November 2009
In this issue:
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Tax Breaks and Upcoming Expiration |
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Thank You Notes |
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Ways to Work Quicker |
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Great Business Proposals |
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Use Snipping Tool |
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Protect Your Home Computer |
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Make a Referral |
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Just for Laughs |
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Use Snipping Tool
to capture
screen shots
 Have you ever wished you could take a snapshot of something on your computer screen? What about the ability to send someone a picture of your error message? In Windows XP and 2000, the only way to get a screen shot was to get a picture of the ENTIRE screen. With VISTA, and now Windows 7, you can get as much or as little of the screen as you want in a format that's much easier to work with. How? You can use the SNIPPING TOOL.
See more about snipping
“Protect your
home computer, Don’t lose those family pictures!
More and more of you are working from home and have critical home office needs. Losing your business or personal data is not an option. We have 2 plans available to you. *To qualify you must have ”technology peace of mind” support at your office with Crown.
We recently had a client lose 5 years worth of their digital family pictures.
That would be devastating to any of us so we wanted to give our clients the opportunity to keep that from happening.
Executive Home Office Support Silver $50 per month per workstation*
- Offsite backup of critical data
- Patch management
- Disaster recovery image onsite (just need an extra drive to store it on)
Executive Home Office Support Platinum $119 per month per workstation (2 workstation minimum)*
*biz hours support included (after hours additional)
- Offsite backup of critical data
- Patch management
- Disaster recovery image onsite (just need an extra drive to store it on)
We’re Thankful You’re A Customer And Hope You’ll Help Us Find More Just Like You
Know anyone struggling with their technology? We can help. To thank you for the trust you have put in us we will send you a special gift for each referral you make to us. This months free gift is a $100 gift card to South Coast Surf Shops.
Make a Referral Here
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Law Offers Special Tax Breaks for Small Business;
Act Now and Save, IRS Says
Faster Write-Offs for Certain Capital Expenditures
Many small businesses that invest in new property and equipment will be able to write off most or all of these purchases on their 2009 returns. The new law extends through 2009 the special 50 percent depreciation allowance, also known as bonus depreciation, and increased limits on the section 179 deduction, named for the relevant section of the Internal Revenue Code. Normally, businesses recover these capital investments through annual depreciation deductions spread over several years. Both of these provisions encourage these investments by enabling businesses to write them off more quickly.
The bonus depreciation provision generally enables businesses to deduct half the cost of qualifying property in the year it is placed in service.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=208316,00.html
Upcoming Expiration of the 2009 ARRA and Section 179
The Economic Stimulus Act and Section 179 “ The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” has been officially extended. The Section 179 Deduction increases made available in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 through December 31, 2009, if you have purchased and installed the equipment.
With the current news that is all around us it is sometimes hard to justify opening our pocketbooks and investing in our companies. We all know that the best way to improve ourselves and our businesses is to invest time, energy and money in accomplishing our goals. As the year draws to a close you need to take a look and see what can be done to improve your business. The decision to improve may save you money.
With the changes to the Section 179 Deduction made by the Economic Stimulus Act signed in February 2008 there are some exciting benefits for business.
Read more
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The Importance of Thank You Notes
used with permission from JOEL H. WELDON & ASSOCIATES, INC. http://www.SuccessComesInCans.com
 The importance of writing thank-you notes was reinforced to me years ago when I was on a Delta Airlines flight to New Orleans. I fly a lot, usually a couple flights a week -- so when it comes to the service provided by flight attendants, I'm sort of an expert.
On that particular day I received exceptional service from the moment I boarded the plane. The flight attendant hung my coat up, got me some lemon water, which is what I always drink, and provided excellent meal service. She smiled easily, had a positive attitude and just seemed so happy to be of help.
And it wasn't just towards me. She treated all the passengers the same way. So, I took out a piece of paper and wrote a thank-you note to the president of Delta Airlines. His name was listed in the inflight magazine. In the note, I was very specific. I referred to the flight attendant by name, which happened to be Linda Williamson, and I described exactly what she had done. Then, before sending it in to Delta, I gave it to Linda to read.
Read more
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22 Ways To Work Quicker on your Computer
Used with permission from the HP Small & Medium Business Center
Work, family, friends and a few hours for yourself? Sometimes it seems impossible to fit everything in one day. If you are looking to spend less time at your computer and more time somewhere else, check out these clever keyboard shortcuts.
Windows of opportunity
If you often work with several windows open simultaneously, you’ll save valuable minutes using these quick key options.
1. To minimize a window to your toolbar, press ALT, SPACEBAR and N.
2. To maximize a window to your full screen, hit ALT, SPACEBAR and X.
3. To reduce the size of a window without hiding it, press ALT, SPACEBAR and R.
4. To close a window, hit ALT and F4.
5. To go to the last window you had open, simultaneously click ALT and TAB.
6. To select one window when you have several open, hold down ALT, and maneuver by clicking TAB to the window you want.
To speed up Excel
You can easily accelerate your spreadsheet skills with these handy tricks.
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7 Tips for Creating a Great Business Proposal
by Steve Strauss
Used with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center
Q: Steve - I was wondering if you had any tips on what constitutes a good proposal. Much of my business comes from making proposals, and I think they could probably be stronger, though I am not sure they are weak, if that makes sense. Thanks in advance. - Kirk
A: In his excellent book, Writing Winning Business Proposals, author Richard C. Freed says this about business proposals:
Although a few are outstanding, most aren't. Many offend with 'cut-and-paste' boilerplate, miss important opportunities to provide value, suffer from poor logic and organization, and focus more on you than on me and my organization. Although some do a few things well, some don't do much well at all.
Read more
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Quote of the Month
Autumn is a second spring
when every leaf is a flower.
- Albert Camus
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