Dear Editors -

Happy spring to everyone! Here in Massachusetts we have been deluged with water, so I've been dealing with water in the basement and a road which literally turned into a river. It's been great fun :) So I apologize, I haven't finished getting through my mail backlog quiet yet.

I have been doing a lot of server maintenance, backing up files, defragmenting disks, and so on. It's a good thing to do every spring! If you don't have a backup plan in place for your PC, stop by the PC support forums and we'll help you out. It is VERY easy to back up a computer, and it is so important!

Also, as we approach tax time, it's also the perfect time to pull out your camera and take photos of your home office and your car. Every bit of documentation helps with the IRS. If at all possible, put one of those name stickers on your car with your business name or a site URL. That helps to verify that your car is used for business purposes.

If you have any questions about tax deducting your mileage or how a home office works, post in the tax forum! We'll all help out, getting your finances working in the best possible way for you!

Finally, if you have not set up a DBA yet for your business efforts, and a separate checking account, I *highly* recommend you do both. They are usually free, and quite easy to do. These are important steps to having your income earning efforts be properly set up for your finances, for taxes, and for legal protection reasons. For example, are you still giving out your secret Social Security number to affiliates and other companies? Use an EIN instead! We can help you with these safety issues. Post in the SOHO forums and we'll step you through it all!

Have a great spring :)

Lisa Shea, owner
BellaOnline.com

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