Carl's Jr

Carl's Jr

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SUPRA X DEATH WISH PACK

Supra delves deep into skate culture, bringing alternative heads such as Chad Muska and Jim Greco on board to help with design. Collaborating with Jim Greco and his sponsored skate company Deathwish (most of Supra’s riders are also sponsored by the brand), the L.A. skate giant are about to launch the Deathwish pack utilising Jim Greco’s signature Suprano Hi silhouette and the stark Diablo Lo. Perhaps the stand-out of the pack goes to the red Suprano High which as Greco states 'was influenced by the Black guy from the mental institution in Nightmare on Elm Street 4 (Dream Masters) because he had some Red Hightops on' The pack is set to drop next week at all good Supra retailers.

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Carts of Darkness

Murray Siple's feature-length documentary follows a group of homeless men who have combined bottle picking with the extreme sport of racing shopping carts down the steep hills of North Vancouver. This subculture depicts street life as much more than the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media. The film takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk. Shot in high-definition and featuring tracks from Black Mountain, Ladyhawk, Vetiver, Bison, and Alan Boyd of Little Sparta.

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Volcom cuts 8 percent of workforce, reduces salaries

Volcom said today during its Q4 and year-end earnings conference call that it cut 28 positions at its Volcom and Electric brands.

Earlier, in a press release, Volcom said the cuts totaled 8 percent of its domestic workforce and that it reduced salaries as part of a cost reduction initiative.

Fourth quarter sales were essentially flat, while full year sales rose 25 percent.

More details are below in the press release. I'll also have more to report after listening to the conference call this afternoon.
Volcom Reports Financial Results for 2008 Fourth Quarter and Full Year

"While the ongoing global macroeconomic turmoil affected our results for the 2008 fourth quarter and full year, the underlying strength of Volcom is well intact," said Richard Woolcott, Volcom's chairman and chief executive officer. "In the face of this economic uncertainty, we are working to maintain a healthy balance between being aggressive when we see opportunities and pulling back where we can, including reducing our cost structure. We have a solid cash position and a strong global brand with a devout following. Further, we believe that our product line-up for 2009 is one of our best ever. We plan to approach the year with discipline, commitment and focus, and we remain confident in our ability to ride this period out and prevail as an even stronger company."

2009 Financial Outlook


Due to the uncertainty of the global economy and the lack of visibility into future business and market trends compared to that which has historically been available to the company, Volcom is currently suspending its practice of providing annual revenue and earnings guidance until such time when it has better clarity into its business.


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Tournez Merci !!!!!!

I invite you to check my photos on
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Why Retailers Book a Brand

Snowboard Canada Business, in their latest issue, did what I guess is their annual survey of 65 tastemaker independent leading Canadian specialty snowboard and skate shops.One of the questions they asked was, “When determining your bookings, what is the leading factor in your decision?”

83.9% of the snowboard shops said “Last year’s sell-through.” 0% said pricing was the leading factor. Other choices were relationship with the rep (3.2%), product quality (6.5%), and hype (customer requests), also 6.5%.

on the skate shop side, things weren’t quite so overwhelming, with “only” 43.8% picking last year’s sell-through. Pricing came in at 9.4%. Relationship with the rep was 12.5% and product quality, 3.1%. Hype was 31.3%.

The term “last year’s sell-through” has a different meaning in snow than in skate retailing and I believe that explains why the skate number isn’t higher. Still, if you accept the results of the survey and believe, especially in snow, that sell through is far and away the key factor in a retailer’s brand selection, then there are some obvious conclusions and action items for brands that flow from that.

•Except in the very short run, you’re better off not forcing growth on a retailer that they can’t manage.
•At some point in the expansion of your distribution, you are making an explicit decision to lose some sales or sales opportunities in specialty shops. Maybe that’s the right decision for you, but understand that you are making it.
•Your sale force’s job isn’t so much as to sell as to make sure there’s sell through. Then the selling will take care of itself.
•If sell through sucks, all the advertising and promotion in the world won’t matter. If sell through is good, you won’t have to do near as much of it.
•If there is a sell through problem, deal with it early, quickly and cooperatively if the account matters to you.
•Consider focusing on gross profit rather than sales- yours and the shop’s.
•Be cautious in designing programs that encourage shops to buy more than they can sell well.

