Most small businesses have limited financial resources, so managing funds wisely and intentionally is crucial to the success of the business. Below are ways in which your small business may be throwing away money that could be needed elsewhere.
Having Overheads that Exceed Profit
It might be common sense, but if you’re not making enough profit to cover your expenses, trouble is on the horizon. Even entrepreneurs can be financially-challenged, so it might be worth it to enlist the help of an accounting professional. Additionally, you should identify the most profitable aspects of your business as well as the ones that are draining resources, and make adjustments however needed.
Staffing Issues
Consider whether your full-time staff is absolutely needed. Could some positions be just as effective in part-time, seasonal, or freelance roles? Too, make sure you’re tapping into your employees’ full potentials. Get to know their interests and individual areas of expertise in order to increase productivity, propel your business forward, and offer new ways to motivate employees to take a vested interest in the success of your business.
Advertising and Marketing Expenses
As a small business owner, you likely don’t have money to waste on untargeted marketing or costly advertising campaigns. Your best bet is probably content marketing, a.k.a. blogging on your website. Brush up on SEO – or tap into the unidentified skills of your employees – to make sure your posts are keyword-optimized and pop up in search engines. Not a writer? Again, tap into the skillset of your employees, or hire a freelance writer. Lastly, think about finding someone to manage your company’s social media accounts and Google ad campaigns.
Trade Shows and Conferences
Though they’re a great way to network while promoting your products or services, they’re often expensive. When funds are tight it’s wise to be choosy about which ones you attend. If one or two specific trade shows or conferences have proven to produce sales and benefit business, just concentrate on having a presence at those venues and forgo the ones that might not be worth the cost.
The Latest Technology
In most instances you really don’t need the latest and greatest that technology has to offer. For example, if you buy a sophisticated software program that requires outsourced labor at a significant cost just to maintain simple records, you might want to rethink whether such a costly program is worth it. Cloud-based services are available to small businesses at low to no cost.
Weak Expense Tracking
If your love as an entrepreneur is building new products, or networking and finding new clients, tracking expenses is likely something that falls on the back burner. Finding a detail-oriented and trustworthy employee to handle this task will benefit your company’s bottom line – and free you up to focus on your strengths. And on your employees’ end, if they know someone is keeping tabs on their spending, they’re likely to be more frugal with company expenses.
Credit Cards and Insurance
Routinely keeping credit card balances in check might seem like a menial housekeeping task, but with interest rates almost always greater than 20 percent, failing to pay your credit cards in full each month is a costly mistake for a small business. Likewise, be sure you’re getting the lowest possible insurance rate for your company to avoid excessive costs. You might also benefit from an independent insurance agent who can go to bat for you when you’re hit with a claim.
With the overwhelming amount of pressure and decisions to make when starting a small business, stress can cause even savvy industry gurus to fall for common startup mistakes. In the best scenarios, mistakes will set you back a bit, but in worst-case scenarios, they can hurt your potential and outlook for long-term success. Below are common startup mistakes that can have a negative impact on your small business.
Miscalculating Startup Costs
The perils of starting a business with an insufficient budget, or an underestimated one, can be a shot in the foot before you even get running. Plan to have at least six months’ worth of income in the bank before officially cutting the ribbon to open your business. This will give you some time to get up and going, garner some clients, and generate invoices and payment.
Neglecting to create a marketing strategy
Most new businesses are going to have to put some brain power and cash behind a good marketing plan, and this should be done well in advance of turning on the lights for customers and clients. These plans should include online, offline, social media, and any other means of marketing to get the word out. Will marketing and social media be outsourced, will you handle it personally, or will you bring someone on board to solely handle this task?
Failing to be frugal
Whether through a bank loan, a generous loan from a relative, sales of your own assets, or years of saving your own money, you’re going to have some capital to spend on rent, equipment, products, employees, etc. Keep in mind that profits won’t roll in overnight. Spend your savings wisely, do your research, and make your money stretch.
