Before you get involved with other things, schedule a mid-year checkup. No, we’re not talking about the height/weight/blood pressure kind of checkup, we’re talking about the income statement/balance sheet/cash flow kind of checkup — a review of your business’s financial operating fundamentals.

If you review your vital financial information only when year-end rolls around, you may not know there’s a problem until it’s too late. The more often you take your company’s “pulse,” the sooner you’ll be able to notice — and react to — changes in your business situation.

Check Your Vital Signs

What should you be looking at? Start with the operating fundamentals. For example, what’s the status of accounts payable? When’s the last time you ran an aging report for accounts receivable? How quickly is your inventory turning? What is your profit margin?

These numbers are critical to running your business. You can’t make accurate decisions if your figures are old. And, by keeping track of key financial ratios, you can more readily spot trends that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Monitor Your Budget

Next, check your spending. If overspending is a problem, creating a comprehensive budget that establishes realistic guidelines is an effective remedy. Make sure you have a budgeted amount for every line item expense on your operating statement. Then track and compare actual spending to budgeted amounts on a regular basis.

Reduce Your Debt

Avoid the temptation to take out all your profits in good years. Instead, consider reinvesting some of those earnings in the business. Using retained earnings instead of debt to capitalize your business saves money — and provides a safety net that will be there to help you through periods of lackluster sales or unexpected expenses. A healthy debt-to-equity ratio will also look great when it’s time to borrow money or sell your business.

See a Specialist

Helping owners build and maintain healthy businesses is our specialty. Let’s schedule that mid-year review of your company’s finances soon.

To learn more about financial reviews give us a call today. Our trained staff of professionals are always available to answer any questions you may have.

What can the Small Business Administration do for your business? Probably more than you imagined! Click through for an introduction to the SBA and the many programs it offers to businesses like yours.

How can the Small Business Administration help you grow your business? Take a quick look at how the SBA works.

First, note that the SBA has a pretty wide definition of what is meant by “small.” You don’t have to be a mom-and-pop operation to take advantage of SBA loans. The cutoff limits vary by industry, but it’s possible to have hundreds of employees and still be eligible for SBA assistance.

However, there are four criteria all businesses must meet to obtain an SBA loan: They must be a for-profit business, they must do business in the U.S., the owners must have invested their own time or money in the business, and they must have exhausted all other financing options.

How does the SBA loan program work? The SBA doesn’t provide loans directly. If you need a loan, ask your lender whether it works with the SBA, or use the SBA to help connect with lenders. It means more paperwork and time to get an SBA loan guarantee, but getting the SBA involved can make the difference between getting the loan or not. You can connect with SBA lenders through the SBA Lender Match program. This speeds up the lending process.

There are multiple SBA loan programs. A basic loan program can help existing businesses and startups. These are flexible loans that can be used for lots of business purposes, including for working capital. There is also a special series of loans for property and equipment for businesses in specific areas targeted for development. The SBA also offers an array of special loans for veterans.

The SBA can provide disaster assistance to help small businesses that were hit by disasters — physical and economic assistance. For example, the SBA can provide loans to self-employed business owners who’ve lost their jobs due to disaster.

Help Beyond Loans

The SBA also offers, in partnership with other agencies, grants for research and development. The goal is to encourage businesses to do research that has potential for commercialization. Some grants are for businesses run by socially and economically disadvantaged persons.

In addition, the SBA can help businesses get through the complex process of competing for government contracts; the SBA aims to level the playing field. After all, many government agencies require that some percentage of their purchases be set aside for small businesses, and you may be able to get in on these contracts.

Women and minority business owners can get specific assistance. The Office of Women’s Business Ownership provides help to women starting and running small businesses. Minority business owners, disabled and disadvantaged business owners, and immigrant and foreign national business owners can get special loans and help to start businesses.

The SBA also partners with SCORE, a network of volunteer expert business mentors with more than 10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters. You can find individual help for launching new companies or divisions and for business plan writing and marketing, for example.

Now that you see all that you can garner from the SBA, you may decide to visit your local SBA office to see what services and training are available in your area.

