WMU News

Small business record keeping tips to be presented at workshop

Sept. 30, 1999

KALAMAZOO -- Setting up an efficient and workable record keeping system for a small business is the focus of a Thursday, Oct. 7, workshop presented by Western Michigan University's Women's Business Development Center.

Kathleen Gleaves, an accountant with Family and Children's Services Inc. of Kalamazoo, and Jerri Smith, a local tax preparation practitioner, will deliver "A Record Keeping Primer for Small Businesses" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kalamazoo County Chamber of Commerce, 346 West Michigan Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

The session, designed for new business owners interested in setting up their record keeping in the right way, will cover such areas as which records to keep, the best place and length of time to keep records, choosing an accounting method, using computer programs, and using records to prepare financial statements and income tax forms. The presenters also will cover the tax implications of sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations as well as the different record- keeping requirements for federal and state taxes.

Gleaves, an accountant and financial analyst with a background in computer science, has worked at Family and Children Services since 1998. Prior to that, she was a financial analyst for Kalamazoo County for four years. She is a member of the International Association of Information Technology Trainers.

Smith has been providing tax preparation assistance and expert advice for the past 10 years, serving both individuals and small businesses with the extended services of tax planning and budget analysis. She is a member of the American Society of Tax Professionals.

The program is part of a series of such presentations being sponsored by the Women's Business Development Center, established earlier this year by WMU's Haworth College of Business. Held on the first Thursday of each month, events in the series are free to women who want to improve their business skills and knowledge.

For more information or to reserve a seat, contact WBDC Director Pat Guenther. She can be reached by phone at (616) 387-2714.

Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 616 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu


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