlin to monitor sales – whether they have many locations or just one – and ensure they’re cashflow-positive. Retail business owners can also use Xero to track both online and offline sales.

“Moving to Xero has afforded me the freedom to have whatever form of computer I want now at that station at my store,” Spurlin says. “I am not tied to a specific operating system or device.  I can now make that a system that can be used for showcasing product. It has also afforded me a little extra cash to spend on other items. I was paying annually for a system that had outgrown my needs. What I have chosen is a much better fit for my business.”

source:  https://www.xero.com/blog/2016/08/ahead-curve-running-small-business-cloud/

Attracting customers is one of the top challenges for startup businesses, especially if you do not have any marketing background yourself. However, the principles of marketing are common sense and can get you a long way without excessive expenditure.

1. Know Yourself
Time spent on working out what makes your product or service special (its unique selling proposition) is time well spent because it helps you differentiate yourself from the competition. Clarifying your mission and values will provide you with a framework for positioning your business.

2. Know your Customers
Who is supposed to buy your product or service? Be clear about who you want to sell to. Even if your service or product theoretically could be of interest to almost everybody, pick a customer segment and start marketing to it. Once you have decided on a market segment, it will be easier to decide how to reach potential customers and which channels to focus on.

3. Set a Budget
Making a marketing plan and allocating a fixed budget can help you keep an eye on costs. It is easy to overspend; having a budget will help you focus your mind and your marketing activities. Beware of advertising scams: Unscrupulous fraudsters systematically target new businesses. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t any good at all. Don’t commit to anything over the telephone, and don’t be shy to say “no thank you”.

4. Care for Contacts
Referrals and word-of-mouth are a fantastic way to get new customers. Think about who you know who could help endorse your business. Ask for testimonials, referrals and recommendations.

5. Be Visible
A website is a must for any new business, but it can be simple and inexpensive. The three most important elements are: Your contact details, a compelling offer and an attractive design. The same applies to any other promotional material such as leaflets, flyers and posters.

source:  http://sme-blog.com/2015/07/31/top-5-tips-for-startup-marketing/

Shopify's revamped mobile app could help SMBs ditch the desktop

Shopify says its new app will let users run their entire business from a smartphone or tablet.

By Natalie Gagliordi for Small Business Matters | September 27, 2016 -- 14:00 GMT (07:00 PDT) | Topic: SMBs

E-commerce platform provider Shopify is rolling out a redesigned mobile app for iOS and Android that it says will let users run their entire business from a smartphone or tablet.

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In addition to an overall streamlined user interface, the app includes a bevy of new features, including the ability to fulfill and manage orders, update customer profiles, modify product descriptions, and publish product photos.

The Home screen now includes a real-time view of store performance and shows the total sales and number of visitors for the day, week, or month. The app also allows users to access financial and sales reports for more detailed performance insights.

In addition, the app's Timeline communication feature, which provides in-app messaging between employees, now provides push notifications for improved collaboration.

Overall, the app update is aiming to satisfy the growing number of small business owners who want the ability to run their business on the go.

"We think the key component to this launch is that no computer is now needed to run a business on Shopify," said Shopify CMO Craig Miller. "We see the transition from computer to mobile as a growing trend in businesses especially amongst entrepreneurs."

Shopify hasn't revealed any specifics on what's powering the new app but says it was totally rebuilt from the ground up with technology developed in Shopify's lab. Shopify claims the technology will make it easier to send out new features and app updates across devices.

source:  http://www.zdnet.com/article/shopifys-revamped-mobile-could-help-smbs-ditch-the-computer/

Crucial Skills for Microsoft Azure Cloud: Interview with a Microsoft cloud architect

April 5, 2016 by Paul Carlstroem

Azure is an open platform – it isn’t just a cloud platform for Microsoft technologies like Windows or .NET.

I put some questions to a top Microsoft Azure Cloud Solutions Architect because it is hard to know where to start with a platform as big as Microsoft Azure. 