There shouldn’t be anything particularly surprising to any of this, but that 87.9% number caught my attention. I thought there might be some value in stating what should be obvious.





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Amazing Tricycle jump

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Burton To Tighten Online Distribution

Beginning in August, P2P links such as these on Burton.com will be a thing of the past.

In the wake of a season that saw the market flooded with product, forcing almost every retailer into the unprecedented position of going off price on most SKU’s before Christmas, Burton has decided to tighten control of its brand’s online presence and distribution by ending its Product to Product (P2P) affiliations, selling hardgoods direct online, and enhancing its Internet dealer agreement.

“We felt that controlling our brand and brand presence online is our number one priority right now,” says Burton Senior Vice President of Sales Clark Gundlach. “Taking the P2P links off of Burton.com was a component of that. When someone comes into Burton to search a product, a price, for the right product to ride, we want to make sure that rider does get the right information, and when we send them out of Burton…we lose control of that message.”

Gundlach says another major reason for this decision, which will take effect when Burton’s new site launches in August, is to control distribution and the disruptive amount of volume being sold through the Internet channel. “”Eliminating a P2P link to an on-line partner will directly affect the amount of product purchased by that dealer. Again, our strategy is controlling the distribution inside the channel. Ultimately we believe this strategy will provide us with control….so the Internet environment is not predatory,” says Gundlach.

Eric Kuester, owner of Milwaukee’s MODA3 and a long time Burton P2P affiliate illustrates how P2P has had this effect. In order to get P2P designation, shops had to increase orders to often-unsustainable levels, multiple shops were doing so, and manufacturers were willing to continue adding vendors. “That’s part of why the industry is in the state it is right now,” says Kuester. “We were making calls like going from a brand where we’d be doing 10k at brick and mortar and just sprinkling it online, and then see what was the next step to get P2P and it would be 100k, and we’d be like ‘cool.’ And that’s a huge part of the flood.”

Jake Parr, president of Burton P2P affiliate Colorado Boarder, believes the changes will be positive for his shops. “Jake Burton is now out of the driver’s seat of our business and Jake Parr is back in [it],” says Parr. “They can’t tell us what we have to buy. It was really successful for the amount of traffic they sent us, but they made us buy so much product that if there was ever any profit it in it, it was all tied back into the product and we had to pay them or take losses…I think with the orders we can now place we can actually make money on Burton,” adds Parr who says he will be decreasing his Burton order by around 80 percent.

Authorized Burton dealers will still be able to sell product through their individual sites, but Burton is requiring that they sign a new dealer agreement that will specifically control presentation, pricing, and promotional cadence, all of which will be strictly monitored by the company to ensure compliance.
“As I understand it, Burton’s position is they are taking these steps to protect their brand image and better preserve MSRP online,” says Tactics Co-owner Matt Patton, who is currently a Burton P2P partner. “In light of some of the things that have gone down the last few seasons, it’s not that hard to see why. Everyone in the snowboard industry probably has an opinion on the causes and the degree to which Burton is itself to blame. I’m all for Burton taking steps to protect their brand and preserve margins. I think that’s a good thing for the entire industry. But I’m not convinced a brand has to become a retailer to accomplish those goals. It seems to me the best way is by working really hard to manage the supply and demand equation. Once production starts outpacing demand, things eventually go sideways whether or not a brand is selling direct.”

The trend of going direct online is nothing new as the retail landscape continues to evolve. Burton has been selling softgoods direct for more than four years and companies like Oakley, Quiksilver, Hurley, DC, Nixon, Patagonia, Vans, and Zoo York are just a few of the action sports brands going straight to consumers.

The Internet channel and E-commerce is rapidly reshaping the industry and retail in general. In an evolving world all companies are focusing on what will make the most sense for them as applications like the upcoming Google phone’s barcode scanner will allow instant, international price comparisons. Retailers like Kuester believe that P2P is becoming less relevant as consumers become savvier and search for product through Google or other channels, however he does feel this will cause a bit of a sting. “Obviously it’s never a good situation when you lose a link,” says Kuester. However, “at this point, with what happened this year, they had to make some sort of call.”

