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2009-02-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

Household chemicals can reduce women's fertility

Chemicals commonly found in food packaging, upholstery and carpets may reduce a woman's fertility, warn experts.

Researchers have found the first evidence that perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) - chemicals that are widely used in everyday items such as pesticides, clothing and personal care products - may be associated with infertility in women.

The study published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction found that women who had higher levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in their blood took longer to become pregnant than women with lower levels.

The American researchers used data from the Danish National Birth Cohort to assess whether levels of PFOS and PFOA in pregnant women's plasma were associated with a longer time to pregnancy. A total of 1,240 women were included in their analyses.

Blood samples were taken at the time of the women's first antenatal visit (between 4-14 weeks into the pregnancy) so that concentrations of PFOS and PFOA could be measured.

The researchers also interviewed the women at around the 12th week of pregnancy to find out whether the pregnancy was planned or not and how long it took them to become pregnant.

Infertility was defined as a time to pregnancy of longer than 12 months or infertility treatment to establish the current pregnancy, and the results were adjusted for potential confounding factors such as age, lifestyle and socio-economic status.

The levels of PFOS in the women's plasma ranged from 6.4 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml) to 106.7 ng/ml, and from less than 1 ng/ml to 41.5 ng/ml for PFOA.

The researchers divided the women's levels of PFOS/PFOA into four quartiles, and found that, compared with women with the lowest levels of exposure, the likelihood of infertility increased by 70-134 percent for women in the higher three quartiles of PFOS exposure and by 60-154 percent for women in the higher three quartiles of PFOA exposure.

Dr Chunyuan Fei, from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), the study's first author, said: "PFOS and PFOA were considered to be biologically inactive, but recently animal studies have shown that these chemicals may have a variety of toxic effects on the liver, immune system and developmental and reproductive organs.

"Very few human studies have been done, but one of our earlier studies showed that PFOA, although not PFOS, may impair the growth of babies in the womb, and another two epidemiological studies linked PFOA and PFOS to impaired foetal growth."

Source: ANI

Source : http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/health/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1781597

!!!! Todays Hot News !!! Check Them Here Daily !!!

2009-01-08T03:39:00.000-08:00

Another techie from Andhra found dead in the US: -

Hyderabad: Muthyala Purushottam, a 27-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, was found dead in his flat in Indianapolis in the US, family sources said Thursday. This is the second incident of the death of a techie from the Indian state in the US this month.

Purushottam's family in Anantapur town received a phone call from the US Wednesday informing them that he was found dead in the bathroom of his flat Tuesday night.

He was working for Triton Infotech and was married to 25-year-old Praveena Reddy, who is also from Anantapur.

The families of the couple refused to talk to the media. However, according to sources close to Purushottam's family, he allegedly committed suicide. The police were said to have a found a suicide note written by him stating that nobody was responsible for his death.

Praveena, also a software engineer, reportedly made phone calls to her husband Tuesday night. When he did not answer her calls, she returned home and found the doors bolted from inside. She sought the help of the police, who broke open the door and found Purushottam dead.

Purushottam, son of police sub-inspector M. Nagalingam, married his classmate Praveena in Anantapur three years ago. While he went to the US about two years ago, his wife joined him a few months later.

The news of Purushottam's death came close on the heels of a 26-year-old techie from Andhra Pradesh being shot dead in Arkansas. Akshay Vishal, who was an employee of the scam-hit Satyam Computer Services, was killed by unidentified persons as he was returning home on Jan 13.
His murder was the seventh case of students and professionals from Andhra Pradesh being killed in the US in the last 13 months.

In November last year, Nerusu Lakshminivasa Rao, a software programmer from Krishna district, mysteriously disappeared from his home in Detroit in the US after his wife and two children were found murdered. The US police suspect that he fled the country after killing them.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service

Source : http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1790557

101 ways to save Money in your Business

2008-12-29T01:13:00.000-08:00

101 ways to save Money in your Business

(Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com )

(Download Article Click : http://www.ziddu.com/download/3044627/101.doc.html )

PENNY-PINCHING PROMOTIONS

1. Piggyback your advertising. Including advertising material in other mailings, such as in

invoices, saves postage and other costs, says J. Donald Weinrauch, co-author of The Frugal

Marketer. Likewise, make the most of your point-of-purchase opportunities by tucking coupons,

newsletters or other promotional fliers in the bag with customers' purchases.

