IRS Highlights Tax Benefits And Resources

Running a business doesn't require a tax expertise.  But small business owners do need some basics to meet their tax obligations, take advantage of tax benefits and get their businesses to thrive.  Phyllis Grimes, IRS Director of Communications for the Small Business and Self-Employed Division, offers some advice and tips.

Pretty Little Liars: To Share Secrets or Not To

Are friends supposed to keep secrets from each other?  Some may think it is ok, while others may think it is not.  I say it depends on your friends, the circumstances, what the secret is about and who will it impact if it is confided to someone else.  By human nature, you are not going to trust someone entirely without getting to know him or her.  Often times, you can tell a lot about a person's character by their behavior and also interactions with you and others.  This is why reputation is often important to make sure it is strong.  Reputation helps bring credibility to the person.

However, in "Pretty Little Liars" friends share secrets, but then drama takes place around those secrets.  What would have happened if none of the friends had shared their secrets?  Could it be that those dramatic events would have been ok?  A person must truly know someone before he or she is able to confide in them.

Pre-order your copy of the Pretty Little Liars Season One on DVD here today: http://bit.ly/lRSTgB!


FTC: “I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote  Pretty Little Liars: The Complete First Season on DVD."

133 Military & Armed Forces Discounts for Memorial Day

In grateful thanks for those who've served our country, Gift Card Granny offers a Memorial Day listing of 125+ military discounts for merchandise and services. Here are our top ten. 

1. Papa Murphy's - Save 50% on one pizza with your Military ID. 

2. Red Robin - Save 25% to 50% on your meal purchase with a valid Military ID. 

3. Johnny Rockets - Save 50% when you wear your uniform. 

4. Timberland Outlets - Get a 20% discount with an active duty Military ID. 

5. Sears Portrait Studio - Save 20% if you show your Military ID at checkout. 

6. Southwest Airlines - Receive one-way tickets as low as $51 for military personnel and their family members. You must call Southwest Airline's customer service hotline to receive the discount. 

7. Clarion Hotel Universal - Military discounts are available for $59 or $69 per night with a free breakfast buffet. This offer is subject to availability. 

8. Dollywood Theme Park - Receive a 30% discount during times of war for all active, disabled, retired, or reserve military personnel. The discount applies to all immediate family members. 

9. Hidden Valley Ski Area - Enjoy a $5 lift ticket and $5 rental with a valid Military ID. Your dependants also can receive up to 50% off on their visit. 

10. FTD - Save up to 20% on your flower purchase. 

View the full list of military discounts.

2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women

Representing more than 2.6 million employees in nine industries at over 44,000 worksites nationwide, Working Mother Media’s 2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women are leading by example—from the corner office to the cubicle. With initiatives like managerial performance reviews and manager compensation tied to multicultural women’s advancement, these companies hold managers accountable for recruiting, retaining and promoting multicultural women. 

Ninety-one percent of this year’s honorees appraise manager performance based on diversity issues, and 40 percent of companies attach multicultural women’s advancement to managerial compensation.  While white men in executive level positions still outnumber minority women 16 to 1, the Best Companies for Multicultural Women are creating change that starts from the top.

“With the hiring of multicultural women outpacing losses for the fourth year in a row, the Best Companies for Multicultural Women are proactively cultivating a workforce that takes advantage of our country’s diverse cultural make-up,” said Carol Evans, President, Working Mother Media.  “By implementing strategic programs and practices to support talented multicultural women on their path to success, this year’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women are employing a full-court press to ensure the success of their businesses.”

In addition to manager accountability, 87 percent of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women offer programs to help multicultural women chart a course of action within the company culture.  First-time winner Macy’s helps multicultural women climb the corporate ladder by offering training, mentoring and career counseling. Even the CEO, Terry Lundgren, and his eleven direct reports are rated on diversity in their annual review. 

What’s more, 61 percent of the winning companies offer career counseling specifically for women of color.  PepsiCo, a five-time honoree, bridges the gap between mentor and mentee with a program called PowerPairs, which matches women of color with managers, typically white males, so that they can openly discuss goals, expectations and thinking styles. 

The top five Working Mother 2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women—Cisco, Deloitte, General Mills, IBM and Procter & Gamble—employ hallmark policies to ensure multicultural women’s advancement, including:

• Mentoring programs that include job shadowing opportunities for cross-functional exposure targeted to multicultural women employees
• Career counseling and guidance from senior leaders to female multicultural employees to help orchestrate career plans, gain access to key assignments and enhance their knowledge of what it takes to advance
• Executive diversity groups to grow knowledge of inclusion practices
• Regional conferences to actively seek out female professionals and underrepresented minorities
• Diversity and inclusion goals built into managers’ performance objectives

“The Best Companies for Multicultural Women are encouraging cultural inclusiveness outside of the nine- to-five spectrum as well, donating a total of $538 million to organizations that promote diversity,” said Jennifer Owens, Director, Working Mother Research Institute.  “Efforts like these set the standard for a better work environment and a stronger bottom line.”