I met Michael Collier through a presentation at the Microsoft Reactor Space in San Francisco, California. He works for Microsoft and is unbelievably enthusiastic about their cloud products and services. He is extremely accomplished with Microsoft Azure, and as Cloud Academy grows their Azure learning paths and educational offerings, I wanted to view the Azure experience from a Microsoft Azure Cloud Solutions Architect’s point of view.

Michael conveys Azure’s fantastic potential and dives into some practical examples and advice.

That is what we have below. His opinions are strong and his admiration for Microsoft Azure come through.

Michael, you are a Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft. You are also an Azure MVP. Could you explain what that is?

When I joined Microsoft as a Cloud Solution Architect (CSA) in January 2015, I gave up my status as a Microsoft MVP.

Microsoft employees are not eligible to receive the MVP award. The MicrosoftMVP award is for exceptional technical community leaders that contribute product feedback, advocate various Microsoft products and/or contribute to the open source community.

As a Cloud Solution Architect, my job is to help a select group of Azure customers achieve more with Azure. CSA’s provide deep architectural advice to help customers determine the best approach to utilize the many services available within the Azure platform. This can include help with basic Architecture Design Sessions, conducting proof-of-concept projects, providing education on how to use specific features, serving as a liaison with Azure product teams (as necessary), etc.

I work closely with a limited number of Azure customers in order to get to know them – their business and technical goals and challenges – in order to help them be as successful as possible with their Azure projects.

Microsoft Azure is growing rapidly right now. What features do you see attracting new users?

There are many areas of Azure that are especially exciting right now. Azure is an open platform – it isn’t just a cloud platform for Microsoft technologies like Windows or .NET.

Technologies that people may not initially think to be supported like Linux, Java, and Docker are all very well supported within the Azure platform. The breadth of technologies available in Azure should serve as an attraction for those that haven’t looked at the platform in a while. Plus, there are many areas that are especially “hot” right now that I think people will find exciting.

The whole ‘big data’ and IoT space is getting a lot of attention with services such as Data Lake, HDInsight, the new IoT Suite, Azure Machine Learning, Stream Analytics, Event Hubs, etc.  Depending on what you want to accomplish, there are services available to meet those goals. It can be fun to put the right pieces together.

Another exciting area is microservices. Azure App Service can play a role in this area – there is a wealth of features there; much more than I think many people realize.

Azure App Service is a power-packed offering. And then we have the newest player in the space, with Azure Service Fabric, which enables you to build and operate highly scalable, highly available, distributed applications. Service Fabric is the same technology that powers some of Microsoft’s and Azure’s own high-scale services such as Azure SQL Database, DocumentDB, Intune, and Skype for Business.

Last, but certainly not least, is containerization. Microservices and containerization certainly are related. The Azure platform enables you to run a myriad of popular platforms such as Docker, Kubernetes, Mesosphere DCOS, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry. With the new Azure Container Service, you can deploy and manage containers using the familiar tools you already know and love.

There is certainly a lot happening in Azure today. It is without a doubt a very fast moving platform! While it can be a bit challenging to keep up, it is also a lot of fun.

You co-authored a book on Microsoft Azure, Fundamentals of Azurewith Robin Shahan. Could you share which tools you use in continuously improving your Azure skills besides your own book? 

I use many different resources to stay current in Azure. Azure is a fast moving platform – there is always something new and exciting to learn! A few of my personal favorites include:

• The documentation and learning paths at https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/ often help, as I can walk through various scenarios applicable to what I want to learn.
• The Azure blog at https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/ and service update page at https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/ are often a good first stop to see what is new with the platform.
• Training sites such as Microsoft Virtual Academy and CloudAcademy, can also be extremely helpful in diving deep into specific topics.
• I attend a lot of regional technology conferences such as CodeMash, StirTrek, and CloudDevelop (which I help to run). I find the community led conferences extremely valuable because you can get “real world” users to talk about what they did and how they did it – the good and the bad. It’s not a lot of marketing hype.

