Choose Your Propane Gas Supplier According To How They Treat You

Do you need to find a good propane gas supplier? Maybe you already have a company that you get your goods from, but you know that you are being overcharged. It doesn't really matter what you use it for, all that matters is that you are not paying too much for it. Instead of trying to figure out ways to reduce the amount you need to use for your business or personal use, take the time to start searching for a reliable and cost effective supplier.
Even though this may seem like it is a lot of work on your part, you have to realize that this is something you can't avoid if you want to get the best deals. While you may make it a habit to not bring your work home with you, you can look up propane gas suppliers this way and see what companies are located nearby.
You don't want to end up paying more for this product than you should. See if you can find some reviews on different companies. Contact some of these companies and let them know you are interested in learning more about their services. While you might expect to see prices and other vital information on their websites, most companies actually require you to contact them for that information. Even if you don't have time for a phone call, you could send them an email instead. Or you could make an appointment where you can get the information you need.
Check with your local government to make sure that any propane gas supplier that you choose to purchase from has a good record of compliance. No matter how much you want to get a fair price, you don't want to end up doing business with a company that puts it customers at risk. You also don't want to do business with any company that offers you subpar quality propane gas.
In addition to making sure that you are getting your goods from a credible supplier, make sure you also have the best tanks and storage materials as well. It is more cost effective for you to invest in high quality storage products that will help to maintain the quality of your propane gas. This will make it easier for you to get the most production for the amount of money you are spending. This will also help to improve how well your business runs.
If you're in need of propane gas, Kalamazoo will have the supplier you need at Knapp Energy http://www.knappenergy.com.
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What Small Business Owners Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, is affecting small businesses right now. As a small business owner you need to dispel the myths, be aware of your responsibilities, and you may need to take action before October 1, 2013. The good news is it may not be as bad as you think. Here's what you need to know right now:
1) The Affordable Care Act is NOT a government insurance plan. It is a federal statute that [intends to] make health insurance more available and regulated, provides for certain government subsidies to reduce the cost of insurance, requires employer involvement, and charges fees to certain individuals and businesses in some cases.
2) Open enrollment begins October 1, 2013. Many employers will be required to give notice to their employees before October 1, 2013 and within 14 days of an employee's start date thereafter. The notice is generally required for most employers whether or not they offer health insurance. The intention of the notice is to notify employees of the Health Insurance Exchanges. Additionally, employers who offer insurance are required to include basic information about eligibility for the employer-sponsored plan. Employers can learn more here.
3) The Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on the employees' year-end W-2s, in Box 12 using the Code "DD." Many employers were eligible for transition relief in 2012 and future years as the IRS has not issued final guidance for this reporting requirement. However, many payroll service providers began including this information in 2012 and will continue to do so in 2013 and beyond. The amount reported is informational only. Employers should check with their payroll service providers to determine what information they need to include.
4) No employer has to offer coverage. Let me say that again, NO EMPLOYER HAS TO OFFER COVERAGE. However, beginning on January 1, 2015 businesses with greater than 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees may have to make a shared responsibility payment. Businesses with fewer than 50 FTEs are not subject to Employer Shared Responsibility parts of the law and may use the Small Group Option Program (SHOP) to offer their employees coverage. For those with greater than 50 FTEs, you may need to make an Employer Shared Responsibility Payment if at least one of your full-time employees gets lower costs on their monthly premiums when buying insurance in the Marketplace. Employers can learn more about the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment here.
In summary, employers should be aware of the key items they may need to address. Employers who offer coverage may find the process quite different if dealing with products offered through the Marketplace. Employers can learn more by speaking with those professionals they already work with (insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, payroll companies, etc.) and can find a good deal of information on the web. HealthCare.gov is a great place to start and contains a section dedicated to small businesses.
Although intended to be accurate, this is simply an opinion of the author and is to be used for informational purposes only. Please seek professional guidance for your own situation.
Nicholas Beiter operates ChoicePay, Inc., a payroll company located in Syracuse NY that specializes in the needs of small to medium sized businesses. Visit us on the web at ChoicePayPayroll.com or call 315-437-4601.
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Pharmacy Finance: Being Prepared