Busy is good. Most small business owners would rather things were too hectic than too slow. As the year winds down, though, let your staff handle the busy-ness while you look at the business — where you are, what you’ve accomplished in the past year and where you’re headed in the new year and beyond.

Your Bottom Line

The quickest way to figure out where you are is to check your bottom line. Are you making money? Are profits better or worse than they were last year at this time? Are you meeting your expectations? If not, why not?

Your Business Plan

Change is inevitable. And businesses have a way of outgrowing their business plans. But if you don’t have a current plan, you don’t have a way of measuring your progress. So if you’ve been “off road” without a plan for a while, it’s time to formalize a plan that reflects past growth and sets new goals for the next several years.

Your Competition

The more you know about your competition, the better. Who are they? How are they different? How are they the same? Where do you overlap each other? Understanding their business model will help you prepare strategically for possible changes in the marketplace.

Your Secret Weapon

Your workforce is your secret weapon, especially if you’re in a competitive market. Dedicated, well-trained employees providing top-notch customer service can help put you out front of even the largest competitor. A rich, competitive benefits package will help you attract — and retain — a high-caliber workforce. Health insurance and retirement plans are highly valued benefits. You can offer a variety of other benefits to suit your employees’ needs and your budget. Ask your financial professional for information.

Your Future

Do you have a formal succession plan? Are you grooming someone to take over? A well-trained successor could help in the successful — and profitable — transfer of your business. And you can use life insurance to prefund all or part of the sale.

Don’t get left behind. Contact us today to discover how we can help you keep your business on the right track. Please call our office at 248-538-5331 about all of our small business accounting services. There is no cost or obligation for the introductory consultation.

Before you get involved with other things this summer, schedule a mid-year checkup. No, we’re not talking about the height/weight/blood pressure kind of checkup, we’re talking about the income statement/balance sheet/cash flow kind of checkup — a review of your business’s financial operating fundamentals.

If you review your vital financial information only when year-end rolls around, you may not know there’s a problem until it’s too late. The more often you take your company’s “pulse,” the sooner you’ll be able to notice — and react to — changes in your business situation.

Check Your Vital Signs

What should you be looking at? Start with the operating fundamentals. For example, what’s the status of accounts payable? When’s the last time you ran an aging report for accounts receivable? How quickly is your inventory turning? What is your profit margin?

These numbers are critical to running your business. You can’t make accurate decisions if your figures are old. And, by keeping track of key financial ratios, you can more readily spot trends that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Monitor Your Budget

Next, check your spending. If overspending is a problem, creating a comprehensive budget that establishes realistic guidelines is an effective remedy. Make sure you have a budgeted amount for every line item expense on your operating statement. Then track and compare actual spending to budgeted amounts on a regular basis.

Reduce Your Debt

Avoid the temptation to take out all your profits in good years. Instead, consider reinvesting some of those earnings in the business. Using retained earnings instead of debt to capitalize your business saves money — and provides a safety net that will be there to help you through periods of lackluster sales or unexpected expenses. A healthy debt-to-equity ratio will also look great when it’s time to borrow money or sell your business.

See a Specialist

Helping owners build and maintain healthy businesses is our specialty. Let’s schedule that mid-year review of your company’s finances soon.

Please call our office at 248-538-5331 about all of our small business accounting services. There is no cost or obligation for the introductory consultation.

Your company’s profitability depends not only on sales, but also on effective cost management. Are you adequately addressing the cost side of the business equation?

Analyze Your Cost Structure

You probably can readily identify the products and/or services that are generating your greatest sales volume. But can you identify all the costs associated with providing each product or service? Only when you know your true costs can you effectively allocate resources to the work that is most profitable for your company.

Actively Monitor Operations

As the busy owner of a small business, you can’t be everywhere all the time. But you do need to stay in circulation, regularly observing the day-to-day operations of your business and talking to your managers and employees. By staying visible and encouraging an open dialogue, you’ll be in a better position to uncover costly problems before they seriously erode your company’s bottom line.

Solicit Bids

Even if you are satisfied with a current vendor, you may want to talk to the competition from time to time. You won’t necessarily want to switch vendors simply because you are quoted a better price. But you may be able to use that price in negotiating more favorable terms from your existing supplier.

