After seven years in business, I truly thought we had the tax thing down and all the regulations that go along with owning a business.

We all know about the federal and state taxes we pay every year, and then there are all the other taxes that come along with owning a retail business, such as the trader’s license ($40 a year to operate a store), personal property tax just to hold on to your business name in Maryland ($300) and also the personal property tax you pay every year on the things you purchase for your business (cost varies). Isn’t it great? Buy something to help your business and pay tax on it year after year.

What happened to us recently, however, was a new one.

You might remember a blog sometime back where we talk about no matter how well you plan, the stuff hits the fan when you leave town for a little vacation time. So, it was just that type of trip. We flew out of town for three days – just three days.

Day Two, I get a call from my office manager that the Maryland Department of Agriculture is at Vircity. Maryland Department of what? Why in the world are they at Vircity?

Having just heard from a fellow business owner of a BGE scam, I was on the alert for scams. These men wanted to put weights on our scale to see if it weighed properly. They didn’t call, didn’t set an appointment with me, and who’s to say these weights they are putting on my scale actually weigh what they say they should? Sounded like a scam to me, being 2,000 miles away.

My staff didn’t know what to do so they let the men use their weights. The men claimed the scale was off and that they could take the scale but since it was off in the customer’s favor, not ours, they would leave it, but we had to get it fixed.

Well, it just so happens that there is a division of the Maryland Department of Agriculture that is in charge of weights and measures. I looked but did not find anything that talked about weighing packages.

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Whether you have been going to a printer for years or are just finding yourself in need of one because your printer broke, everyone could stand to learn a few things about outsourcing documents.

The ability to send print jobs virtually is a boon for saving time but the process will be even smoother if the job is ready to go from the beginning. Here’s how to flawlessly format your print jobs and make it so that the only call you get from your printer is to tell you it’s ready to pick up.

One of the most important things to do when sending out a print job is to send it as a PDF. These files are universally recognized, whereas Microsoft Word files may not be depending on the software that the printer has. Even if your Word document is recognized, different versions of Word may lead to formatting errors and any polishing or finishing touches may not make it to the version that is printed. This is especially important when it comes to documents such as resumes.

Many organizational documents are printed with logos on them. It seems easy enough to simply copy and paste a logo from a website but this can create problems, too. Most Internet images are 72 dots per inch (dpi), which is not a high enough resolution for most printers. Make sure to check your image settings before sending and increase the resolution to 300 dpi or more. This will leave your images looking just as good as they do on the computer and not come out pixilated.

On the topic of images, also understand that there is a difference between RGB (Red Green Blue) and CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Key) ink. An image that is copied from a website will be RGB and therefore print much differently than if it has a full color spectrum. Also keep in mind that computer monitors have a larger color gamut and can display a million more colors than what printing can achieve.

There may have been a time that you noticed something looked different on screen than it did on paper. The best way to make sure your colors match is to use a universally recognized system called Pantone, which is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer. The guides are pricey but well worth it if color is of utmost importance to you.

Understandably, not everyone is familiar with printing specifications. If you don’t understand something but know that you want your print job done a certain way, it never hurts to ask. Give your printer a call or make a note when you send the job in. And, with so many online printing options, it can help you save money to think about some of these things before you print.

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I recently ran across a cartoon with President Barack Obama showing a citizen the ins and outs of the Affordable Care Act on a white board. The citizen’s only question was where it said that healthcare would be cheaper.

Over the last few months, we have been gearing up for the looming changes to the healthcare landscape. We have become certified, we have read countless opinions and have created our own tool to help clients make informed decisions.

For example, we compiled one of our client’s census data, captured the health care premium and payroll deductions and analyzed its scenarios three ways to Sunday. The good thing was that out of their 767 employees, only 27 would find their current plan unaffordable. Another good thing for the client was that in order to make it affordable to those folks it would only cost $53,000 to increase wages to a point that it would be affordable for all.