With the current economic conditions and the increase in regulations due to the changing healthcare laws many pharmacy owners are contemplating what to do. Sales may increase but profits are on a downward projection. This has lead some pharmacy owners to exiting the pharmacy industry while others are digging in and trying to find ways to increase their slumping profits.
For those digging in, many are looking at finance options that would allow them to either expand their inventory, or open an additional location. To increase profits, pharmacy owners will need the ability to get more physical traffic into their current drug store, or increase sales by having a second pharmacy in another neighborhood.
When a pharmacy owner gets to the point they are serious about looking at the finance options they will need to provide financial data. Unfortunately, as a small business owner who is seeing slumping profits, many owners of drug stores all across the U.S. have not prepared themselves for the amount of financial data they will need to provide.
Three years of the businesses Tax Returns will be required by a lender. However, many pharmacy owners have filed extensions and the most recent tax return is not ready when they start the funding process.
Lenders like to see the month to month financial statements and the month to month prescription reports. This allows a lender to see if the business is experiencing a trend upwards or downwards. Yes, there are always cycles in a year due to flu season, etc., but overall the pharmacy needs to have data that supports they are within industry standards.
However, when pharmacy owners are asked to provide copies of the month to month Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Statement many owners only have their accountants do the end of the year statement. The month to month prescription report is a report that their store's inventory software should be able to print. Most software that pharmacy owner's use have the capability to easily run a number of different reports, but many pharmacy owners have never run monthly reports.
Having an accountant prepare month to month financial statements will have a small cost for the business owner. The script reports takes 12 pieces of paper and only a few minutes of time to run. If obtaining financing will allow the business to grow, increase profits, and maybe pay off more expensive debts then the small amount of time and money preparing the financial package should not be a consideration.
This information is to help inform pharmacy owners. Whether the pharmacy is an independent, located in a grocery store, is a regional drug store chain, whether it is retail, closed door, compounding, or a specialty store having a complete package of financial data is important in obtaining financing.
Unfortunately many pharmacy owners ask if they can cut corners and only supply the end of the year data. When this is done pharmacy owners remove the lenders ability to analyze the month to month trends.
When they don't have a complete package, Lenders will not assume the best. If a business owner doesn't provide all the required information then they must realize the chance for receiving a loan is dramatically reduced. Lenders will take the position there is additional risk being hidden, or that the business is not being properly managed. Lenders will make their loan decision based on that negative impression.
People who look for ways around the financing hurdles wonder why they never got the loan. In real estate you always hear "location, location, location." When you are pursuing a business loan that is going to help the family and the business - borrowers need to think, "details, details, details." Leaving out details and thinking the lender will be lazy and not want to analyze the details is thinking that won't lead to a successful closing.
When it comes to financing a pharmacy, everybody always wants to hope for the best, but short cuts won't get the pharmacy owner the financing they need to expand their business and improve their profits.
Learn tips and techniques of selling, buying, or financing a pharmacy. Receive a free business valuation by visiting http://www.PharmacyValuations.com.
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How to Prevent Falls and Slips in the Workplace

Falls and slips in the workplace is one of the biggest reasons for employer's liability claims in the US. Over fifty percent of all liability claims are a result of slips and falls, which means that business owners need to pay careful attention to their risk assessment in order to reduce any accidents.
Workplace accidents can result in fatalities, this includes a slip over packaging tape that wasn't picked up, in fact over six hundred workers died in 2012 as a result of falling or slipping at work.
There are a number of steps a business owner can take to prevent these accidents from happening, carrying out a thorough risk assessment is one of them. A risk assessment takes time to complete, but gives the business owner a workable document to determine what areas of the property have safety concerns.
Based on a risk assessment a company can also write guidelines for staff members to reduce any accidents occurring in the future. Of course accidents are what they are, there is no strict prevention, but efforts can be made to reduce the number of accidents taking place in the workplace throughout the US each year.
Cracks in the floor, broken tiles and lifting flooring can all result in a nasty accident. A slight fall in the office building can leave an employee off work for months, claiming against the company for medical expenses, loss of income and even mental distress caused by the accident.
Broken legs, broken arms, concussions and even death have been seen as a result of a slip or fall from poorly maintained floors. Spending money on the flooring of the building and ensuring the flooring is in excellent condition, maybe combining high slip areas with anti skid tape, can all help reduce the risk of these unnecessary accidents.
Another essential step is to light poor visibility areas to ensure that staff members can see the walkways clearly, this includes both inside and outside the building. Walkways leading to the car park should have good lightening, especially for those winter months when employees will make their way to their vehicles in the dark.
Many accidents result from poor visibility, dark corridors, poorly lit exterior areas and dimly lit stairwells can all result in a serious accident, which in turn can result in a liability claim against the company.
It's advisable to ensure your liability insurance is up to date and that you have adequate cover, a risk assessment, putting down anti skid tape and lighting poorly visible areas won't guarantee that accidents won't happen.
Over and above floor maintenance, you need to ensure your staff follow strict housekeeping rules. If something is spilled on the floor, it should be cleaned quickly, marking the area as wet to ensure other staff members are aware, so they don't slip on the slippery and wet surface. Packaging tape dropped on the floor or boxes should be picked up immediately to reduce the risk of a staff member getting their leg tangled in the tap, falling and breaking a bone.
Rules should be set in place to reduce these housekeeping mistakes, they can be included in the general staff guidelines, a way to reduce workplace accidents from taking place.
Use anti skid tape is slippery and dangerous areas. This anti skid tape can be used on stairs, in high traffic areas and throughout the workplace to reduce the risk of staff falling and injuring themselves, again resulting in a claim against the company.
The anti skid tape is available in a choice of colors to blend in with your company color scheme, so it doesn't look unsightly. Instead the anti skid tape offers another solution to reducing workplace accidents.

NonSlipTapes.com, based in Pennsylvania, is one of the largest suppliers of non-slip tape and floor markings in America. With a choice of colors, lengths and widths available, this tape company can ship exactly what you need to blend in with your company color scheme. Using the latest technology combined with years of experience and knowledge, NonSlipTapes.com ensures that they offer cost effective and high quality tape for any application. Constantly striving to improve their customer's experience, this tape company offers superior customer service combined with quality products that pushes them to the forefront of the industry within the US.

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