San Francisco Small Business

Business Growth, Business Tax Planning

Alleviating Cash Flow Management Pains for San Francisco Bay Area Businesses

[1] Because we’re talking cash flow management today… with a recession looming on the horizon and the effects of inflation being felt so hard in everyday life, it’s difficult not to freak out over what lies ahead for your San Francisco Bay Area small business.  But, some think a recession might not be all that bad for small businesses… even helpful. While that remains to be seen, one thing I can say is, don’t panic. There is a way forward – when you have a plan and good advice along the way. If you’re not able to see the path forward through the muck of it all, or you just need a little more support and guidance — I suggest grabbing a time with us and our team. That’s what we’re here for.Patti (408) 775-7790   Gale 408-775-7800 Now, one thing that you want to pay extra close attention to when lows strike is what’s happening within your cash flow. Knowing where it’s at, plus figuring out how to make it last, especially if you’re in a seasonal business (we understand that kind of reality), well, this sometimes takes some specially-devoted effort and planning. Many business owners avoid this and prefer to “wing it” … and occasionally to disastrous results. So that’s what I want to jump into today…  Alleviating Cash Flow Management Pains for San Francisco Bay Area Businesses“Standards are always out of date. That’s what makes them standards.” – Alan Bennett You love your business and you love when cash flow management goes smoothly. Who doesn’t? But if your company is seasonable, a steady income can be hard to come by.  Boy, we hear you. We’re accountants, and the weeks after Tax Day can be slow. I remember feeling horrible that my family suffered so much because my industry happened to trail off for a while after people finished filing their taxes.  As a San Francisco Bay Area business owner, financial lows usually hit you the most. You probably dig into your profit and take-home pay to make sure your employees and operations don’t hurt (especially these days). That’s only natural – and responsible of you.  But you can fight the unpredictability of seasonal cash flow, smoothing out those highs and lows. We can help you ease the pain. Here’s how.   Your initial questions Cash flow management is all about details. You know more about tackling this problem than you think. You’ve got three good tools right off: your company’s records, your experience in your industry, and your common sense.  Even if you don’t have an official profit-and-loss statement, you probably have a trove of recorded info about your business. Look at your past few seasonable ups and downs. Any stand out? What happened in those periods? That could give you a good idea of what to repeat – or avoid.  What are the cycles of your company and industry? What factors like weather or the local economy impact your business? What can you predict is coming down the pike? This can give you a better idea of how much to budget and how far out to plan.  Are your income sources sustainable? During your busy season, make sure you get paid as fast as possible: Send double-checked invoices to clients as soon as you’ve completed the work, don’t be shy about reminders, and give them a clear deadline for payment – smoothing year-round cash flow is one thing, but you don’t want customers’ unpaid bills spilling into your off-season.  Look at your expenses, too. Are your biggest ones justified? Are there ways to reduce them? Regarding biz real estate, some landlords might be open to you paying more rent in the busy season and less in the slow times. If you own your business property, can you rent it out during the off-season?  Year-round strategies We all know about saving for a rainy day. Your off-season isn’t rainy, exactly, but it’s close enough. Set aside a percentage of your high-season profits for the downtimes – and be disciplined about it. (We’d be happy to talk you through more details of this idea.)  Try off-season work that dovetails with your primary business. Accountants offer financial advising, for example, during those months when people aren’t filing tax returns. Let’s say you’re a landscaper or a pool maintenance company working hard in the warm months. Consider snow removal or a similar winter business to bring in a little cash and keep your name in front of customers.  While we’re on the subject, smart and constant marketing is the best way to keep the pipeline flowing. Do your competitors hibernate off-season? Then market when they don’t. Work up a list of your anchor clients and pitch them with deals for early registration for your high-season services. Offer them this year’s price on a few items if they register early for next year – in the middle of our terrible inflation, they’re sure to notice that. Upsell them on other items if you have to, and constantly ask for referrals. In accounting, we use social media and e-newsletters off-season a lot. Give us a buzz and we can talk about this strategy.  Prep work A lot of businesses would love to have a slow time to work carefully on improving their operation and bottom line. This breather has landed in your lap. Go over those budgeting items we mentioned, then go over them again.  Take time to study your business and the money that makes it go. What procedures have you always wanted to improve? Satisfied that you take all the payment methods you need (these evolve all the time, you know …)?  One huge part of prepping for your busy season is finding the right workers (some accounting firms start looking for tax-time help the fallbefore). You’ve got time to look for the right people – again, don’t forget referrals – and to fine-tune or expand your training.  If you’ve got a solid bank of temporary staffers from the previous season, think about honing them. Who deserves a

