Business section: Metro Weekly magazine, Washington, DC newspaper

Tax Facts

You may be surprised at what – and how much – you can deduct on your taxes

Published on February 16, 2012, 2:57am

Over the past 10 years, the Internal Revenue Service has implemented more than 4,000 new tax laws. Easy math – that's more than one new law per day. While every tax provision may not be applicable to you, your family or your business, many people miss out on tax benefits available to them and fall into many unfortunate IRS traps. In a time of critical economic condition, every taxpayer is seeking to file their tax return as quickly as possible ...[more]

Chamber Connections: Screen Test

When everyone can shoot video, Stone Lyons found the best path for a professional video business

Published on February 3, 2012, 9:03am

From PDAs to iPads to PCs, video is more easily accessible than ever, and not just on YouTube. Businesses are increasingly looking for ways to use informative, persuasive videos for everything from email inserts to training tools to sales presentations. Stone Lyons, owner of Stone Lyons Media, believes this trend offers opportunities for an entrepreneur who provides a professional product at an affordable price. A native of Maine, his résumé includes training as a director and several years experience in ...[more]

Improving Sales and Profits in 2012

How Four Local Entrepreneurs Plan to Achieve this Goal in a Down Economy

Published on January 19, 2012, 6:23am

If you believe recent headlines, there's an economic rebound underway, however small it might be. Markets are up, unemployment is down a bit. So, is it a good time? For several successful small business owners in the D.C. area the answer is yes. For 2012, they each have a different approach to expand, but they agree on one thing: Standing still in 2012 is not the answer. How's Your UX? {Dan Banks of Flux Forward (Photo by Daniel Vickers)} Dan ...[more]

The Need To Succeed

CAGLCC offers LGBT businesses the opportunity to grow their success through networking and education

Published on January 5, 2012, 5:35am

We're known as ''the Chamber,'' short for Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, or CAGLCC. We promote LGBT businesses and that of our allies in the D.C. metro area. We connect people to businesses and businesses to other businesses. What for? So that people and businesses make more money. Who doesn't want to make more money? Overnight sensations happen, but are few and far between. For the rest of us, it's a combination of planning and hard work, ...[more]

Passionate Pursuit

Max Barger changed his career to help bring peace of mind to his gay and lesbian clients

Published on July 21, 2011, 1:13am

Not everyone has the good fortune to say they have their dream job that allows them to follow their passion. But not everyone is willing to change their life to pursue their passion, either. Max Barger is one whose life changes have allowed him to pursue his passion and enjoy the life he wanted. Barger, an estate-planning attorney who focuses on the LGBT community, moved to the D.C. area in 2005 from Norfolk, Va. The transition was part of his ...[more]

Credit for Success

Business loans can make the difference in your goals, but they require diligence and dedication to obtain

Published on July 7, 2011, 6:21am

Every business depends on credit. Credit breathes life into enterprise, oils the machine of commerce, and provides capital to expand. Banks exist to loan money – but they also expect to get their investment back with a reasonable return. The credit markets froze in the Great Recession, as large banks and investors feared not getting their money back. Thanks to massive federal intervention, faith in the market is restored and credit is flowing again. Enterprises can take business loans, but ...[more]

Being an Entrepreneur

It may start with a conversation with like-minded individuals

Published on June 16, 2011, 9:07am

How does someone decide they are meant to be a business owner, an entrepreneur? How do they know they can succeed during the worst economic conditions since the 1930s? The transition from being an employee to being a business owner, according to Jay Vilar, ''begins with a conversation.'' ''It's the act of talking with someone about your ideas and drawing them out, developing them into a detailed plan.'' A number of new entrepreneurs are having that conversation with Vilar, owner ...[more]

Putting the Bus in Business

Billed as the ''upscale bus,'' the popular, gay-owned DC2NY has had significant influence in upgrading the market

Published on June 9, 2011, 11:15am

''[There are] times when we have to make sure to turn the business off in our personal life,'' says Richard Green, referring to his relationship -- both personal and professional -- with Asi Ohana. The gay couple runs DC2NY, one of the many bus companies to spring up over the past few years offering inexpensive direct travel between major East Coast markets. But DC2NY is the only gay-owned company among its 12 major competitors, says Green. DC2NY bills itself as ...[more]

Branding 101

Pride season is an excellent time to use the lessons of the swoosh and the golden arches

Published on June 2, 2011, 3:44am

The swoosh. The round green symbol of coffee worldwide. The golden arches. We instantly recognize and remember all of these branding icons. But branding is more than being remembered; it's about customers who know what the brand stands for. When the customer is the LGBT community, is the approach to branding different? Consider Maid To Clean, a locally owned and operated green cleaning service. The use of a pun for the company name, the logo (a riff on iconic Rosie ...[more]

Symbiotic Space

Long View Gallery blossoms with bold moves

Published on May 19, 2011, 12:06am

Chamber Connections The best usually comes around with the worst. In business, when these opposites combine, prospects for good business deals arise. Such is the case with Long View Gallery. The gallery opened in D.C. in 2006 in the midst of the revitalization of 9th Street NW. Three years later, the lease was up, the economy had tanked, and 9th Street had yet to become the urban playground developers had banked on. Rather than become a casualty of the bad ...[more]

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