2. Wait 'til the last minute. To keep print advertising costs down, consider "remnant" advertising.

Many magazine publishers offer last-minute, unsold, discounted ad space.

3. Be a good neighbor. Split advertising and promotion costs with neighboring businesses.

Jointly promote a sidewalk sale, or take your marketing alliance further by sharing mailing lists,

distribution channels and suppliers with businesses that sell complementary goods or services.

4. Ask the people you know for help. The kind of support you'd most like to get from your

contacts is referrals—the names of specific individuals who need your products and services.

So go ahead and ask! Your contacts can also give prospects your name and number. As the

number of referrals you receive increases, so does your potential for increasing the percentage

of your business generated through referrals.

5. Got a happy customer? By telling others what they've gained from using your products

or services in presentations or informal conversations, your sources can encourage others to

use your products or services.

6. Make a special TV appearance. Local cable TV stations often have very reasonable

advertising rates at time slots throughout the day and night. Though you won't necessarily

reach prime-time viewers, you will make an impression where it counts—in the comfort of

potential customers' homes.

7. Be open to suggestions. For free market research, just ask your customers. Set up a suggestion

box at your place of business (or online), suggests Weinrauch. Ask customers to fill out their

names, addresses and e-mail addresses along with their suggestions, and you've got the makings

of a mailing list, too. While you're at it, ask your employees for cost-saving suggestions, too.

8. Follow the gurus. Jay Conrad Levinson is one of many marketing gurus to offer free marketing

advice on the Web. Check out his free advice on his site, www.gmarketing.com. You can also

find marketing and homebased business advice on our own marketing expert Kim T. Gordon's Web

site, www.smallbusinessnow.com.

9. Offer expert advice. Teaching a class, speaking at a community meeting, or writing an article

for a local paper not only makes you look like an expert but garners low-cost attention for your business.

PHONE FACTS

10. Tune in to the Bells. Shop around for the best long-distance deal. To learn more about saving

money on long distance, visit the nonprofit Telecommunications Research & Action Center Web

site at http://trac.org or search online for long-distance service comparison sites.

11. Dial toll-free. Before calling a vendor, supplier or even a customer, check the toll-free directory

at (800) 555-1212 to see if they have a toll-free number. Or check out AT&T's toll-free number

directory online at www.tollfree.att.net/tf.html.

12. Answer the call on VoIP. When selecting your phone service, consider switching from a traditional

landline to VoIP. Typically, VoIP services offer more bang for the buck. VoIP also allows you

to choose your area code, access your phone and features from anywhere there’s an internet connection,

and integrate other audio and video applications with your phone service.

INTERNET IDEAS

13. Start your search engines. Research your market and find potential visitors for your website

by looking through Usenet newsgroups (forums on the internet where people post messages for

public viewing) and special-interest groups related to your target market, product or service. For

more extensive online information, visit Yahoo Small Business (http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com).

14. Advertise on the Net. Check out AdAge.com, a Web site that includes news, blogs and

expert advice for online advertising and other media.

15. Cut costs when setting up your online store. Think going online has to cost an arm

and a leg? You can start out by selling items for next to nothing on online auction sites like

eBay and Yahoo! Auctions. If you want to create a professional storefront, there are several

"website in a box" solutions available, usually for a low monthly fee.

16. Advertise on someone else's site. Many website owners will provide a link on their

page to your website for a fee.

17. Start chatting. Find newsgroups that cater to your audience, and join the fray. "I didn't

start [participating in online discussion groups] to generate business, but as a way to find information

for myself on various subjects," says Shel Horowitz, owner of Hadley, Massachusettsbased

Accurate Writing & More and author of several marketing books, including Grassroots

Marketing. "But it turned out to be the single best marketing tool I use. It costs only my time.

[One] list alone has gotten me around 60 clients in the past five years." Always include your

URL in your signature, but don't do any hard selling-most groups will ban you immediately.

Instead, provide useful information that'll make people will want to click on your site.

18. Spread the word yourself. Are you letting people know what your URL is? Try putting it

on your letterhead and business cards and in e-mail signatures—wherever potential visitors are

likely to see it. Include it on employee uniforms, any promotional items you give away, all press

releases, in your Yellow Pages ad and on company vehicles.