The 2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women (in alphabetical order):

• Allstate Insurance, Northbrook, IL
• American Express, New York, NY
• CA Technologies, Islandia, NY
• Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Warren, NJ
• *Cisco, San Jose, CA
• Citi, New York, NY
• Colgate-Palmolive, New York, NY
• *Deloitte, New York, NY
• *General Mills, Minneapolis, MN
• Goldman Sachs, New York, NY
• *IBM, Armonk, NY
• JPMorgan Chase, New York, NY
• KPMG, New York, NY
• Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati, OH
• McDonald’s USA, Oak Brook, IL
• New York Life Insurance, New York, NY
• PepsiCo, Purchase, NY
• PricewaterhouseCoopers, New York, NY
• *Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH
• Sodexo, Gaithersburg, MD
• State Farm Insurance, Bloomington, IN
• Verizon Communications, New York, NY
• Walmart, Bentonville, AR

*Denotes Top 5 Best Companies for Multicultural Women

First-time honorees include CA Technologies, Macy’s and New York Life Insurance.  Veteran honorees include American Express and IBM (nine years); Allstate Insurance and General Mills (eight years); JPMorgan Chase and PricewaterhouseCoopers (seven years); Deloitte,   Procter & Gamble and Verizon Communications (six years); and PepsiCo, Citi and Walmart (five years).

Working Mother will honor each of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women at the ninth annual Multicultural Women’s National Conference in New York City on July 19-20. This two day national conference, titled “Engage. Influence. Lead.” will build on Working Mother Media’s history of hosting and facilitating a national conversation about where race and gender meet in the workplace.

The 2011 Best Companies for Multicultural Women is chronicled in the June/July 2011 issue of Working Mother magazine. Extended coverage can be found at workingmother.com. Working Mother Media is a division of global media company Bonnier Corporation.

Best Companies for Multicultural Women Methodology: To be considered for Best Companies for Multicultural Women, each company applied and supplied Working Mother with 2010 data about the hiring, pay and promotion of multicultural employees. The application focused on representation of multicultural women; recruitment; retention and advancement programs; and company culture. An independent survey research firm tabulated the scores.

About Working Mother Media
Working Mother magazine reaches 2.2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers; WorkingMother.com (www.workingmother.com) gives working mothers @home and @work advice, solutions, and ideas. This year marks the 26^th anniversary  of Working Mother’s signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, and the ninth year of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women. Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation (www.bonnier.com), includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE, www.nafe.com), Diversity Best Practices (www.diversitybestpractices.com), and the Working Mother Research Institute. Working Mother Media’s mission is to serve as a champion of culture change.

Resource: Free Arthritis Guide

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Guest Post: 5 Memorial Day Promo Codes Offer Savings For A New Season

by Andrea Woroch

Summer doesn't start until June 21, but many view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning to warmer weather and summer vacations. As a result, Memorial Day also marks the date when consumers begin shopping for seasonal clothing and supplies. Bathing suits, sports gear and ways to record summer memories are all highly desirable, but you also might find prices at a new-season premium. To ensure your summer begins with a frugal flair, here are five promo codes from PromoCodes.us to help save when you reach a merchant's online checkout.

1. Kohl's
Known as something of a savings Mecca for everything from clothing to picnic supplies, Kohl's regularly offers promo codes. Take 10% off your order with code NEW4217. Find another promo code for free shipping to double your savings potential.

2. JCPenney
Find nearly everything you need for summer and receive free shipping on all orders of $69 and over by using promo code SHIP69.

3. New York & Company
Buy trendy, comfortable and affordable clothing online at New York & Company and take $40 off orders of $100 and up with promo code 4330.

4. Snapfish
Preserve your memories by creating personalized photo books and cards from Snapfish. You'll receive 50% off everything with promo code 50ALLCART.

5. NewEgg
Need a new camera to record summer fun? Ready to upgrade your laptop? Long for the latest in gaming supplies? Then come on over to Newegg.com, where new customers receive $10 off $50 orders with promo code NEWCUSTOMER10.



Consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch has been featured on NBC's Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ABC News NOW and many more. Follow @AndreaWoroch on Twitter to receive daily savings tips