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1. Making charitable donations by Dec. 31, can help charities as well as the tax situation of individuals and businesses that are donating. The state of Michigan offered special tax credits to donations made to certified organizations providing overnight accommodations, food or meals to indigents. This Michigan tax credit, which will be eliminated in 2012, is 50 percent of the contribution — or up to $100 on a single return and up to $200 on a joint return. These credits also can be combined with any federal tax deduction. Food banks are at www.gcfb.org or www.forgottenharvest.org . 2. Donations of unwanted furniture and clothing, should be made to the Salvation Army or other thrift stores by Dec. 31. 3. Homeowners should pay property taxes and mortgage payments so that the funds are  received by Friday, Dec. 30. 4. Homeowners in need of a new appliance such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, washer or dryer should purchase it by Dec. 31, before the tax breaks expire. 5. Self-employed...

During research for a recently released book, Let Go to Grow; why some businesses thrive and others fail to reach their potential (Palari Publishing, 2011), the authors spoke with more than 100 small and midsize business owners. They discovered that it is possible to have a profitable, growing business in this economy, but you need to be willing to take a close look at how you are managing your business.   1. Adventure is just bad planning. Have you had enough of the rollercoaster, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants method?  Try planning instead, there is a simple three-step process.  First, you have to set written goals. What do you want to achieve in 2012?  It seems like such a simple question, but many business people go year after year without ever deciding exactly what they want to achieve.  Amazingly, these business owners are often surprised when results are disappointing. What are your revenue goals?  What profit percentages do you want and need to mak...

Happy holidays from the team at Azox. We would like thank all of our partners and customers for your business in 2011 and wish you a terrific holiday season and a prosperous 2012. We look forward to exciting new announcements and updates in 2012, as our e-commerce solution, eSource, will be updated early next year. Once again the entire Azox team thanks you and wishes you, your family and friends a happy holidays and joyous New Year. We truly appreciate working with you and we wish you the best this holiday. Sincerely, Your Friends at Azox

Azox is pleased to have launched Savoir Fare's shopping website for Clarke Distribution Corporation. This website provides a dynamic interface to Microsoft Dynamics GP and allows pricing and description changes to be placed in Dynamics GP while being updated instantly on the website. This allows for a complete integrated solution with reduced data management and greater visibility across different business channels. Check out all the best tools for your kitchen at www.savoirfare.com . Whether it's cutlery, glassware, bakeware or cookware you can find the products that can help create legendary fine dining experience for your home at Savoir Fare. While you're there read some of their special recipes for chilli, pumpkin soup, chocolate heathbar cookies, cajun shrimp and more. Top Features Recipes Page - Find some great recipe ideas and buy associated kitchen tools that can help create those recipe ideas. Gift Ideas Page - Get some great gift ideas for that special occasion.

Hoboken, NJ (December 2011)— “If a business is earning a profit, many business managers simply assume that cash flow is satisfactory. But even if profit is good, cash flow can be bad.” Cash flows pose an unending challenge to business owners and managers because they have to be carefully managed. Here are 11 things to do to for good cash flow: 1. Respect and understand financial statements. According to some surveys, 25 percent of businesses don’t even maintain accounting records (let alone produce financial statements). “The bottom line for small business owners is simple,” says Tracy. “If you don’t make an effort to prepare, review, and completely understand your financial statements, then you need to ask yourself why you’re in business in the first place. And this especially holds true for the statement of cash flows, because an abundance of invaluable information is available from this most commonly overlooked and mismanaged financial statement.” 2. Plan, do projections, and plan ...

With the National Transportation Safety Board urging all 50 states and Washington D.C. to ban the use of all cellphones while driving, including hands-free devices, what implications does this have for employers?  Six Reasons It’s Not Just About Talking Behind the Wheel Anymore When the BlackBerry was introduced in 2002, people began conducting business from anywhere. That led to an increase of lawsuits in which employers incurred significant liability for accidents caused by employees talking on a cell phone while driving. To avoid that liability, employers began implementing and enforcing policies defining when and how employees may use a cell phone for work while they are driving. Pepper Hamilton LLP labor and employment attorney Robert C. Ludolph notes, “If an employee had a car accident while talking on a cell phone, those policies helped employers establish that they were not vicariously liable, because the employee was not carrying out their job duties by talking on the phon...

We are glad to have recently launched O'Keeffe's B2C website. O'Keeffe's is a leading skin therapy company and offers a unique formula of moisturizing ingredients that are guaranteed to improve dry and cracked skin. O'Keeffe's natural creams offer guaranteed relief for hands and feet. Best of all their creams are odorless, oil-free, non-greasy and hypoallergenic.Check their brand new shopping site out here. Top Features Shopping Meter - See how close you are to qualifying for free shipping, with a meter that changes dynamically. Robust Branding - Web store branding that compliments the look and feel of the rest of the site. * Visit the site to receive free shipping on orders over $20.

