While successful accounting fundamentals remain unchanged, the landscape’s complexity requires attention to various fronts like food costs, labor expenses, and more. The ultimate goal remains constant—making money.
Read More“How should I set up my multi-location restaurant group?” We encounter this question frequently. Or sometimes, it’s the classic, “My brother-in-law absolutely insists I should become an S Corporation.” Now, before we delve into the intricacies of business structures, let’s consider how much wisdom your dear brother-in-law could really have… he did get married to…
Read MoreWhen I started my business, I wasn’t concerned about my retirement plan. I was really only thinking about how I could pay my employees, cover my home mortgage payment, and have food on the table for my family. You know, the basic necessities of life. After a couple of years, was able to hire more…
Read MoreYou’re a new business owner. It’s thrilling and a bit overwhelming, I imagine. This is my 20th year in business and I still remember those early days like it was yesterday. There was so much I didn’t know, but I was ready to work hard and learn from others in order to be successful. I…
Read MoreUnderstanding how to pay yourself as a business owner can be perplexing. When I started my business in 2003, I faced the same dilemma. Having worked in public accounting, I was accustomed to dealing with large businesses but not being the owner myself. Transitioning from receiving a paycheck to being the one writing the checks…
Read MoreProviding a company vehicle to your employee might sound like a funny goal to have — but it’s been with me since the beginning of my career. Back during my internship at a Montgomery, AL-based firm in the 1990s, I was delighted to learn of an amazing perk offered by the company to its managers…
Read MoreWhen I started thinking about opening my own firm, my initial priority was to decide what specific type of work I wanted to do, and what tools I needed available to do the work. Ultimately, I wondered if I could be financially successful enough to pay my bills. I also realized there was a bunch…
Read MoreLike a number of our clients, we are a service-based business. Our ability to be profitable is based on our knowledge and technology, but most importantly, is tied to our team or labor costs. Almost all service-based businesses fall into this category. Labor costs are the most critical and highest expenses we incur, and are…
Read MoreI have previously written about the need to have a number of checking accounts, including a payroll checking account, when starting or running a small business. An additional suggestion I would make to owners who have more than one location, or legal entity or operate in multiple states is to set up a separate legal…
Read MoreIn 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) brought significant changes to corporate and individual tax laws, including an Internal Revenue Code Section 168(k) amendment that allowed for a 100% deduction of qualified property placed in service after September 27, 2017. This change was extremely favorable to small businesses because fixed assets qualified for…
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