The SBA’s e200 class of 2012 . . . Wow! You made it! Congratulations!

Providing Small Business Services to Start, Sustain. or Grow Your Business!  http://aurorasbdc.com/2012-colorado-e200-graduation/

 2012 CO e200 Graduation

October 24, 2011 - AASHTO Elects a New President and VP

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Elects a New Presiden and VP

News Update - October 21, 2011 In this Transportation TV News Update, President Obama's proposal to create a National Infrastructure Bank was the focus of a hearing convened by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, John Mica (R-Florida). You'll hear from Gary Ridley, director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation who testified on behalf of his agency. Transportation TV begins extensive coverage this week of the AASHTO Annual Meeting held Oct. 13-17, in Detroit, Michigan. In this report you'll hear from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who spoke at the gathering Monday, Oct. 17 . And AASHTO's newly elected President, Michigan DOT Director Kirk Steudle outlines the top priorities in a one-on-one interview.

October 24, 2011 - AASHTO Elects a New President and VP

Thank You Tameka Montgomery For Your Vision In Creating Such A Wonderful Concept and Putting together An Outstanding Event.

The SBDC Main Street Mentors Walk was a great event. I would like to  thank Tameka Montgomery for her vision in creating such a wonderful concept and putting together an outstanding event. What could be better than a nice walk in the park, on a sunny, crisp, cool morning in August, while discussing your business dreams, goals, and challenges with others who have already been there.

We all meant at the City Park Pavilion where we were greeted with hot coffee/tea, and light breakfast. Accompanied by music, networking was in full swing and the mentees were being matched up with their mentors.

It was wonderful to see mentors up early Saturday morning, 8:00 am, taking time out of their Saturday morning to walk, talk, listen, and share their expertise and experience with their mentees. Oh by the way, I was matched up with Denver Metro Chamber Board Chair Bill Lindsay, a previous business owner of 20 plus years.  As we began our walk, Bill asked Jake Gilmore of Gilmore Construction to join us. What a treat to be sandwiched in between two great mentors. However, that was short lived when Jake was pulled from us to join up with a mentee who had arrived late.

I am grateful to have been able to glean from Bill’s wisdom and expertise, bounce ideas off him, and receive confirmation on business decisions I’ve been groping with for some time. Bill was gracious and very generous with sharing his business insight.

I have always been a big proponent of mentor protégé programs and efforts. Arguably, every successful business had a coach along the way.

Among the participating mentors, it was a pleasure to see seasoned firms from our industry (construction/transportation) just to name a few, Lisa and Ishmael Buckley of American Automation, Denise Burgess of Burgess Service, Jonnie Thomas of Triunity Engineering and Management, Inc., etc.

Again thank you Tameka, what can I say, Job well done!  I am looking forward to the next Main Street Mentor’s Walk!

I have a great article I like to share on How to Keep Your LinkedIn Profile From Hurting Your Image | Social Media Today

How to Keep Your LinkedIn Profile From Hurting Your Image Social Media Today, by Lori Johnson

7 Reasons Why We Procrastinate - E-Myth Worldwide

There are myriad reasons why we procrastinate. And there are often telltale signs that we are indeed procrastinating even when we think we are being truly productive.

7 Reasons Why We Procrastinate - E-Myth Worldwide                                  

  

Obama Says Nation Shouldn't Sacrifice Transportation Projects While Reducing Deficit. http://www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/042211obama.aspx

President Barack Obama said this week he doesn't believe the United States should slash investments in transportation infrastructure while it strives to reduce the federal budget deficit. "I'll tell you what I'm not going to do," Obama said Tuesday at the Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, not far from Washington. "We're not going to reduce the deficit by sacrificing investments in our infrastructure." Obama struck a Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations agreement with House Republicans earlier this month that resulted in zeroing out of federal funding for high-speed and intercity passenger rail, an initiative strongly supported by the president. The bill also rescinded $400 million from the FY 2010 appropriation for passenger rail. (see April 15 AASHTO Journal story) But Obama told the college audience this week, "We're not going to allow our roads and our bridges to grow more and more congested, while places like China are building new roads and new airports and thousands of miles of high-speed rail." Obama linked the transportation spending to keeping businesses in the United States and generating jobs. "We've got to make sure that America is built to compete," the president said. "We've got to have the best roads. We've got to have the quickest trains. We have to have the fastest broadband networks. That's who we are."

The president has proposed a $556 billion six-year federal surface transportation reauthorization level, but has not put specific suggestions on the table for what revenues should be increased to pay for such a robust investment level. (see Feb. 18 AASHTO Journal story)  

This is an inspiring story about how an Egyptian business owner survived the revolution, along with bank closures, cash flow interruption, every business shut down for at least 10 days including his own and was still able to pay 50% of his employees salaries just so they could get by.........