I know that some of you may look at $53,000 and say that is a lot of money. It is not, though, when you consider that if all of their employees elect coverage it will cost our client an additional $3.3 million in premium dollars. (The big brains at our firm have been able to lighten that blow using a predictive modeling tool to project the impact of healthcare reform and develop a plan that will lessen the burden to just over $2 million.) While we feel pretty smart with our ability to find ways for our clients to spend their employee benefits dollars wisely, we also recognize, and have communicated, that the decision to continue to offer health care to employees may not be good for the employees.

At first sight that may sound like a cop out, but it is not. Let me give you an example: One of our client’s employees, let’s call him Bob, makes $25,000 and is a single parent to two kids. The current plan would cost Bob $8,000 per year (the premium is $2,000 per month or $24,000 per year). Does that sound affordable to you?

The way the health care reform bill was written, companies are responsible for providing employees with individual coverage that costs less than 9.5 percent of their annual wages. The bill does not address family, parent-child, or husband-wife coverage. In this particular situation, Bob is eligible to go to the state exchange (when it is up and running) and receive a credit because his wages put him in range for a credit. Oh, wait — Bob is not allowed to get a credit in the exchange because the employer offers affordable care.

Now, all the tax people out there will raise their hands and say that the $8,000 medical cost results in an itemized deduction of $5,500 ($8,000 – ($25,000 x 10 percent)). But, you see, Bob is head of his household and rents his home and he was claiming the standard deduction of $8,700. So no help here.

(Cue picture of President Obama pointing to the white board. “Where does it say it is going to be cheaper?”)

The sad truth is that the word “benefit” is leaving the employee benefits industry. It will no longer be a benefit to the employee if companies offer healthcare. It will be a detriment to the hardworking soul of this county just trying to make ends meet.

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As an entrepreneur, there really isn’t such a thing as a snow day but we still wish for them. I think it has to do with the kid inside all of us. We still get excited when that white stuff starts to fall, thinking maybe, just maybe we’ll get a few more hours of sleep or better yet, a jump on the day.

Let me take you back several winters to the blizzard of 2010. . . It was that time when we got dumped on twice in less than a week. People were stranded, grocery stores could not get their deliveries and businesses struggled to open.

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In a world increasingly dominated by smartphones, it seems natural that the workforce is developing into a mobile one. No longer do workers need to go to the office to accomplish their daily tasks. They can answer emails, conduct meetings, take notes and keep organized on a calendar — all on a device that is not much larger than a business card.

Technological forces are shaping the labor landscape and it’s one that workers seem on board with. According to the International Data Corporation, 37.2 percent of the total workforce will be completely mobile by 2015. With more work going virtual, standard offices may soon be a thing of the past.

Part of the driving force behind mobile work is entrepreneurs. A recent survey by Intelligent Office revealed that 65 percent of workers want to work as entrepreneurs or independently. Additionally, 61 percent desire more flexible hours than the traditional 9-to-5, and 55 percent desire a quiet workspace versus one that is crowded and noisy. These majorities follow the workforce trend of ditching the corporate world for one that is a little homier.

(So if we’re working from home or a virtual office, how far off are we from going to the doctor through the Internet? Just the other day we got caught up in a “Rock Center with Brian Williams” where he was talking with Dr. Eric Topol about the advance in technology and how the iphone is the next medical device. It was fascinating to see how this doctor could use the iPhone to perform EKGs and monitor glucose levels in his body.)

While three out-of-five workers say they don’t need to go to the office to be productive, certain aspects of a standard office are beneficial to new entrepreneurs. A virtual office acts like an office-on-call: all the administrative functions of an office without the cost of renting office space. And, as an employer, you know that the two largest expenses are typically your employees, followed by office space.

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Two weeks ago, I attended an event sponsored by National Association of Women Business Owners, “Today’s Technology 101.” The panel of speakers talked about mobile technology and social media. Not surprisingly, social media took center stage and the questions poured from the audience.

