Posts Tagged ‘small business financial tips’

State and Local Taxes

Monday, October 5th, 2009

shaking-handsNavigating through todays tax environment takes the experience and expertise of top-notch tax professionals, who can help you, not only comply with increasingly complex regulations, but also help minimize their impact on your business. At Robert Rimberg & Associates, our tax experts have been serving clients in this way for more than 20 years. Constantly changing rules and procedures means having a team who knows you, your business and the tax implications that affect it.

Our seasoned professionals will tailor their approach to meet your specific needs, helping you to manage tax risk, control costs and reap maximum tax benefits. At Robert Rimberg & Associates we look at the ‘big picture’ so that you have the right strategies in place now…and for the future.

State and Local Taxes:
Nearly all business decisions made by companies with multi-state operations have state and local tax consequences. Most companies that answer yes to any of the following questions below need a state and local tax advisor.

  • Does your company operate in multiple states?
  • Is your company entering into new states or new markets?
  • Is your company purchasing assets or an entire business?
  • Are the owners looking to sell a portion or all of their business?

With over 5,000 taxing jurisdictions, state and local taxes can become burdensome to even the simplest business organization. Although there are many bedrock principles to state and location taxation (e.g., nexus), most jurisdictions operate under their own set of guiding principles and constantly changing legislative mandates. Consequently, your tax advisor needs to be experienced and knowledgeable about the unique nature of state and local taxation.

Robert Rimberg recognizes the increasing burden of state and local taxes on our clients as most jurisdictions struggle to close budget deficits. Our State and Local Tax (“SALT”) Group specifically addresses the challenges of state and local taxes and can provide assistance with the following:

Nexus studies, which determine those jurisdictions where the company must file tax returns — whether income, franchise, sales and use, or other types of taxes

Net income and franchise tax apportionment issues, such as determining the proper manner in which to source sales, payroll and property to the various taxing jurisdictions

Sales and use taxes, such as providing taxability matrixes of sales and/or purchase transactions

Sales/use tax and property tax compliance and process review and improvement analysis

State income tax credits, such as credits for investing in certain equipment and/or increasing head count

Transactional advisory services, such as advising of the state tax consequences of purchasing or selling a business

Voluntary disclosure agreements, which is a means of settling past state and/or local tax exposures, with the most advantageous terms

Are you sure your tax adviser is providing the “State and Local Taxes” services you need? Can you afford not to be sure?

We’d love to add you to our list, where we send out bookkeeping and tax saving ideas as well as good business building practices. Just click here to sign up today.

What Business Owners Should Do To Stop Employee Theft

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Don’t let this happen to you. Stories surface all the time of business owners being caught off guard by employee theft. Listen as Robert shares his system for preventing employee theft.

We’d love to add you to our list, where we send out bookkeeping and tax saving ideas as well as good business building practices. Just click here to sign up today.

Quickbooks and reports to run your business successfully

Monday, September 7th, 2009

You may be using Quickbooks, but are you looking at the right reports?
Listen in as Robert shares how to make sure you are getting the best information so that you can make good business decisions.

If you are interested in an even more detailed explanation about the reports the really successful business owners are reading, be sure to go to the website at www.RimbergOnlineBookkeeping.com and sign up for the free report there.

We’d love to add you to our list, where we send out bookkeeping and tax saving ideas as well as good business building practices. Just click here to sign up today.

We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch, but it’s really getting ridiculous!

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Cash has always been king – long live the king! Use cash and then reimburse yourself, you’ll spend less and have better record keeping.

business-lunchNo More Company Lunches for You, Mr. Small Business Owner!

Thinking about taking your clients out for a business lunch or hiring some new employees? Are you ready to expand your small business? Well, because of the new crackdown on credit limits, if you’re a small business owner – think again.

According to the National Small Business Association, 59 percent of America’s small businesses rely on credit cards for daily operations. This number is almost triple what it was just 15 years ago! Over the past six months, credit limits were cut abruptly (some for credit delinquents, of course, but some just for the average small business owner) and now — forget about expanding — business owners have to find other means to just stay afloat!

Over the past few years, there was a push for small business toward credit cards — good deals, great marketing, no interest, fabulous rewards — and now, many are stuck. With the onslaught of surprise limits, many proprietors are reverting back to the old school methods of running a business: cash. Who knows? Maybe a little taste of traditional business is exactly what we need. As with most things, only time will tell.

