No matter what line of work you are in, getting your own business up and running is no small feat. With so many moving parts to keep track of—insurance policies, employees, taxes—arranging a contingency plan for if something were to happen to you can feel like a low-priority task. But what’s more important than protecting…
If you are investigating the possibility of starting your own business, you may have heard that you can deduct the expenses you incur while getting things up and running. This is mostly true, though the technicalities of how it is done are more complicated and less immediate than many prospective business owners realize. Review these…
The relative off-season for taxes is the perfect time to review basics and get your affairs in order. For taxpayers who are not U.S. citizens, identifying the correct tax status is the first step toward filing correctly during tax season. The IRS defines those taxpayers who are not U.S citizens as “aliens.” Within that grouping,…
As you work through the budgeting process in the lead-up to 2016, pay close attention to some of your business’s under-the-radar expenses. For example, take your business development spending: Are you tracking what you and your employees shelled out in the meals-and-entertainment category this year? You might think those dollars are recouped in tax deductions…
Budget season is officially here, which means federal, state and local governments, big corporations, and small businesses alike are all hunkering down to create and approve budgets for the coming year. When it comes to allocating percentages of spending, one of the most difficult categories for businesses to nail down is also the one that…
Consultants, freelancers, contractors, and other self-employed professionals make up a substantial portion of our nation’s economy. Each year, these individuals face the question of whether to incorporate their business, which essentially means they need to decide if they would be better off legally separating their work life from their personal life. So when should a…
Proper cash flow management is one of the most essential elements to running a successful business. Basically, you cannot pay bills if you do not take in money from customers and clients. Of course, controlling cash is difficult because some key factors in the inflow and outflow equation are actually out of your control. But…
Tax codes are in constant flux. With all the proposals and laws state, city, and federal legislatures present, debate, and enact each year (Florida has produced more than 130 new laws this year alone), the average person would need to make a full-time job of reading the news just to keep up. Luckily, a person…
Maintaining a high credit score is as important for a business as it is for an individual. And as many small business owners know all too well, if a company doesn’t have good credit, it can be extremely difficult to obtain loans or negotiate favorable rates and terms on financing agreements. Plus, entrepreneurs who separate…
Nearly every entrepreneur experiences a period in their business’s life cycle when money is tight and they are struggling to keep the doors open. Whether you are just getting your start-up off the ground or an established business owner proactively looking to be more cost-conscious, operating with a thrifty mind-set can save your company thousands…
