One of the best resources for a small business owner is access to expertise. Access to FREE advice for an Indiana small business owner from some of Indiana’s most respected issue experts is as cool as me finding a ready-to-use and already refined oil pocket in my backyard in Broad Ripple. In other words, being able to pick up the phone or send a quick e-mail to get your difficult business questions answered at no cost is a big deal and can save you cash. Membership with the Indiana Chamber provides you with this free HELPLINE system. Questions on human resources, OSHA, tax, environmental and workforce development will be answered for you without getting some attorney’s meter running. 
 
Our HR HELPLINE receives the most questions of all of our services. George Raymond is the Indiana Chamber’s VP for Human Resources, Labor Relations and Civil Justice and he’s in charge of the HR HELPLINE and may be reached at graymond@indianachamber.com or (317) 264-6884.
 
This is a tremendous tool for small business owners wearing multiple hats looking to reduce costs, stay in compliance and take advantage of another membership benefit. As for me, I’ll let you know when I can heat my house with that Texas Tea behind my garage.

In a speech last summer at the American Enterprise Institute, Newt Gingrich offers anecdotes regarding what works and what doesn’t in a prosperous society. The former Speaker of the House recently penned the new bestseller, Real Change: From the World that Fails to the World that Works.

Gingrich will be the featured speaker at the Indiana Chamber’s upcoming 19th Annual Awards Dinner on November 6 in downtown Indianapolis, shortly after this year’s monumental presidential election.

This is very valuable information from Allbusiness.com regarding the most common payroll mistakes:

Any business with employees must have a system in place for handling payroll activities, which includes paying employees, filing all necessary government forms, and paying taxes promptly. There are numerous aspects to payroll, particularly in larger companies with full-time and part-time employees plus independent contractors. Here are 10 of the most common payroll mistakes to be aware of:

1. Missing deadlines

2. Misclassifying workers

3. Neglecting to send 1099s

4. Poor record keeping and data entry

5. Not properly handling garnishments, levies, or child support

6. Miscalculating overtime pay

7. Leaving too much responsibility to the software program

8. Not saving payroll records

9. Not maintaining confidentiality

10. Not having adequate backup

Additionally, those looking for a tangible resource regarding wage and hour laws in Indiana can benefit from the Indiana Chamber’s Wage & Hour Guide, and have this important information at your fingertips.

Does the collective health care predicament have you feeling as uneasy as Britney Spears at a Mother of the Year Award presentation? If so, you might note that uninsured adult Hoosiers may qualify for a low-cost option sponsored by the state. Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) is available to adults ages 19-64 who do not have access to other health coverage, earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level and have not had insurance for at least six months.

Coverage is provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and sponsored by the state. Also noteworthy is that individual contributions are based on a percentage of gross family income and employers who do not offer health coverage can pay up to one half of an employee’s required contribution.

For more information about HIP, call (877) GET-HIP-9.

Indiana Chamber membership offers a valuable resource for members trying to kick up more business. Our Business Research Center provides business lists to members at no cost. You may select any six of the 33 specialty lists available in your membership year. The most popular lists include Largest Indiana Employers, New & Expanding Businesses and Indiana Companies with Foreign Ownership. In addition, you may receive up to 1,000 customized lists based on SIC codes, ZIP codes, employee range and sales volume. For more information, click here.
 
Here’s the really cool aspect of the Business Research Center: One e-mail to our research experts or a quick phone call will get your request started. Cindy Monnier, the director of Business Research, may be reached at cmonnier@indianachamber.com or (317) 264-7511. Melissa Sederoff, the research assistant, may be reached at msederoff@indianachamber.com or (317) 264-6870. 

You don’t have to spend hours at the library or online to find prospect names and numbers to call. Instead, you can spend those hours playing online Boggle or searching Wikipedia for those weird facts you’ve been wondering about since you were a kid.

Passed in the midst of what was perceived by many (but not all) as a crisis, the primary objective of HEA 1001-2008 was to reduce property taxes for homeowners. In this regard, it is bound to be largely successful by combining additional sales tax revenue (over $900 million) with reducing property tax levies, allowing individuals to deduct 35% of their homeowner assessment and, beginning in 2010, capping residential assessments at 1% of their gross assessed value.

These actions may not be enough to satisfy everyone, but in a state in which the homeowners’ burden was ranked as the 33rd lowest nationally (and now will drop into the bottom 10), they should be seen as more than adequate for most. Still, we can’t immediately measure its success. Like most major endeavors of this type, many questions will not be immediately answerable. They include:

* How successful will the multitude of other changes to the tax structure be at accomplishing their intended objectives?

* Will counties adopt local income taxes to serve as property tax replacements, as is the intent of the drafters?

* Will the referenda requirements dramatically affect capital projects? 

* How accurate were projections of taxpayer savings and the impact of the circuit breakers?

* How will the reforms affect business decisions?

* How will the legislation and post-enactment developments bear on the fall elections?

Diligent as they may be, the magnitude of these changes prevents surefire predictions of the outcomes. To review the Chamber’s positions on these matters, click here.

This is breaking news to you, right? You had no idea, I’m sure. You’re just wondering who shot J.R.? But yeah, unless you’ve been in a coma, you know Indianapolis was awarded the 2012 Super Bowl yesterday as NFL bigwigs gathered in Atlanta.

The bid was a culmination of efforts from the state’s public and private sectors, and serves as an all-around "atta-boy!" and testament to the capital city’s progress over the years. Granted, the video presentation by Dennis Hopper likely didn’t hurt. Although most of us know him for his Academy Award-nominated performance in "Hoosiers," it looks like Shooter has cleaned up his act and made a very articulate presentation. Better yet, he didn’t even fire his shotgun at any strangers … "IDENTIFYYYYYYYY!" (If you don’t get that reference, you simply haven’t watched "Hoosiers" enough and are docked 10 points on your Indiana citizenship exam.)

All told, the economic benefit for the area is estimated by Mayor Greg Ballard to be at least $100 million and up to $20 million in tax revenue (although this Ball State study claims the benefits could be much higher). Let’s all just hope the entire state and its business community can benefit from this remarkable achievement.

In the meantime, kudos to Indianapolis, the Colts franchise, and to our great state for this honor.