LOCATION LOGIC

19. Look over your lease. "A lot of people don't realize they're being overcharged on their

commercial leases," Auditing your lease agreement regularly with the help of an attorney familiar

with your type of lease. Pay special attention to the stated square footage and "shared

costs" you pay for maintenance of common areas (which you should ensure are actually being

maintained).

20. Get a suite deal. You don't have to run your office full-time from an executive suite to

benefit from its services. Many homebased entrepreneurs find executive suites meet a range of

needs, including access to a private mailbox and a receptionist to answer or forward calls to

your home office. Visit the Office Business Center Association International at

www.officebusinesscenters.com for more information.

21. Be mobile. While the costs of establishing a permanent retail location can be steep—

you may spend up to $100,000 or more, with leases spanning three to 10 years—carts, kiosks

and temporary spaces can be an easier way to get a foot in the door with a lot less risk. The

upfront investment for a kiosk or a cart ranges from just $2,000 to $10,000, according to

Patricia Norins, publisher of Specialty Retail Report. License agreements for carts and kiosks

are shorter and are usually renewed every month up to one year depending on the location.

This arrangement makes it easy for entrepreneurs to "come in, try it out for a month, and if

their product isn't working, shift to a new product line or close up shop and move to a new location,"

Norins says.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

22. Put things in a better light. Using fluorescent rather than incandescent light bulbs conserves

energy and lowers your electric bill.

23. Use your entrepreneurial clout. "Utility [companies] have a stake in the economic development

of a community and often offer special rates to entrepreneurs," says Pete Collins of New

York City-based PricewaterhouseCoopers.

24. Unplug your equipment. Save electricity by turning off the coffee maker in your break

room, suggests David L. Scott, author of The Guide to Saving Money. Pour the fresh coffee into a

large thermos instead. Have employees turn their computers off at night and install motion sensors

so that unoccupied rooms aren't sucking up your electricity at all times of the day.

25. Buy and use energy-efficient products. Look for the Energy Star (www.energystar.gov)

label; it was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of

Energy to help reduce unnecessary energy use and air pollution by labeling energy-efficient, costsaving products for homes and offices.

26. Request an energy audit and off-peak usage discount from your utility company. The

energy audit is free, and they'll give you plenty of tips to conserve energy and reduce your power

bill. For the discount, get a printout of your energy consumption. "Ask for a discount when your

peak usage coincides with their low-point usage," advises Lyn Richards, owner of Dog Logic, a

resource center for large and giant-breed dog owners and breeders in Manchester, New

Hampshire. "Many power companies will give a 2½-cent-per-kilowatt-hour discount when you do

this."

OFFICE OVERHEAD

27. Buy recycled printer cartridges. Check Google or your Yellow Pages for a local recycled

printer cartridge supplier. Or if you want to mix your charitable instincts with your printing needs,

visit www.lasermonks.com, a remanufactured printing supply company run by a group of monks

in Wisconsin who, after business expenses are paid, donate their profits.

28. Draft a savings plan. Make your laser printer cartridges last longer by using draft mode to

print interoffice memos and other less important documents.

29. Cut down on copies. Monitoring your use of copiers saves on supplies and maintenance.

30. Fill it out for free. Instead of buying forms at your local office supply store or spending

time creating them yourself, you can find tons of free forms online that you can download, customize

and print. Entrepreneur.com's Formnet (www.entrepreneur.com/formnet) can get you

started.

31. Don't give 'em so much garbage. Many businesses overpay to have their garbage

picked up dail. Many times your containers aren't even full. Reduce costs by reducing your

service to every other day. You can also reduce the amount of office garbage you generate by

recycling your white paper—first by using the blank backs as scratch pads and then by taking it

to a recycling facility where they'll pay you to take it off your hands.

32. Get free software. Visit www.download.com to try hundreds of software products for free

through trial downloads, freeware and limited versions of the full product. Visit

Entrepreneur.com's Complete Guide to Software (www.entrepreneur.com/software) to find the

best software options for small businesses, including many links to the free trials of those

brands. Another tip: If you haven't found what you're looking for through Download.com or our

software guide, check out the manufacturer's site. Most offer free trial downloads.

33. Buy computers by mail. You'll pay for shipping, but the savings of not having to pay

state sales tax (if you're not buying from a site with offices in your state) often makes up for it.