You mention a few distance learning sites such as Microsoft Virtual Academy and CloudAcademy. Do you see the flexibility as and focus as compliments to books like yours, and if so why?

I view online learning and book based learning as complimentary functions. Typically, online training courses can update faster than printed media. Going by my own experiences in writing a book on Azure, the process can take several months before the book is published. Once that book is in print, it is obviously pretty hard to update. Online learning has an advantage in the speed at which the content can be updated. The public cloud moves at an incredibly fast pace, and being able to have relatively current content can certainly be helpful. On the other hand, there is something about having a book to read, jot notes in, and quickly reference later that is appealing to many people, including myself. I value what books, online courses, and the broader technical community can all bring to the table.

Some people argue that certifications are critical for job seekers. What is your view on this?

My personal opinion is that certifications are helpful, but not critical. Allow me to explain that rationale. If the job seeker is relatively new to the field (i.e. fresh out of college, changing careers, etc.), then without a doubt seek certifications. They can help you learn the technologies and provide some evidence that you know a bit about what you’re talking about. On the other hand, for those individuals who have a good amount of experience already with the technologies, I don’t see the certifications as being critical. They’re something that is nice to have, though.

Where do you see the entry points for people wanting to work in the Azure ecosystem?

That’s an interesting questions. My answer from a few years ago would probably be different than what I say today. Today, I view the cloud – regardless of platform – as the platform for new applications. It’s just the way things are done.  I would strive to understand that cloud computing is really distributed computing, and there are a slew of challenges (latency, high availability, consistency, performance, etc.) that come along for the ride. Additionally, it’s a DevOps world today. Rarely are developers only writing code, and then tossing it over a wall for somebody else to deploy to some unknown environment. It’s much more of a mixed bag today.

Experiment with the products. Some of the easiest services to get started within Azure are Azure App Service and Azure Virtual Machines. If you want to host a web app, deploy an Azure Web App with Azure App Service. Or, if you want to have full control, go with an Azure VM – either Windows or Linux. If you don’t have an Azure subscription yet, you can get a free Azure account with $200 in credit.

Do you see training as useful for Microsoft Azure users? 

Training is certainly useful for Microsoft Azure users!

As we’ve mentioned previously, the services in the Azure platform move fast. There is always something to learn.

(Cloud Academy offers a growing selection of Azure courses)

Could you point out some areas you think Microsoft Azure beats the competition? 

In my opinion, I think Microsoft Azure really excels at providing an enterprise-class Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model, and also at providing technologies to enable a hybrid cloud. 

On the PaaS side, features such as Azure App Service and Cloud Services enable developers to deliver production services incredibly fast, without the need to worry about building the supporting infrastructure.

Microsoft’s leadership in this space is recognized for the third year in a row byGartner.

Additionally, on the hybrid topic, what Microsoft is doing with Azure and Azure Stack is really exciting. With Azure Stack, you can get the power of the public cloud, and still maintain control within your own data center. Having one API and approach with Azure Resource Manager, for both on-premises with Azure Stack and the public cloud with Azure, is really exciting. Historically, Microsoft has done very well in the on-premises enterprise space. Not everything can, or should, move to the public cloud. Being able to have a cohesive story and approach for on-premises and cloud, is something I don’t think anyone else can fully realize.

If you could go back in time and offer some advice to a younger you about learning and careers, what would that be?

Oh wow . . . that’s a good question. There are a few things I would tell myself:

• Have a good mentor. A mentor can be extremely helpful in guiding you in the right direction, helping you to focus on the right things, and shorten the path to learning. A mentor is a truly invaluable resource.
• Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is how we learn. It is OK to try something. Try it. Learn it.
• Consume it all. Try something new. Try something outside of the technology stack your most comfortable with using. If Windows and .NET is the most comfortable platform, try some PHP and/or some Linux. It’s OK. Broaden your experiences.

