Virgin Island Tax Break
If you have your own firm and you’re sick and tired of Uncle Sam reaping too much of your hard earned profits, you might consider moving to St. Thomas or other parts of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Here not only can you enjoy a year round paradise of pristine white sand beaches, palm trees, low humidity day after sunny 80 degree day, but, through its Economic Development Council (EDC) you can also save about 90% on your U.S. business income tax.
The primary mission of the USVI EDC is written in its Title 29 bylaws. The Economic Development Commission has offices not only in St. Croix and St. Thomas but also in Washington DC and New York City. The objectives and general purpose of the organization is to encourage the growth of industry and business in the U.S. Virgin Islands and to assist in its development, expansion and creation. A side mandate, one that is a result of the EDC’s success in its mission is the growth of job opportunities for resident of USVI.
Companies have to qualify for the help of the EDC but those who do receive a number of benefits, the best of which is a reduction of 90 percent in the income tax they must pay to the U.S. federal government.
One might wonder why U.S. businesses aren’t flocking to the Virgin Islands for this benefit and why the Economic Development Commission hasn’t been overrun by applications. The simple truth seems to be that U.S. companies, and individuals who want to become entrepreneurs have just not learned about this wonderful business growth and start up program.
What this means for you entrepreneurs or entrepreneur hopefuls is that the door is open wide for you to take advantage of this stupendous tax benefit before the word gets out to everyone else.
If this seems like a rather outrageous offering, and perhaps one with a catch consider this: the economy of the Virgin Islands is insular and small. Its own natural resources are scarce. As a result the USVI must heavily rely on services and exporting to generate employment and income for its residents. The territorial and U.S. federal governments put their bureaucratic heads together to come up with a series of business tax incentives that would drive growth and investment in the USVI. The major focus on this growth was expected to be on activities related to trade and export.
As of the last documented report, close to 100 firms that employed close to 6000 islanders were realizing federal tax benefits from their EDC participation. The industries were varied, and included guest houses and hotels, manufacturing and assembly, tourist attractions, service industry businesses, transportation services, and manufacturing. Of the latter, the categories including the production of aluminum, refinery of oil, watch manufacture, pharmaceuticals, rum and liquor, high tech electronic parts and assembly and construction materials.
GR is a retired Airline Captain who has been involved in real estate and building since childhood. Now, he is retired in the US Virgin Islands where he writes and does more marketing from home. A good place to learn about the islands and to find your home is http://www.StThomasLuxuryHomes.com
USVI Economic Qualifiers for the EDC 90% Tax Reduction Program
If you have a hankering for your own business and a yen for fun in the sun, your best bet is the U.S. Virgin Islands. Here you can build your own business, or grow your existing one, and keep most of what had been your tax payments for yourself and your firm.
The USVI and its Economic Development Council has a plan to let you reap a tremendous financial boon and corporate benefits that will wow you. Here are the industries and types of firms that can apply for this 90 percent federal income tax break for business. They are divided up into four different categories.
The first qualifier category includes firms who produce milk and other dairy products, that manufacture rum and that assemble and manufacture time pieces and other jewelry.
Category two is made up of companies engaged in product assembly, and any manufacturing other than jewelry and watch assembly, agriculture or food processing, Mari culture, any marine related firm, the processing of raw materials, guest houses or hotel facilities, and companies offering telecommunications or transportation services.
The next category of qualifying organizations include those engaged in services such as financial or investment advisors and managers, management and business consultants, software designers and developers, firms and sites engaged in e-commerce, call / contact centers, high technology companies, businesses engaged in international public relations or trading and distributing internationally, and any other type of business that serves clients that are located beyond the borders of any of the Virgin Islands.
The fourth category of qualifying businesses include utility providers, healthcare facilities, recreation and athletic facilities, insurance carriers, physicians and their corporate entities and any other firms that the Economic Development Commission decides are appropriate. All that’s required to add a firm to the qualifier list is the EDC’s decision that doing so will advance the well being and economic growth of the United States Virgin Islands and its residents.
To earn the benefits of EDC a company must qualify. The requirements include a minimum investment of $100,000 – this does not include inventory, and residence either as an individual or a business entity in the USVI. Business entity includes partnership, corporation, trust, limited liability partnership and limited liability corporation.
