The problem was users often forget to update Headlight or the automated system occasionally fails without letting the user know. We added tutorials for using Smart Sync with Alliant Systems, a signup page to receive weekly email reminders and a warning dialog that tells you when the data is getting old.

Smart Sync Tutorial for Alliant Systems

http://www.gomobileiq.com/smart-sync-instructions

Signup for Weekly Smart Sync Reminders

http://www.gomobileiq.com/smart-sync-reminders

Smart Sync Warning Message

This warning dialog appear automatically at login. It’s an option under Import Smart Sync Files that can be enabled or disabled at any time.

Smart Sync Product File Improvements

You can now upload a new product file without needing the customer and delivery files. This makes it much easier to change product groups, add/remove SKUs, update pricing product, enable/disable products. We’ve also added the ability to “block” any future upload to avoid accidentally overwriting existing product information.

This screencast explain the new reporting functionality in detail.

I heard a simple way of understanding it this morning. Every ten dollar rise in the price per barrel costs an additional $.25 per gallon at the gas station. When oil prices rises from $70 to $90, you’re paying an extra $.50 per gallon to fill up your car, SUV or delivery van.

Oil prices have been relatively low recently and were about $90 per barrel at the end of 2010. That’s in sharp contrast to late 2008 when it hit $147 per barrel. If that happens again, expect to pay another $1.50 per gallon at the local gas station. For a typical SUV, that’s almost forty buck more to fill the tank.

Information in this article was provided by Oil-Price.net

The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (HR 5297) was signed into law on Sep. 27, 2010. Among many other provisions, this one really stood out to me. It basically says that stock purchased from a small company (less than $50M in assets) by the end of this year is exempted from capital gains with a five year holding period.

That’s up to $10M in gains or 10x the original purchase price. It’s a tremendous tax benefits for private investors.

http://tax.cchgroup.com/legislation/Small-Business-Jobs-Act-7-23-10.pdf

100% Exclusion of Small Business Capital Gains

Generally, non-corporate taxpayers may exclude 50 percent of the gain from the sale of certain small business stock acquired at original issue and held for more than five years. For stock acquired after February 17, 2009 and before January 1, 2012, the exclusion is increased to 75 percent. At the time of sale, however, 28% of the excluded gain will be treated as a tax preference item subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT).

Qualifying small business stock is from a C corporation whose gross assets do not exceed $50 million (including the proceeds received from the issuance of the stock) and who meets a specific active business requirement. The amount of gain eligible for the exclusion is limited to the greater of ten times the taxpayer’s basis in the stock or $10 million of gain from stock in that corporation.

This bill would temporarily increase further the amount of the exclusion to 100 percent of the gain from the sale of qualifying small business stock that is acquired after the date of enactment in 2010 and held for more than five years. Additionally, the bill would eliminate the AMT preference item attributable for that sale. This provision is estimated to cost $517 million over ten years.

[UPDATED: Feb. 1, 2011]

Administration Will Propose Permanent Elimination of the Capital Gains Tax on Certain Small Business Stock

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 provides a 100-percent exclusion from tax for capital gains realized on the sale of certain small business stock held for more than five years.

The amount of gain eligible for the exclusion is limited to the greater of $10 million or ten times the taxpayer’s basis in the stock. This provision applies to qualified small business stock issued after December 31, 2010, and before January 1, 2012.

The Administration’s FY12 budget proposal would make this provision permanent, increasing private sector investment in small businesses. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/startup-america-fact-sheet for additional information.

We were one of only 40 companies chosen from several hundred applicants. The event is attended by hundreds of accredited investors, local angel and early-stage VC companies and will certainly accelerate things for the next round of funding.

Learn more about this year’s event being held in downtown Denver at the Daniel’s Business College. Join us for the 4th annual Angel Capital Summit on December 6-7, in beautiful Denver, Colorado!

Come see the best in entrepreneurship, at the conference that has become the best forum between San Francisco and New York for investors and entrepreneurs to find each other.

List of presenting companies

http://angelcapitalsummit.org/content/presenting-companies

Register to attend the event

http://angelcapitalsummit.org/register

Few people know that Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) can include a wide range of investment options. It’s a common misconception among Americans that the only IRA investments allowed in a retirement account are stocks, CDs, and mutual funds. A self directed individual retirement account (SDIRA) is one in which the owner can directly invest the funds wherever he or she wishes. This provides great flexibility for making high-performance investments using tax deferred funds including real estate, private lending, tax liens and private equity deals.

Always available, but little known

Alternative investments have always been available, but little discussed by personal finance experts. The Entrust Group website states “The truth is that broader IRA investment options have been available to the public since 1975, the year contributions could first be made to IRAs.”

How to create a Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA)

Here’s some additional information on the benefits and how to get started:
How to Create a Self Directed IRA (SDIRA) For Permanent Wealth

Self-Directed IRA investment options

http://www.theentrustgroup.com/investment_options/

Prohibited Holdings in a Self Directed IRA

In addition, you may NOT purchase any of the following in a self-directed IRA:

• Collectibles (includinng works of art, rugs, antiques)
• Metals other than gold, silver and palladium bullion
• Gems
• Stamps
• Coins (except certain U.S.-minted coins)
• Alcoholic beverages, and other tangible personal property as may be defined by the Secretary of the Treasury is prohibited

However, your individual retirement account may invest in one, one-half, one-quarter, or one-tenth ounce U.S. gold coins, or one-ounce silver coins minted by the Treasury Department. It can also invest in certain platinum coins and certain gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion.

Additional Resources

Companies like The Entrust Group, uDirect IRA and Equity Trust specializing in helping individuals file the necessary paperwork to create a SDIRA and start investing. If you start exploring this, ask about establishing a checkbook SDIRA instead of using a 3rd party rustee. It makes things much easier without any drawbacks that I’ve seen or heard about.

For over 30 years, Gary has been involved in almost every aspect of starting, building, growing and selling businesses. Following ten excruciating years of corporate law practice in his own law firm, Gary became President of Connecting Point of America on the day of its Chapter 11 filing. Over the next four years, the company bootstrapped its revenues from $0 to over $250M, exited Chapter 11, paid off all creditors and was eventually sold for over $50M.

Gary later became President of Northgate Computers, a small start-up hardware manufacturer. During the next three years, Northgate grew to over $200M in revenues, went from 11 employees to 968, was listed as # 57 and #11 on the Inc. 500, went public, and was eventually sold.

Gary is also the former President of CTEK, a 501c3 non-profit organization assisting innovative entrepreneurs to create profitable and sustainable businesses through access to early and seed stage capital, a network of venture centers and experienced business advisors, and assisting in the commercialization of innovative technologies.

We’re excited to hear Gary’s ideas for growing the company.