34. Buy used equipment. Save up to 60 percent by buying used computer equipment,

copiers and office furniture from stores such as the nationwide Aaron Rents & Sells chain.

Auctions and newspaper classifieds are other good sources of used equipment.

35. Send just the fax. Rather than waste paper, transmission time and effort on a fax cover

page, use a Post-it note or simply write at the top of the first page you're sending.

AUTO ADVICE

36. Consider leasing. If you put lots of mileage on your business vehicle and expect to

drive it for less than five years, try leasing. (Beware, however, of mileage limits and nonrefundable

deposits, which may make leasing less attractive). Leasing frees up capital and enables

you to drive a luxury car for less.

37. Put your best fleet forward. Ask your dealer if you qualify for a cost-saving fleet incentive

program. Though such programs are typically geared toward fleets of 10 or more cars,

some dealers will work with small-business owners.

38. Stay away from the pump. Fueling business cars gets expensive fast, especially if your

company makes deliveries or your salespeople spend a lot of time on the road. A few simple

steps can help slash your gas expenses. Start by checking the owner's manual for the octane

rating your vehicle needs. Most can fill up with the less expensive 87 octane. Next, assess driving

habits, which have a big-time impact on your gas bill. Are your drivers first off the line when

the light turns green? That burns big gulps of gas. Is your impatient right foot constantly mashing,

then releasing the throttle? Maintaining a steady pace is more fuel-efficient. Must people

really drive 75 miles per hour? Cutting back to 55 mph translates into 25 percent more mileage. Poor vehicle maintenance decreases fuel efficiency, too. Clogged air filters or wheels that need

alignment can drain dollars at the pump. Tires are prime gas-guzzling suspects, too. The correct

tire pressure can give you as many as 20 more miles from each tank. Learn to use a tire

pressure gauge.

INSURANCE INTELLIGENCE

39. Save by association. When looking for insurance, check with your trade association. Many

associations offer competitive group insurance.

Read more online: http://www.entrepreneur.com/insurancecenter

40. Shop around. At the end of each insurance policy period, review your business's needs and

get several bids before renewing your policy. Ask your agent to review your coverage, do a risk

assessment and make suggestions on how you might be able to save money. Insurance companies

are always introducing new products, and what was the best deal for you last year may be topped by

something else this year.

41. Be prepared. Buying appropriate insurance upfront saves money in the long run, says Jeanne

Salvatore of the Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org), a nonprofit organization in New York

City. Consider what situations would be catastrophic to your business and protect yourself with adequate

insurance. "Disaster recovery," says Salvatore, "is one area where business owners shouldn't

scrimp."

42. Make a foul-weather friend. By arranging for an alternative place to run your business in case

of a major disaster, you may be able to save on business interruption insurance, advises the

Insurance Information Institute. For instance, you could arrange with a firm in the same industry to

use their facilities in case of damage, and vice versa.

43. Check up on your medical insurance. Before choosing a medical insurance carrier, ask for

information on past claims and the loss ratio of paid claims to premiums, advises the Council of

Better Business Bureaus (www.bbb.org) in Arlington, Virginia.

44. Raise your deductible. Raising the deductible on your insurance usually lowers your premiums.

Even if you end up having to pay the deductible, it's likely to be less than the amount you save.

45. Make an adjustment. It often pays to adjust your health insurance stop-loss amount so that

you pay a higher percentage, capped at a lower amount. Though in a worst-case scenario you could

end up with more out-of-pocket expenses, your premiums will be lower.

46. Review your rates. Business owners are often classified for workers' compensation insurance

under the wrong rate by their insurance company. As a result, you may not be getting the proper discount.

47. Don't leave well enough alone. Sponsoring a wellness and/or disease management

program for your employees can cut your health-claim and insurance costs. Promote a bike-towork

week or publish an employee newsletter of health tips, for example.

EMPLOYEE ECONOMICS

48. Offer perks. Often, it's the little things that make employees happy—and they don't have

to cost a bundle. Consider buying movie tickets for local theaters at a bulk discount, getting a

corporate rate at your local gym, or offering flextime.

49. Give 'em a day. Offer a high-performing employee a paid day off for a job well-done. It

may cost you anywhere from $50 to $120, but you'll be rewarded with a happier employee.

50. Aim to lease. Employee leasing—in which you turn over your work force to a professional

employer organization that leases your employees back to you—can save you substantial

cash on employee benefits. For referral to a leasing company near you, visit the American

Staffing Association online at www.staffingtoday.net.