Michael Collier is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, where he engages deeply with select accounts to help them best utilize Azure’s features. Michael is also a former five-time Azure MVP. He has over 13 years of experience with various consulting and technology firms where he was instrumental in leading and developing solutions for a wide range of clients. He has a vast amount of experience in helping companies determine the best strategy for adopting cloud computing, and providing the insight and hands-on experience to ensure they are successful. Michael is also a respected technology community leader, and is often found sharing his Microsoft Azure insights and experiences at regional and national conferences. 

source:  http://cloudacademy.com/blog/crucial-skills-for-microsoft-azure-cloud-words-with-michael-collier/

Free kindle ebook Cloud Adoption Framework for Small Business

Free Kindle ebook

Cloud Adoption Framework for Small Business

Are you a small business owner trying to understand cloud but uncertain about the technical language, marketing hype or just simply where to start?

How will cloud computing help your Business meet its goals?

Cloud Computing requires a new approach to how IT services are designed, delivered and maintained. Most importantly is the fact that cloud dictates substantial change for your Business.

Not having a strategy for cloud will lead to false starts and mistakes that slow your cloud transformation, introducing competitive risks and diminished credibility for your business. Cloud computing is another transformation agent that small business leaders must understand in order to effectively control its influence of change toward thier business.

The Cloud Adoption Framework for Small Business offers structure to help business leaders correctly plan their cloud adoption journey. Small business leaders can leverage either the complete framework or elements of the framework as a reference guide. Its main purpose is to make the transition toward cloud services easier to understand and more manageable.

48 hrs To Better Manage Cloud For Your Business will provide you with a practical and easy to follow approach for managing cloud that can be learned in a weekend.

The Cloud Adoption Framework for Small Business accelerates your cloud journey with an actionable path to success.

48 hrs To Better Manage Cloud For Your Business is built upon the Cloud Adoption Framework for Small Business which places priority on the people, process and tools that are required for any business to succeed. It will help your business understand your state of readiness to move to a cloud model, the challenges, implications, and benefits.

Almost a decade has passed since cloud was presented as the news highlight for business to discuss. Have you developed a strategy for cloud during that time? If not, then this ebook was written for you.

Section 1: Strategy

This domain involves setting the direction and scope of your business over the long-term. It achieves advantage for the business through its configuration of resources to meet the needs of the business related to customers, partners, staff and to fulfill your business stakeholder expectations.

Section 2: Action

This domain involves defining a course of action or planning to deliver upon the vision identified for your business. It links the Strategy of your business to the required work items to move your business toward its journey.

Section 3: Decisions

This domain provides your business with several of the key decision points that will define the decisions for selecting cloud services. The level of risk that is acceptable to your business, the costs and lifecycle of a business will be core elements of this domain.

Section 4: People

Cloud more than just a technology change and it impacts the ways in which the workforce of your business operates. This domain will look at the new and changing roles that can transform your workforce, and how Business and IT are managed.

Section 5: Financial

This domain will focus upon how cloud impacts your business model creates new financial considerations for the operating model of your business.

Section 6: Results

This domain reinforces the need to identify what represents success for your business and approaches to monitor and report upon progress of your Strategy and Actions. 

Download your Free Amazon Kindle 

ebook this Friday only!

http://tinyurl.com/CAFSMBIZ 

Each section provides its own analysis and recommendations for business leaders to follow. It is recommended to start with foundational content that explains cloud computing and then progress to the section on Strategy, which is the first pillar of the Cloud Adoption Framework for Small Business, and progress through each section in order - Strategy-Action-Decisions-People-Financial-Results. However you can select any section and follow it depending upon your previous knowledge and experience with the identified concepts.

Cloud computing taxes pose big questions for vendors and users

by
Alan R. Earls

 

As states develop different standards for taxing cloud computing services, uncertainties remain for cloud vendors and users alike.

Whether run by kings, congresses or parliaments, the government has historically been on the lookout for new sources of tax revenue. Cloud, it seems, is one of the latest advancements to be put under the revenue microscope. And while much uncertainty remains about how cloud computing taxes will work, cloud vendors and users should prepare for the impact. 

