Red Wing Software recently underwent the process of shooting a video for its business accounting software, CenterPoint Accounting. We are extremely grateful to the businesses that helped out by letting us shoot video footage at their facilities! CenterPoint Accounting can handle the needs of a great many different business types, and we wanted to show that in the video. We were fortunate to have found four very different businesses that allowed us to film their facilities and employees for the video. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to them! Here’s a shout out about each one of their businesses.

Pepin Manufacturing, Inc.

Pepin Manufacturing, Inc. (PMI) is rapidly expanding, award-winning manufacturing facility in Lake City, Minnesota. In business since 1993, PMI manufactures a wide range of products ranging from medical electrodes to medical device components, lint rollers, and even their own Marfree™ Urethane. A large part of PMI’s business includes custom contract converting/fabrication. For more information about PMI, please visit: www.pepinmfg.com, or call 1-800-291-6505.

The Smokin’ Oak

The Smokin’ Oak is a restaurant in Red Wing, Minnesota that specializes in wood-fired cooking. They offer catering and private parties, too. Some of the Smokin’ Oak’s delicious menu items include rotisserie and BBQ chicken, ribs, brisket, prime rib, and even their very own wood-fired pizzas. Be sure to stop by the Smokin’ Oak if you are in Red Wing! To view their entire menu or for more information, please visit: www.thesmokinoak.com.

Knudsen Trucking

Based in Hager City, Wisconsin, Knudsen Trucking is a 48 state common carrier with full authority. Knudsen Trucking is a family-based company in business since 1964. They currently ship in excess of 60 loads per week, to the Midwest, East, and Southeast. For more information, please visit www.knudsentruckinginc.com.

Mississippi National Golf Links

Mississippi National Golf Links is a 36-Hole golf course in Red Wing, Minnesota. Composed of the beautiful Highlands and Lowlands, Mississippi National Golf Links offers beautiful views of Red Wing and an exceptional golfing experience. For more information, visit www.golfredwing.com.

The new CenterPoint Accounting video will be done soon, and we will share it as soon as possible. Thanks again to these businesses for being a part of our product video!

I recently attended a festival at the local airport, where people from around the world displayed their artistic talents. I wanted to share one of the many photos I took, as they had just uncrated this beautiful carving of a Pelican standing on a piling. I had to take the photo from just the right angle so-as to hide the fact that everything in the photo, with the exception of the two young ladies on the right that appear to be standing on a stump, is actually painted on the flat surfaces of plywood.

I wanted to share this example of something that appears to be one thing if it is looked at from one specific angle when, in realty, it is something totally different if viewed from another perspective. When you analyze the information in your business, make sure that you look at it from more than just the one angle that makes it appear to be how you want it to appear.

On behalf of Red Wing Software, I want to thank all the brave men and women that are dedicated to keeping us safe and free. This is a special time of year for many people around the world. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a prosperous New Year to our customers, employees, partners, and suppliers.

CenterPoint Payroll features tools to handle the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Reporting. This function within CenterPoint Payroll allows employers to track and report required ACA information for tax filing purposes. The ACA Reporting is included within CenterPoint as a standard feature. Please note that Red Wing Windows Payroll Users who need to handle ACA Reporting are highly encouraged to migrate to CenterPoint Payroll, as ACA Reporting will not be available within Red Wing Windows Payroll. To receive more information about upgrading to CenterPoint Payroll, please call 800-732-9464, or email sales@redwingsoftware.com.

If this information looks familiar, it’s because I repeat it every couple years and I think it’s so important. We are fast approaching the end of 2015, and I want to point out some important information that needs to be considered before year-end, or shortly after the beginning of a new year.

Even if your company operates on a fiscal year, there are a few things that may need to be considered to prepare for the new calendar year:

• How is your budgeting process going for next year? Will next year be the same as this year, or should you be planning some much needed changes to make it better?
• Have you installed all of the latest versions of your software? You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) wait until after the first of the year to get up-to-date. Doing it now saves pressure later.
• There are new Affordable Care Act reporting requirements for 2015 that need to be considered for many companies. Have you collected all the information needed to complete the forms? Did you know CenterPoint Payroll helps maintain this information and can fill in the forms and file them electronically?
• How about retirement plans, and other items important to you and your employees? It is harder now than ever to find good employees, and we need to remain competitive in the marketplace to keep them.
• It is a good time to remind employees to update their W-4 information for changes that have occurred during the year like getting married, having children, buying a house, or anything else that might change their withholding needs.
• How is your budgeting process going? Oh, did I already ask that? I read once that “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you already are.” Is it time for some changes?

So, update that important technology today, review procedures and policies, help employees be better managers of their information, and plan for the New Year.

- Ken Hilton, President

Red Wing Software’s approved forms vendor, Computer Forms Incorporated has created a simple tool for helping you decide. Please visit the link to learn more:

Estimate Your ACA Filing Requirement!