THE SHORT LIST

Tax Tips Every Business Owner Needs

Provided by Turney Tax & Financial Services

• Keep accurate track of business miles.

• Use one exclusive credit card for business purchases.

• Do not commingle your personal account with your business account.

• Understand the Hobby Rule! Businesses make money, hobbies lose money!

• See your Accountant/CPA/Enrolled Agent at least twice a year before tax season.

INSIDE: BBB Warns of Tax Scam • Domain Name Scam • Meet A New Director • Shred Event

FEBRUARY 2016

theMarketMonitorN E W S F O R B E TT E R B U S I N E S S B U R E A U A C C R E D I T E D B U S I N E S S E S®

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Greater Cleveland BBB Activity Report: January - December 2015

Reports issued on companies/charities: 1,334,995Customer complaints filed: 8,640Online Accredited Business Directory listings viewed: 19,795,639bbb.org/cleveland visits: 1,179,397Advertising review cases initiated: 306

B E T T E R B U S I N E S S B U R E A U S E R V I N G G R E A T E R C L E V E L A N D

CUYAHOGAGEAUGA

LAKEASHTABULA

LORAIN

BUYERS AND BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO TURN TO BBB

INTRODUCING A GREAT WAY TO REACH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS: FRUGAL FRIDAY

Each Friday, your BBB will be sending a special Frugal Friday email to 10,000 consumers and businesses offering one exclusive deal or coupon. This weekly deal will be a great way to promote your business and gain exposure.

BBB Accredited Businesses are eligible to sponsor a Frugal Friday offer for just $150/each. Frugal Friday emails can be scheduled in advance. Multiple weeks can be purchased, with no 2 consecutive weeks promoting a single business.

Promote your business to consumers who are looking for trusted businesses. Space is limited! Contact Brigid@cleveland.bbb.org or 216-623-8964 X206.

Consumers turned to BBB for information in record breaking numbers in 2015. Your BBB issued over 1.3 million reports on local businesses and charities, a 9% increase from the previous year. Donors alone sought BBB’s ratings 30,000 times when making donation decisions.

Buyers seeking trustworthy sellers obtained 111,000 lists of BBB Accredited Businesses in 2015. BBB’s digital marketing campaign drove consumers to our online Accredited Business Directory and it is prominently displayed at bbb.org/cleveland. As an Accredited Business, you appear on this directory in each of the type of business categories we have listed for you. You can add as many categories as you wish that are relevant to the products and services you provide. Be sure to use your BBB Business Login to view the categories we have on file and add more. Not sure how to access the Business Login? Call Pam Anson at (216) 413-5232 or pam@cleveland.bbb.org.

BBB was also able to help local businesses address 8,640 consumer complaints with a known dollar value of more than $11 million. No one wants an unhappy customer, but when it happens, you can count on us to help you get the issues resolved. We can even provide mediation and legally binding arbitration at no cost to you.

BBB Scam Tracker was launched in February and received a lot of media attention locally and nationally. This national site currently contains over 15,000 scams reported by businesses and consumers - and the numbers grow daily. Want to see the scams happening in your neighborhood? Go to bbb.org/scamtracker and take a look. You can search for scams by scam type, date range, or even a specific area of the country. Were you targeted by a scam? Be sure to report it on Scam Tracker.

B2B DISCOUNTS FOR BBB

ACCREDITED BUSINESSES

Office Depot offers discounts up to 10% on many of your office needs, with special pricing on copying and printing. Go to bit.ly/bbbohdepo or call Jessica at (264) 842-7514 for details.

Easton Telecom Phone service rates ranging as low as 5% off most retail services. For a no-obligation cost comparison and service analysis, contact Jim Butler at (800) 222-8122.

All Ohio Secure Shred will shred documents on site for $25/month for one container. Also, one-time bulk purge for 10 cents/lb. $50 minimum. Call (330) 659-0840 or (888) 747-3394.

Intellicorp Records, Inc. offers online criminal checks for $15.95 each. Other reports also discounted. Call (800) 539-3717.

PartnerShip® offers discounts on select FedEx® services including express packages, ground packages, and residential delivery, on both new and existing FedEx® accounts. Also save at least 70% on standard and guaranteed LTL freight shipments with UPS Freight, YRC Freight, Con-way Freight, and other reputable carriers, including competitive pricing on truckload, expedited, and tradeshow shipments. Call (800) 599-2902.