Business Growth

A Cutting Expenses How-to for San Francisco Bay Area Businesses

As a small business owner, you’re battling on a lot of different fronts right now.  You’re doing your best to keep employees happy, raise prices without driving away customers, pivot to alternative supply options as your current ones dry up, adjust for changing tax laws, etc, etc, etc. We small business owners always seem to bear the brunt during economic downturns. And because we’re the backbone of our economy, it matters that we not only survive but, you know, THRIVE. And MY San Francisco Bay Area small business is about helping YOUR San Francisco Bay Area small business find its way to solid ground – even if just by helping you to know that you’re not alone (but, ahem, we can do so much more).  So if you need some time to just talk over a specific financial decision, or navigate your future tax liability (i.e. REDUCE it), that’s quite literally what we’re here for:Patti (408) 775-7790 Gale 408-775-7800 Now, there is something you can do … now. While I almost always advise my clients to work on raising the topline revenue before cutting expenses (simply for morale and psychological reasons), as ol’ Dickens said: These are the times that try men’s souls. It might be necessary to cut sometimes. But there are some FAR superior ways to do this than by firing an employee or chopping necessary overhead (though there are ways to work through that too). So let’s jump into what I mean, shall we? A Cutting Expenses How-to for San Francisco Bay Area Small Businesses“Spare no expense to make everything as economical as possible.” – Samuel Goldwyn Every expense of your small business is one more drain on your bottom line. The good news: Every expense might also be a way to save money.  This next article in our inflation series looks at how you can cut a variety of expenses as inflation now runs hotter than any time in the past 41 years.   The starting point for cutting expenses: The costliest items Your major biz expenses are probably payroll, rent/lease, and equipment. If you’re a new business, you’ve probably also shelled out a lot for inventory and marketing, and startups report being surprised by their first business tax bills, as well as by the price tags of insurance and tech.  Your ax has a lot of potential targets. Where to start?  Let’s get right to the big one on many minds: Payroll.  Compensation usually makes up more than a quarter of your expenses – sometimes more – and like everything else these days, it’s only going up. You want to avoid pay cuts and layoffs (both can hurt you in the long run) but at least make sure your new hires aren’t using a tight labor market to talk you into overpaying. You probably already have a firm idea of what your profession pays, and there are lots of sites out there, such as Glassdoor, where you can compare salaries before you make an offer.  It’s also easier – and usually cheaper – to keep the people you have rather than hire new ones. The replacement cost of an employee can be 150% of their annual salary or more.  Big reasons for resignation include low pay, bad working conditions, bad management, and being forced to return to the office after working remotely. Younger workers appear to be leading the charge for the door. Talk to your employees to see what would keep them happy. Flexible paid time off seems to head most lists.  Your cheaper options for workers? Freelancers and independent contractors tend to be more expensive upfront but you don’t pay health insurance and other perks or payroll taxes. Note: Tax authorities are tightening the definition of “independent contractor” and you can’t just slap the label on a worker without agreeing to other conditions. Check with us if you have any questions.  Your local college may be able to set you up to hire interns, who in exchange for little or no pay will receive college credit. This can also be a great recruiting avenue for you but, again, you must use care to set this up legitimately.   The second place to look when cutting expenses: Your lease Your office space is probably your next biggest expense. First and most obviously, do you still need all that space? Are more workers remote and everybody’s grown comfortable with that? (Some companies have estimated that for every five workers going forward they’ll only need three desks …)  That’s a lot of square footage saved. Can you tinker with your lease? Many commercial leases are long-term but you might have wiggle room to negotiate as your business changes. Assuming you’ve been a good tenant, work with your current landlord first. If you’re looking at a new commercial lease, look for the length of the lease, see how the rent stacks up against others in the area and watch for details like future rent hikes.  A good rule for dealing with landlords also applies to vendors, contractors and others who provide services where you might be able to save money: Many are open to negotiating. There’s never any harm in asking, especially if you only use their services occasionally.  Other areas to examine when cutting expenses Recurring costs. Rather than utilities and other necessities, these are your subscription services that get renewed automatically, usually every month. As time goes on and your memory gets foggier, they can be a tremendous and useless drain of money. Review them frequently.  Marketing. Watch your ROI. There are a lot of options now that may be cheaper than an ad in the local paper, such as online and social media. Get somebody involved (maybe part-time) who understands how to get a message across on these platforms.  Supplies. Once they do the math, many biz owners are surprised at how much their office supplies cost. Track your usage and you’ll find a lot of items you can eliminate or cut back on. Shop around, of course, and buy in volume where you can.  Insurance. This is a

