Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (after Feb. 3, 2010, and before Jan. 1, 2011) may qualify for a 6.2% payroll tax incentive, in effect exempting them from their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to these workers after the date of enactment. This reduced tax withholding will have no effect on the employee’s future Social Security benefits, and employers would still need to withhold the employee’s 6.2% share of Social Security taxes, as well as income taxes. The employer and employee’s shares of Medicare taxes would also still apply to these wages.

In addition, for each worker retained for at least a year, businesses may claim an additional general business tax credit, up to $1,000 per worker, when they file their 2011 income tax returns.

“These tax breaks offer a much-needed boost to employers willing to expand their payrolls, and businesses and nonprofits should keep these benefits in mind as they plan for the year ahead,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

The two tax benefits are especially helpful to employers who are adding positions to their payrolls. New hires filling existing positions also qualify but only if the workers they are replacing left voluntarily or for cause. Family members and other relatives do not qualify.

In addition, the new law requires that the employer get a statement from each eligible new hire certifying that he or she was unemployed during the 60 days before beginning work or, alternatively, worked fewer than a total of 40 hours for someone else during the 60-day period. The IRS is currently developing a form employees can use to make the required statement.

Businesses, agricultural employers, tax-exempt organizations and public colleges and universities all qualify to claim the payroll tax benefit for eligible newly-hired employees. Household employers cannot claim this new tax benefit.

Employers claim the payroll tax benefit on the federal employment tax return they file, usually quarterly, with the IRS. Eligible employers will be able to claim the new tax incentive on their revised employment tax form for the second quarter of 2010. Revised forms and further details on these two new tax provisions will be posted on IRS.gov during the next few weeks.

“Part of our company-wide initiative in 2010 is to give back to the community in meaningful ways and utilize our team members’ skills to help those in need,” said James Pyle, president and CEO of LandSouth Construction. “As a locally owned general contractor, LandSouth is a good fit for the kind of work Builders Care needs and I hope this relationship continues to grow.”

Builders Care’s TV crew was onsite the day of repairs and video footage from the project is available to watch on www.YouTube.com by searching for LandSouth Construction.

Builders Care is a not-for-profit construction organization, founded by the Northeast Florida Builders Association, providing construction services to low-income elderly and disabled people who cannot afford these services by traditional means. Typically, emergency repairs are made that, if left unattended, could pose a threat to the family’s health and/or safety. These repairs may rectify structural problems, water damage, plumbing and heating system failures, general bathroom/kitchen repairs, faulty electrical systems and extremely dangerous conditions corrected. More information about Builders Care is available online at www.builderscare.org.

The 7 p.m. seminar will cover the basics of landscape design, how to care for plants, and how to create curb appeal. The program is free and open to the public. It will be at the Davidson Realty offices, located at World Golf Village just across from Publix. More information is available at www.davidsonrealtyinc.com.

The walks will take place in Clay County, Atlantic Beach, St. Augustine, downtown Jacksonville, and Fernandina Beach. Last year’s walks raised from than $268,000.

The 2010 schedule for the Great Strides walks is:

• 9 a.m. Saturday, April 24— Clay County Great Strides will take place at Orange Park Kennel Club, 455 Park Ave., Orange Park. Lunch is donated by Olive Garden.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, May 1 — Hanna Park Great Strides at Hanna Park, 500 Wonderwood Drive, Atlantic Beach. Outback Steakhouse grills lunch on site.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, May 1 — St. Augustine Great Strides at World Golf Village, One World Golf Place, St. Augustine. Lunch will be provided.
• 6 p.m. Thursday, May 13 — Riverwalk Great Strides at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1201 Riverplace Blvd., Jacksonville. Hors d’oeuvres provided by Crowne Plaza.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, May 15 — Fernandina Great Strides at Fort Clinch State Park, 2601 Atlantic Ave., Fernandina Beach. Lunch will be provided.

Check-in for the Saturday Great Strides walks begins at 8 a.m. and the walks are 10K or 6.2 miles. The routes are suitable for walking, running. Participants can push strollers, pull wagons, ride bicycles, scooters, or bring a four-legged friends.

Check-in for Riverwalk Great Strides starts at 5 p.m., with a shorter course adjacent to the St. Johns River on the Southbank Riverwalk. Immediately following Riverwalk Great Strides, participants are invited to linger poolside and enjoy live music.

Participants can register for Great Strides by going to the Great Strides website, www.cff.org/Chapters/nfl/greatstrides. Once the team leader has registered online, walkers can sign up and utilize the online fundraising tools provided. Everyone who raises at least $100 receives an official Team T-shirt.

For more information about forming a team, walking or sponsorship, contact the North Florida Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at (904) 733-3560.

• “How to overcome call reluctance when your business in one the line.” Friday, March 26, 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $15. Speaker Steve McCann, author of Client-Conscious Prospecting for Today’s Small Business Owner,” will show participants how to build prospecting confidence.

