Two years ago, I was one of those people that only ordered online occasionally and when I did, it was only for those hard-to-find items. Now there is very little I won’t order online. The convenience of not having to deal with long lines, being able to shop whenever I want to, and being able to find the best deals has made online shopping my preferred method.

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As all small business owners know, this is a critical time of year to try and dig up all the expenses we can from last year in order to drive down our tax bill as low as possible.

As you are sitting around your kitchen table organizing receipts and combing over bank and credit card statements, don’t be timid or shy when considering your expenses.  I truly believe that far too many business owners, CPAs and Tax Preparers are overly conservative and miss out on important expenses that we are entitled to.

Here are 5 tax deductions that should be maximized to the greatest extent possible and will have a major impact on your tax return:

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In the spirit of NCAA^® March Madness^®, The UPS Store  is hosting a series of one-hour small business Twitter chats to help small business owners “Get in the Game,” “Stay in the Game,” and “Win the Game.” Chat one-on-one with well-known small business experts about overcoming the challenges you face as a business owner.

All Twitter chat participants will be automatically entered to win one of The UPS Store’s new Small Business Tool Kits. Sound good? To be eligible, follow @TheUPSStore and include the hashtag #SBOadvice in your tweets during any of the one-hour chats. Check out our lineup:

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The holidays are over and as always, we’ve got lots to share with you this month to start off the New Year with a bang. Here are just a few of the articles in the new issue of Compass:

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My to-do list is massive.

See, I keep a list to the left of my computer and update it throughout the day. Forensic evidence shows that I add more items than I cross out. Boo.

Some days it seems all I’m doing is putting out fires—taking care of mini-projects that pop-up and scream for attention. And while those things are important, they can really distract from the greater focus of my job.

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If you’re like most people, you probably did some online shopping this holiday season – on your laptop, tablet, or smart phone, in the comfort of your own home with a big mug of coffee or hot cocoa.

I have to admit, between my busy schedule and ordering everyone’s holiday gifts, I lost track of what packages were coming and where I bought them. But with the text messages from UPS My Choice, I knew when my packages were coming, who they were from, and when they were delivered.

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Over the years I’ve had many companies come to me when they start getting international orders because they aren’t sure how to fulfill them. Sometimes the task is too daunting, so they turn away international orders altogether. Rather than allowing them to walk away from business, UPS and the United States Commercial Service provide training on moving goods internationally.

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I’m getting ready for one of the busiest return travel days of the year – for boxes like me at least.

The holiday rush isn’t over yet. Consumers will return 520,000 of my closest friends on January 3 – National Returns Day!

UPS wants to share more about this hassle-free experience with you during the first Twitter Party of 2013 on Thursday, January 3 at 3 p.m. EST.  Join @UPS to learn more about #HassleFreeReturns and have fun interacting with the experts at The UPS Store. They’ll provide some helpful tips on how to return those unwanted items.

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Every year just in time for the holiday season, Climate Counts prepares a shopping guide to help environmentally-conscious consumers support companies who “get it” in terms of climate change. To make it really convenient, the guide is now available on a free iPhone app as well as online.

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It’s hard to miss the many UPS trucks criss-crossing neighborhoods making holiday deliveries. Like a lot of people, I prefer to order Christmas gifts online. So paying attention to holiday shipping information is important to me. Even though Christmas is December 25^th every year, somehow it seems to sneak up on me.

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