Thinking you can be a one-man operation
Even if you’re a one-man or one-woman business in the beginning, you’ll need people in your corner. You’ll inevitably want to shoot around ideas with someone; you may need someone, even on a very part-time basis, just to handle invoices and office files; you’ll want feedback, advice, and even potential contacts. Consider if it makes sense for your business to create a board of advisors.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released a new document clarifying the new rules related to section 199A. If you’re unfamiliar with 199A, this section is a part of the tax code that references a new deduction of up to 20 percent of qualified domestic business income (QBI) for pass-through entities such as sole-proprietorships, partnerships, S-corporations, trusts, or estates. This section is extremely intricate, but the newly released regulations have cleared up many of the questions raised by the original legislation.
Like many of the other provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the rules for 199A are effective for the tax year 2018. This particular deduction will go away unless further action is taken, expiring in 2025. This particular deduction allows business entities to take up to a 20% deduction of QBI. Qualifying for this particular deduction can be tricky as it is only for pass-through entities. Other information about your business (what kind of work you do, wages paid, etc.) may also preclude you from some or all of the deduction.
In order to be deemed a section 162 business that would qualify for the 199A deduction, you must be involved hands-on with the activity of your business on a consistent basis. Typically, if you think you’re running the business, you are most likely involved enough to be qualified. In regards to rental property, this gets a little more complicated. Under Revenue Procedure 2019-7, the IRS claims that rental property is a qualified business if 250 hours or more of rental services are provided for the year and separate books and records are kept for each rental. However, you can’t qualify and lose the deduction if you use the rental for yourself more than two weeks of the year. Matters get even more complicated when the IRS requires you to handle each business (even if operating under the same legal entity) separately with the ability to calculate a QBI for each individual business.
Furthermore, you must know the business owner’s taxable income. If the business owner’s income falls above the thresholds listed below, the next matter is determining whether the business is a specified service trade or business (SSTB).
Business Owner’s Income Thresholds
Single
2018: $157,500 – $207,500
2019: $160,700 – $210,700
Married Filing Jointly
2018: $315,000 – $415,000
2019: $321,450 – $421,450
Many questions around the 199A deduction that remain unanswered. In the foreseeable future, the 199A deduction will require professional attention as we adapt to the new tax laws. According to the IRS, 95 percent of business owners fall below the threshold amounts and don’t need to worry about the limitations of the deduction. As always, it is crucial to work with tax professionals, such as MKR CPAs, to ensure that your business isn’t missing out on important deductions and properly filing for your business’ needs.
Amidst a strengthening labor market, rising economic activity, and a declining unemployment rate, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided last month to raise the federal funds rate – the interest rate at which banks and credit unions lend Federal Reserve funds to other banks and credit unions overnight – by a quarter-point, from 1.75 to 2 percent. This is the second increase in 2018, and two more increases were suggested by year’s end.
To the average small business owner, the knee-jerk reaction might be a negative one. After all, interest rates do trickle down, affecting credit card balances, adjustable-rate mortgages, and variable loan rates. But the increase could potentially be good news for small businesses. Higher interest rates amid a strong economy mean more profitable deals for banks, which creates a greater motive to offer more financing options and approve loan requests.
Another potential long-term benefit to higher interest rates is a better cash flow. Because inflation is typically a motivator for rate increases, the cost of goods and services tend to escalate, effectively allowing small businesses to raise prices, improve margins, and enjoy more breathing room.
As with any change in the economy, however, the impact on small businesses could have negative consequences as well. One potential consequence of higher interest rates is the effect on consumerism. Because consumers with credit card debt will be paying higher interest rate charges, they’ll have less disposable income to spend, which could hinder sales and growth of small businesses. Additionally, companies that need to borrow money for growth can potentially incur a higher cost of capital when interest rates go up. This can affect new loans as well as existing loans with floating rates.
Because interest rates have been hovering near zero for the past several years in order to spur the economy, a move in the needle was inevitable, and we are unlikely to see rates that low again anytime soon. With the Federal Reserve’s suggestion of additional increases to come, small businesses that are contemplating applying for loans might want to do so sooner rather than later.
For some employees, simply opening a Roth IRA or another retirement account independent of your employer may be sufficient and necessary. But many employees should consider digging into the details of why your employer does not offer a retirement savings plan. And if you think your company is one of the few who doesn’t offer one, unfortunately, nearly half of U.S. companies don’t provide their employees with a 401(k).
