Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Small-Business Owners Still Confused About Health-Care Reform
|March 21, 2013
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If you are still fretting about how Obamacare will affect your employees and your bottom line, you are not alone. While a small percentage of business owners who offer health insurance to employees have an improved understanding of what the “employee mandate” means, a majority of small-business owners continue to misunderstand the law, according to a survey released Thursday from the Mountain View, Calif.-based private online health-insurance exchange eHealth.
Of the 259 business owners surveyed, 56 percent misunderstand the employee mandate, an improvement from the 69 percent of survey respondents who misunderstood the mandate when eHealth conducted a parallel survey in August.
The employee mandate is a section of the Affordable Care Act that requires businesses with 50 or more full-time workers to provide health-insurance coverage for their employees. If your business has more than 50 employees and you do not provide health insurance, then you will be required to pay an annual penalty starting at $2,000 per employee after 30 employees, says Carrie McLean, the consumer health insurance expert at eHealth. If you have fewer than 50 employees, the health-insurance mandate does not apply to your business.
Another largely misunderstood component of Obamacare is the health-insurance exchanges. Almost two-thirds of respondents say they have no understanding at all of the exchanges. Twenty percent of respondents say they have a fuzzy understanding of the exchanges and only 18 percent of respondents say they can explain what an exchange is with confidence.
Health-insurance exchanges are marketplaces where businesses and individuals can shop and compare plans. The federal exchanges, which will become available in October, will make government subsidized health-insurance available for lower-income individuals who are not getting coverage through their employer. Also, the SHOP exchange – an acronym for Small-business Health Options Program exchange – will be an exchange where small-business owners can do the same thing, says McLean.
The confusion about Obamacare creates anxiety for entrepreneurs. Almost six in ten respondents say they think their costs will increase as a result of the looming reform and one third of owners expect the reform to affect their hiring plans in 2014.
The survey was conducted online between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15, by eHealth and polled small-business owners who had purchased health-insurance through eHealthInsurance.com and were still maintaining coverage for their employees. All respondents had fewer than 50 employees and 95 percent had between two and 10.
The survey results from eHealth likely reflect even less confusion than what is out there among small-business owners overall, since it surveys only those business owners who offer existing coverage and have therefore put some thought into the topic already, says McLean. “We actually compiled a list of calls that we were getting from customers -- small businesses -- and it was composed of 70 different questions that we are getting on a constant basis,” she says. “There is major confusion out there in the marketplace.”
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Unique Chuppahs PT2 - Putting a Creative Spin on a Traditional Symbol PT2
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A Bride Doesn't Have to be Jewish to enjoy a Chuppah at Her Wedding
Many brides looking for that something memorable to add to their special day are turning to customs from other cultures — "OurChuppah.com" produces custom wedding canopies that personalize the event and can make the moments last.
The idea of a wedding
canopy can be used in any wedding, whether Jewish or not. It provides a
beautiful focal point and setting for the marriage ceremony.
Rochester, NY (PRWEB) August 28, 2012 Levy’s rye bread may have coined the phrase, “you don’t have to be Jewish…”
but it's still true today that we can all borrow and enjoy each other’s
meaningful customs. That is especially true when planning a wedding
ceremony.
A desire for something special at a wedding ceremony as well as providing a keepsake for the newlyweds. The traditions of a Jewish wedding ceremony can be adopted and adapted to fit both religious or secular tastes as the bride and groom see fit. One of those Jewish wedding traditions is that the groom’s parents both walk him down the aisle as do the brides parents. In these days of equality and inclusion, it’s seen as a nice way to provide both parents with a meaningful role in their child’s wedding. The procession leads to a chuppah (sometimes spelled huppa or huppah and pronounced — hoo-new company — OurChuppah.com — offers a unique product that meets the
pa), which is a wedding canopy, used at both indoor
and outdoor ceremonies. 
The chuppah represents the home the couple will build together, open on all
sides to welcome family and friends. The canopy or chuppah is supported by four
poles, either secured in the ground or in pots of greenery and flowers or by
four honored guests or members of the bridal party. There is no religious rule for the design of the chuppah. Traditionally it
can be a prayer shawl, heirloom tablecloth, bedspread, quilt, or an original
piece of art.
Artist and Graphic Designer Debra Burger of OurChuppah.com creates satin
chuppahs based on Middle Eastern tile designs, floral patterns, stained glass,
and famous works of art. Her chuppahs have been customized to include the
couple’s names, date of the wedding and a favorite inscription or wedding vow.