This particular audience had those who were very familiar with social media and those who had never created a Facebook account. I’m in the middle but more toward the latter group: I have a Facebook and LinkedIn account personally and professionally but struggle with finding time to update it. Social media to me is speed media.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and now Pinterest (which doesn’t even show up in spell-check yet) are just a few options you can focus on with your business. However, any social media guru will tell you to pick one and do an outstanding job with it before starting the next. I’m working on that but I have not yet found a balance between my traditional approach to work versus spending time on Facebook or LinkedIn. I have a hard time not seeing these things as “time-drains.”

But they aren’t always “time-drains”. Take LinkedIn for example. This is a great tool for getting an introduction to meet someone. With today’s spam filters, it can be difficult to email, especially if your email is not on the receiver’s approved list. Reaching out through LinkedIn can be surprisingly faster than even picking up the telephone.

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As entrepreneurs, we are always looking for the latest developments in technology to make our lives easier. So we thought we would share some of the apps that have helped us with our entrepreneurial adventures.

Keep in mind, we are not security experts and therefore not recommending these for top-secret intelligence files. But perhaps one of these websites might be of interest to you and your business.

Dropbox: We use it and love it. You can store all your documents on the web and access them from anywhere (including their nifty app for phones) and you never have to worry about your server or hard drive crashing. Even if you don’t quite feel comfortable putting your files in the cloud, you could use it for photos you’d like to keep around for eternity. You can also easily invite others to view your files, such as employees who may not work next to you. There are some drawbacks when it comes to the same file being opened by two people, but it’s still a gem.

Toggl: Interesting program to help you keep track of your time. Where did the day go? Now you know. It sits right on your desktop and has an easy-to-use timer feature that you can start and stop as you need to throughout the day. You can even add projects and details to assist you with your billing. You can also add employees or contractors to the program and watch what they do all day long. It comes with an app for the iPhone and supposedly downloads the information to an Excel file or Quickbooks (we haven’t tried it yet). The mobile app isn’t as easy as the desktop version to use but it is still helpful when you want an easy way to enter minutes of your day while on the road. We’re still in the honeymoon stage with this one but loving it so far.

FreeConference.com: It always amazes us how many individuals say they don’t have a conference line. Sure you do! Just sign up online at and it really is free. What’s the catch? They do not provide toll free conference call in numbers. But you get a report of the call that includes who was on it and for how long. Not bad for free.

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How many of us actually pay attention to the advantages and disadvantages of working with different banks? Mostly, we deposit checks, write checks and withdrawal cash. But when you’re making your banking decision and building that relationship as an entrepreneur, remember to look at every possible cash-making opportunity for the bank and how it will affect your operations.

We received our bank statement for Vircity on Tuesday. Going through the reconciliation process, I found a $3.98 charge for “Account Analysis Fee.” Humm. . . I didn’t recall asking the bank to do any sort of analysis on my account, so I went to my bank to ask about it.

(I realize it’s only $4, but how many people think “it’s only $4” and never take the time to ask and just keep paying it month after month?)

While waiting for the representative to meet with me, I asked the two tellers if they had any idea what it was. They had no idea but said I wasn’t the first customer to come in and inquire, so they were curious as well. The representative I spoke to also had no idea what it was for and made a few telephone calls. She discovered it was for “change.”

“Change?” I said. “As in, I hand you a $20 bill and ask for two $10 bills in return?”

We’ve done business with this bank for more than six years primarily because it is conveniently located, which made it easy to make deposits and get change. In six years, we were never charged any sort of “Account Analysis Fee” for the tellers to turn our $20 bill into two $10 bills. Now, when we look at the teeny tiny fine print of our banking agreement, we see it says that they can charge us to convert our larger bills into smaller ones, a charge that previously had never been exercised on our account.