Some member discount programs generate revenue which BBB reinvests into the organization’s operations.

Follow us at:

BBB WARNS OF TAX SCAMS IRS-Impersonation Phone ScamAn aggressive and sophisticated phone scam. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. In other cases, victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information.

Email Phishing ScamThe emails appear to be from the IRS and include a link to a bogus web site intended to mirror the official IRS web site. These emails contain the direction “you are to update your IRS e-file immediately.” The emails mention USA.gov and IRSgov (without a dot between “IRS” and “gov”), though notably, not IRS.gov (with a dot). Don’t get scammed. These emails are not from the IRS. Taxpayers who get these messages should not respond to the email or click on the links. Instead, they should forward the scam emails to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Identity Theft ScamThe IRS has issued several consumer warnings about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scammers trying to gain access to consumers’ financial information in order to steal their identity and assets. Scammers will use the regular mail, telephone, fax or email to set up their victims. When identity theft takes place over the Internet (email), it is called phishing. The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email. Unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS, or from an IRS-related component such as EFTPS, should be reported to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

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BEWARE MISLEADING DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION EXPIRATION NOTICE

When BBB Serving Greater Cleveland celebrated its 100th year, we registered clevelandbbb100.org for our centennial website. Last month, we opened our mail to find an expiration notice from Internet Domain Name Services (IDNS) for that domain name. With a little research, we discovered that the notice which seemed to be an invoice, was nothing but an ad. IDNS has an “F” rating with BBB for failing to respond to complaints like this one from a Wisconsin woman:

“This company sent me an email invoice about renewal/transfer of a domain name. My admin assumed it was a renewal and paid it - they sent me a receipt with my FULL CREDIT CARD NUMBER ON THE EMAIL...which is a HUGE security issue. I also had NEVER signed on to their service to begin with.”

Another angry woman from North Carolina said in her complaint:

“This man is obviously running a one man show out of his basement in New Jersey and has the customer service skills of a peanut.”

IDNS uses a business address in Jersey City, New Jersey that is a UPS store that provides a mail forwarding service.

BBB provides the following tips to keep your business from falling prey to phony invoice schemes:

• Carefully read all invoices and solicitations which are sent to your company. • Channel all invoices through one department. • Clear all invoices with appropriate staff members before paying them. • Do not be alarmed by language which indicates that an unfamiliar unpaid invoice will be

forwarded to a collection agency. If your business did not order or place an order with a company, you are not responsible for paying the invoice.

• Educate your staff, particularly those responsible for paying invoices, about the variety of scams involving phony invoices and solicitations.

MEET A NEW DIRECTOR

Janice Matteucci is the COO of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga ValleyNational Park. The Conservancy provides support services for the park to enhance the public’s use and enjoyment of all the park has to offer. When Janice isn’t enjoying gardening and hiking, she is also involved with the Ohio Association for Non-Profit Organizations, CityParks Alliance, and the Ohio Assisted Living Association. She has also served on many ad-hoc committees of local non-profits. Janice has a Bachelor of Arts from New York University and an MBA from Kent State University.

bbb.org/cleveland

MEMBERS–ONLY DISCOUNTS

As a BBB Accredited Business, you and your employees are offered exclusive discounts and programs from other BBB Accredited Businesses. Discounts cover a wide range of your business needs.

You can find a list of these extra benefits in your BBB accreditation packet,download a digital copy by logging into your BBB Business Login, or request one by emailingPam@cleveland.bbb.org.

New Discount!

Kraig Insurance Agency is offering Voluntary Benefits from Allstate. BBB Accredited Businesses can receive preferred underwriting on Life, Accident, Disability & Supplemental Health Option Policies with participation of just three employees. For more information, contact Jeff Kraig at (216) 524-7800 or KRAIG@ALLSTATE.COM.

FREE Shredding Event

Saturday April, 16th 10am-2pm

RadAir Complete Car Care and Tire Centers

Solon6221 SOM Center Road

Parma Heights6565 Pearl Road

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The Market Monitor (ISSN 1085-5122).February 2016. Volume 12 No.1. Published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December by the Better Business Bureau, Inc. 2800 Euclid Avenue, 4th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44115-2417, Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Market Monitor, 2800 Euclid Avenue, 4th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44115-2417.

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FEBRUARY 2016