​SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING

 

As a small business owner, you have more important things to do than keep your own books. We take care of your books for you, so you can get back to running your business and generating profits.

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Each month or quarter, I will do the following things for you...

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• Reconcile your bank account

• Generate an income statement 

• Generate a balance sheet

 

These tasks form the solid foundation of your small business accounting system. You can customize the package of services you receive by adding payroll, tax planning, tax preparation, or any of my other services.

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PAYROLL

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When it comes to paying employees, laws and the IRS have made the payroll function a time-consuming nightmare for small business owners. Small business owners spend an average of eight hours a month performing payroll functions. That's 12 full days a year that could be spent generating sales, prospecting for new business opportunities, improving products or services, or servicing customers.

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I offer payroll solutions that meet your business's needs and enable you to spend time doing what you do best--running your company.

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Why Outsource Your Payroll...

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• It's Cost Effective

• It's a Time Saver

• Worry-Free Payroll Tax Filing

• Allows You To Focus On Core Competencies

• Comprehensive Reports

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1. Comprehensive Payroll Services

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My Comprehensive Payroll Service takes care of all the payroll processing for you so that you won't have to. You get...

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• Your payroll checks are prepared and printed on time.

• All your payroll checks are laser printed on "blank" check stock to ensure maximum security and meet the micro encoding standards the Federal Reserve System set forth.

• Free Direct Deposits

• Worry-Free IRS and State tax reporting and EFTPS tax deposits.

• User-friendly and easy to understand monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports, including W-2, W-3, and 1099 forms.

• Detailed reports on your employee's vacation, sick days, and personal days accruals.

• Creation and filing of the required new hire reports

• Your payroll records are maintained in tip-top shape.

 

2. After-the-Fact-Payroll Services

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I will take your manually-prepared payroll records and other payroll information and post this information to my data files, so you get...

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• Worry Free IRS and State tax reporting as well as EFTPS tax deposits.

• User-friendly and easy to understand monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports, including W-2, W-3, and 1099 forms.

• Detailed reports on your employee's vacation, sick days, and personal days accruals.

 

3. Online Payroll Processing

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You can enter your employee's hours and earnings securely online and get...

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• The ability to instantly print payroll checks on your printer.

• Free Direct Deposits

• Worry-Free IRS and State tax reporting and EFTPS tax deposits.

• User-friendly and easy to understand monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports, including W-2, W-3, and 1099 forms.

• Detailed reports on your employee's vacation, sick days, and personal days accruals.

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Custom Payroll Reports Service

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There seem to be endless special reports Government agencies require. We can prepare the following reports for you:

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• Worker's Compensation Audits

• Unemployment Claims

• Social Security Audits

• Child Support Audits

• W-2 and W-3 processing

• 1099 and 1096 processing

• Preparation/assistance with Federal and State registration forms

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PART-TIME CFO SERVICES

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Growing businesses often reach a point where they need professional financial advice but can't afford a full-time CFO or controller. We have the perfect solution if you're fortunate enough to be in this position. My Part-Time CFO service gives you a professional financial manager who works with you to help guide your business to success.

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The cost of hiring a full-time CFO can range from $60,000 to over $100,000 per year plus bonuses and benefits. My Part-Time CFO services provide professional support at a small fraction of that cost. Here's what you get with my Part-Time CFO services... 

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• More time to focus on new services, new customers, and other core business issues.

• Better understanding of the financial side of your business. So you have fewer surprises and more control over the money.

• Improved decision-making capabilities from clearly seeing your business's hard and accurate numbers.

• A readily available sounding board to help you with those tough business decisions and help you clarify your business plans.

• The comfort of knowing that a professional oversees, protects and constantly improves your business's financial side.

• A professional establishes strong financial controls in your business to reduce employee theft and increase profits.

• Training and managing your accounting staff.

• Improved quality and timeliness of financial information.

• Budget preparation and monitoring.

• Profitability analysis by service or product line.

• Tax saving strategies.

• Trend analysis.

• Assistance in defining long-range plans and the quantification of goals.

• Cash management.

• Liaison with bankers, attorneys, vendors, insurance agents, etc.

• Assistance in obtaining financing from banks, including assistance with negotiations.

• Review/negotiate of insurance policies.

• Development of company accounting procedure manuals.

• Analysis of equipment purchases, expansions, etc.