Business Tax Planning

Which Bills to Pay First in Your San Francisco Bay Area Business

Holiday creep. It’s real. Here we are in early November, and it feels like Christmas decorations and other holiday chicanery have already been upon us. San Francisco Bay Area retailers are buckling in for what looks to be a rough shopping season, given current economic factors… BUT per the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, over 30% of consumers got a head start on their holiday shopping in October. What have you noticed? How is your holiday revenue rhythm looking relative to other years? Would love to get a feel from my own contacts about this. By the way, here’s a good rundown of how big corporations are approaching this season. But back to you, and to us. We can take a look at your cash flow, and pricing structures to help you have a clear picture of where things are at and how to get them holiday season ready. That’s just one of the things we can discuss. Use this: Patti (408) 775-7790  Gale 408-775-7800 So I wanted to offer a quick primer on how to handle things when you’re facing difficult choices about your cash flow including which bills to pay when. And again, if this matches your circumstances, we might should talk. There are probably some things that we could do to help. Which Bills to Pay First in Your San Francisco Bay Area Business“A lot of talented actors still have to pay their bills.” – Mark Wahlberg Sometimes it seems like bills come through the door as much as customers do … And knowing which bills to pay in which specific order can be difficult.  And just like some customers are worth more than others to your small business, some bills need quicker attention than others as well. You put things in priority order for your company every day. You should do the same for your expenses.  We’ve got some thoughts on how to do that.  Which bills to pay first and why You’ve heard about keeping the lights on? It’s true. Whether your business relies on the internet, machinery, handwashing, or heating, your utility bills have to be near the top – if not always first – on your pay list. You also need a place to work – there’s no debate if you arrive at the office one morning and find the door padlocked. Pay your rent.  Now for bills that can have wiggle room (but precious little of it):  A couple notes: Not all debt is created equal. Credit card debt can require a judgment against you for collection – a long process for most creditors. Large bills do more harm to your credit score if they go long overdue.  Your responsibility for debt can vary in severity depending on your business entity. If you have a sole proprietorship or partnership, for instance, you’re personally liable for all your business debts – assets such as your home might be on the line. If your business is a corporation or LLC, you’re only liable for the debts that you personally guaranteed. Collateral on loans is another matter.  Strategies Communication and payment plans can be your best friends when you’re trying to pay off bills.  Utilities. Most utilities are open to the idea of a payment plan, particularly if you’ve paid your bills regularly in the past. Be advised to monitor your energy use going forward and cut back wherever you can (like turning down the heat or not leaving windows open with the air conditioning on).  Is your plan based on your future usage or on an average? Make sure that you aren’t shocked with a huge bill for excess energy use at the expiration of a payment plan.  Taxes.Much as tax authorities have broad powers to seize just about anything, they also have a variety of payment options for tax debt, including installment plans, negotiation tools like a federal offer in compromise (if your debt’s big enough and if you qualify), and avenues to dispute your debt. (We can help you find these.) Rent.Maybe your landlord has a kind heart. Failing that, maybe your area has a rent assistance program for businesses that have fallen on hard times. These exist on the federal but just as often on the state, county, and city level. We can help you find one you qualify for. Payroll. Aside from pay cuts, one of your next options for saving on payroll is layoffs. The savings are quick and obvious, and you may be able to redirect your payroll costs toward new and cheaper or part-time staffers. On the other hand, layoffs can make remaining employees jittery and insecure – and eager to look for a new job. They also open the door to poorer customer service and even discrimination lawsuits.  Finally, what can you cut back on? One possible expense: insurance. Your business may not be able to function without certain coverage, such as professional liability, but missing one premium isn’t likely to torpedo your entire policy. And longer term, rare is the policy price that can’t be improved with negotiation, bundling, or research into cheaper options. Getting your bills paid is an essential part of doing business. And figuring out which bills to pay when is an essential part of your San Francisco Bay Area business’s financial well-being, especially when we approach busy seasons like this one. Every business’s situation is unique, and figuring out what’s right for yours takes some thoughtfulness. If you need a little mental support on that front, we’re right here. You can depend on us, Patti ONeill and Gale Bergado(408) 241-4100ONeill & Bergado

