Since a lot of employees are working from home now, it makes sense that employers are looking for efficient ways to track employee time. Even though employees do have more autonomy over their working time, you still need to ensure that you’re not paying for excess idle time. Most professionals can be trusted to work when they’re supposed to, but there will always be some people who try to take advantage of the working from home situation. Following are some considerations to keep in mind and some ideas about various ways to track employee time.
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Do you know how much inventory is in your warehouse right now? If the answer is a shrug, you would do well to learn about inventory management. Businesses which rely on the sale of physical goods must learn how to manage the flow of those goods in and out of their warehouse.
What is Inventory Management?
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Whether you’re big or small, putting together a PR strategy pays off in multiple ways. A press release that a reporter turns into an article could send new customers to your door. Having a good reputation in your community strengthens your business’ sales and longevity. And good relationships with the media result in free publicity and building your reputation as experts in your field.
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When making staffing decisions, it’s important to consider all the variables. You may be hiring support growth, or bring in new clients. Other times, the role in a cost center, and you’ll need to evaluate if existing revenues can support added costs.
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For many companies, personnel and personnel-related costs represent the biggest chunk of their expenses. During this pandemic, companies of all sizes have had to take a closer look at their personnel costs to see where cuts can be made. This has resulted in millions of people losing their jobs. But what if there were alternatives? Maybe your company doesn’t need to lay off as many people as you might have thought, in order to survive.
1. Switch Full-time Employees to Part-time
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Companies large and small are struggling in this age of COVID. In Chicago alone, an estimated 4,000 small businesses have shuttered. The Washington Post reports that over 100,000 small businesses nationwide have “closed forever.” And it’s not over yet.
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When you started your business, you probably didn’t think about its end. The first few months, years, or decades, your focus was likely growing your sales, developing new products or services, and building your reputation in the community. But, at some point, you may start wondering if it’s time to sell.
Walking away from a business into which your poured your time and energy can be a tough call. Paying attention to these signs, and bringing the right professionals onboard to help with the sale, can ensure a smooth ending.
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For many small businesses, operating under ordinary conditions is hard enough when it comes to maintaining cash flow, especially for small businesses. However, when you toss in a pandemic on top of the usual obstacles that appear, the situation may feel overwhelming. Yet, despite the vast majority of small businesses in the U.S.
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As a small business owner, you know all too well that it is important to keep track of every dollar. Along with paying any employees you may have, you also must have money available to purchase new equipment, pay for insurance, make improvements to your building when needed and so forth. Unfortunately, there are almost always times when unexpected expenses arise at the worst possible moment, resulting in you taking on various amounts of debt. While initially you figured it would be no problem to get the debt paid off, the result may now be that debt is hurting your business. If you've
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Gone are the days when you had to drive to the bank to do a single transaction. Research has shown that more than half of the adults in the U.S. bank online, while about a third bank using cell phones. You can do almost all transactions through the convenience of your phone or your desktop.
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In what most of us would call a normal world, bankruptcies are filed each day. However, during these times when more and more people are dealing with the financial fallout associated with COVID-19, it is estimated that numerous individuals and businesses will be filing for bankruptcy in the months and years ahead. Since the bankruptcy process is complex, confusing and will have a significant impact on a person's finances and particularly their credit, it is a decision that should be made only after careful thought, and as a last resort.
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Charging it has become part of the American way of life. Whether it’s because they want to delay payments, don’t have the money currently, or simply want the convenience, consumers expect to be able to pay their bills with plastic. For a small business owner, this can present a challenge.
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The skillset most managers develop over time often relates entirely to managing in an office. Stopping by a direct report’s desk to check in, scheduling one on one meetings or taking them out to coffee to catch up on their progress. If they have a question about a line item on the Cashflow Statement, you can teach them how to find the answer by walking them through your accounting software and Balance Sheet.
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When you own real estate investment properties, there are a lot of tax benefits to be aware of. One of those is depreciation, and it can save you quite a bit of money on your tax bill. While you probably already take other deductions on your property, the depreciation benefit is an extra one that's separate from the other deductions. Thanks to depreciation, some real estate investors may pay little to no tax on the income they receive from their properties. But that doesn't mean depreciation is magic, or that there aren't any potential problems and pitfalls to consider.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of financial hardship for individuals and families. If you are in a position of financial security, you may be thinking of lending money to struggling family members or close friends. A little bit of help in these challenging times may be just what your loved ones need to get through until they can find work and get back on their feet again. While lending money to close family and friends is a kind gesture on your part, you should be aware that there are tax implications to plan ahead for.
