Ohio Business Entrepreneurs

Are you changing careers? Is your job not what you do it would be? Are you in college looking ahead?

There are many college students looking for opportunities before they graduate from college, but  is that too early? On the contrary, networking and finding the right career opportunities before you are out of college is one great move for any college student.  Meeting potential employers or people with jobs in their particular field can only be a positive move.  Getting to know people that can later on be a liaison between you and a great career opportunity, is something every college kid should be looking forward to do.

For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.


Corporate career to entrepreneur: How to prep for the leap

After two decades in the workforce, Ohio businesswoman Deborah Wasylko found herself faced with the prospect of having to move to keep her job while dealing with challenges in her family life. Wasylko concluded that she had a choice: continue her corporate career or become an entrepreneur.

“I decided to start a corporate gift company, because that’s what I love to do,” says Wasylko, the founder and president of Baskets Galore, which creates gift baskets for corporate clients. She had long been enthusiastic about visual design and making people feel cared for, she says, and her new venture touched on both interests. “It was my opportunity to re-engineer my career and follow my passion.”

The allure of becoming your own boss seems strong: As of 2014, there were more than 29 million small businesses in the U.S, up 6% from 2010, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

But excelling in an office doesn’t mean you’re bound for entrepreneurial success. Before you take the leap, tackle these tasks.


Women in Business Expo slated for Oct. 20

NEW PHILADELPHIA Businesswomen and women-owned businesses are invited to exhibit at the 2017 Women in

Business EXPO: The Pink Party at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas on Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Take advantage of this opportunity to present your business to a large audience of consumers in Tuscarawas and surrounding counties, and network face-to-face with 75 businesses represented at the event.

The event offers free admission to the public. A nominal fee of $125 secures each business’ booth space, which includes a continental breakfast. Exhibitor registration forms can be found online at Kent.edu/tusc/sbdc-events.


Event to help Ohio’s minority, women and small-business owners

Minority and female business owners, as well as small-business owners, have a new opportunity to get more business with cities and other government agencies throughout the state.

The first Ohio Municipalities Business Conference is slotted for Aug. 2-3 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The city of Columbus is the host.

The conference is an evolution of the former Mayor’s Small Business Conference & Expo, which was limited to opportunities for business with the city. The new conference expands that statewide “Mayor (Andrew J.) Ginther is committed to diversity and inclusion, particularly supplier diversity. He wants to put his brand and unique approach to the business conference,” said Steve Francis, the director of the city Office of Diversity and Inclusion.


 

Tax Breaks For Small Business Owners and other News

59948705

Starting a business requires an entrepreneur to wear many hats right from the onset.  The demands on your time are many, and developing your business plan and hiring the right people are time consuming tasks that are very serious, and can play a devastating role if not done properly.  Hiring a business coach to see you through the developing stages of a business plan, plan your goals and time stages to achieve those goals, and developing a strategic plan that will produce success for your business is a must every business should have.


5 Tax Breaks Overlooked By Small Business Owners

For the small business owner, tax season can be stressful, and the prospect of shelling out a load of money to the government is not exciting. That’s why small business owners love tax benefits. Here are 5 tax benefits that are often overlooked by small business owners that can save your business money.

Please consult your tax professional before following any of the suggestions below. If you do your taxes yourself, there is a resource which compares the online offerings of TurboTax, TaxAct, and HR Block.

1. Have Lunch Meetings

If you often buy lunch (eat-in or take-out) while you are working, you might be able to deduct 50% of meal expenses. If you and your business partners or employees have meetings, consider having meetings over lunch. As long as the dining expenses are reasonable, you are allowed to deduct 50% of meal costs when eating with business partners and employees while conducting business operations. If you buy lunch every day and spend around $8, you can deduct $4. If you do the math, that amounts to over $1000 a year in claimable deductions ($4/day x 5 days x 52 weeks).


Small business: National ombudsman helps small businesses address concerns about federal regulators

Small-business owners turn to Brian Castro when they need help collecting payments from federal contractors, are concerned about excessive fines or think a regulation is too burdensome.

Since August 2013, Castro, a Duke University law school alumnus, has led a little-known program that advocates for small businesses at the federal level. Castro is the national ombudsman and assistant administrator for Regulatory Enforcement Fairness at the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the office received 430 formal jurisdictional complaints and thousands of inquires, Castro said.

“We offer an informal avenue, a channel for an expedited resolution,” that is separate and apart but in addition to a company taking their concerns to court, often a long and expensive process, Castro said. “Our services are already paid for with the taxpayers’ dollars and very often are resolved or obtained within 30 to 60 days.”

Castro’s office employs seven and offers four tools to help small-business owners, nonprofit organizations and small governments address concerns about federal rules and regulators.


Tax Structure & Business Incentives

Businesses in the Columbus Region benefit from:

  • No personal property tax
  • No inventory tax
  • No state corporate income tax

In addition to these tax savings, which are further detailed on the Tax Structure page, state and local governments offer tax incentives, credits, loans and grants to new businesses and expanding companies. State and local resources are below.

If you have questions about these programs, please contact the Columbus 2020 team. Our team of experts can help you navigate the many programs available to businesses.

Incentives

Tax credits and abatements

Job Creation Tax Credit

The Job Creation Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit to companies generally creating at least 10 new jobs (within three years) with a minimum annual payroll of $660,000 that pay at least 150 percent of the federal minimum wage. The tax credit is measured as a percentage of the state income tax withholdings for all new employees hired under the program, and is applied toward the company’s commercial activity tax liability. Should the amount of the credit exceed the company’s commercial activity tax liability for any given year, the difference is refunded. A business must apply for the credit before committing to the project. Applicants must be approved through the Ohio Tax Credit Authority before hiring begins.