Dec. 9: SBA Web Chat to Focus on Year-End Tax Planning for Small-Business Owners

It's not too late for business owners to reduce their 2010 tax bills and plan ahead for 2011. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s December Web chat -- to be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Dec. 9 -- will focus on tax preparation for small-business owners. Participants can get useful year-end tax tips and information, and learn more about tax deductions and credits that can help to reduce their taxes.

Edward S. Karl [pictured], vice president of taxation for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA], will host the online event, "Year-End Tax Essentials for Small-Business Owners." Chat participants can get valuable information on how to prepare now, with useful tax-savings tips and mistakes to avoid. Karl will answer questions on how to get the most out of year-end tax planning.

SBA’s Web chat series provides small-business owners with an opportunity to discuss relevant business issues online with experts, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Chat participants have direct, real-time access to the Web chats via questions they submit online in advance, and during the live session.

Participants can join the live Web chat by going online to http://www.sba.gov/, and clicking "Online Business Chat." Web chat participants may also post questions before the Dec. 9 event by visiting http://web.sba.gov/livemeeting/chat.

To review archives of past Web chats, visit online at http://www.sba.gov/tools/monthlywebchat/index.html.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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New SBA Website to Go Live This Fall; Revamped SBA.gov Will Deliver Essential Information and Services to Small Businesses

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that a complete redesign of its website, SBA.gov, will launch this fall.

The new SBA.gov will make it easier for small businesses, lending institutions, small-business counselors and other members of the small-business community to more quickly find the information they need through a simplified navigation structure. In addition, new features will allow users to tailor their experience to provide information that is specific to their needs and location.

SBA.gov also will also offer a dedicated lender area that helps banks and other financial institutions that partner with the SBA.

"Our goal as an agency is to get information, tools and services into the hands of small-business owners more quickly, so they can spend more time doing what they do best: creating the jobs that will drive our economic recovery," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills [pictured]. "Through a new, personalized and dynamic SBA.gov, we will be better able to support job growth across the country."

The website redesign is part of the SBA’s goal to create a dynamic online presence that delivers information to customers wherever they are online. To achieve this goal, the agency recently began using social media to reach constituents through a variety of online channels, such as Facebook and Twitter.

In advance of this fall's launch of the new site, the agency also recently launched an improved search function on the current SBA.gov website, which vastly improves the speed at which users can find the information they are seeking.

SBA's website redesign is also the Flagship Initiative of the agency’s Open Government Plan, and addresses all three of SBA’s Open Government goals -- i.e., transparency, participation and collaboration -- by providing direct access to agency programs and operations. It also allows users to customize their online experience and, beginning next year, incorporates community features, such as discussion forums and public feedback tools.

For more information on the SBA’s online expansion, please visit www.sba.gov/next.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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