• Mergers and acquisitions assistance

• Custom-designed collection policies and procedures

 

CASH FLOW MANAGMENT

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A wise business owner once said, "Happiness is a positive cash flow." As a business owner, We're sure you agree. Everything is better when your cash-in exceeds your cash-out. A cash crisis can be emotionally devastating and even kill your business. You know if you've ever had to beg, borrow, and steal to cover tomorrow's payroll. My cash management service allows you to...

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• know when, where, and how your cash needs will occur.

• know what the best sources are for meeting your additional cash needs.

• be prepared to meet these needs by keeping good relationships with bankers and other creditors when they occur.

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The starting point for avoiding a cash crisis is allowing me to develop a cash flow projection for you. We can help you create short-term (weekly, monthly) cash flow projections to help you manage daily cash and long-term (annual, 3-5 year) cash flow projections to help you develop the necessary capital strategy to meet your business needs.

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We also prepare historical cash flow statements to help you understand where all the money went. Creating an accurate cash flow projection is just one of the many cash management services We provide. You also get...

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• Help to obtain an appropriate line of credit

• Cash collection acceleration techniques

• Proven effective collection policies

• Proven effective payment policies

• Help obtain the maximum rate of return on your idle cash

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BANK FINANCING

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Need money to grow your business? Requesting a business loan without adequate preparation sends a clear message to the lender: High Risk! Therefore, it pays to be prepared and organized in your approach for financing. Put your best foot forward by allowing me to prepare a winning loan proposal for you.

 

My proposals are highly likely to succeed because they're created from the lender's perspective. You get the money you need because We know exactly what banks want to see. Even more importantly, We know how to prove to them that you'll be able to pay them back. My winning loan proposals come complete with...

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• Executive Summary: Where we concisely state the purpose of the loan, the exact amount of money required, an explanation of what the loan will be used for, and why it's needed.

• Pro-forma Cash Budgets and Financial Statements: We use your data and underlying assumptions to prepare information your banker can easily read and buy into.

• Owners Personal Financial Statements: We make copies of the last 3 years of personal tax returns for the bank as well as identify the collateral being pledged as security for the loan.

• Representation: We help substantiate your financial needs/position to your banker in person.

 

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING

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A Strategic Business Plan is much more than a tool to obtain financing. If you still have all your plans and ideas locked up inside your head, preparing a strategic plan can help you clarify your company's direction. It can ensure that your key leaders are all on the same page and keeps management and staff focused on the tasks at hand.

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A Strategic Plan is often needed when...

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• Starting a new venture, product, or service

• Expanding a current organization, product, or service

• Buying a new business, product or service

• Turning around a declining business

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The Strategic Plan provides a blueprint, describing your company, its products, the competitive environment, management team, financial health, and business risks. The plan allows you to...

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1. Identify and describe your new venture, product, or service's target customer profile, features, advantages, and benefits.

2. Justify that your plans are credible by thoroughly researching the need being filled with your new venture.

3. Develop marketing plans, including full descriptions of targeted promotional campaigns with implementation timelines. You also get to examine market conditions, the nature of your customers and competitors, sales potential, and projected results of your promotional campaigns.

4. Develop staffing plans, including identifying the key players, skills, attitudes, and expertise needed to build the venture.

5. Develop management plans, including full descriptions of management systems and timelines for implementation.

6. Develop financial plans, including projected startup costs, operating costs, revenue, profits, and break-even analysis for the first 3 to 5 years.
   Projected financial plans allow you to predict upcoming problems effectively or prevent them. In other words, the perspective gained through your Strategic Business Plan can significantly contribute to your company's success and help you get the required funding. Most lending institutions and private investors will not even talk to you without a solid financial plan.

7. Identify building and equipment needs, including vendors and cost estimates.

8. Formulate company milestones, including timelines for upcoming products and services in development.

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Remember: Failing to plan is planning to fail.

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Let me help you develop a powerful Strategic Business Plan that drives your business to the level of success you deserve.

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SUCCESSION PLANNING

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If you own a family business, retirement isn't simply a matter of deciding not to go into the office anymore. You've got some critical questions to answer like...

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"What happens to the business when you're no longer running it?"

"Will you have enough money to retire?"

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The family dynamic complicates the transition because of the relationships and emotions involved. Most people are not comfortable discussing topics such as aging, death, and financial affairs. Comfortable or not, succession planning should be a priority for any family business, considering that more than seven out of ten family-owned businesses fail to survive the transition from founder to the second generation, typically falling prey to estate taxes or family discord - or both.

