Monday, June 20, 2011

Small Business Health Insurance Tax Breaks Available

The Frederick County Health Department and Frederick Board of County Commissioners will hold a press conference to make small business owners aware of new tax breaks. The conference will be held Wednesday, June 22, at 10:00 a.m. in the first floor hearing room of Winchester Hall, located at 12 East Church Street, Frederick, Md.

Board President Blaine Young said, “We promised the voters that our board would be pro-business and do everything possible to promote a business-friendly environment in Frederick County. The board’s strategic plan includes a goal of improved predictability for businesses. Informing the business community of opportunities such as health insurance tax credits will enable small business to better predict and respond to rising health insurance costs. These tax breaks are applicable to businesses with less than 25 employees whose average salaries are less than $50,000 per year.”

At the event, the Maryland Health Care For All! Coalition and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Maryland will announce a print ad running in the local newspaper to inform small businesses about these tax creditsFor additional information, visit http://healthcareforall.com.

“Maryland small businesses are the engines for job growth in our state, but year after year they are being overburdened by the skyrocketing cost of health insurance,” said Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “These tax credits are just one of the many ways health care reform will help Maryland businesses access more affordable coverage for their employees, and we are fully committed to ensuring small businesses have the information they need to maximize every advantage that the Affordable Care Act provides.”

The press conference will be broadcast live on FCG TV, cable channel 19, and on the Frederick County Government webcasting page, www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/video.

For additional information, contact Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative at 410-235-9000 or text HEALTH to 877877.
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Friday, June 17, 2011

PenMar Equine Practice, LLC - New Business

"Dr. Moira Nusbaum was raised in Gapland, Maryland on a small horse farm. Her early love of horses drove her to pursue a career with horses and veterinary medicine. After veterinary school, Dr. Nusbaum completed an internship at the prestigious Piedmont Equine Practice in The Plains, Virginia, an area known for its dense population of valuable sport horses, fox-hunters and race horses. While at Piedmont, Dr. Nusbaum gained advanced training in lameness, dentistry, reproduction, surgery and anesthesia."I have always approached animals with a kind and caring approach and now I would like to offer my clients the same superior treatment; my desire for PenMar Equine is to provide clients and their horses the most advanced resources available while maintaining a compassionate yet cost-conscientious service. PenMar Equine offers digital radiography (great for pre-purchases!), ultrasonography, power dentistry and emergency services.
PenMar Equine Practice, LLCPO Box 48 Myersville MD 21773(301)639-5563Practice Limited to Horses. For more info: http://penmarequine.com

The Midatlantic Small Business Coaching Day

Attention: Small & Mid-Sized Business Owners in Greater Frederick, MD:
Here is a value-packed learning opportunity coming up in late June, that’s been designed especially for area small and mid-sized business owners. Featuring Round-Table Sessions loaded with practical information, networking opportunities, insightful presentations and Q&A especially for small and mid-sized business owners.
EVENT: The Midatlantic Small Business Coaching Day
WHEN: Tuesday, June 28, 8:00am – 5:00 pm (Lunch provided)
WHERE: Danielle’s Restaurant & Courtyard
DETAILS: www.business-symposium.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Bill Butts, billbutts@hotmail.com, 301-639-4444
This event will provide small and mid-sized business owners with the opportunity to meet directly with and learn from a team of specialists in areas of high value to business owners: The presenting team includes:…. a business attorney,… a CPA,… a business insurance advisor,… an employee benefits counselor,… business marketing specialist (with particular expertise in social media),… a business coach,… and a business financial advisor. Attendees will also have the opportunity to interact with 10-15 quality exhibitors, all chosen for the quality of their business services and products.
This is a must-attend event for business owners interested in resources, tools, knowledge and expertise capable of helping you take your business to the next level.
SEATING IS LIMITED….. AND THIS EVENT IS FILLING UP RAPIDLY….. REGISTER TODAY AT www.business-symposium.com

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Things are "brewing" up in Frederick County, MD



Frederick County, MD-June 13, 2011 - With a continued emphasis on business retention and outreach, Frederick County Commissioner Paul Smith joined representatives from the Office of Economic Development, the Business Development Advisory Council, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and other partner agencies to meet with representatives from Flying Dog Brewery.