Business Valuation

When a Local San Francisco Bay Area Business Is Shutting Its Doors

This might not apply to you. So it could just be something to file away for the future. But I’m hearing enough rumblings from other accountants and seeing some of the signs … SMB owners could be in for a tough ride over the next little while and that could mean any San Francisco Bay Area business could end up shutting its doors. And sure – nobody likes to think about the end of something. Endings are sad and hard. And then there’s the psychology of it all – it’s difficult to think about closing your business when you’ve invested so much of yourself into it.  But sometimes you find yourself there, the math is just the math, and you’re facing the end of an era for your business – whether via disaster or marketplace factors or you’re just ready to move on. So if you’re considering closing your business (for whatever reason), you have to have an exit strategy, especially when it comes to your tax obligations. Because even if you’ve closed out your inventory or notified your employees and sent out those painful final paychecks, there are still things you have to take care of with the IRS. This all seems gloomy – sometimes the exit is a windfall. Let’s plan for THAT and take a look at where you see your business going in the next 5-10 years, and how we can prepare your finances for either eventuality. Use this for that:(408) 775-7790 But regardless, it’s important to know what happens when a business is shutting its doors. Here are some things to keep in mind… When a Local San Francisco Bay Area Business Is Shutting Its Doors“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot  You gave your small business your whole life. But there comes the day when, for whatever reason, your business is shutting its doors. In that emotional moment, taxes and paperwork may be the last thing you want to think about.  We understand. But you’ll do yourself – and those who worked with and for you – a favor if you take the pains to tie all those loose ends.  Let’s look together at what’s involved (from a tax perspective).  Last returns (and payments) Uncle Sam waits for no one; you must file a final tax return for the year in which you close.  What IRS form you need will depend on your former business. For instance, if you ran a limited liability company (LLC), the IRS might have viewed your company as a partnership, a corporation, or some other kind of entity. Partnerships file IRS Form 1065, corporations file Form 1120, sole proprietors file a final Schedule C in their personal return, and so on. You may need additional forms if you sold the business or its property.  If you created your company by state law (a corporation or an LLC, perhaps), you follow state rules to terminate, including filing state returns and paying fees. If you had a C or S corp that resolved or have plans to dissolve the corporation or liquidate any stock, you must file IRS Form 966, “Corporate Dissolution or Liquidation.” If you sell assets that make up the entire trade or business, you report the transaction on Form 8594, “Asset Acquisition Statement.”  Double-check with us about form, schedules, other documents, and the filing deadline. You also must pay taxes due the state or the feds – and remember that even if you close your business right now, much of the payment and other obligations will come next filing season.   Take care of your people You have to pay final wages and compensation to your employees – and that means you also must make final federal tax deposits and report employment taxes. (There’s a penalty if you don’t.) Your quarterly 941 tax return or your annual Form 944 return can cover reporting for your final wage payments. Check the box to tell the IRS your business has closed and enter the date when you paid the final wages. You should also attach a statement to the return showing the name of the person keeping the payroll records and the address where those records will be kept. Also:  If you had a pension or benefit plan for employees, you’ll have to terminate it (and eventually distribute the money). You’ll need to file Form 5500, “Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan,” and you may want to file Form 5310 for confirmation of the status of your plan – it can save trouble down the road. Closing your EIN The employer identification number (“EIN”) of your business has to be closed out, along with your IRS business account. You close both by sending a letter to the IRS that includes the complete legal name of the business, your EIN, the business address, and the reason you want to close the account.  If you still have it, also send a copy of the notice the IRS sent when you got your EIN. We can get you the right address.  Keep Your Records There’s always a lot of debate about how long to keep tax records. For businesses, it depends on what’s on each document. For instance, keep records of employment taxes for four years. You generally keep property records until the statute of limitations runs out for the year you got rid of the property. We know it’s a lot to think about at what’s probably an emotional time – know that we’re here to help. We’re primed to help you sort through what needs to be done if your business ever ends up shutting its doors. On your team, Patti ONeill and Gale Bergado(408) 241-4100ONeill & Bergado