•  “Introduction to QuickBooks.” Thursday, April 1, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $15. Presenter David Barber will show participants the fundamentals of using QuickBooks in order to manage their financial data.

• “Turning social media connections into $$$.” April 6, 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $15. Participants will learn how to harness Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook as well as blogs to help them build their Web influence.

• “Tax informational hour.” April 8, 10 a.m. to noon.

“Our first year has been very exciting, and to win these two awards is a huge bonus,” said Bottle Snugglers President Jennifer Marko. “We have received such a warm response from caregivers who need an extra hand. Our store list is growing every week,” she said. Marko added that Bottle Snugglers will be available at a special price to military families through the AAFES (Army Air Force Exchange Service) website in March.

Armstrong is the CEO of Engineering and Computer Simulations, Inc (ECS).  He has been invited to attend the Small Business Week Celebration in Washington DC in May where the National Small Business Person of the Year will be announced.

SBA gave regional recognition to two Jacksonville business owners and managers. The regional recognition means that these individuals were selected as 2010 Small Business Week winners for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The winners were:

• Joanne Marie Kazmierski, manager of Community Outreach and Environmental Advocacy for JAXPORT—Minority Small Business Champion of the Year;

• Helga Langthon, vice president of SOHO Network Solution, Inc.—Small Business Exporter of the Year.

The SBA recognized two district winners:

• Pegine Echevarria, CEO and president of Team Pegine of Ponte Vedra Beach—2010 Women in Business Champion of the Year for the North Florida District and the state;

•  Rear Admiral Kevin F. Delaney, president  and CEO of Delaney & Associates Consulting of Jacksonville—2010 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year for the North Florida District and the State of Florida.

The SBA also named Christopher Hurn, CEO and co-founder of Mercantile Capital Corporation in Altamonte Springs as district and state Financial Services Champion of the Year Winner.

The 2010 Small Business Week Award Winners from the Jacksonville area (and top North Florida SBA lenders) will be recognized at the 18^th Annual Small Business Week & Lender Awards Celebration on May 13, 2010, at the University of North Florida’s University Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. This event is hosted by the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida.  For more information on this award ceremony, please visit www.sbdc.unf.edu.

The event will feature charity rides, a Concours d’Elegance, the Biker’s Ball, and the Historic Ride. Proceeds from Riding Into History will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

The event is presented by Riding Into History Inc., a 501(c)3 charity organization comprised of volunteer members from several motorcycle organizations, led by the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Northeast Florida (BMWNEF) and the Historic Motorcycle Society (HMS).

Between 300 and 400 antique, vintage, and classic motorcycles from all over the country are expected to enter the Concours, which will feature the Great Bikes of Great Britain. Admission is $10 at the gate for the Concours. Various ticket packages are available for the Biker’s Ball and the Charity Rides.

Craig Vetter, designer and Motorcycle Hall of Fame member, will present seminars at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Admission will be free to these audio-visual presentation, which will be held at the Vetter Theater.

Internationally known motorcycle artist Don Bradley will provide the original artwork for the posters. Posters, t-shirts and other items will be available at RidingIntoHistory.org and at the event.

The media sponsors are RoadBike and American Iron magazines. Riding Into History is an AMA sanctioned event.

The World Golf Village is located just north of St. Augustine on I-95, exit 323.

For additional information go to RidingIntoHistory.org, or email info@RidingIntoHistory.org.

Delaney will speak on how the region can create a new Florida economy based on knowledge and innovation. His talk is based on a new report from the state’s university system, which details key areas of focus necessary to the state’s future.

The event will be at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. Reservations can be made at 904-366-6626.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the country will be honored for their accomplishments as the nation’s leading small businesses. The highlight of events will be the announcement of the National Small Business Person of the Year. 

 “America’s small businesses are proving their resiliency as they continue to drive economic growth and job creation,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “During National Small Business Week we’ll honor the spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and determination that makes small businesses the engine of our economy and our nation’s economic recovery. We’ll celebrate the contributions that small businesses make to our economy, to our global competitiveness, and to our daily lives.” 

National Small Business Week 2010 will begin with three days of events in Washington, D.C., at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where more than 100 outstanding business owners from across the country will be recognized. In addition to the state Small Business Persons of the Year, individuals involved in disaster recovery, government procurement, small business champions, as well as SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development will be honored.

Highlights of the event this year include: the keynote speech by SBA Administrator Karen Mills; a town hall discussion on how small businesses are driving America’s economy; and a series of executive panel forums on innovation, exporting and social media. 

Individuals also will be recognized for their involvement in government contracting, and their support for small businesses and entrepreneurship.

Awards also will be presented to SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development, including best SCORE Chapter, Small Business Development Center, and Women’s Business Center during 2009.

Small Business Week award winners will meet with top agency officials, congressional representatives and national business leaders.  The State Small Business Award Winners and recipients of the Champion and other Entrepreneurial awards are nominated by local trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations and government agencies.