"As businesses struggle to compete, they are facing new headwinds in the form of taxation on cloud-based activities," said Eli Bowman, CFO of Codero Hosting, an IT hosting provider based in Overland Park, Kansas. "This is especially daunting for startups and small businesses that are trying to launch new ideas or competitive alternatives."
One of the biggest challenges surrounding cloud computing taxes is the uncertainty. Cloud vendors rely heavily on software, but it has never been clear under U.S. law whether cloud should be treated as a service or royalty -- each of which has a different tax treatment.
The U.S. Treasury department is "on the verge" of releasing regulations later this year aimed at defining and taxing cloud computing transactions, according to Channing Flynn, international tax partner and global technology tax leader at Ernst & Young, a global professional services firm, headquartered in London. "I think the SaaS (software as a service) and IaaS (infrastructure as a service) companies are anticipating that they will be clarifying this, and likely will define those organizations as generating service income rather than license or royalty income," he said.

The complicating factors surrounding cloud computing taxation
Despite steps toward addressing some of the complexities of cloud computing taxes, challenges remain.

As businesses struggle to compete, they are facing new headwinds in the form of taxation on cloud-based activities.   Eli BowmanCFO of Codero Hosting   

For instance, globally, the tax treatment of cloud computing has sometimes lumped IaaS and SaaS companies with providers of digital content. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has an initiative under the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting effort to clarify the status of cloud and digital services, Flynn said. However, this effort has not made much progress, potentially causing individual countries to adopt widely different approaches for taxing cloud services.
Meanwhile, a similarly chaotic approach to cloud computing taxes is emerging within the U.S.
"The federal law is something [the 50 states] can look to and agree with, and when it comes to income tax, they often do -- but there is no requirement that they do so," Flynn said.  What's more, the cloud sales and use taxes in different states are "imposed based on complex nexus rules that determine whether the activity falls within the individual state's jurisdiction."
Nexus is a complicated concept for determining if a company has a taxable presence in certain locations. It can be based on a number of factors, such as where a company has a local sales force, or where it houses its servers.

A cloud provider and its end-user customers need to be careful that SaaS, for example, is not subject to sales and use tax by state-specific definitions or legislation that is intended to create sales tax nexus, said Asif Muzaffarr, director of tax at inDinero, a provider of accounting services and software, based in San Francisco. In the absence of specific legislation, states sometimes go beyond classification as a service or product and use the SaaS customers' location to assess tax in that jurisdiction.

"Regardless of the method employed by the state to determine its tax, if the state classifies the SaaS as either a service and/or product that is subject to tax, the taxpayer may exercise some due diligence to make sure that their activities meet the state's definitions," Muzaffarr said.

Because there is no standard, some states tax SaaS as software, regardless of the fact that it is transmitted electronically, said Monika Miles, principal at Miles Consulting Group, a tax consulting firm based in San Jose, Calif. Some states do not tax SaaS, even though they view it as software, because they don't tax software that's electronically transmitted. Meanwhile, some states tax SaaS as a service, and some haven't decided at all, Miles said.

As for federal legislation, the Marketplace Fairness Act proposes to make it easier for states to tax interstate transactions, Miles said. However, it's once again on hold in Congress -- a perennial pattern for that particular piece of legislation.

So, while much remains unsettled, cloud users should pay attention to the evolving cloud computing taxation landscape in each jurisdiction where they do business. It seems likely that more tax liabilities are on the way, which will ultimately impact the cost of cloud services. And in the case of use taxes, cloud customers might potentially become liable for taxes in situations that aren't immediately obvious.

"We see that the wheels are in motion for states to modify old, or enact new, legislation to make sure they get a piece of the 'cloud' pie," Muzaffar said.

source:  http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/tip/Cloud-computing-taxes-pose-big-questions-for-vendors-users

5 ways you need to work at home to feel like you never left the office

Whether you’re a full- or part-time telecommuter, or you just like to catch up on projects at home or on the go—you’re not alone. According to Global Workplace Analytics, the number of people who work at home, not including those who are self-employed, has grown by 103 percent since 2005 and it shows no signs of stopping—with 3.7 million employees now working from home at least half the time. Telecommuting offers many benefits for workers, including flexibility and better work-life balance, as well as for employers, who enjoy cost savings and an expanded talent pool, to name a few. As people continue to jump on the telecommuting bandwagon, it’s more important than ever to find ways to stay productive, connected and happy.

