As we move closer to the deadline of Tax Season, we wanted to share a few Tax Tips that will help you when filing your Tax returns.
 
Direct deposit for refunds

• It's free.
• It's secure.
• Taxpayers can deposit their refund into not only one, but also two or three accounts.
• Combining direct deposit with IRS e-file is the fastest way for taxpayers to receive their refund.
• When using direct deposit, there's no risk of having a paper check stolen or lost.
• The IRS uses the same system to deposit tax refunds that Social Security and Veterans Affairs use to deposit benefits into millions of accounts.

Seniors and Retirees can file their taxes for free

• Each Free File partner sets its own eligibility standards. These are generally based on income, age and state residency. All taxpayers whose adjusted gross income was $69,000 or less will find at least one free product to use.
• Taxpayers can use their smart phone or tablet to do their taxes. They just need to go to IRS.gov/freefile on their device. All Free File products are enabled for mobile devices.

 
Tax payers must only pay what they owe

• When taxpayers complete their tax returns, some of them will owe money when they file. Here's the thing…they have the right to pay only the amount of tax that is legally due.
• File for a refund if the they believe they overpaid.
• Submit an offer in compromise, asking the agency to accept less than the full tax debt, if the taxpayer believes they don't owe all or part of the debt.

Tax season stress busters straight from the IRS

• Start with IRS.gov. The IRS website is an excellent resource available 24/7. Taxpayers can click on the Filing tab for links to filing tips, answers to frequently asked questions, and IRS forms and publications. The IRS Services Guide outlines the many ways to get help.
• Use online tools. The IRS website is home to many useful online tools. One of these is the Interactive Tax Assistant, which provides answers to many tax questions. It gives the same answers that an IRS representative would give over the phone. 
• File electronically. Most taxpayers file electronically these days for its ease and convenience. The tax software uses the taxpayer's responses to complete the Form 1040 and any needed schedules. For taxpayers who filed paper returns in the past, this may be the year to consider the benefits of filing electronically. 
• Get free help. Taxpayers can use IRS Free File, Free File Fillable Forms, or get help from trained volunteers at sites around the country.
• Explore other filing options. Taxpayers have many options to file. They can self-prepare or use a tax preparer. IRS.gov has resources to help people choose a tax pro. The IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers provides information on who has a professional credential or participates in the IRS Annual Filing Season Program.

.A big part of branding is recognition. All your marketing materials – printed pieces, websites, newsletters, blogs, etc. – should have a consistent and easily recognizable look. Key elements of your brand’s visual image include your logo, color scheme, fonts, layouts and other stylistic elements. Remember, if your marketing materials are a mismatched hodge-podge of colors, designs and messages, it will be very difficult for you to build a recognizable presence in the marketplace.
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Contributed by Linda Coss, owner of Plumtree Marketing, Inc. To learn more about her services, please visit www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com.

When you stop to think about what it is that you’re really selling, you realize that you’re selling solutions to the problems, needs or desires that your ideal clients have. Plus, you’re probably selling different things to different audiences. For example, a restaurant might sell “convenience” to one target audience, a “fun evening out” to another group of people and a “way to connect with family and friends” to others. Whether you’re writing marketing materials or making sales calls, always determine what solution you're offering to the particular group you’re targeting, and then focus your message on this.
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Contributed by Linda Coss, owner of Plumtree Marketing, Inc. To learn more about her services, please visit www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com

Chances are, your business has more than one target audience, and your marketing program should reflect this. Have you identified all your target audiences? For example, if you’re selling quick print services, your list might include:

• Current and past customers 
• People who inquired about your services in the past but did not buy
• Graphic designers and others who might recommend your services to their clients
• People who “follow” your business through social media sites
• And more

​Contributed by Linda Coss, owner of Plumtree Marketing, Inc. To learn more about her services, please visit www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com. 

When was the last time you contacted your top customers? How about the 2nd & 3rd tier of your customer list, your database of potential customers and all your other contacts? If you don’t have a formal program for keeping in touch, you should. An email newsletter can be ideal for this purpose. The key is to stay top-of-mind so that when someone has a need for your products or services, you’ll be the one they call.


​Contributed by Linda Coss, owner of Plumtree Marketing, Inc. To learn more about her services, please visit www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com. 

Most people have a hard time figuring out what to do with punctuation that comes within something that is in quotation marks. Here’s how it works… Commas and periods are always placed before the closing quotation mark. Question marks, exclamation points, and dashes are put before the closing quotation mark when the punctuation applies to the quotation itself, and after when the punctuation applies to the whole sentence.
 

• “I wonder,” she thought to herself, “when the cherry blossoms will bloom.”

 

• Eleanor screamed in exasperation, “I want to go home!”

 

• Do you agree with the saying, “A penny saved is a penny earned”?

​Contributed by Linda Coss, owner of Plumtree Marketing, Inc. To learn more about her services, please visit www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com. 

Many businesspeople make the mistake of focusing on their product’s featuresinstead of its benefits. What’s the difference? A feature is a fact about the product, while a benefit explains or demonstrates how the product will benefit the customer. For example, “made of heavy-duty plastic” is a feature; “guaranteed unbreakable” is a benefit (in this case, the benefit of it being made of heavy-duty plastic).

​Contributed by Linda Coss, owner of Plumtree Marketing, Inc. To learn more about her services, please visit www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com. 

We are happy to share a variety of 4 business topics and helpful information from Chamber Silver member, San Diego Gas & Electric.
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Thank you again for being a valued Chamber member and for providing these helpful tips for our community!

We are pleased to announce the release of our first Chamber networking training class: "The Secrets to Business Networking Success". 

This "networking 101" class has been specifically designed for those who desire training on how to more effectively network, produce a memorable 30-second business commercial, and build confidence in their ability to share their business services with others.

Our first class will be held Wednesday, October 2nd, from 6-8 pm, at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center (Lavender Room). There will be more classes added on various helpful topics in the near future!

Please see the flyer below for more information. There are only a few spots left,  register TODAY! Click here: www.chamberorganizer.com/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode=MVCC&evid=49804733.