"Aong with the rest of the world, we’ve watched in awe recently at the historic events unfolding in Egypt. For one E-Myth Business Coach in particular, news couldn’t come fast enough for his thoughts were with his coaching client Ismail Seif El Nasr who owns a wholesale clothing business based in Cairo. When we did finally make contact with Ismail, and found out that all is well with him, his family, his employees and his business, we breathed a collective sigh of relief. We were also very interested to hear his experience, and he has graciously allowed us to share his story with you".  http://www.e-myth.com/pub/cmonth/march2011

Construction Coalition - Supported Retainage Reform Bill HB 1115 Moves On To The Senate: Contact Your State Senator Now To Urge Support

"Retainage" is the amount withheld from contractors’ monthly payments to ensure work is completed satisfactorily. Ideally retainage would be released at the end of a project; however, some public entities delay retainage payment for many months after contractors have finished the project – even after the project is operational. To read the bill, click here: http://www.coloradocapitolwatch.com/bill/1/HB11-1115/2011/1/

Specialized Estimating Training

 
Estimating the cost of a project continue to be a difficult tasks for the small and disadvantaged contractors (SBE/DBE). Accurately forecasting the cost of future projects is vital to the survival of any business, which is why M.A. Mortenson is sponsoring the Minority Emerging/Small Business Outreach Estimating Program.

M.A. Mortenson is dedicated to expanding the business skills of minority, women, and small businesses enterprises by developing and improving their business operation to become more competitive in a fast changing business environment.

For furthur information  http://www.thesanfordgroupllc.com/links.html
 And click on link: 2010 - November Newsletter

For those that work in and do business in the transportation industry, you certainly will appreciate what the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) dug out of the historical vault…….

Image by jeco via Flickr

With the election just around the corner, AASTHO dipped into its historical vault and found that the key election messages of 1924 on transportation are still valid today. Calvin Coolidge told the Congress, "No expenditure of public money contributes so much to the National wealth as the building of good roads." The Republican Platform included the language: "We pledge a continuation of this policy of Federal Cooperation with the States in highway building," while the Democratic Platform said, "Improved roads are of vital importance not only to commerce and industry but also to agriculture and rural life." For these and other artifacts from that era, go to http://www.transportation.org/?siteid=86&pageid=3189.

When applying for credit, follow these three simple steps.

Image by infomatique via Flickr Earn.com Blog » Blog Archive » Three Simple Steps to Obtaining Bank Financing

Small Business and the Rest of 2010

Earn.com Blog » Blog Archive » Small Business and the Rest of 2010

Ten Tips for Taxpayers Making Charitable Donations, August 23, 2010 by IRS

Did you make a donation to a charity this year? If so, you may be able to take a deduction for it on your 2010 tax return.

Here are the top 10 things the IRS wants every taxpayer to know before deducting charitable donations.

1. Charitable contributions must be made to qualified organizations to be deductible. You can ask any organization whether it is a qualified organization and most will be able to tell you. You can also check IRS Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations, which lists most qualified organizations. IRS Publication 78 is available at IRS.gov.

2. Charitable contributions are deductible only if you itemize deductions using Form 1040, Schedule A.

3. You generally can deduct your cash contributions and the fair market value of most property you donate to a qualified organization. Special rules apply to several types of donated property, including clothing or household items, cars and boats.

4. If your contribution entitles you to receive merchandise, goods, or services in return – such as admission to a charity banquet or sporting event – you can deduct only the amount that exceeds the fair market value of the benefit received.

5. Be sure to keep good records of any contribution you make, regardless of the amount. For any contribution made in cash, you must maintain a record of the contribution such as a bank record – including a cancelled check or a bank or credit card statement – a written record from the charity containing the date and amount of the contribution and the name of the organization, or a payroll deduction record.

6. Only contributions actually made during the tax year are deductible. For example, if you pledged $500 in September but paid the charity only $200 by Dec. 31, your deduction would be $200.

7. Include credit card charges and payments by check in the year they are given to the charity, even though you may not pay the credit card bill or have your bank account debited until the next year.

8. For any contribution of $250 or more, you must have written acknowledgment from the organization to substantiate your donation. This written proof must include the amount of cash and a description and good faith estimate of value of any property you contributed, and whether the organization provided any goods or services in exchange for the gift.

9. To deduct charitable contributions of items valued at $500 or more you must complete a Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, and attached the form to your return.

10. An appraisal generally must be obtained if you claim a deduction for a contribution of noncash property worth more than $5,000. In that case, you must also fill out Section B of Form 8283 and attach the form to your return.  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

Great Article By Phil Washiington, General Manager And CEO of the Regional Transportation District (RTD)

Residents of Portland understand "transit economics"
Leadership Exchange 2010: Why they ride in Portland - ColoradoBIZ Magazine

Employee vs. Independent Contractor – Seven Tips for Business Owners 8/20/2010, By IRS.

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeAs a small business owner you may hire people as independent contractors or as employees. There are rules that will help you determine how to classify the people you hire. This will affect how much you pay in taxes, whether you need to withhold from your workers paychecks and what tax documents you need to file.


Here are seven things every business owner should know about hiring people as independent contractors versus hiring them as employees.

1. The IRS uses three characteristics to determine the relationship between businesses and workers:

• Behavioral Control covers facts that show whether the business has a right to direct or control how the work is done through instructions, training or other means.