Here are five easy ways to make the most of working at home:

1. Be there with instant messaging (IM)—Instant messaging has two big benefits for telecommuters. First, it makes it possible for coworkers to reach you instantaneously, blasting any preconceived notions that you’re lounging poolside or at the movies. IM also keeps at-home workers from feeling isolated. Years of research on telecommuting has found that the live, synchronous nature of IM enhances people’s feelings of presence, belonging and emotional well-being. Other studies have found that the use of emoticons increased people’s overall involvement and created more harmony, and that global, virtual teams who engaged in digital interactions with a social and fun element to them worked better together and built better relationships. Software like Microsoft’s Office 365 offers IM via Skype for Business, allowing for real-time contact on a moment’s notice—complete with emoticons. It’s less formal, more conversational and faster than a phone call.

2. Bad internet? Go mobile—Sometimes you can get stuck with sketchy internet service, depending on where you live. About 55 percent of U.S. households have just one provider that offers service at 25 megabits per second, the minimum the FCC deems necessary to access the most advanced online applications. And while about 75 percent American households with internet still use DSL, cable or fiber connection to get online at home, we may be moving toward a more mobile workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of internet users dropped from 82 percent just a few years before—with mobile-only connections jumping from 10 to 20 percent in the same period. Luckily, Wi-Fi hotspots and broadband data plans have made the possibility of a mobile workforce a reality. Add to that the fact that many popular, top-of-the-line productivity tools are now accessible on your mobile device. That includes office applications that let you create, edit and share from your PC/Mac or your iOS, Android or Windows device with anyone in real-time. That makes it easy to have a mobile backup plan if your internet isn’t as reliable as it should be.

3. Be fluid. But know when to say when—A happy telecommuter knows when to call it a day—and it appears the newest generation of workers recognize that. A recent Deloitte survey found that Millennials are very much in touch with the importance a good work-life balance, citing it as their number one priority when it comes to choosing an employer, with flexibility (like telecommuting) coming in a close second. If you think about it, traditional office workers aren’t required to run back to the office to answer calls or have meetings. The beauty of working at home is the flexibility it offers, like the ability to pick your kids up from school or head to the gym during your workday. While making up those hours later is necessary, you are not required to continue working 24/7. Be sure to take some steps to disconnect when the workday’s done—like turning off your home office phone and closing your work email. Obviously, there are some days everyone needs to work overtime. But it should be the exception rather than the rule.

4. Stay connected socially—Not all business takes place at the office. Grabbing some appetizers at happy hour, eating lunch or sharing coffee and a pastry a few times a month not only helps you see and be seen, it’s also an important way to connect with colleagues and supervisors. A 2015 study in the journal Human Performance finds that bonding over a meal can help build cohesiveness in a work team and establish friendships, while offering you a chance to relax and do some casual networking.

5. Make the most of your company’s software—Products like Office 365, Skype for Business, SharePoint and Windows Phone have helped build a more productive work-at-home environment. Good software will help you make the most of connecting with your teams in real-time via conferencing, IM, video and sharing, while also taking advantage of advanced security and compliance tools, interactive reports, simpler dashboards and compelling data visualizations.

While many workers once used telecommuting to supplement their full-time in-office job, more and more people are using it as a replacement for being in the office. As this trend continues to rise, with approximately 55 percent college graduates reporting they have telecommuted for their jobs, it’s more important than ever to have the right tools to make your work-at-home experience flexible, productive and successful.

source:  https://blogs.office.com/2016/10/06/5-ways-you-need-to-work-at-home-to-feel-like-you-never-left-the-office/