51. Go with the flow. Rather than paying for employees who sit idle when business is slow,

consider hiring temporary employees to handle surges in business.

52. Provide cross-training. If employees can handle more than one job, you may not need

extra temporary help during peak periods, suggests Collins.

53. Make experience count. Get free or low-cost help—and give local college students a

chance to learn the ropes—by hiring interns.

54. Use independent contractors. Employers generally don't have to withhold or pay any

taxes on payments to independent contractors. But be very careful that your independent contractors

fit the definition provided by the IRS or you could face penalties.

55. Commission your sales force. Overhead, salaries, incentives, training costs, fringe

benefits and expenses add up when you're hiring your own sales representatives. Contracting

independent manufacturers' sales reps, paid on commission only, is less expensive—and often

equally effective.

TRAVEL TIPS

56. Don't touch that dial. Never use hotel or pay phones for long-distance calls before

inquiring about the charges, says Scott. If charges are too high, use your cell phone instead.

57. Consider a consolidator. Save a bundle by booking hotel reservations through a

reselling consolidator. Maitland, Florida-based Central Reservations Service, for example,

offers a discount of 10 to 40 percent on accommodations at no charge.

58. Keep looking for lower rates. Always ask hotels if they give discounts for business

travelers or any groups you may belong to. Once you arrive at your hotel—but before telling

the clerk you have a reservation—ask about the lowest available rate. The rate they quote may

be even lower than the one you were told over the phone.

59. Cash in on car rental discounts. Sometimes smaller firms offer better deals than

national chains. Ask if you qualify for any discounts—for AAA or frequent flier program members,

for instance.

60. Avoid a collision course. Don't pay the high cost of collision and comprehensive insurance

through a car rental company if you don't have to. Not only does your personal auto

insurance policy probably cover you, says Scott, but many credit cards include car rental insurance

if you rent a car using that card.

61. Call on all car rental firms. It's never too late to negotiate for better terms: "Even if you

already have a reservation, it pays to do some last-minute shopping at the airport," says Scott.

Cancellations and excess inventory may mean one agency can cut you a better deal than

another.

62. Fly for free. Build your airline free-travel vouchers by using a credit card that offers frequent

flier miles. Be sure, though, you're disciplined enough to pay off your card every month.

Visit WebFlyer.com to get more information on frequent flier programs.

63. Don't give up on a discount. If you call an airline and learn all their discount seats are

sold out, don't give up. "Airlines limit discounted seats on each flight, often based on the number

of seats they expect to sell at full price," says Scott. "If a flight doesn't fill as rapidly as

expected, they might open additional discount seats." It could pay to wait for a day or so and

try, try again.

64. Dine at a discount . . . discreetly. Use discount dining cards, such as Rewards Network

(www.rewardsnetwork.com). You can save 20 percent at restaurants nationwide without showing

coupons or cards at the restaurant; instead, you get a monthly refund check in the mail.

SHIPPING SAVINGS

65. Clean up your mailing list. The U.S. Postal Service will clean up your mailing list for

free, correcting addresses, noting incomplete addresses and adding ZIP+4 numbers so you'll be

eligible for bar-code discounts.

66. Prune that mailing list even more. The Direct Marketing Association offers this checklist

of cost-cutting ideas. Eliminate nonresponders and marginal prospects; print "Address

Correction Requested" on the face of your mail; investigate co-mingling your mail with that of

other small mailers to take advantage of discounts available mainly to large mailers; and stockpile

mail to build up larger volumes.

67. Be an early bird. Send mail early in the day, and you can usually expect to get one- to

two-day delivery for the price of a first-class stamp.

68. Make it a priority. Take advantage of the U.S. Postal Service's Priority Mail $4.05 flat-rate

envelopes or $8.10 flat-rate boxes. They often arrive in two days and cost less than competitors'

two-day rates.

69. Go for bulk. If you mail in bulk, consider a bulk-mail permit. The permit costs $160 per

year but means lower postage costs per piece.

70. Shop around for an overnight courier. Overnight delivery rates for the major couriers

are competitive; however, if you're willing to wait a few hours—or even an extra day—you could

save.

TAX TACTICS

71. Waste not. When you’re ready to replace your old computers and office equipment,

donate them to a nonprofit organization or school and get a tax write-off.