• Financial Control covers facts that show whether the business has a right to direct or control the financial and business aspects of the worker's job.

• Type of Relationship factor relates to how the workers and the business owner perceive their relationship.

2. If you have the right to control or direct not only what is to be done, but also how it is to be done, then your workers are most likely employees.

3. If you can direct or control only the result of the work done -- and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result -- then your workers are probably independent contractors.

4. Employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors can end up with substantial tax bills. Additionally, they can face penalties for failing to pay employment taxes and for failing to file required tax forms.

5. Workers can avoid higher tax bills and lost benefits if they know their proper status.


6. Both employers and workers can ask the IRS to make a determination on whether a specific individual is an independent contractor or an employee by filing a Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding, with the IRS.

7. You can learn more about the critical determination of a worker’s status as an Independent Contractor or Employee at IRS.gov by selecting the Small Business link. Additional resources include IRS Publication 15-A, Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide, Publication 1779, Independent Contractor or Employee, and Publication 1976, Do You Qualify for Relief under Section 530? These publications and Form SS-8 are available on the IRS website or by calling the IRS at 800-829-3676 (800-TAX-FORM).   http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1779.pdf

Rocky Mountain Minority Contractors Associations (RMMCA) in the News

RMMCA in the News

Sustainable Business Workshop Contest &Review

RMMCA would like to congratulate the contest winners of the Sustainable Business Workshop contest on July 22, 2010. They will receive 6 free hrs of one-on-one consultation in either estimating, proposal writing, or human resources services from Rex Davis & Associates LLC and W. Garnett & Associates. The workshop was put on by RMMCA & COMTO which provided members with training in estimating, proposal writing, business marketing, and business management. The program consisted of eight workshops which ran from April to July at RMMCA's office in Centennial.

RMMCA's Sustainable Business Workshop Part II Coming Soon


Because of the success of the first Sustainable Workshop, RMMCA has decided to conduct a second series that will focus on project management. The workshop is expected to start later this year.

Breakfast with Primes Networking Events

RMMCA along with its partners CCA have come together to relaunch the "breakfast with Primes" networking events. RMMCA will kick off its "breakfast with Primes" with two networking events in October and November TBD. These events will be held every month starting in January 2011, providing a Prime is available for hosting. These networking events will give subcontractors the ability to build relationships with the Prime contractors, thus, making it easier to understand what the Prime is looking for in a bid proposal and for the Prime to develope a working relationship with the subcontractor. The subcontractor will also benefit from knowing about future projects the Prime may have. The breakfasts will be Free to RMMCA members while non-members will be charged an admittance fee. Non-members can become RMMCA members and enjoy these beneficial networking events for free by filling out a membership application by Clicking Here. Keep an eye on your email inbox for notices about the networking events with Primes.

States Stand Ready to Respond to President Obama's Transportation Investments with $80 Billion in Ready-to-Go Projects. AASHTO Press Release

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeStates Stand Ready to Respond to President Obama's Transportation Investments with $80 Billion in Ready-to-Go Projects


Transportation agencies reacted positively to news that President Barack Obama plans to include immediate transportation investment in his recipe for economic recovery.

"We are highly supportive of President Obama's proposal to immediately invest $50 billion to rebuild roads, expand high speed rail, and rehabilitate airport runways," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

"We have demonstrated that investing in transportation infrastructure is one of the fastest ways to create and sustain jobs. An AASHTO January 2010 survey of states showed 9,800 ready-to-go projects valued at nearly $80 billion. If Congress wants to pass legislation investing in our transportation infrastructure, the states stand ready to put those dollars to work."

Horsley pointed out that the states' track record creating and sustaining jobs is excellent. More than 90 percent of Recovery Act-funded transportation projects, representing approximately $48 billion in investments, are under contract.

More information on how states are delivering Recovery Act projects can be found at http://recovery.transportation.org. Details on states' ready-to-go projects survey is online at http://downloads.transportation.org/Ready-to-Go.pdf.

7 Steps for Building a Community on Twitter | Social Media Today. Twitter provides an excellent channel for marketers as it is “a real-time information network powered by people from around the world” who are interested in discovery and communication. In order to tap in to this tool, it is important to become an actice participant who consistently adds value to the community.

7 Steps for Building a Community on Twitter Social Media Today

A Tip for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Wanting to Build Strong Business Relationships with Majority Firms

DBE's building solid relationships in the construction industry is a key factor in the life of a small and emerging business. It's important you be a straight shooter, doing what you say you promise goes a long way to building relationships. Be honest about the type of services you can actually perform well and deliver on time. Bad customer service loses business. You want repeat business and a strong standing relationship with your client. Your delivery of great service to the client will generate wonderful word of mouth advertising throughout the contracting community. Meet and exceed expectations of your client. Contractors are looking for qualified DBEs. Over delivery is always a great way to build a long term relationship.

 

Do You Have a List of Projects or Tasks Sitting on Your Desk...Do you wonder how you should spend you time? Which project you should start first?

Business Credit News » Blog Archive » How to prioritize your business task list