Business Growth, Business Tax Planning

Our (Early) End of Year Checklist for San Francisco Bay Area Businesses

When I think about the holiday season, I think “calm before the storm.” That’s because in my profession, once mid-December hits, we’re scrambling to handle EOY matters. And then when the new year strikes, we’re holding our breath for a few weeks … and then tax season is upon us. We are very “calendar-driven” in the accounting profession. For “normal” San Francisco Bay Area business owners, this season can mean all different kinds of crazy. (But hey — we can still enjoy the smells, like turkeys roasting, cookies baking, and evergreen wreaths). And as you prepare to fill your houses with holiday cheer, and prepare for the crazy, I really am here to help. In my opinion, you need to carve more than just the turkey … you need to carve out some time to examine where things are at in your business and what you still need to get done before the stroke of midnight on December 31st.  Of course, besides the helpful end of year checklist I’m bringing to you today, we can always sit down and do a once-over and find what to prioritize to lighten your tax burden and your other business burdens: Patti (408) 775-7790  Gale 408-775-7800 But, let’s start here. This is a good rundown of what you can still do over the next 6 weeks to get your business in shape and ready for a new year. Our (Early) End of Year Checklist for San Francisco Bay Area Businesses“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations if you live near one.” – J.R.R. Tolkien The close of the year is a natural time to take stock of all things, and one of them should be your business. Your money – as well as your plans for it – should be top of the list.  From your people to your payroll taxes, budgets to your bank: Though financial assessment can seem to be a big basket, with proper planning you can tick off one item at a time and set yourself up for 2023.  So, let’s take a look at this end of year checklist I like to share with San Francisco Bay Area business owners. End of Year Checklist Category #1: Financials Give a once-over to your key financial documents, such as your balance sheet (assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity), income statement/P&L, and cash flow statement. What to look for:  Balance sheet: Are your receivables and debts in line with total assets? Higher inventories can reflect lower sales, and double-check for contingent liabilities and their due-dates. Income statement: Unexplained drops in sales and marketing expenditures: Do they correlate? If not, look back to see what went wrong. Did operating costs ever rise occasionally without a corresponding rise in revenue? Again, what happened?  Cash flow statement: Operating activities should be your biggest category. Too many big but infrequent payments from just a few clients? Delayed receivables?  Prepare a budget for 2023. Go over your A/R past-dues and look ahead to factor in upcoming capital improvements in addition to regular operating expenses. Check your inventory and pre-pay if possible for items and services such as insurance, professional dues, or rent that you’ll need next year. Use last year’s budget as a guide, but not as an ironclad roadmap: Every year is different. With inflation and ongoing supply-chain messes likely into 2023, it pays to plan and now.  End of Year Checklist Category #2: Third parties Aside from suppliers, two of the biggest outside businesses impacting your company are your bank and your insurer.  Banking: Simply, are you getting all the services you need, such as employee company credit cards? Is your access to your bank sufficient (either through in-person branches or online)? Are fees too high? Are they meeting all your credit needs (including for Small Business Administration loans)? Can you get better support or perks elsewhere?  Insurance: Make sure your policy is renewed and up to date. Looking ahead to 2023 developments that you expect for your small business, do you have coverage for those changes? Need any policy riders? See if bundling coverage will save on premiums.   End of Year Checklist Category #3: Employees Aside from making sure everybody checks the new calendar to slot vacations ASAP, perks and taxes are two big details to check before the new year.  Retirement plans. Review reporting requirements based on the size of your plan and its participant numbers. Some businesses give end-of-year bonuses or retirement contributions to employees, which can come with a tax break.  If you don’t have a retirement plan for workers, look at options for creating one in 2023 – even small companies (100 or fewer employees) can easily set up a SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match PLan for Employees) IRA. We can help you do this.  Review payroll. Double check with us if you have questions in this area, which frequently changes. Starting next year, for instance, the base annual wage for computing Social Security tax will increase to 160,200 dollars, up from 2022. Did you get any pandemic relief for payroll in the past? Make sure that such credits and loans are wrapped up heading into 2023.  End of Year Checklist Category #4: Operations Tax documents. It’s never too early. Start with the financials we mentioned before and check with us about having to fill out any additional forms: Examples might include W-2s or W-3s; quarterly, state, and federal returns; or IRS Form 1099-NEC – this year, the latter kicks in for just $600 in payments to most independent contractors. Assemble your paperwork for deductions; we’d like to look at it sooner rather than later to get you all the money back that we can.  Debt, income, and expenses. Generally, try to rattle debtors’ cages and get your outstanding A/R by the end of the year – cash in hand always makes bookkeeping easier. There may be times when deferring income into the new year makes tax sense. Ditto for deductible expenses: Taking a major business deduction (for capital equipment, say) can make a big difference for your company’s taxes in one year but

