If you are not yet familiar with Pinterest, it is the invite-only social network which has taken the social media world, unexpectedly, by storm.  Pinterest ranked as one of the top ten most visited social networks of 2011. According to a recent study, it’s receiving 260 million visitors monthly, and driving more traffic  to sites then YouTube, Reddit, Google+, and LinkedIn.  Pinterest is a “virtual pin board.” It consists of images, linked to sites, which people “pin” and categorize into customized boards of their choosing. Boards range from animals, to wedding planning, to recipes, to fashion ideas, to really, anything one desires.  If you are a small business and have not started pinning, what are you waiting for?! Here are some ways in which Pinterest can benefit your small business!

Send Traffic To Your Website: By doing as little as creating an account and pinning photos from your site, if just one person clicks on that photo, it is linked to and sends that user directly to your company website or landing page.

New Design/ Product Approval: Are you launching a new tangible product? Maybe you are a magazine and have multiple cover ideas for your next issue, or maybe you own a production company and have a few options for the DVR cover of your new movie. Uploading these images to Pinterest will instantly give you feedback on the visual appeal of your products. People “repin” what they like; see how many repins your images get and that will be feedback in itself. Not to mention, Pinterest has a commenting and “like” feature, which will also add value for your company. Being that the site is not as main stream as Twitter or Facebook, not yet at least, you will be able to filter the results more easily.

Start a “Best Board” Contest: Many brands have been initiating “Best Board” contests. For example, if you are an online clothing retailer, you can propose that contestants create a “look-book board” using images from your site. Maybe the task is to create the best board of “Working Girl” looks using items you sell from your site, and the winner receives a$100 gift card. Each image pinned during the contest will create a back link to your webpage.

Is Your Brand Image What You Thought? See what categories people are pinning your products into. This will tell you how people are viewing and categorizing your brand, services, and products. You might be surprised!

Connect and Relate: Pinterest gives companies a great opportunity to connect on a more personal level. For example, let’s say it is Thanksgiving and you are a recipe site. You can challenge visitors to your site to create a “Thanksgiving Dinner Board” and give a prize to the best one. It also can give companies a chance to connect to the cities they are located in. For example, The Washington Post has a board dedicated to the city of DC.

Showoff! Pinterest is a great way for you to show people out there what you are doing! Time Magazine began posting its legendary covers on the site, and the Wall Street Journal has a board specifically for its striking signature hedcut drawings! Check them out and check out other examples of how brands are showing off on and utilizing pinterest!

For daily small business news and tips, don’t forget to follow Corporate Tax Network on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!

Crowd funding is defined by Wikepedia as follows: describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Crowdfunding occurs for any variety of purposes, from disaster relief to citizen journalism to artists seeking support from fans, to political campaigns, to funding a startup company or small business or creating free software.

The concept described above is responsible for stirring quite the debate on Capitol Hill. This new internet-savvy way of gaining capital pushes boundaries in regards to many rules, regulations, and decades-old securities regulations. But times are tough out there, and it is quite difficult for many startup companies to obtain the loans that they need to begin their business ventures. In order to stimulate economic growth and provide more attainable funding for those who wish to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, Congress is debating whether or not to make exceptions to the laws which have been prohibitive to crowdfunding across the nation.

For example, Jared Hardy, co-founder of Fargo Beer Co., obtained the capital that his company needed by utilizing a crowdfunding site called ProFounder Financial Inc. However, this company, based out of West Hollywood, California, was recently forced to shut down by California securities regulators. “They were acting as a broker without being licensed as a broker dealer,” says Preston DuFauchard, the commissioner for the California Department of Corporations. By this statement, DuFauchard is referring to the fact that PrFounder had technically been providing online sales of equity stakes in small businesses, without being licensed to do so. Or were they?  The organization says that their site simply provides a way for entrepreneurs to tap into their friends, family, or other networks for money, in exchange for stakes in the businesses. Jessica Jackley, co-founder, says “If every [Web] start-up had to become a broker dealer to raise money for small businesses, it would be too prohibitive,” she says.