The applicant must actually be an investor in the firm that is applying, and that firm must employer at least 10 full time employees, 8 of which must be residents of the Virgin Islands. The company must also qualify ecologically; i.e., it must be a firm that is friendly to the environment in mission and in practice. The firm, if contracting for services or products, must use firms licensed with and registered in the Virgin Islands. The company must also provide assistance either financial or through on site training to educate local VI residents. It must also maintain its payroll account in a bank that resides in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
GR is a retired Airline Captain who has been involved in real estate and building since childhood. Now, he is retired in the US Virgin Islands where he writes and does more marketing from home. A good place to learn about the islands and to find your home is http://www.StThomasLuxuryHomes.com
Tokui Waza Presentations
In Judo, Tokui Waza means “favorite” or “best” technique. It’s the throw that fits naturally to your body type, and you have practiced it thousands of times to make it an instinctual response. Everyone at the club or local tournament knows that you’ll use it, but there’s nothing they can do to stop it…you’re just that damn good at it.
Same thing goes in business. Everyone needs to have a carefully prepared and practiced Tokui Waza. Of course, you are not going to toss your clients, customer or superior over your head (Although that would be nice sometimes) but you are going to have to knock their socks off from time to time with some sort of presentation. And regardless if you are selling the project you’ve been slaving day and night on, your company’s product or service, or your own personal qualifications, victory will only be achieved if that presentation is perfect.
Now don’t get nervous! Just like in Judo, if your Tokui Waza presentation is strong enough, it will work in almost every situation with just slight variations. Therefore, you only have to develop one “core” presentation and then you will be able to seamlessly fold any “new” aspects of each new situation into the mix.
Alright…Let’s build your “core” presentation.
Something in your life has previously motivated you. Whether it is a song, a speech, an article, a passage in a book, whatever; find it and copy it down longhand (that means write it out for you youngins) ten times on a legal pad.
The purpose of this is to steal the “rhythm”. While you may mistakenly thing that the actual “words” are, motivating you, in reality it is the sequence and chaining of the words to one another that are invoking a rhythmic association within your brain. And rhythm is easily imitated through repetition. Next…
We’ll begin with selling yourself. Your “core” presentation should reflect the idea that you are on the job interview of your life. You must sell yourself to gain whatever dream getting this job will fulfill. A yacht, $300 million dollars, a Rolls-Royce…whatever.
Start with your own personal story of hardship. Whether you had to solve a problem, battle a disease, fight an unbeatable higher power, your story should reflect the idea that you too had a “problem” that needed to be solved.
Next, isolate and agitate the hell out of the problem at hand. Blow it out of proportion, use “worst case” scenarios as daily occurrences, build on whatever potential there is for the shit to hit the fan and the apocalypse to be right around the corner
Finally, use all the tools we’ve talked about in previous issues; authority, emotional control, proof, E-factors, customization, strengths, benefits, etc., and start to build your solution.
Now if you did the rhythm exercise properly, your incorporation of the “Problem – Agitate – Solve” formula into your writing should have a similar and successful flow.
If you used a song as your motivation, there are probably repeating key facts, points, or details that mimic the chorus. If you used a speech, there is most likely a smooth mix of “highs” and “lows” that imitate someone speaking passionately about a subject. A passage from a book or a scene from a movie? Then your storytelling will emulate the emotion and paint visual “word pictures” in your listener or readers mind. All powerful, powerful stuff.
Great! Now practice your ass off!
That’s right; not only do you need to memorize your presentation, but you must practice it every chance you get to “nail” all the little crescendos, jokes, inflections, and facial expressions you envisioned as you were writing it. There is no shortcut for this. Only practice, practice, and practice some more.
Through this practice, you gain something so powerful, so dominant, so influential that nobody in his or her right mind will be able to say “no” to you once your Tokui Waza presentation has been delivered…
The unfaltering confidence and utter conviction that you are the ONLY answer to whatever problem needs solving. And that my friends, is true power.
For more information on Chris “Lt. X” Pizzo former soldier, cancer survivor, mercenary, barroom bouncer, educator, and hand-to-hand combat instructor, and his incredible FREE Accelerated Battlefield Combatives close-combat learning system, visit http://www.TopSecretTraining.com
Finding the Right Office Space for Your Business
Every successful office manager knows that the office, furniture or equipment is not necessarily the key to prosperity in the workplace, but the people working with them are more important. That is why many office suppliers are now aiming to provide much more than a nicely furnished office space, they also aim to provide the necessary services to accommodate and maintain office space.