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VF Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results and Declares Dividend

2008 Marks Record Revenues and Earnings Per Share

GREENSBORO, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2009-- VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC):

* Full year revenues up 6% with EPS reaching a record $5.42
* Strong 2008 cash flow from operations: $679 million
* Q4 revenues and EPS in line with prior guidance
* Outdoor momentum continued in Q4 with revenues up 13%
* 2009 EPS expected to be in line with 2008

Information regarding VF’s fourth quarter conference call webcast today at 4:30 p.m. can be found at the end of this release.

VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, today announced results for the fourth quarter and full year 2008. All per share amounts are presented on a diluted basis and reflect continuing operations.

Fourth quarter revenues decreased 2% to $1,912.2 million, compared with $1,955.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, with nearly all the decline attributed to the effects of foreign currency translation. Income from continuing operations in the current quarter was $115.9 million, compared with $164.4 million in the prior year’s quarter. Included in the most recent quarter was a previously announced charge of $41 million related to cost reduction actions. Earnings per share from continuing operations was $1.05 in the fourth quarter, compared with $1.46 last year and, as expected, included a negative $.30 per share impact from the charge. Foreign currency translation also impacted earnings by $.02 per share.

For the full year 2008, revenues increased 6% to a record $7,642.6 million from $7,219.4 million in 2007, driven by strong performance in our Outdoor coalition and a full year of revenues from our growing Contemporary Brands coalition. Including the aforementioned charge, income from continuing operations declined to $602.7 million from $613.2 million. Earnings per share from continuing operations reached a record $5.42, and includes the $.30 per share impact from the cost reduction initiatives, compared with $5.41 in 2007. The full year benefit from foreign currency translation to revenues and earnings per share was $109 million and $.15 per share, respectively.

“The strength of VF’s business model was reflected in our 2008 performance, with record revenues and strong earnings despite extraordinarily challenging economic conditions. Our powerful brands, diversity and strong financial condition, combined with a history of exceptional operational execution, should all work to our advantage as we continue to navigate through these uncertain times,” said Eric C. Wiseman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Fourth Quarter Business Review

During the quarter, we took aggressive actions to reduce costs across our business, which are expected to result in savings of $100 million annually beginning in 2009. Operating income in the 2008 quarter was $179.8 million compared with $250.6 million in the prior year’s quarter, with $41 million of the decline attributable to the cost reduction initiatives. The balance of the decline was due to exceptionally difficult retail conditions in the fourth quarter that resulted in unprecedented levels of promotional activity across many of our businesses. Operating margins were 9.4% in the quarter compared with 12.8% in the 2007 period, with over 200 basis points of the decline due to the cost reduction initiatives.

Outdoor

Our Outdoor coalition had another outstanding quarter, with total revenues up 13% and 17% in constant dollars. Domestic revenues grew 17% in the quarter while international revenues rose 6% (17% in constant dollars). The North Face®, Vans®and Napapijri® brands each posted double-digit revenue gains in the quarter. Globally, revenues of The North Face® brand grew 20% in the quarter while global revenues of the Vans® brand increased 18%.

Operating income rose by 7% and included $8.2 million in expenses related to cost reduction actions. The decline in operating margins in the quarter was due to cost reduction actions as well as a similar amount resulting from transaction-related currency fluctuations.

Jeanswear

Revenues of our Jeanswear coalition, which includes our Wrangler®, Lee® and Riders® brands, were down 8% (6% in constant dollars) during the quarter, with declines in both our domestic and international businesses. Lee® brand revenues in the U.S. rose 3% in the quarter, as the brand continues to benefit from the success of new products for both men and women in mid-tier department stores. Our U.S. mass business declined 9% in the quarter because of reduced consumer demand for apparel and retailers’ inventory adjustments.

The decline in Jeanswear operating income in the quarter included $22.6 million in expenses to reduce costs. Jeanswear profitability was also negatively impacted by higher promotional activity, costs related to managing inventory levels and additional provisions for bad debt expense related to recent retail bankruptcies.

Sportswear

Total revenues of our Sportswear coalition, which includes our Nautica® and John Varvatos® brands as well as the Kipling® brand in North America, decreased 9% in the quarter. Nautica® revenues declined 12% in the quarter, reflecting difficult conditions in department stores and weaker than expected performance in its retail outlet stores. Our Kipling® and John Varvatos® brands each continued to grow strongly, posting double-digit revenue growth in the quarter.

