Awesome!

Happy Baby is an organic baby food company for which a good friend of mine works – Natalie Allen.  She is a passionate entrepreneur and I love the way she works hard for this company and the quality product they deliver.  They are currently up for the NBC/American Express Shine a Light Competition.  Please go to the site, read their story, and cast a vote.  All the babies will love you for it!!

The company which I run – DealTaker.com – released a new product this week to provide a unique way to find deals on individual items in a fun and interesting way.  The concept is called NewatNoon.  The premise – a new product, each and every day, at noon eastern time.  Why eastern time?  Our parent company is based on the east coast and it is easier to start with the “first noon of the day” in the US.

Soon, more categories will be added to continue to make the shopping fun.  We are shooting for a “oh my gosh” factor where people will find the items so interesting that they will forward to more and more friends to share.  Come along and enjoy the ride

Having been mostly focused on a secondary blog to update daily event related to the Avon Walk, it is time to share a very positive update here on MindCradle.  BTW, the other blog is located at http://kstrawwalks.wordpress.com.  The support I have received has been overwhelming.

Today I, representing DealTaker.com, passed the initial goal ($5,000.00) set for the fundraising portion of the walk and am now sitting at $5,287 and looking to go higher.  Our Affiliate Marketers Give Back team is also doing great, on the whole, at just over 50% of our $50,000 goal.  We have an auction ending tonight that should raise well over $10,000 in additional funds.

For me, the fundraising has been a blessing, but the training has also been amazing.  Knowing that I am walking for such a substantial cause has kept me motivated to train each and every day (well, I am taking off one day a week to recover after long walks).  Knowing that I just walked 10 miles each day for the last two days (on top of the weeks of training before that) is incredible.  I am looking forward to the 40 mile walk in two days to see just how far I can push myself.  Two weeks from this Sunday I will know.

Thanks to all those that have supported me with the kind words, the encouragement, and the donations.  I know that I do not walk alone.  Finally, I build my support through Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

I have been so busy focused on getting updates to a new blog, posting information on DealTaker, and tweeting that I overlooked MindCradle.  I am participating in the Los Angeles Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.   I started training 17 weeks ago (just walking to get into shape again to start playing indoor soccer) and about 8 weeks ago the opportunity to participate in this walk came up.  I am joining the Affiliate Marketers Give Back team which consists of affiliate marketers from the affiliate side as well as the merchant side.  The walk is 40 miles over two days and will be quite a challenge.  As part of the walk, I am also working to raise awareness and money.  If you are interested in helping out with a donation of any size, please go here -  http://tk2.us/donate4AvonWalk.  To see more of my updates on a blog I have dedicated to this event, please go here – http://kstrawwalks.wordpress.com.

Thank you for your support.

I love Sharpie Pens.  I have used them as long as I can remember (and have left a few marks in places when the ink bleeds through the paper – that is frustrating).  It is a standard.  An old world tool.  An old dog with new marketing tricks? 

Amazing, but true.  Sharpies now come in multitudes of colors and there is a whole community being built around creating art with the pens.  The site is called Sharpie Uncapped and it is a true testament of breaking the mold and trying new and interesting ways to attract people.  Forget Terrell Owens and his grandstanding.  This is the real users getting a chance to show off!!

Being an entrepreneur that has started a few businesses, I am often asked “What are the things that need to be done when starting a business?”  Obviously that is a pretty broad question – many answers on which I will not elaborate now.  However, in this time of focus on taxes, it is important to make sure that things are correctly set up for the benefit of not giving the IRS reason to come knocking.  Here is a brief, high level list that I know of.  Be sure to consult a tax professional when starting a company - 

1. Decide what type of business entity you want to establish. The type your business takes will determine which tax form you have to file. The most common types of business are the sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and S corporation (and LLC).
2. The type of business helps determine what taxes are to be paid and how they are paid. The five general types of business taxes are income tax, self-employment tax, employment tax, sales and excise tax.
3. An Employer Identification Number is used to identify a business entity. Generally, businesses need an EIN. Visit IRS.govfor more information about whether you will need an EIN. You can also apply for an EIN online at IRS.gov.
4. Good records will help you ensure successful operation of your new business. You may choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business that clearly shows your income and expenses. Except in a few cases, the law does not require any special kind of records. However, the business you are in affects the type of records you need to keep for federal tax purposes.  Usually, Quikbooks is a pretty good choice.
5. Every business taxpayer must figure taxable income on an annual accounting period called a tax year. The calendar year and the fiscal year are the most common tax years used. 
6. Each taxpayer must also use a consistent accounting method, which is a set of rules for determining when to report income and expenses. The most commonly used accounting methods are the cash method and an accrual method. Under the cash method, you generally report income in the tax year you receive it and deduct expenses in the tax year you pay them. Under an accrual method, you generally report income in the tax year you earn it and deduct expenses in the tax year you incur them.
7. Visit the Business section of IRS.gov for resources to assist entrepreneurs with starting and operating a new business.

Loyalty programs are something that have always intrigued me.  Sometimes it seems like the sheep follow a little too closely instead of actually looking at the price of what is being paid.  For example, is it better to fly RT to a place you want to go for $199 on an airline you never really use, or pay $239 for the airline you always use just to get miles in your loyalty program?  I know people who are so loyal and determined to get the miles that they will (gladly) pay the extra $40.  Let’s say that trip is from DFW to ORD (Chicago).  Having flown that route about 150 times, I am very aware that it is 802 miles each way for the purpose of calculating FF miles.  Even if I am platinum, that is 3,208 miles.  If I am paying $40 for those miles ($.0125 per mile) I am valuing them at even less than the airlines do (they accrue $.02 per mile on their books).  To look at it another way, 3,208 miles is roughly 1/8th of a “free ticket”.  $40 x 8 = $320.  What could you do with $320?  Buy another $199 ticket to Chicago and have a really good dinner at Shula’s…gives new meaning to the phrase “Dollars and SENSE”.

There has been a lot of talk about taxes in the last year with all of the political races, financial upheaval, and government spending. But today, for most Americans, we will know the answer to one thing – Pay or Refund?

I finished my taxes early on this year using Turbo Tax – as I have done for more years than I care to remember. Using the online version this year was a way to shake things up a bit – it had its pros and cons. In the end I could not help but to think that taxes and spending in our current times just leaves me shaking my head. Most people around me know that I am a proponent of The Fair Tax – a system of taxation that truly apportions to those that should pay as required. We may not see it in my lifetime, but I will hold out hope.

One final plug for my company – DealTaker.com – whether you are paying taxes or getting a refund, saving money for yourself, your family or your business is paramount. Check out the great deals that DealTaker offers each day online. The savings add up – even if our taxes don’t.

At DealTaker.com, we have coined the phrase “couponing 2.0″.  Before it used to be that individuals would deal with saving money in a behind the scenes, “clip the coupon” and passively use it sort of way.  Now, with the expansion of marketing efforts online, people are coming together to share deals, savings techniques, and tips on how to save more.  This is never more evident than during Black Friday each year after Thanksgiving when people share and find all kinds of great deals.  In this economy, that is now becoming an everyday occurrence.  Check out this news story just done on us that reinforces that notion…DealTaker on NBC5i – DFW