Anna Woodward, director of the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce, holds the Chamber's license granted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 78th year of operation for the local Chamber, and its stepping up both its programming of public events and services to members. Woodward hopes the workshops discussed in this article can become annual events.

In early 2023, the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce completed Vision 2026, its near-term strategic planning document. One of its top four strategic goals was to “Give businesses a competitive edge.”

On January 29, the Chamber will take a step toward delivering on that promise as it hosts the first of three seminars in its “Financial Readiness” workshop series.

“Take the Sting out of Filing Business Taxes,” the first seminar, is designed to help local business people organize their tax records to ensure they, or their tax preparer, have the many source documents required to accurately and expeditiously file their company’s taxes.

“Tax time creates anxiety in many of our small business members,” Chamber Director Anna Woodward said. “It’s no fun. I feel their pain. When it comes to taxes, though, accuracy matters and that means seeking professional help.”

The workshop instructor, Tamiann Parrott, is a certified public bookkeeper with 30 years’ experience in banking, accounting, finance and bookkeeping.

According to the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers, “a CPB license … builds credibility, validates knowledge, demonstrates skill, and confirms professional ethics.” To maintain their license, certified public bookkeepers must complete 24 hours of continuing education credit annually, which helps them stay current on the many changes in accounting, finance and taxation which occur every year.

Parrott said almost every kind of business can benefit from attending the seminar.

“Businesses with little understanding of business taxes, or businesses that just want to better organize their records, to make filing taxes easier in the future, are two I can think of right away”, she said.

The seminar will cover the types of taxes businesses face, including payroll taxes, income taxes, excise taxes and employer taxes (ie. Medicare, Social Security and unemployment taxes).

“We’ll also discuss filing deadlines. Individuals must file tax returns by April 15, but that’s not true for all businesses,” Parrott stressed. “Some must pay by then. But for certain businesses, the filing deadline can be March 15 or May 15.”

An important theme of the training will be how to organize business operations to make tax filing easier. One way to do that is to use computer-based accounting software.

Parrott will briefly review the top five systems in the market today, including QuickBooks, which she said is the industry standard. As an Advanced QuickBooks Pro Advisor, certified by Intuit, the software manufacturer, Parrott will be able to answer questions about using QuickBooks, and the most recent changes and updates.

Woodward is thrilled the program can be offered at no charge to Chamber members.

“We can’t always do that,” she said, “but since we’re not being charged for use of the venue, and Tamiann is doing the program at no cost, we’re able to make the seminar a great value.”

Woodward is quick to point out that people who are not chamber members can also attend the workshop. “For them the cost is only $15 per person.”

Refreshments will be provided, compliments of Greg Littlejohn, of Farm Bureau Financial Services, Webster City.

Parrott’s new business, which she calls “A Counting Parrott,” will specialize in a variety of bookkeeping services.

“People are good at running their business, providing a product or service, focusing on good customer service, but often not as good at record-keeping. I’ve wanted to help businesses with the paperwork side of their operations for a number of years. To be a part of their success is very rewarding for me,” she said.

Chamber member Kevin Rubash, owner of Interior Spaces, 621 Second Street, Webster City, is signed up for the seminar.

“The Chamber is showing it’s much more than just promotions, such as Junquefest or Market Nights; they’re doing an incredible job of providing more service to members,” he said. “Taxes aren’t my first love, but as a business owner I have to deal with them. I couldn’t do it without professional help, so I know I’ll benefit from the seminar.”

Two additional seminars are part of the Chamber’s Financial Readiness series. The first of these will be presented March 26 and will focus on financial preparedness. The final seminar, which is scheduled for August 27, is titled “Classifying Expenses,” and will help businesses identify factors that limit their growth.

Seats for the seminar remain open, but you must register to attend. Make reservations by phoning the Chamber office at 515-832-2564, or online at visitwebstercityiowa.com. All three seminars will be held in the Sampson Room at Fuller Hall Recreation Center, 625 Bank Street, Webster City. All seminars begin at 6 p.m. and are scheduled to run about 90 minutes.