Watch for Discounts

In the interests of cash flow, your company may routinely pay its bills only when they come due. While this generally is a sensible strategy, it may not be wise if you are passing up generous cash discounts for earlier payment. In the current low interest rate environment, borrowing the funds you need to take advantage of discounts may be a better move. For example, suppose a vendor offers your company a 2% discount for paying a $10,000 invoice 20 days early. Passing up the discount will cost you $200. Instead, you might borrow $9,800 from your bank, pay the discounted invoice, and repay the loan in 20 days. If the rate on your bank line of credit is 8%, you’ll owe about $45 of interest — for a net savings of $155 on just one invoice.

Effective cost management requires good information and careful planning.

Please call Curcuru & Associates CPA PLC at 248-538-5331 about all of our small business accounting services. There is no cost or obligation for the introductory consultation.

Using a Vehicle for Business: Q&A

IRS rules and exceptions abound, but there are some questions we can answer simply.

Next to your home, your car is probably the most expensive investment you make. And the costs of paying for and maintaining it can be considerable. Can you recoup some of your investment by claiming vehicle expenses on your tax return?

Sometimes. The IRS has many restrictions on the business use of a vehicle, and those restrictions have many exceptions. Better to know these upfront than to have to correct a tax return after you’ve filed it. Here are some questions and answers that may help you decide whether you’re eligible.

How does the IRS identify a “vehicle”?

A car, van, pickup, or panel truck.

What are transportation expenses?

These are “ordinary and necessary expenses” incurred when you, for example:

• Visit customers,
• Attend a business meeting held at a location other than your regular workplace, or
• Go from home to a temporary workplace that is not your company’s principal location.

The daily commute to and from your regular office is not deductible. The IRS considers this personal commuting expenses.

What if I’m on an overnight business trip away from home?

The IRS considers these travel expenses, and they’re reported differently. Your car expense deduction, though, is calculated the same way in both situations.

What if I use my car for both business and personal purposes?

You’ll calculate the expenses incurred for each by determining how many miles you drive for business and how many you drive for personal reasons.

I work in a home office. Can I deduct any driving expenses?

Yes, you can deduct the cost of driving to “another work location in the same trade or business.”

How do I calculate my deductible expenses?

There are two options. Use the standard mileage rate. You are required to use this method for the first year you use the vehicle for business purposes. After that initial year, you can choose between the standard mileage rate and actual car expenses. These include depreciation, oil and gas, insurance, and repairs.

Depreciation? Isn’t that difficult to calculate?

Yes, especially for cars. If you plan to take this kind of deduction, please let us handle your tax preparation for you. Depreciation is very, very complex, and sometimes requires more than one calculation method.

Can I take a Section 179 deduction for my vehicle?

Possibly, if you use the car for business more than 50 percent of the time — and only for the first year.

What kind of vehicle expense records do I need to maintain?

You know the drill here. If the IRS ever wants to examine your return, it will expect evidence like receipts, canceled checks, and credit card statements. You’ll need to document the date and location where you incurred the expense. You’ll need accurate mileage records (miles driven, the purpose of the trip, etc.).

These requirements scream for some kind of organized computer log or written diary, along with a safe place for any paper receipts, bills, etc. There are numerous mobile apps that can help you with this task. We can steer you in the right direction.

If you’re planning to deduct car expenses, it’s important that you keep careful paper or electronic records.

Where will I be reporting transportation expenses?

If you are self-employed, you will report business-related vehicle expenses on Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040). Farmers should use Schedule F (Form 1040). You’ll also want to complete a Form 4562, which is used to report depreciation and the Section 179 deduction.

Maintaining accurate records for car and truck expenses is time-consuming and detail intensive. And that’s once you understand all of the IRS’s rules and exceptions surrounding this deduction. To avoid having to fix completed tax documents that the IRS has questioned, talk to us before you put a vehicle into business use. We’ll be happy to evaluate your transportation situation and guide you through the process.

Curcuru & Associates CPA PLC, offers a variety of tax planning services to both businesses and individuals. Proactive tax planning now can save you money and make tax time a breeze. Call us at 248-538-5331 and request a free initial consultation to learn more.