Cost reduction expenses of $3.2 million contributed to a drop in fourth quarter operating income. Increased markdown activity and negative comparable store sales in Nautica® retail outlets significantly impacted the profitability of the Nautica® brand.

Contemporary Brands

Revenues of our Contemporary Brands coalition, which consists of the 7 For All Mankind®and lucy® brands, decreased 5% in the quarter. Revenues of the 7 For All Mankind® brand declined reflecting a slowdown in store traffic within upper tier specialty and department stores. Seven For All Mankind opened thirteen retail stores in 2008 and we are encouraged by their performance to date. Revenues of our lucy® brand rose 4% in the quarter, benefiting from new store openings.

The decline in operating income in the current quarter reflects high levels of promotional and markdown-related expenses as a result of the weakening upper tier channel as well as efforts to reduce inventory levels.

Imagewear

Total revenues of our Imagewear coalition were 12% lower in the quarter, with the decline principally in Activewear, reflecting a difficult environment in the licensed sports apparel business. In addition to the impact from the lower revenue volume, the operating income decline in the quarter included expenses to align inventories as well as $2.0 million in expenses from cost reduction activities.

Our international business continues to be an important long term growth driver. For the full year, international revenues increased 17% and represented 30% of total revenues, up from 28% of revenues in 2007. In the fourth quarter, international revenues declined 3% due to the effect of a stronger dollar on foreign currency translation compared with the 2007 quarter. On a constant currency basis, international revenues increased 5% in the quarter.

Expanding the reach of our brands through retail stores and e-commerce also continues to benefit us both strategically and financially. Our direct-to-consumer business grew 15% in 2008 and represented 16% of total revenues, up from 14% in 2007. In the fourth quarter, our direct to consumer revenues increased 12% and represented 21% of VF’s total revenue. Retail revenues of our Vans®, The North Face®, 7 For All Mankind®, Kipling® and Napapijri® brands each grew by more than 20% in the quarter. We opened 33 stores during the quarter, including new stores for our Vans®, 7 For All Mankind®, The North Face® and Napapijri® brands. For the year, we opened a total of 89 stores, ending the year with 698 stores.

A healthy balance sheet and strong cash flow continue to be hallmarks of VF. Cash at year-end was $382 million compared with $322 at the end of 2007 and our debt to capital ratio was 25%. We had no commercial paper borrowings at year-end and only $53 million in short-term foreign borrowings. Cash flow from operations was $679 million, above our most recent guidance of $650 million.

Outlook

“We have taken the right actions to prepare for a difficult year in 2009,” said Mr. Wiseman. “We will continue to monitor conditions carefully, being both disciplined and flexible in our approach to changing market conditions.”

For 2009, we anticipate a low to mid single digit decline in revenues, with a 3 to 4% negative impact from foreign currency translation. Earnings per share should approximate the $5.42 reported for 2008. As detailed in our January press release, our current guidance includes significantly higher pension expense levels as well as the effects of foreign currency translation, which are expected to negatively impact 2009 earnings per share by approximately $.50 and $.30, respectively.

VF’s Outdoor business has enjoyed significant success over the past five years, achieving scale in both the outdoor and action sports industries. As previously announced, we have re-aligned our management structure to better capture future opportunities in these industries by dedicating teams focused on each business. Going forward, we will report the results of these businesses as Outdoor and Action Sports. We look forward to another year of record revenue in our Outdoor and Action Sports business, given the continued momentum of our brands. Revenues of our Contemporary Brands business are also expected to grow significantly. This reflects strong organic growth as well as the anticipated completion of the acquisition of the remaining two-thirds of Mo Industries Holdings, Inc., owner of the Splendid® and Ella Moss® brands in the first half of 2009. Expecting continued challenges in the overall economic environment, we anticipate modest revenue declines in our Jeanswear, Sportswear and Imagewear businesses.

Reflecting the actions taken in 2008 to reduce costs and align inventories, most of our coalitions are expected to post significant improvements in profitability in 2009. The $90 million increase in pension expense anticipated in 2009 will be reported as a corporate expense and will, accordingly, impact consolidated operating margins only.

Considering the worsening of economic conditions that occurred in latter part of 2008, as well as the trend of foreign currency translation rates during the year, first half comparisons are expected to be substantially more difficult than those of the second half. The first quarter is expected to be especially challenging, with revenues expected to be down by 5 to 7%, with a 4% impact from foreign currency translation.