For a positive perspective on the reduction of credit lines for small businesses, check out Is the Credit Card Squeeze a Blessing in Disguise?, in which Jay Goltz, small business owner and contributor to The New York Times, on his “You’re the Boss” blog, explains that cutting credit for small businesses may not be the worst idea. He recommends against carrying a balance no matter the scenario, and gives some suggestions on how to avoid such a situation. Definitely worth checking out!

When Breaking Even isn’t Good Enough

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Are you making the mistake of just working your business to break even? Listen to this short video as Rob talks about understanding profit and loss statements, and gives his two cents about why you want to shoot higher in your business.

We’d love to add you to our list, where we send out bookkeeping and tax saving ideas as well as good business building practices. Just click here to sign up today.

Has Your Cash Stream Lost Steam?

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Well, now there’s good news for your small business!

lenderOn June 8, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced new lender guidelines for the America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program. In essence, the ARC really aims to increase the cash flow of your small business.

Since June 15, SBA’s America’s Recovery Capital Loan Program can provide loans up to $35,000 in short-term relief — no fees, no interests, and 100 percent guaranteed by the government. Loans are backed by small, community banks and do not have to be paid for during the first year. You have five years to repay, and loans will be provided up until September 30, 2010.

As stated in its mission, ARC loans are for “viable small businesses suffering immediate financial hardship.” So check out the ARC loan program and maybe you’ll get that cash flow back too!

For more information on the ARC loan program, check out the SBA website.

Pulling Yourself Out of the Middle – How to Delegate and Automate

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

Hi – Rob Rimberg here. Let me share with you in this quick video (3:34) a story of a business in which the owner is really mismanaging his time and losing tons of money. See if you are making some of the same mistakes he has and listen for my suggestions on how to turn that around.

Costly Mistakes You Could be Making if You Aren’t Prepared

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Accounting delays -It seems to be the standard practice these days – a small business owner brings all their paperwork to their accountant, who then turns around and asks the government for an extension. This buys the accountant time. He then completes the corporate tax returns by September. Your personal returns are then completed by October. What’s the problem with this nonsense? By the time the old year’s tax returns are completed, the new year is almost over and the nonsense begins all over again.

If this scenario seems all too familiar, it means, you have no idea what is presently happening in your business. Your accountant has even less of an idea, as she is always working on the prior year. In this economy, if you don’t have a score card of where you are at all times, you will be out of business! This is because you won’t be able to adapt to the changes necessary. Don’t make this mistake. Make sure you have an accountant or CPA who will not only get your returns done in a timely manner, but who will advise you about what changes you need to be making in order to keep the money in your business.

small business financial tips - plan an exit strategyExit strategies – It may seem crazy to think about this, but I want you to create this now, so if you should die – your wife isn’t left with a monster of a paperwork mess to untangle. Whether you’re planning on staying in the business for twenty more years, or six months, it’s a good idea to always ‘think to the end’ and put in a strategy to sell or exit. Why? Because businesses that can run without the business owner, are valued much higher than businesses where the business owners do everything. In every business, you have to have an end game. Since we don’t live forever, people should develop business exit strategies.

Running a business just to earn a living really doesn’t make any sense. Besides all the obviously benefits of being an entrepreneur – more time, being your own boss, having financial freedom – the biggest mistake that entrepreneur’s make, is that they don’t plan for an exit strategy.

The exit strategy is not that complicated. The strategy becomes a wish list you put on paper -What if you leave in 3 years? 5 years?, and 10 years? If you want to sell the business, try to find the buyer now. You could have different dates that the business could be ‘valued’ at and plans for your exit for each of those. The first question you should ask is, “If I drop dead today, what are you going to buy my business for? Everything else could be worked out if you have enough time.

Protection -Where does life insurance come in? Depending on the type of business you have, there are many different variables you have to think about. This is the case where you need a professional to guide you in this matter.

Investing in your company -A question I get a lot: Should I put my own money into the business in order to bail it out. The answer is actually quite simple: What is the plan to pay the money back? If it doesn’t look like you will be paid back in the near future, DO NOT PUT THE MONEY IN.

One of the biggest mistakes I see being made: I see business owners drawing money out of their business based on their personal life style.

READ THIS NEXT SENTENCE VERY CAREFULLY, REREAD OFTEN -

“It’s the business that determines your lifestyle. It is NOT the lifestyle that dictates the distributions of the business”.

Distributions should be made based on the profitability of the business a great rule of thumb is what I call the 50% rule. Leave 50% of the profits of the business to grow the business. Take the other 50%. In order to accomplish this, you need accurate books and records.