I realize everyone needs to make money, but charging me to convert my money once in a blue moon does not seem fair. I understand if a business is in the bank five times a day. But once every two weeks? My guess is either the bank’s corporate office wondered why this retail bank was not generating more income converting all of its clients’ money into change or a new manager came in and decided to make sure this branch of the bank operated by the book.

In either case, I now know that if I need to go make change, it’s going to cost me $4 — unless I can find that sweet teller who takes pity on my infrequent change requests and converts my $20 bill without charging me.

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From an entrepreneurial standpoint, location should be the easiest and most logical decision of the 4 P’s of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion and place, i.e. location). “Place” as a definition refers to providing the product at a place which is convenient for consumers to access – synonymous with the concept of distribution.

When we were considering opening a retail store, Vircity, we looked all around Baltimore for what we felt would be a good location – convenient for us, not our customers. Honestly, we did not do the due diligence we preach when teaching entrepreneurship at Notre Dame of Maryland University. If we had to start the business over, we would conduct market research and spend a little more time looking into the market we thought we would be serving. But as excited entrepreneurs, we took the “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” approach of logic.

Our decision was not based on the fact that there were many businesses housed in The Can Company complex in Canton that might use our services, especially the Emerging Technology Center on the second floor or the fact that DAP’s world headquarters was on the third floor. And only during our lease negotiation did we think about the fact that there was parking which would be advantageous for our customers to get in and out of the store quickly. We looked at multiple properties and made our decision based on the fact that The Can Company was the closest location to our residence and we could walk to work. Not the best approach to location, but we were lucky and the proximity has proven invaluable:

– When the burglar alarm went off at 3 a.m. and we rushed over there ready to take down whoever dared break into our business, it took us a second to figure out a door had swung open and activated the motion sensor. We were back home and in bed within 30 minutes.

– When the blizzards of 2010 hit Baltimore, we were able to trudge through the snow and get the business open for all those entrepreneurs and employees who needed to ship, copy, print and just get out of their homes. Our employees could not drive in for a week, but we were still able to make money.

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When I decided to write on health care reform, I went online to find out how Wikipedia defined “reform.” I laughed when I read that the only difference between “reform” and “revolution” is that reform is a fine tuning while revolution is a radical change. Granted, they both are used to right a wrong, but I am not sure if what has been enacted should be considered a fine tuning.

I want to be clear my opinion is biased and my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are financed by the health care system. Specifically, my company, McQuade Consulting, generates revenue from either consulting with companies or through commissions earned on insurance premiums.

When it became evident that health care reform was here to stay, we (my business partner, Peter Chesner, and I) decided that getting certified in health care reform would be a good idea. Prior to the election (yes, prior) we traveled to Florida to meet Sandy (the hurricane) and listen to the nation’s most knowledgeable advisers, experts, educators and politicians.

We came back to Maryland energized at the possibilities of reform. What was clear to us was that if you were not ahead of the curve you were going to be whipped by it. We have created the models to efficiently guide our clients and look forward to the evolution. Unfortunately, there are still gaps that have not been bridged and questions that have not been answered.

The goal of health care reform was to provide access, affordability and quality. I could argue that all three elements are subject to individual interpretations. For now, let’s only discuss affordability, as the access and quality elements mostly affect individuals and not corporations or organizations.

If you are an employer and have 49 employees or less, you are exempt from the law on a federal level, but Maryland has yet to disclose what is up its sleeve. If you are a large employer of unskilled workers you are either going to pay more for your portion of the premiums or pay more taxes.

And if you are thinking about just paying the penalties imposed for not offering health care to your team, you may make a big mistake. Congress has the ability to change the penalties associated with not having a plan or not contributing enough to the plan at any time. (Washington learned how to create loopholes for itself that might ultimate tie up the taxpayer!)

With change comes opportunity for some and demise for others. We see this as an opportunity. Providing millions of Americans with access to quality health care is essential. The main question is will it be “affordable” to both the individual and the corporation.

So, revolution or reform? Only time will tell.

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