The pension and change in foreign currency translation rates will have a significant impact on the comparability of our earnings on a quarterly basis. The pension expense impact to earnings per share will approximate $.11 to $.12 each quarter, while the change in foreign currency translation rates will have the greatest earnings impact on the first and third quarters, reflecting the flow of international profits during the year. Accordingly, earnings per share in the first quarter will decline significantly, reflecting an estimated combined impact of $.20 per share from higher pension expense and foreign currency rate changes. We expect that earnings per share for the quarter will approximate $.90 to $.95 compared with $1.33 per share reported in the first quarter of 2008.

Maintaining our strong balance sheet and liquidity will be a focal point in 2009, and we’re looking forward to another strong year of cash flow from operations, which could exceed $700 million. Cash balances at year-end could exceed $600 million. Only 5% of our total year end debt is due within the next year, and no significant long-term debt repayments are due until October 2010. In addition, $1.3 billion is available in lines of credit.

“We enter 2009 prepared for the challenges at hand. I have tremendous respect and gratitude for our associates, who not only delivered record results in 2008 but who have worked tirelessly to ensure our brands and businesses remain strong and healthy both this year and in the years to come,” concluded Mr. Wiseman.

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Airwalk-The Hundreds

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BALLOON BITCH # ONE

PATTHE

Dc-Admiral-X-Lemar-And-Dauley

DC x LEMAR & DAULEY DOUBLE LABEL PROJECT
The muse for the Lemar and Dauley Admiral was the idea of regatta sail boats. Fabrics and materials used on the sails originally inspired, but in the process of creating the shoe other elements began to reshape the vision to further address the lifestyle behind the idea. The shoe captures a metropolitan individual engaging in a beach bum mentality. Both color ways were created as a reflection of sand and concrete. The patterns on the side panels represent the art often depicted on regatta wind sails. The 'Lemar and Dauley' name was used to illustrate the names often detailed on the side of boats. The metal plate embossed with Braille and the reflective tape was used to illustrate touch and sight, both of which are necessary human senses when in the water. In the final attempt to brand the shoe, DC used the trademark houndstooth pattern associated with Lemar and Dauley.

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Estevan Oriol

Estevan Oriol — "Run Up" Profile from Stas on Vimeo.

www.estevanoriol.com

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Oakley and Ray-Ban lead Luxottica

As the economic crisis dampens demand for luxury glasses, Luxottica is focusing on its more "resilient" optical products, including its Oakley and Ray-Ban brands, according to Luxottica's 2008 sales report released yesterday.

Oakley and Ray-Ban "continue to be successful around the world," Luxottica said, noting that the performance of the two brands was a highlight of 2008.

Luxottica, based in Milan, Italy, did not break out sales for Oakley or Ray-Ban in the report. It did say it expects continued good growth for Oakley in Europe and emerging markets.

The company said the marketplace continued to deteriorate in the fourth quarter, and wholesale customers were "destocking." Sales were below expectations, Luxottica said.

The company believes there is a "global structural reset" going on, that will "right-size" markets down by 10 percent.

Luxottica is taking several steps to deal with the declining economic environment, including reviewing 3 to 4 percent of its store portfolio, streamlining back office operations and logistics, and investing in IT systems.

It also plans to be more "aggressive" on entry-level price points for its luxury brands.

Fourth quarter and 2008 details:
2008 total company sales

Current exchange rates: up 4.7 percent to 5.2 billion Euros for 2008
Constant exchange rates: down 0.8 percent.
Fourth quarter sales

Current exchange rates: up 4 percent to 1.2 billion Euros.
Constant exchange rates: down 5.5 percent.
Projected 2008 net profit

400 million Euros, down 16 percent.
Sunglass Hut stores

2008 same-store sales: down 4.9 percent for the year
Fourth quarter same-store sales: down 12.9 percent
Luxottica did not break out numbers for Oakley stores.
2008 total retail sales

Current exchange rates: down 4.7 percent to 3.1 billion Euros
Constant exchange rates: down 2.1 percent.
Fourth quarter retail sales

Current exchange rates: up grew 4.6 percent to 777 million Euros
Constant exchange rates: down 3.7 percent.
2008 wholesale sales

Current rates: up 22.8 percent to 2.1 billion Euros
Constant: up 1.3 percent
Fourth quarter wholesale

Current rates: up 3.1 percent to 460 million Euros
Constant: down 8.3 percent

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Incase

GOINGINCASE

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Volcom Announces 2009 Motocross Team & Website

Volcom is proud to announce the 2009 Volcom Motocross Team and the launch of the Volcom Motocross Website. Volcoms entrance into MX started by supporting the current MX Lites Rookie of the Year Nico Izzi over 5 years ago and since then has slowly built into an elite racing team consisting of 5 riders.