When it comes to smaller firms, many avoid the offering simply due to high start-up costs and time commitments, as administering the plan and ensuring it meets regulatory requirements can take serious time and attention. Retirement offerings also present significant liabilities for firms, including civil or criminal penalties for plan administrators if legal and regulatory compliance is not met. According to the Census Bureau, the combination of fees, time and risk may be why over 90% of small businesses do not offer a 401(k). Others may simply not be aware their employees desire a plan.
Like your company, but want help saving for retirement?
If you would like to see your company add a 401(k) plan, the first step is talking to other employees to determine the collective interest in a plan and how many individuals would “buy in” if offered one. Your employer may not be persuaded by one employee’s desire for a plan, but a group request will likely garner more weight. Remind your employer they would also reap benefits from a business standpoint (lowering taxes) and a personal standpoint (their own retirement savings).
Step two involves doing your homework. Is your boss concerned about the risks involved? There are plans whose providers will share legal responsibilities, so research plans and present several options to your supervisor. Is time or added work/stress the issue? Talk amongst your co-workers and determine a strategy for divvying up duties so one person isn’t burdened with added responsibilities. Supportive plan providers can also help companies create a structured strategy to manage the extra work
Overcoming hurdles to a company 401(k)
What if cost is my employer’s biggest concern? Plan start-up fees can sound daunting to small firms, but consider the company’s spending and ways those costs could be mitigated or offset, such as through tax savings or by redistributing the holiday party budget to cover expenses. Inform your employer that many employees might prefer or expect a 401(k) over a holiday party, so using those funds could attract and retain quality employees.
Being prepared and showing your boss that the added time and effort is advantageous will go a long way. Offering a 401(k) can grow their business, supplement their goals and maintain and engage new employees, which is critical in today’s job market. Taking the time to research beforehand and help whoever is in charge throughout the process may seem like the last item you want to add to your plate, but the benefits are twofold for you as well. Not only will you be able to start saving for retirement in a tax-advantaged way, but your employer may also notice your strategic drive, organization and initiative, which could benefit you as new company opportunities or initiatives arise.
As of December 20, 2017, the new tax laws were officially signed into law, ushering in a variety of cuts and changes for individuals and businesses alike. While there has been much talk around how the new laws will impact individual taxpayers and families of all income levels, it is also vital to consider how small businesses, startups and corporations will be affected.
Individual taxpayers will see a decrease in their income tax rate, a reduction of itemized deductions, a doubling of the standard deduction, and changes to elder care, child and business taxes. The Alternative Minimum Tax will remain for individuals and corporations alike, but the affected income bracket has been raised: $70,300 for single filers and $109,400 for joint filers.
So the question remains, will businesses stand to reap tax benefits for the new code? Undoubtedly. The real unknown is what businesses will do with the benefits they may reap.
What tax deductions can businesses expect then? A main provision of the plan is the lowering of the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% in 2018, as well as lowering the income tax at almost every level for now. Corporations will be able to deduct state and local taxes, and estate tax exemptions will double, assisting the 1% who pay estate taxes while providing roughly 17 billion in taxes. For small business owners, they will be able to deduct the cost of depreciable assets in a single year rather than amortizing them over several years, which will hopefully stimulate investment and growth.
Under our current tax system, multinational taxpayers are taxed on any income earned overseas when those profits are brought back to the United States. But, the new system will not tax foreign profit. The intent here is to motivate those business owners to bring that money back overseas, reinvesting it in the US economy rather than allowing it sit overseas and aid another nation’s economy.
The new code is operating under a supply-side economics theory, which strives to invigorate economic growth across the nation for both consumers and businesses. The objective is to provide various tax deductions, placing more money in consumer’s wallets and ideally stimulate spending. The combination of lower taxes and a swell in spending on products and services is designed to allow employers to strengthen their workforce and create more jobs.
If business owners do reap benefits from the changes, any increased income or an improvement in sales should be viewed as an opportunity to develop, diversify and enhance their businesses, which would support the greater American economy and our nation.