Business Growth

Steps For Prioritizing Profit In Your San Francisco Bay Area Small Business

Profit is the lifeblood of any organization.  Show me a small business with PROFIT at its center, and I’ll show you something worth modeling yourself after. An organization NOT to model yourself after: the federal government. They prefer to operate in deficit mode, narrowly avoiding yet another shutdown this weekend with a temporary funding bill that expires around Thanksgiving. So stay tuned for more drama on that front. Meanwhile, I’d like to help you avoid drama on your turf, by creating a strategic plan for prioritizing profitability. You might have heard the term “profit first accounting” in various business-type conversations. It’s not a new philosophy. It was first made popular almost a decade ago by Mike Michalowicz and his book, Profit First. I think it’s worth remembering, so today, I thought I’d cover some of those core principles so that it might spark new accounting ideas as you prepare your San Francisco Bay Area business for the close of another year. For a deeper dive, obviously, read the book, and we can talk more about putting it into practice. But here’s a start. Steps For Prioritizing Profit In Your San Francisco Bay Area Small Business“Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” ― P.T. Barnum In the world of business, priorities are essential for long-term success.  So, where does profit fall on your list of priorities for your small business? Traditionally, profit might come after handling expenses like COGS and payroll, but a profit-first approach flips that. You pay yourself first. Here are some shifts that would need to come first… 1. Structuring Your Accounts One of the first steps in embracing the profit-first mindset is organizing your bank accounts strategically. This simple adjustment, implemented with your accounting team’s help (ahem), will keep your small business profit goals on track.  Here’s the setup: Profit: Savings AccountOwner’s Pay: Savings AccountTax: Savings AccountOperating: Transaction AccountRevenue: Transaction Account 2. The Weekly Instant Assessment Fill out the Instant Assessment Table (from the author’s website) on a weekly basis to maintain allocation and accuracy. You and your team will need to record and report all revenue appropriately.  Be mindful that tax laws may impact the percentages year by year. This is a key area where I can help you walk out these principles. 3. Implementing Profit Transfers Every two weeks, the transfer of funds becomes your small business profit-first ritual. Accountability is paramount here. Consider partnering with a trusted team member to ensure precise fund allocation according to these objectives: Profit: Build Profit ReservesOwner’s Pay: Take Home Your CompensationTax: Fulfill All Tax ObligationsOperating: Cover Day-to-Day ExpensesRevenue: Exclusively for Income Deposits Making Profit Your Small Business Mantra The profit-first mentality is not a groundbreaking concept anymore, but it’s a pivotal step for small businesses seeking improved cash flow management. And if your current strategies aren’t giving you what you want, why not give it a try for a month or two? After all, adaptability is a hallmark of successful businesses, as I’ve said before. If you have any questions about these profit principles and how they can benefit your San Mateo small business, don’t hesitate to reach out:(408) 775-7790 Your profit is my priority, Patti ONeill and Gale Bergado

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