72. Give what it takes. Business owners can take a 100 percent write-off on each business

gift that's no more than $25. Compare that to the 50 percent write-off for business meals and

entertainment, and gift-giving has never looked better. Itemize any gifts—including the name of

the recipient and the general nature of your business with that person—and remember that husband

and wife are treated as one recipient, advises Crouch.

73. Mind some petty pointers. Don't get careless about your petty cash account. "Though

you don't need receipts for expenses under $75, you should still track these expenses since

they can add up," advises Crouch.

74. Hire your children. If your children are at least 14 years old and pay their own taxes, it

pays to take advantage of their lower tax bracket. "You can essentially transfer income from your

business to them [to save money]," says Scott.

75. Take a stand on taxes. If your business is new in the neighborhood, you may be at a higher tax

rate than those who have been there longer. "Go to city hall to determine what your neighbors are paying,

and use this to negotiate a better rate," says Collins. "Expanding businesses can often negotiate

with community authorities, who want them to stay in town rather than move and take jobs elsewhere."

76. Homebased? Don't overlook crucial tax deductions. In addition to being able to deduct a portion

of your rent or mortgage interest and utilities as a business expense, you can also deduct a percentage

of various home maintenance expenses, along with a portion of the cost of services such as

house cleaning and lawn care. Check out the IRS's website at www.irs.gov, or check with a knowledgeable

tax advisor for more information.

77. Get out on the town. If much of your business is conducted at restaurants or you find yourself

driving to clients' offices, make sure you take those deductions. If you entertain clients or potential

clients to discuss a current or future project, you can deduct a portion of your entertainment costs. To

qualify for this deduction, you must maintain a log of entertainment-related expenses you plan to

deduct. For mileage, you can deduct 48.5 cents per mile in 2007. This figure usually changes annually,

so check with your accountant at the beginning of each year.

FINANCIAL FOCUS

78. Make credit comparisons. If you tend to run unpaid balances on your credit cards at the end

of the month, shop for a card with a low interest rate. If you pay in full, it's more important to avoid an

annual fee and look for a longer grace period. "Often credit card issuers waive the annual fee or

reduce the interest rate if you ask," says Scott. "Just tell your credit card company you've had several

solicitations from other companies with more favorable interest rates or no annual fees, and ask if they

will reduce yours."

79. Avoid cash advances. Credit card companies usually charge an upfront fee of up to 4 percent

of the advance, with interest accruing immediately.

80. Bank on an early deposit. Make bank deposits early enough in the day so you get credit (and

start earning interest) that day.

81. Establish a link. By linking your checking account with another account at your bank, you can

usually avoid checking charges, says Scott.

82. Get checks in the mail. Ordering your checks from a printing company often costs less

than getting them from a bank. Options include Checks in the Mail (www.checksinthemail.com)

and Designer Checks (www.designerchecks.com).

83. Form a buying alliance. Join with another business or a trade association for bulk purchasing

discounts.

84. Take it with you. If you're near your suppliers, pick up your order yourself—or perhaps

have a friend or family member do it for you. Caution: Pick up supplies yourself only when it

truly saves you money. If it's taking you away from a revenue-producing activity, you're not really

saving.

85. Be reluctant to give credit. If you do extend credit, thoroughly check the client's credit

background, says Collins. For less-than-creditworthy accounts, Collins advises considering the

following actions: Collect cash in advance; send partial shipments; request letters of credit, personal

guarantees and a pledge of assets; take out credit insurance; or think about factoring

(see below).

86. Consider the factors. Factors—companies that essentially buy and then liquidate a

company's accounts receivable—provide an option to tied-up money, says Collins. For more

information, visit the International Factoring Association (www.factoring.org).

PROFESSIONAL POLICIES

87. Query your consultants. The professionals you work with regularly are often easy to

bargain with, thanks to the rapport you've developed with them. Ask your insurance agent,

accountant or attorney how you can cut back on their costs. You'd be surprised at the suggestions

they might offer on ways to cut your premiums, reduce billable hours or avoid huge retainers.

You might also barter your services.

88. Be a legal eagle. When hiring an attorney, make sure you have a written fee agreement

to prevent surprises. It should include an estimate of the time to be spent on your case and

specify what's covered in the fee—including typing or copying—and what is not.