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Developing and implementing a well-designed succession plan is essential to the survival of a family business from one generation to the next. We help you with these critical issues -

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• Keeping it in the family. Will you pass the business on to your family or sell it to a third party? We will help you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each of these options.

• Who's going to run the business when you're gone? Management and ownership are not the same. You may decide to transfer management of your business to just one of your children but transfer equal shares of business ownership to all your children, whether they're actively involved in the business or not.

• Minimizing the tax bite. The tax burden when transitioning a family business can be significant. The challenge is that a family business is not generally a liquid asset, but taxes are typically due when ownership is transferred.

• Making it fair. Transferring family ownership often adds a tremendous amount of stress to individual family members. We talk with each family member to ensure that they feel they are getting an equitable and fair share of the pie.

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What I do for you...

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Once we understand how you feel about the key issues above, we will begin constructing your succession plan focusing on these 5 issues...

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1. Business Valuation

2. Business Restructuring

3. Tax Consequences

4. Retirement Projections

5. Tax Projections

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Let me help you pass on what's taken a lifetime to build by requesting a free consultation at the top of the page.

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NEW BUSINESS FORMATION

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Thinking of owning your own business? Opening your own business is exciting and thrilling. Everything that comes after the excitement and thrill have worn off dictates whether a small business will make it or not. It's up to you to maintain and stretch out the "thrill and excitement" period forever.

A methodical plan of action is needed to fulfill your dream or goal of being your boss and running a successful business. Success lies in the approach you choose to take.

 

We help you avoid the common pitfalls many new small business owners make when starting their new venture. We will help you...

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1. Prepare an initial business plan to clarify your marketing, management, and financial plans.

2. Determine your start-up capital needs.

3. Identify sources of start-up capital and backup sources if needed.

4. Evaluate and quantify your borrowing power so you know how much money you can get your hands on if needed.

5. Select a business structure that best fits your needs by evaluating tax advantages, legal exposure, ease of operation, and portability should you need to relocate.

6. Select the right accounting software by evaluating your budget, needs, and hardware.

7. Prepare a Cash Flow Budget, so you know exactly how much money you need to keep the business alive each month for the first few years. Unplanned cash requirements are always emotionally painful.

8. Establish billing and collection procedures to maximize your cash flow.

9. Establish procedures to monitor and control costs.

10. Set up a home office so you can maximize your tax deductions.

11. Prepare and file all required state and local licenses and permits.

12. Prepare and file your application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.

13. Provide payroll and payroll tax-filing when you bring on your first employee.

14. Comply with employment laws, so you don't get hit with fines and unhappy employees.

15. Identify your business insurance needs.

16. Develop a solid Partnership Agreement. This is an essential document for all new partnerships and will help prevent tremendous financial and emotional problems down the road.

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Let me help you succeed by getting your new business off to a good start. Please complete the form below to learn more about New Business Formation Services.

 

INTERNAL CONTROLS

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At times, you may need a trained outside professional to evaluate your company's operations to determine if the appropriate controls are in place to ensure proper handling of resources and to protect yourself from employee theft.

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We assess your internal control systems to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of your operating procedures. Then we make recommendations that help your company become stronger and more profitable by correcting any inefficient or ineffective operating procedures that we find. What we do for you...

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• Implement segregation of duties so that duties are divided or segregated among different people to reduce the risk of error or inappropriate actions. No one person has control over all aspects of any financial transaction.

• Make sure transactions are authorized by a person delegated approval authority when the transactions are consistent with policy and funds are available.

• Ensure records are routinely reviewed and reconciled by someone other than the preparer or transactor to determine that transactions have been properly processed.

• Make certain that equipment, inventories, cash, and other property are secured physically, counted periodically, and compared with item descriptions shown on control records.

• Provide employees with appropriate training and guidance to ensure they have the knowledge necessary to carry out their job duties, are provided with an appropriate level of direction and supervision, and are aware of the proper channels for reporting suspected improprieties.

• Document policies and procedures and making them accessible to employees. The documented policies and procedures provide day-to-day guidance to your staff and the continuation of duties in the event of prolonged employee absences or turnover.

• Review operations to ascertain whether results are consistent with established objectives and goals and whether the operations are being carried out as planned.

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If you'd like more information about internal control services, please complete the form at the top of the page to set up a free consultation.