You may be asking why these companies do not just register to become broker-dealers? Well, the answer to that comes back to the very problem these companies are trying to solve; they don’t have the money! Costs of taking the necessary actions to register could total from anywhere to an extra $10,000-$30,000 a year! Congress is starting to sympathize. A bill which will let companies sell up to $2 million in equity online, with investors buying stakes of up to $10,000 year, or 10% of their annual income, whichever is less, was approved by the house two weeks ago. However, while this bill will please many crowd funding companies, it is upsetting many who have taken the necessary actions and have gone through the broker-dealer registration process.

Do you think that crowdfunding companies should have to register as official broker-dealers? Corporate Tax Network wants to know what you guys think! You can give us some feedback by checking out our pages on Facebook, Google+ and on Twitter!

Valentine’s Day, a day that began as a celebration of the one or more early Christian martyrs, Valentinus, has morphed into not only one of the most romantic days of the year, but one of the biggest gift giving days as well.  All you lovebirds out there are not the only ones who benefit from today, but many businesses do as well!  The National Retail Federation expects consumers to spend $17.6 billion this year on Valentine’s gifts and activities for not only their lovers, but for their friends, family members, and even their pets!   In a January survey, results showed that consumers, on average, will spend $126.03 for the holiday. This is an 8.5% rise from last year and the highest amount the survey has seen in its 10 year history!

From candy shops, to restaurants, to jewelers, Valentine’s Day provides a lucrative boost of sales during the somewhat slower winter months. Central Michigan Life Magazine interviewed Mark Ellis, owner of Four Season Floral. Ellis stated that his shop sells more than 2,000 roses the week of Valentine’s Day! Wow, that’s a lot of roses for a small town, especially when compared to their average sales volume of 200 roses per week! This trend is a common one in towns and cities all across the United States, and now, the Valentine’s Day spirit seems to be catching on internationally as well!

V-day has received wide recognition from China’s younger generation, even though it is not a traditional Chinese holiday, and Chinese small business owners are ecstatic about the benefits! Florists in China reported receiving a heavy volume of orders up to two weeks before the holiday, and chocolate shops have had to increase their supplies in order to keep up! As the Valentine’s Day trend seems to be more of a staple in the country, business owners there are learning how to capitalize. For example, many restaurants in Shanghai have begun to offer discounts to those who come in “hand in hand.” Even in countries like Iran, where Western practices are strongly rejected, Valentine’s Day perseveres. Shopkeepers reported a significant increase in demand for roses, cards, and teddy bears this season.

Although candy, flowers, and fancy jewelry tend to dominate the Valentine gift-giving market, there is still opportunity for various other industries to profit. Look at your products and markets; see how you can position yourself for the Valentine’s Day consumer. For example, the pizza industry learned how cash in with no other than….the heart shaped pizza! They have actually started quite the trend; according to Google, Google searches for “heart-shaped pizzas” have increased 230% since January! Google’s report also stated that last year Papa John’s sold more than 60,000 heart shaped pizzas and expects to sell 75,000 this year!

Is your small business feeling the love? What are you offering for Valentine’s Day? Send us feedback and pictures via our Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ pages! And last but not least, Corporate Tax Network wishes everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day!

Little help with stolen tax returns: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Written By Kristin Wright of FOX 13 News

MyFox Tampa- TAMPA – The IRS makes it shockingly easy to defraud its own system. It takes exactly two pieces of information to file a fraudulent tax return and get the refund: a name, and a corresponding Social Security number.

“Everybody watching this interview is a potential target,” Corporate Tax Network’s Bert Seither said.

Corporate Tax Network in Clearwater offers a free service helping people who have been victimized. They work to navigate the red tape to get their money from the IRS.

Seventy percent of taxpayers use the IRS electronic filing system. By law, tax preparers are required to use it. E-File revolutionized the way and the speed federal returns are processed.

But the benefits come with consequences, worsened by the rise in identity theft and the fall of the economy.