More and more people are comfortable with and willing to pay their bills online. Learn how offering online invoice payment to your customers can help increase your cash flow and lower the cost of bill reconciliation for you and the customer by filling out the form on this page .

Southfield chamber hosts brunch Wednesday Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce will host its 1st Annual Holiday Brunch 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 14, Regency Manor, 25228 West 12 Mile Road, Southfield. It will feature Colin McConnell, president of BizMatch Connect. The cost is $10 for chamber members and $15 for non members. Visit www.southfieldchamber.com/brunch or call 248-557-6661 or email info@southfieldchamber.com Social Media is a Party in Detroit on Thursday Social Media is a Party is hosting a panel discussion, “How We Can Create a Thriving Future for Detroit.” It starts with registration at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15 at The Red Grape Lounge in The Kresge Building, 1201 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Featured panelists include: Karen Dumas, Former Chief of Communications & External Affairs for the City of Detroit; Toby Barlow, Executive Creative Director at Team Detroit; Rabbi Jason Miller, Rabbi at Congregation T’chiyah and Phillip Cooley, Owner of Slows Bar BQ....

 Reuters announced the global expansion of its prestigious Journalism Trainee Program, an initiative designed to support the future of journalism by providing opportunities for aspiring journalists around the world. For more than fifty years, this program has brought Reuters first-rate journalists, some of whom are running its newsrooms today. Beginning in 2012, Reuters will expand its nine-month London-based training program to include New York and Asia. University graduates, working journalists and other professionals wanting to move into journalism can apply for the highly competitive program that involves hands-on training in the classroom and on the newsroom floor. Trainees who meet Reuters rigorous standards will be placed in staff jobs and assigned mentors to guide their careers at the company. ”We are reinvesting in journalism through this highly competitive training program and, at the same time, strengthening our position as an industry leader,” said Stephen Adler, Reuter...

Expert Reveals Secrets of ‘Extreme Telecommuting’ You don’t have to tell Barry Frangipane that the Internet has made the world a little smaller. Frangipane, a software engineer, was used to telecommuting from his home in Tampa Bay, but he didn’t realize how far telecommuting could reach until he read Under the Tuscan Sun, a book about an American who chucked it all to live in Italy. “The key about Under the Tuscan Sun was that they had a ton of money,” said Frangipane, author of The Venice Experiment (www.veniceexperiment.com), a memoir that chronicles their year living in Europe while he telecommuted to his software job in the states. “Shoot, anyone could move to a foreign country with a ton of money. We wanted to see if a typical middle-class couple could do it, with a job. We looked at the realities of it, and theorized it could work. On the downside, my wife Debbie wouldn’t be able to keep her job, as she did not telecommute. On the upside, we could sell both cars and eliminate the...

Real Property Management North Metro is at 2265 Livernois, Suite 900, Troy. For information, call 248-808-6550 or visit rpmnorthmetro.com. Serving Oakland and Macomb counties.

Exchange information with other investors, contractors and other professionals. Sponsored by Real Estate Investors Assoc. of Oakland, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday Dec.8 at Club Venetian, 29310 John R. Road, north of 12 Mile Rd on John R., Madison Heights. Seminar is free to members. $20 nonmembers. Visit www.REIAofOAKLAND.com or call 800-747-6742.

The Murphy House Bed & Breakfast is hosting a Holiday Trunk Show 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, featuring Gaylotta P. Murray from Stella & dot. Light refreshments, beautiful fashion accessories, and tour of The Murphy House B&B, located at 28 Franklin Blvd., Pontiac. For questions, email Murphyhouse28@gmail.com or call Pat at 248-318-9795.

The Inventors Council of Mid-Michigan, (ICMMP) Meeting is 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday Dec. 8 at The Town Office in Flushing, Michigan. (Directions below)  The evening features a tour of the facilities and programs offered to start inventors and entrepreneurs at the Town Office locations. There will be a presentation by Chris Moultrup and Heather Fortin of the Mid Michigan Innovation Center and Blue Water Angels (Investment Group) from Midland. There will be a holiday get together following the regular meeting with pizza, salads, soft drinks, and dessert. For information, contact Michael Ball, president of Inventors Council of Mid-Michigan at 810-245-5599 or michaelball@TurboUSA.com.   Directions to The Town Office in Flushing From Flint & North:  Take the Pierson road exit west  off I-75. Go west on Pierson (apx 2 1/2 miles) to where it ends at Flushing Road. Take a right on Flushing road and follow it into the city (aprox. 2 miles). When you ...