The Pro team includes current Motocross Lites Champion Ryan Villopoto, Nico Izzi, and lites rookie Darryn Durham. The am team consists of wonder kid Jason Anderson and 10-year-old Mark Worth.

“We are super stoked to have been fortunate enough to develop such an elite team. The sport of Motocross is gnarly and these riders put themselves through adversity like no other sport. Im really excited about what the future holds with our involvement in the sport and support to the riders,” said Troy Eckert, VP of Marketing.

“The Volcom Motocross team is a unique group of individuals who each in their own way embody the spirit of Volcom. Myself and many of the people here at Volcom ride and are fans of motocross, we are stoked to officially announce our team, and our support of motocross and the riders,” Troy Powell, Motocross Brand Manager commented.

We will keep updated news happenings on everything that goes on with our riders along with team pages filled with photos and videos of the guys in action. Make sure to check it out at www.volcom.com/mx.

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The Christian Cross on top of Mount Royal in Montreal

The Christian Cross on top of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada sits at the northeastern edge of the mountain, overlooking the east end of Montreal.

The first Mount Royal Cross the mountain was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of the city, in fulfillment of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary when praying to her to stop a disastrous flood.

An illuminated cross was installed in 1924 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste,which is now owned by the city. The current cross stands 31.4 m (103 ft) tall. It was converted to fibre-optic light in 1992, allowing the cross to be lit in red, blue or purple.

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Tax Tips: Top Eleven Deductions You May Be Missing

It’s estimated that small business owners and the self employed overpay their taxes by nearly $160 billion every year. Check out these helpful tips to make sure you’re not adding to that sum.


1. Inventory Write-Offs: Depending on your carryover, now is a good time to go over the gear in your stock room and check for obsolete and damaged product. The drop in market value can be written off as a deduction.

2. Give it away: Another option for getting rid of back stock and reducing your tax burden is to give it away to a charity of your choice. Not only will this free up some of your stockroom, but also get you a solid deduction and generate a marketing opportunity. This is especially handy for C corps.

3. Vehicle Deductions: Be sure and keep track of your mileage throughout the year. Every trip you make for business can be written off at 50.5 cents for the first six months of 2008 and 58.5 cents for the second half of the year.
4. Advertising Deductions: Advertising and promotions directly related to your business are deductible as miscellaneous expenses. See IRS Publication 535 for more information.
5. Legal and Professional Fees: Perhaps the biggest thing you can do to maximize your deductions is go over your books and filings with a professional accountant. Once you do that, be sure and write off all fees they charged you.
6. Health Insurance: If you’re self employed you can deduct 100 percent of your premiums as long as they don’t exceed your profits. Beware though, you can’t take this one if you’re eligible for your spouse’s work insurance.
7. Cell phones: Get your cell phone in your business’ name and this expense can be deducted relative to the amount of personal time your use it for.
8. Equipment: All of your office supplies, computers, software, furniture, anything you use for your office or shop is a write off. Keep great notes – you’ll thank yourself when you get the write off and a smaller bill from your accountant.
9. New Depreciation Breaks: For 2008, the IRS has changed the law to allow small businesses to depreciate 50 percent of the value of purchases in the first year, instead of the typical 20. This can be applied to most all equipment including vehicles and computers.
10. Meetings and Lodging are 100% Deductible: Unlike entertainment and employee meals (which can only be deducted at 50 percent) classifying rooms for business trips and food with employees correctly can save you a lot of money.
11. Work Opportunity Tax Credit: Custom made for retailers and small businesses, this allows you a write off your employees meet certain criteria such as being veterans or felons. Make sure your accountant knows all your employees’ bios.

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