Thursday, September 16, 2010

Senate Passes Small-Business Aid Bill

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate passed long-delayed legislation Thursday designed to open up credit to small businesses and award them with other incentives to expand and hire new workers.


The measure would establish a $30 billion government fund to help open up lending for credit-starved small businesses, cut their taxes and boost Small Business Administration loan programs. The new loan fund would be available to community banks to encourage lending to small businesses. Supporters say banks should be able to use the fund to leverage up to $300 billion in loans. This legislation would also aid lending by lowering Small Business Administration loan program fees and raising loan guarantee and lending limits.

"This small business jobs bill would give small businesses $12 billion in tax cuts. It would increase small business lending. It would help small business owners to get private capital to finance expansion and hire new workers," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. "And all these things would help small businesses to create as many as a half a million jobs."

After Senate passage, the bill would return the measure to the House, which is likely to approve it for Obama's signature.

The small business tax cuts in the bill include breaks for restaurant owners and retailers who remodel their stores or build new ones. Long-term investors in some small businesses would be exempt from paying capital gains taxes. But in the near term, the bulk of the tax cuts would actually go to big companies to allow them to more quickly recover the costs of capital improvements through depreciation. The measure also would allow small business owners to deduct the costs of health insurance for themselves and their families from self-employment taxes, but only for the 2010 tax year.

Much of the bill would be paid for by allowing taxpayers to convert 401(k) and government retirement accounts into Roth accounts, in which they pay taxes up front on the money they contribute, enabling them to withdraw it tax-free after they retire.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Learn how to do basic business research @ Pueblo West Library, Tuesday, May 25th 6pm

Whether you're starting a business, growing a business, or just thinking about your business options, you need to do research. Who and where would my customers be? What is the demand for my services or products? Who are my competitors? How much can I expect to earn in my first year? What are the latest trends in management? What kind of green business can I develop? Is it feasible to open an additional location? These are all important elements to establishing and growing a business. The library is the place to go!

This session will give a thorough introduction to doing business research at the library, including using books, magazines and electronic sources. Free and open to the public. For information and to rsvp call 719-562-5667 or email Cindy.Shimizu@pueblolibrary.org.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Get your free credit report @ Pueblo libraries

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. Come to this session to learn step-by-step how to request your free credit report using the Internet, and learn more about how your credit report is used by banks and credit companies and strategies to improve your credit. Where possible, attendees can request and print copies of their credit reports during this session. A session will be offered at each of the branches of the Pueblo Library Disrict.

Monday, April 26 @ 6:30pm - Lamb Branch, 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd.
Tuesday, April 27 @ 6pm - Pueblo West Branch, 298 S. Joe Martinez Blvd.
Wednesday, April 28 @ 6pm - Barkman Branch, 1300 Jerry Murphy Blvd.
Thursday, April 29 @ 6pm - Rawlings Branch, 100 E. Abriendo Ave.

Please RSVP by calling or emailing Cindy Shimizu 562-5667, Cindy.Shimizu@pueblolibrary.org.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

For Earth Day, look at Great Green Jobs

Great Green Careers connects employers and job seekers in the green jobs industries. The green job market includes energy (wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, biomass, and others), environment (ecology, health and safety, parks, abatement, and others), skilled trades (heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, building automation), and transportation.