Many companies now offer full service and affordable solutions for different businesses. In addition, they may provide space for executive offices with stunning views that are suitable for board meetings and client updates. Having an office located in a modern contemporary building with many hotels, restaurants and car rentals agencies in vicinity can turn out to be very convenient for clients, employees and co-workers.
Indisputably, the internet has an increasingly greater effect on the way people around the world live, think, and most important work in different businesses. More people are doing business with the help of the internet; therefore virtual office software is frequently the best tool to help them satisfy their desires and requests.
In the San Francisco area, those who work in a virtual office environment have a unique office space opportunity. There is a business package that usually provides individuals with many advantages such as: mailing address and a mailbox, kitchen facilities, access to a conference room or private office for different periods of time (for example 8 hours) per mouth, a phone number and your company’s name on the Directory Board.
Taking all this in consideration, this innovative office space opportunity in San Francisco can be the ideal solution for anyone who works from home, a person that spends most of his/hers time on the road, or simply someone who needs a part-time office. This is a great way to cut costs and maintain a business identity at the same time.
In San Francisco, you can find these executive office space opportunities at a great number of executive suite centers both in the city and the surrounding areas. The fastest and easiest way to find executive office space in San Francisco is to surf the internet. There is a considerably large number of websites that offer exact information about each executive suite center together with detailed location maps, indicators, pricing, and photos along with information on the different services that are provided. With such a large number of executive centers all you have to do is chose the one that best fits your needs.
These new office space innovations in San Francisco may just be the best solution for your business. You can benefit from appropriately staffed office space on full time as well as part time, or you can take advantage of distinct services including telephone, administrative and secretarial services, T1 internet access, consulting, conference rooms and many others.
If a professional appearance is important for your business, but the synchronization is not right to rent an office you can look for business identity packages. With prices varying between different amounts of money depending on the services provided; you can have that professional office you’ve always dreamed about, without the costs that usually go along with it.
For more information about Bay Area Executive Offices, Office Space, office space innovations, unique office space, visit Bay Area Executive O at http://www.bayareaoffices.com.
San Francisco Office Space
The Bay Area in San Francisco is the central point of San Francisco’s skyline and its business district. It is an outstanding sight with a unique architectural style that symbolizes the ultimate location, tenant coziness, great services as well as excellent materials and finishes. The Bay Area has many signature buildings in the landscape that offer great appeal for office space.
In San Francisco, the trend of the future is the innovation of shared office space. Offering a new approach to office space leasing in San Francisco, shared office space is interesting because clients only have to pay for the time they use the office. Executives that work at home, people that travel a lot and directors that have just started a business can find office space rentals more suited to their needs. Shared space is very useful when you have to meet with clients or if you simply look for a quiet place to work for a few hours.
For someone who needs a part time office paying a year round lease simply makes no sense, thus shared space offer the best solution. Depending on the client’s needs, a shared workplace can be equipped with a phone, voice mail, fax, conference facilities, computers connected to the internet, copying machines and other office hardware. This means both a personalized and suitable solution for any business executive looking to save money without compromising anything else.
Shared office space could offer the convenience of a location near to the center of the Financial District, near where your clients may be situated, more affordably than a full-time rental. One of the most important reasons why individuals rent office space is saving money that can actually be used to expand their business. This innovative workplace idea has been put into place almost anywhere in San Francisco from Chinatown to the Financial District.
Many executive shared office situations offer complete services and facilities including an appropriately staffed office, part time telephone personnel, administrative and secretarial services, high speed internet access, consulting, fully equipped conference rooms, parking space and much more.
Also available are virtual offices, which are designed for those who require admission to office space and business services for a short time only. Virtual office service provides some of the best facilities, assistance and advantages for your business. The main benefit of a virtual office space is the possibility to take advantage of an office at only at a fraction of the cost of actually owning a traditional one.
Virtual offices can offer a business executive a mailing address (mailing receiving and distribution) a personalized reception service, phone number with voicemail access to offices and conference rooms and a completely operational kitchen. You can also profit from a virtual office specialist that can help you create a program that will fulfill all your needs. Some virtual office packages include communications systems. Some communications systems offer a notification system that will alert customers when they receive an email or will redirect their calls to a designated number. This can be a great benefit when you are off-site.
For more information about Bay Area Executive Offices, Office Space, office space innovations, unique office space, visit Bay Area Executive Offices at http://www.bayareaoffices.com.