Representatives from Flying Dog were Erin Biles, Public Relations Manager and Heather Benton, Sales Manager. Attendees were given a tour of the state-of-the-art facility and learned what it takes to manufacture their award-winning craft beers.

Flying Dog Ales originally started as a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado in 1990 and later opened a 50 barrel brewery in Denver, Colorado. In 2006, Flying Dog purchased a second brewery – located at 4607 Wedgewood Blvd, Frederick, MD. Now, all the production is being held at the Frederick facility. They currently produce 26 different craft beers including limited editions and seasonal brews. They are producing 700,000 barrels of beer a year and employ 60 people.

For more information on Flying Dog Brewery, visit their website at http://www.flyingdogales.com/.

Pictured Left to Right: Mike Kidder, BDAC; Drex Ryberg, BDAC; Frederick County Commissioner Paul Smith; Erin Biles, Flying Dog Brewery; Kathleen Shino, BDAC; John Fieseler, Tourism Council of Frederick County; Patrick Barnes, DBED and Gary Ventry, DBED

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Half of U.S. Businesses Operated from the Home

When we think of a business, we often conjure up an image of an office park or perhaps a storefront in a strip mall. But in reality, according to new data on firms that responded to the 2007 Survey of Business Owners (SBO), slightly more than half of U.S. businesses — 51.6 percent — were home-based. Only 6.9 percent of these home-based respondent businesses had $250,000 or more in sales and receipts, while 57.1 percent brought in less than $25,000.

The SBO provides a wealth of national-level data on the characteristics of businesses and their owners. It looks at topics like the age and educational levels of owners, types of customers and workers, and sources of financing for start-up and expansion. For instance, 58.2 percent of women-owned respondent firms were home-based. And the majority of the Hispanic-owned respondent businesses (56.1 percent) were able to conduct transactions in Spanish; the same was true of only 7.4 percent of all U.S. respondent firms.

Another interesting aspect of the SBO data is that capital commitments were modest. For budding entrepreneurs, the initial investment is often rather small, as roughly three in 10 (30.6 percent) respondent firms requiring start-up capital needed less than $5,000. Instances of massive amounts of start-up capital are relatively rare, as only 1.5 percent of these firms required $1 million or more. Believe it or not, one in 10 (10.4 percent) were actually started with a credit card — although they may have also used other sources of capital.

Here are a couple of more notable points. First, the “little guy” is important to most business owners. In 2007, 72.7 percent of the nation’s businesses reported that individual customers accounted for at least 10 percent of their total sales of goods and services. And secondly, the dreams of immigrating to the United States and then starting or acquiring a business have become a reality for many, as 13.6 percent of owners reported they were born outside the United States.

Please visit the Census Bureau Web site at www.census.gov for more information on the characteristics of businesses and their owners.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Last Chance to Register

"Business at a Crossroads: Grow or Go?" Event
We've had a great response for the June 14th Kevin Mulvaney speaking event; there are a few remaining seats so REGISTER TODAY! Join us for breakfast and formulate a plan for your business future, as we hear from Mr. Mulvaney, senior lecturer and faculty member of the Entrepreneurial Studies Division at Babson College. Hope to see you there!

On Tuesday, June 14th from 8am to 10am at Dutch's Daughter Restaurant in Frederick, The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development and the Frederick County Department of Economic Development welcome keynote speaker Kevin Mulvaney to this event. Based on the recent findings of Professor Mulvaney's surveys, businesses are indeed at a crossroads:--What will it take to grow to the next level?--What are the various exit options available?Enjoy breakfast while formulating a plan for your business future. There will be a Q&A session following Professor Mulvaney's remarks.This event is FREE but registration is required. For more information, please call 301-600-1058.