JoAnn McFarland

JoAnn McFarland is a Staff Writer for Small Business Trends. She covers breaking news such as new product announcements, government policy, acquisitions and other industry developments.

JoAnn was born and raised in Hermiston OR where she currently resides with her husband, Jerry, and youngest son Darrell and his family. Graduating from Hermiston High School, JoAnn went on to Blue Mountain Community College and attained a certificate for Licensed Practical Nurse and an Associate degree in General Studies. She later obtained her Associates in the Science of Nursing from a self-study program at Regents College (now Excalibur) NY State University.

JoAnn enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, playing the piano and reading. She sings on her church’s worship team and has written a novel, The Ancients, a medical mystery with a supernatural theme, available on Amazon. JoAnn is currently working on her next book which will feature experiences in nursing homes that will act as a guide book regarding placing your loved one in nursing homes.

IRS Ups Deduction vs. Depreciation to $2,500 for Computers, Phones

A change in tax laws by the IRS will allow small businesses to deduct up to $2,500 in a single year for an expense on property, purchases and repairs.

Dec 15, 2015 405 Shares

New Law Would Adjust Standards for Small Ag Businesses

Small farmers argue that the Small Business Act does not keep up with the times. And because of that, their small ag operations are not considered to be so small in the eyes of the federal government.

Dec 10, 2015 208 Shares

New “RISE After Disaster” Law Will Aid Small Businesses

The RISE After Disaster bill that's passed the House and Senate seeks to address the needs of small businesses immediately following a natural disaster.

Dec 9, 2015 172 Shares

The IRS Wants to Certify Your Outsourcing Partners

An IRS program to certify Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) in the U.S. has hit a bit of a snag. The program should start in the summer of 2016.

Dec 2, 2015 228 Shares

PayPal Experienced at Least Two Down Times Before and on Cyber Monday

Of all the times for PayPal to experience technical problems, it did. As the busy holiday shopping season commenced, the payment platform had two spots of down time.

Dec 2, 2015 140 Shares

BigCommerce, Xero Partnership Adds Cloud Accounting to Online Stores

By way of a partnership between the two companies, small businesses using Bigcommerce for their eCommerce site can now link it with Xero's accounting software.

Nov 30, 2015 276 Shares

7-Eleven Introduces Discounts to Recruit Veterans as Franchise Owners

The mini-market franchise 7-Eleven is extending a special offer to U.S. military veterans. The company wants to give vets significant discounts on franchise fees to get them back into the workforce and owning their own business.

Nov 23, 2015 610 Shares

Big Banks See Spike In Small Biz Lending, Says Biz2Credit

Small businesses searching for loans to spur growth or just more capital are finding more successful loan approvals at big banks, according to data from the recent Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index.

Nov 18, 2015 328 Shares

Food Fight: In-N-Out Burger Sues Startup DoorDash Over Delivery Service

In-N-Out Burger is suing the DoorDash delivery service for continually aligning itself with the long-established fast-food business. The company says the delivery service's poor service is blemishing the In-N-Out name.

Nov 16, 2015 213 Shares

GoDaddy Develops Search Engine Visibility at the Touch of a Button

Creating a website for your business is one thing. Getting people to visit it is another. Popular domain registrar and Web hosting company GoDaddy may have the answer. Here's a tool that can help you gain online visibility without being a search engine guru.

Nov 12, 2015 283 Shares

25 Percent of Websites Are Now on WordPress

If you use WordPress for your business website, you're not alone. And the number of sites powered by the popular publishing platform continues to rise, according to a recent survey. Read on.

Nov 11, 2015 751 Shares

Dealing With Employee Procrastination: Can Science Help?

If your small business is suffering from a lag in productivity, getting the team to stop putting things off until the last minute could help boost output.

Nov 10, 2015 327 Shares