Certified Public Accountant Suzanne Cox with Saltmarsh, Cleaveland, & Gund in Tampa says it’s simple for someone other than you to file your return, even with wrong information.

Cox is a victim herself.

“On most returns, they don’t actually have a physical person reviewing your tax return. It’s all done electronically,” explained Cox. “You’re pretty much trusting the electronic system to act like a human, which of course we know that it can’t.”

File early.

“If their return is filed before the criminal files the return, the criminal’s return will get rejected,” said Seither, who gets calls from victims several times a week.

Victims have found it impossible to get timely answers from the I.R.S.

“Many of the people on the front line are hired as seasonal workers or employees with not a lot of training,” Seither said.

Florida’s U.S. Senators say they’re committed to fixing the problem. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has introduced legislation.

“I think we also have to create a better reporting mechanism, where when someone knows their identity has been stolen, they have a mechanism of reporting it immediately to the IRS, so they can be on the lookout for this type of fraudulent behavior,” Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) told FOX 13.

It can happen to anyone, even twice.

“It took probably six months for them to do the investigation to prove my husband is who he said he was, and the next year it happened again,” said Cox. “It’s pretty much a race to who gets there first.”

Besides filing early, it’s also important that you check your credit report at least once a year and be careful about who you give your Social Security number to. The number one place where Social Security numbers are stolen are at medical facilities, like clinics and hospitals.

Do you own a pool company, or maybe a landscaping company? Or maybe you are the owner of a beautiful oceanfront bar. Either way, it is safe to say if you fit into any of the above categories, that it is your off season. Generating enough revenue in just a few short months, when most businesses have the whole year, can be a stressful endeavor. Many seasonal businesses face the question “How can I make more of a profit throughout my offseason months?”   Can’t think of anything? Don’t worry! We are here to help. Here are some of Corporate Tax Network’s best tips for seasonal businesses to generate some off season income:

Add More Products and/or Services: This is probably one of the most obvious ways, but tread carefully: you want to be careful not to stray too far from your brand image. For instance, if you are an oceanfront bar or restaurant, it would not make sense for you to start selling snow shovels during the winter months. However, if you are a landscaping company, in addition to providing landscaping services, during winter months you can also provide services such as snow removal and shoveling, and maybe sell items aimed at de-icing or protecting your shrubbery during the colder months.

Make Your Season Last As Long As Possible: You can always start your season earlier and end your season later. Early bird promotions as well as post-season sales are a great way to bring in mass amounts of revenue. Also, do your research on your industry! You never know what type of niche you may find. For example, an owner of a Christmas tree company discovered “Orthodox Christmas.” By doing his research, he learned that Orthodox Christians actually celebrate Christmas on or near January 7^th. He realized that by shifting his marketing efforts to this niche group, he could extend his season and generate more revenue.

Take Advantage of Your Off Season Time: This rule applies whether you are open for business or not. If you can find a way to generate revenue and remain open for business in your off season, then great! If not- this is not a time to just sit pretty. Use it to be productive! Catch up on paperwork, organization techniques, reevaluate your marketing and operations strategies; there is always something that you can improve on you just need to find it!

Market In The Off Season: Start stirring up hype in your off season. During winter, everyone is excited for summer. During summer, everyone is excited for the holiday spirit and the first snow. Take advantage of this! Off season is also a great time for you to discount your products, and it tough times like these, people are jumping at the chance for a good deal! Don’t think for a second that just because it is July, someone will not buy a fake Christmas tree that is being sold at 50% off.

What Worked Once Will Not Necessarily Work Again: Just because something works one summer, does not necessarily mean that it will work the summer after. Seasonal businesses tend to disaffiliate themselves from the market in the off season, this is a big mistake! Year-round you must be consistently tracking trends and data that might have an effect once you open in your season. Before opening day each season, you should spend time on evaluating your strategies and making any adjustments necessary.

Take Some Time For You! Seasonal businesses are usually crazy during their peak season. Take some relaxation time while you can! You need time to mentally recharge so that you can be at your best performance during your critical months.

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