“The idea of a wedding canopy can be used in any wedding, whether Jewish or
not. It provides a beautiful focal point and setting for the marriage ceremony
and can be used as a wall hanging or coverlet in the bride and groom’s home — a
beautiful keepsake of their special day,” says Burger.
“Working with couples to make their chuppah a meaningful work of art that
compliments their design aesthetic is the most rewarding part of the process,”
she says. Knowing that this may be the one object that represents their wedding
ceremony and will be cherished for years to come - maybe even passed from one
generation to another - is a wonderful concept.
Burger began designing chuppahs with the canopy for her own daughter’s
wedding- one based on a painting by Marc Chagall. That chuppah was passed along
to the groom’s brother who was also married beneath it. The chuppah became a
beautiful backdrop for the wedding cake at the reception for all the guests to
enjoy up close.
“When my own daughter was going to be married, we discussed her desire to
have something special, something that would be remembered long after the event
was over,” says Burger. “So we researched the options that were available and
found that there were not many options for something unusual and memorable. It
was then that I decided to design my own special version of the traditional
wedding chuppah. The result was so well received that everyone who saw it
encouraged me to create other designs for their friends and family. It was there
that the idea for a website offering my designs was born.”
The canopy is made of a fabric that includes an ornate and beautiful design.
The design includes an appropriate sentiment in words chosen by the bride and
groom and the date of the event. It is secured to poles at each of the four
corners that are either freestanding or held up by honored members of the
wedding party.
“Many couples even pass on the canopy to other members of the family and add
their own names and dates, says Burger. “It becomes a family heirloom and a
source of pride in the family as an important piece of art passed down from
generation to generation. It makes me very proud to be part of this important
tradition.”
The custom has become so well thought of, that even non-traditional
ceremonies and non-Jewish brides and grooms are embracing this charming way of
demonstrating their commitment to one another. Whether borrowing a custom from
one religion or culture or starting your own tradition, the wedding ceremony can
be as individual as the bride or groom.
For more information on the background of the wedding canopy, a complete
gallery of images and a list of frequently asked questions, go to http://www.OurChuppah.com or contact Debra
Burger at 917-576-4509 or info(at)ourchuppah(dot)com
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Federal Government Small Business Workshops: All About Small Business Certifications
Date:
04/15/2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Location: U. S. Small Business
Administration
Peachtree
Center—Harris Tower,
233 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 1900
Atlanta, GA 30303
Presenter:
Mr. Lloyd Atkins, Business Consultant of the University of Georgia, Small
Business Development Center, Office of Minority Business Development and SBA
Georgia District Office employees.
FREE ADMISSION
Pre-registration is required as seating
is limited.
Online Registration: To begin the registration process, go to www.sba.gov/ga.
Cursor down to Resources in Your Area. Then click on “Events Calendar,” select
this event and click on “Register Now” or fax completed registration form to
Attention: Patrice Dozier at (404) 331-0101.
Federal Government Small
Business Workshops
Federal Government Small Business Workshops
Small
businesses with a strong past performance record are encouraged to attend this
workshop. Participants will be provided with a basic foundation to successfully
market the SBA 8(a) Business Development Certification. Included in the
workshop are a discussion of a case study using the SBA Form 1010C Business
Plan, how to develop and use teaming agreements and joint venture agreements as
well as a panel discussion of small business owners who have successfully
marketed to the federal government.
Date:
03/11/2013
Time:
10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Location: U.
S. Small Business Administration,
Peachtree Center—Harris Tower,
233 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 1900,
Atlanta, GA 30303
FREE ADMISSION
Pre-registration is required as seating
is limited.
Online Registration: To begin the registration process, go to www.sba.gov/ga.
Cursor down to Resources in Your Area. Then click on “Events Calendar,” select
this event and click on “Register Now” or fax completed registration form to
Attention: Patrice Dozier at (404) 331-0101.
This workshop is being
offered in conjunction with The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in
partnership with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center
(SBDC), Office of Minority Business Development. They invite you to
attend the Federal Government Small Business training workshops. The Government
training programs are intended to provide basic contracting, marketing, and
resource information to the small business community by subject matter experts.
The programs will also serve as a means of facilitating communication,
identifying business opportunities and providing assistance to small and new
businesses interested in pursuing the federal marketplace.
Federal Government Small
Business Workshops
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