Author: knjohn

IRS to End Unannounced Visits to Taxpayers | Small Biz Trends

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced it will cease the majority of unannounced visits to taxpayers. This move aims to decrease public confusion and improve safety for taxpayers and IRS employees alike.

The change, which takes immediate effect, will replace spontaneous visits by IRS revenue officers with scheduled meetings organized via mailed letters, marking a significant break from the IRS’s decades-long practice. Revenue officers, who are tasked with visiting homes and businesses to aid in resolving account balances, often through the collection of unpaid taxes and unfiled tax returns, will now be armed with prior appointments instead of surprise visits.

The adjustment comes as part of a larger effort to revamp IRS operations following the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act last year and the introduction of the new IRS Strategic Operating Plan in April.

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American consumers in no mood to give up daily coffee | Food Truck Operator

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Good news for restaurants and food trucks offering a cup of joe — American consumers are in no mood to go without their daily pick-me-up: coffee.

That’s according to the most recent National Coffee Trends Study Specialty Coffee Report sponsored by the National Coffee Association.

“Inflation is on everyone’s mind,” said Samantha Evans, senior research manager at Dig Insights, during a webinar on the study. “It’s impacting everything everywhere, and seemingly all at once, including how Americans drink and purchase coffee.”

While inflation has come down from 7.5% in January of 2022, people remain worried about personal finances, Evans said. This isn’t surprising as interest rates have increased dramatically in the past year.

“It’s really starting to take a toll on consumers and their finances,” she said.

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The ABCs of Running Your Own Business | Business

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Find out the meaning of more than 100 important business terms.

Running a business means grasping the intricacies of accounting, marketing, inventory, people operations and many other responsibilities, and each new responsibility comes with its own jargon. As a business owner, you’re likely to come across terms ranging from A/B testing and accounts receivable to Zapier and zero interest. Below, we dive into the ABCs you need to understand to succeed.

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What You Can Learn From Infamously Bad Bosses | Business

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Executives at Disney, Yahoo, and other companies show what NOT to do.

Being the boss comes with a lot of responsibilities. They’re the person everyone else looks to for leadership and direction. But what happens when the boss is caught doing things they shouldn’t be? That’s when scandals can hit – and public relations nightmares begin.

A great boss – whether a business owner or C-suite executive – is often not only a role model inside a company, but also the public face of the business outside the office. The person in this role is usually skilled at building brand awareness and bringing positive attention to the organization. Sometimes, however, company leaders make news for all the wrong reasons. Here are some notorious examples and what small business owners can learn from them.

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You can now ‘expand’ images in Photoshop using AI | Digital Trends

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Adobe is updating its Photoshop app with a new AI-powered feature that will allow you to easily make an image larger and add context to the image based on its original subject.

The feature, called Generative Expand, is now available to Photoshop beta users. You’ll be able to expand images in any direction and generate an additional scene for the space with a combination of traditional app tools and AI. It uses Photoshop’s crop tool in conjunction with a text field for a prompt to create the details for the image you want to add.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Motorola Razr Plus | Digital Trends

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Samsung has finally added a big cover screen to its Flip lineup with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. After years of offering tiny cover displays that are good for widgets and notifications, but nothing more, the Flip 5 is a major step forward.

Since its launch, we’ve hailed the Motorola Razr Plus as the best user experience on a clamshell foldable because it allows you to get things done without opening the phone — and in a very seamless manner. But with the addition of a 3.4-inch cover display on the Z Flip 5, has it finally bridged the gap between the two flip phones? Here’s a full comparison between the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr Plus.

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What To Know About Working In A Startup Environment | The Startup Magazine

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Are you considering working in a startup environment? If so, there are some critical pieces of information to understand when navigating this unique work situation. Working at a startup can bring excitement, growth potential, uncertainty, and risk. Keep reading for startup tips from an experienced consultant for joining startups as we dive into what you should know when joining a startup or about how to join a startup.

Understand The Differences Between Big Companies And Startups

When choosing between a big company and a startup, it’s essential to understand the differences. A big company often provides stability, established structures, and higher salaries, whereas joining a startup is riskier but potentially more rewarding. In a startup, you will likely take on more responsibilities, have more growth opportunities, and contribute to shaping the company’s direction and culture. It’s an exciting and dynamic experience that requires an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to adapt to change. So, before deciding, consider the differences and weigh your options carefully.

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Benefits You Should Offer Every Employee | The Startup Magazine

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Employee benefits are one of the most crucial things you will need to offer your workers. Both to make sure you can recruit the best and then keep them over the long term. The good news is you can find out what some of the most popular employee benefits are in the post below.

Parental leave

Did you know that even today some businesses offer zero parental leave? That means people have to go straight back to work after giving birth or welcoming a new baby into their family. Of course, as having a baby is such as big life change not offering time off for people to adjust to this will cause them undue stress, both at work and in their personal lives. It’s also pretty dehumanizing to expect people with such as important event occurring in their lives to carry on at work as if nothing has happened.

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Can houseplants purify the air in your home? | BBC News

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Most people don’t realize just how many pollutants are swirling around indoors, where they typically spend most of their time.

For example, many of the products we use for cleaning and freshening our homes, schools and workplaces are adding invisible toxins to the air.

“The smell of fresh is not a smell,” says Anne Hicks, a paediatric pulmonary specialist at the University of Alberta.

“If you can smell it, there’s a chemical in the air that’s getting up your nose. So all of that is air pollution, whether it smells good or bad,” she says.

“Indoor air pollution is huge, and it’s a relatively unknown frontier, because even my next-door neighbour’s house has a different air pollution fingerprint than my house would have,” Dr Hicks says.

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