89. Learn something new. Rather than pay a consultant to write your press releases, for

example, hire one for an hour or so to show you how to do it yourself.

90. Run from the law. "Avoiding lawsuits is a big factor in business success," says Holmes

Crouch, author of 18 tax books. "Even arbitration can get expensive." The best alternative: Try

to work out any problems before they grow to the point that attorneys get involved. "Don't

ignore any written or phone complaints."

INVESTMENT IQ

91. Get ready to retire. Taking stock of your retirement plan options can significantly reduce

your tax bill. Not only are your contributions tax deductible, but the money in your retirement

account compounds without taxation until it's withdrawn after retirement. One of the simplest

plans to consider is a Simplified Employee Pension-Individual Retirement Account which allows

business owners to make tax-deductible contributions to employees' retirement accounts of up

to 25 percent of employees' incomes or $44,000. Other retirement plans include profit-sharing

Keoghs and money-purchase pension plans. Work with a financial planner to determine the

best plan for you.

92. Opt for a discount. If you prefer to make your own investment decisions, using a discount

broker (such as TD Waterhouse, Scottrade or e-Trade) to buy and sell securities can

save you 50 percent or more on stock transactions compared to full-service brokerages.

BUYING BRAINPOWER

93. Stretch your budget with barter. Swapping one product or service for another is a

good way to avoid cash outlays-and unload slow-moving inventory. If you'd rather not bargain

with other businesses directly, hire a commissioned barter broker (listed in the Yellow Pages

under "Barter"), or join a commercial barter club or exchange. The National Association of

Trade Exchanges (NATE) is a clearinghouse for member exchanges across the country, allowing

business owners to swap just about anything with anyone. Participants typically receive

"trade dollars" for their goods or services, which are brokered across cities nationwide with the

help of NATE. Visit NATE at www.nate.org.

94. Time your payments. Ask suppliers if they give discounts for early payment. If not, it's to

your advantage to pay your bills—including utilities, taxes and suppliers—as late as possible

without incurring a fee, advises Scott. "The longer funds are under your control," he says, "the

longer they're earning a return for you rather than someone else."

95. Barter for better compensation. Barter can also be an innovative way to supplement

your employees' compensation. For example, you could offer your sign-making services to a

barter exchange pool and, in return, receive the services of a local dentist. Then, instead of

paying for dental insurance for employees, you could provide them this valuable perk without

paying any cash.

96. Join an association. Many trade and business associations have reasonable membership

fees and offer discounts on everything from insurance, travel and car rental to long-distance

phone service, prescriptions and even golf course fees.

97. Seek at least three bids on everything. Even mundane purchases merit shopping

around. If you quote a competitor's lower price, a supplier or vendor will often match that price

to win your business.

MERCHANDISE MATTERS

98. Get reacquainted with your inventory. With warehousing, handling and insurance,

inventory carrying costs often exceed 25 percent per year, says Collins. To recoup some of

those expenses, present the product in a different light: "Restaging an old product is usually

less expensive than introducing a new one," says Weinrauch. "Often all that's needed is to

update its image, make improvements or create a spinoff."

99. Junk it. Get rid of unsold, damaged or returned merchandise at year-end, advises

Crouch. Advertise a year-end "fire" sale and save the advertisement for IRS documentation; then whatever you don't sell, give to charity and get a receipt. "The lower your year-end inventory,"

says Crouch, "the higher your cost of goods sold—and the lower your reported net

income and taxes."

HELPFUL HINTS

100. Go back to school . . . and introduce yourself to the head of your local college

business program. Many of these programs build community work into their curriculum and

can provide valuable assistance in writing or revising your business plan—or doing market

research—for free. Visit Entrepreneur.com's Top Entrepreneurial Colleges listing

(www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges) to find schools in your area with entrepreneurial programs.

You can also visit your local Small Business Development Center (www.sba.gov/sbdc),

a partially SBA-funded national program that offers assistance and information to new and current

entrepreneurs with 1,100 centers, often located on college campuses.

101. Consult Uncle Sam. Call your nearest Small Business Administration (SBA) office or

Small Business Development Center (www.sba.gov/sbdc) for information on no or low-cost

financing or growing a business. Also check out the SBA's website at www.sba.gov, which

allows you to download numerous useful publications for free.

Download Paper at : http://www.entrepreneur.com/downloads/101waystosave.pdf

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