Use Paperwork
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When they first launch their business, few small business owners think about putting together and documenting policies. They focus on marketing and reaching new clients, the services they’ll offer, and what they’ll charge for them. But, once your business has grown and is past the launch stage, you will need guidance for responding to common issues that arise during business.
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Every small business is different, even in the same industry. Services, products, and clients all bring with them unique challenges. But most problems small business owners face fall into similar, broad categories.
Knowing which challenges your business could face can help you prepare for handling them. If you’re in the midst of a challenge, simply identifying it can guide the solution.
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If you experience a job loss, you will of course have numerous questions as to how it will impact your job situation. Whether you are an employee who lost your job or a business owner who had to lay off your workers, here are some important details to keep in mind.
How Will Your Job Loss Affect Your Tax Situation?
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The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected businesses around the nation. Due to this, some impacted businesses can take advantage of a reimbursable tax credit known as the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). The ERC is an incentive meant for employers to encourage employee retention during the pandemic. Read on to find out more about the Employee Retention Credit and its impact to your business during and after the epidemic.
What is Employee Retention Credit?
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Reputation is everything - particularly for a small business owner. Referrals bring you new business, and word-of-mouth can establish you as a trustworthy partner in your community. In the past, your reputation flowed between individuals or written recommendations that you solicited, but all this has changed with the Internet.
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Coronavirus has disrupted the economy, shuttered businesses, and cause major uncertainty for small business owners. For some, it’s been easy to move their business online or continue fulfilling and shipping orders. For others, sales might have dropped, and you need working capital to pay rent.
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For most people, paying taxes is straightforward. You get a paycheck from your employer and the employer has already deducted the amount you owe to the IRS. When it comes time to file your tax return, the discrepancy between what you owe and what you already paid might be minimal. You might have to cut a check to the IRS, but it’s fairly manageable. However, if you get a 1099 or you had other income where taxes weren’t taken out ahead of time, the amount you wind up owing come tax time might come as a shock. What now? What’s the best course of action if you can’t pay your taxes?
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In this gig economy, more taxpayers than ever before are receiving tip income. Whether the tips are from waiting tables, driving for Uber, or making home deliveries, those tips are considered taxable income. However, there is a lot of confusion over how to report tip income, what is the threshold for reporting and who should report it. Here is all you need to know about reporting tip income.
How Does the IRS Regard Tips?
Tips are considered regular income by the IRS. The IRS categorizes the following types of income as tips:
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With the recent coronavirus outbreak, discussions of paid leave, and states of emergency, more attention has been paid to sick time and paid time off than ever before. If you’re a small business owner with just a few employees, you might not have an official sick time policy. Or, you might not have paid much attention to tracking employees’ time off, relying on the honor system.
A lot has changed in the past few weeks. With a focus on self-isolation and quarantine, you might have realized that it’s time to look at your policies on sick time and absences.
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Do you have an elderly parent or adult relative that you take care of? It doesn’t have to be a parent; it could be an adult child with special needs, an elderly aunt or another close relative. As long as it is a qualifying relationship, the IRS allows you to claim such a persons as a dependent on your tax return. There are certain criteria and it must be done in a certain way, but it can be done. Below are the general guidelines, but you should consult with your tax professional for details.
They Don’t Necessarily Have to Reside With You
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Being able to borrow is a huge benefit when you need extra help, but debt is a huge burden that is very hard to dig your way out of. The problem is that debt creeps up on you over time. No one purposely goes into debt for tens of thousands of dollars. But little by little, it’s very easy to wind up owing so much that it’s almost impossible to see your way out of debt. Don’t be discouraged if this has happened to you. It’s happened to many good people throughout time. And there is hope.
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Selling cheesecakes on the side, or DJ’ing friend’s weddings? You’re not alone. Over 15% of Americans work a side hustle, for reasons ranging from building a savings account to paying off debt. The side hustle has become increasingly popular, especially in the gig economy where rideshare and grocery delivery apps have made it easy for people to monetize their spare time.
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Dear Valued Clients,
As everyone knows, the COVID-19 virus has caused a major and unprecedented disruption in our communities. Our top priority is meeting deadlines for our clients and providing them with the information and support that they need. We are working extremely hard to make sure the highest level of service that you are accustomed to receiving from us stays steady, even during the crisis. There is plentiful information that is circulating online but concerning taxes and deadlines; we wanted to share some of the important items directly our clients:
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Whether you run a brick and mortar business or an ecommerce business, you have to deal with charging sales tax. How and when to charge sales tax has always been a confusing issue for business owners. And since more people are now running both an ecommerce operation in tandem with a brick and mortar operation, the issues are even more confusing. Here are the answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about charging sales tax.
Must You Charge Sales Tax?
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