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Small Business Accounting

Maximizing Efficiency: Tips for a Successful Small Business Audit Preparation

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For small business owners, the mere mention of an audit can evoke feelings of stress and uncertainty. However, approaching the audit process with a proactive and organized mindset can significantly alleviate these concerns. Audit preparation ensures a smoother audit experience and reflects positively on the financial health and transparency of your business. ***

Here are some practical tips to maximize efficiency and achieve a successful small business audit preparation.

  1. Organize financial documentation. Ensure that all relevant financial records, including income statements, balance sheets, bank statements, and tax returns, are neatly organized and easily accessible. Categorize documents chronologically and by type to streamline the auditor’s review process. 
  2. Maintain accurate and updated records. Regularly reconcile your accounts, verify transactions, and address any discrepancies promptly. Keeping your records accurate and up-to-date facilitates the audit process and shows your commitment to financial transparency and compliance. 
  3. Documentation of internal controls. Internal controls help safeguard your business assets and ensure the accuracy of financial reporting. Providing the auditor with a comprehensive overview of your internal control policies demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a robust financial system.
  4. Collaborate with your auditor. Establish open lines of communication with your auditor well in advance of the audit. Understand the specific requirements and expectations for the audit process, and discuss any potential challenges or concerns. Collaborating with your auditor fosters a positive working relationship and ensures that everyone is on the same page from the outset.
  5. Train your staff. If your small business has a dedicated finance team, ensure that they are adequately trained on audit processes and procedures. Familiarizing your staff with audit expectations and protocols can prevent last-minute scrambles and contribute to a more efficient and less stressful audit experience.
  6. Address previous audit findings. If your business has undergone previous audits with findings, address these issues before the next audit. Demonstrating a proactive approach to resolving past concerns showcases your commitment to continuous improvement and can instill confidence in the auditing process.
  7. Understand regulatory compliance. Stay informed about relevant regulatory requirements and compliance standards applicable to your industry. This knowledge is crucial for ensuring that your financial practices align with current regulations and can help you anticipate areas that auditors may scrutinize more closely.
  8. Perform a preliminary internal audit. Before the external audit, conduct a preliminary internal audit. This self-assessment allows you to identify potential issues and rectify them before the external auditor arrives. Addressing any discrepancies in advance helps streamline the audit process and minimizes the risk of unexpected findings.
  9. Create a detailed audit plan. Develop a comprehensive audit plan outlining specific tasks, timelines, and responsibilities. A well-structured plan serves as a roadmap for the entire audit preparation process and ensures that everyone involved is aware of their roles and deadlines.
  10. Utilize technology. Leverage accounting software and technology to enhance the efficiency of your audit preparation. Many accounting platforms offer features that automate financial processes, generate detailed reports, and facilitate seamless collaboration between your team and auditors.
  11. Engage external professionals. Consider engaging external professionals, such as accounting consultants or auditors, to conduct a pre-audit review. Their fresh perspective can help identify potential issues and provide insights that contribute to a more successful audit.
  12. Conduct mock audits. Simulating the audit process allows your team to identify weaknesses in your preparation, fine-tune procedures, and ensure that everyone is comfortable with the audit expectations.

A successful small business audit preparation is not only about meeting regulatory requirements but also an opportunity to showcase the financial health and transparency of your business. The key is to view the audit process as a collaborative effort to enhance your financial practices and provide stakeholders with confidence in your business operations.

A.K. Burton, PC, has been working with the IRS for our clients for many years. Our firm has experienced accountants who can help you do your tax planning, file your tax returns, and represent you to the IRS. We do individual and business tax returns. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation.

We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County, MD area.

*** For more information on small business tax forms, visit the IRS website.  

Small Business Accounting, tax preparation

Tax Planning: Little-Known Expenses That are Tax-Deductible

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Tax returns are done for most US citizens. There are still millions of Americans and their accountants who are still working on their 2022 tax returns. ***

There are many deductions that filers forget or don’t even know are eligible. Billions of dollars are paid out by taxpayers that could have been saved. Your tax advisor is aware of these tax deductions as they are required to be updated on all new tax laws.

Here are some little-known expenses for your tax planning that may be tax-deductible:

1. Job Search Expenses: If you’re searching for a job in your current field, you may be able to deduct certain job search expenses, such as transportation costs, resume preparation, and employment agency fees. These deductions may be available even if you don’t get the job.
2. Professional Development Expenses: If you’re looking to improve your skills or education in your current field, you may be able to deduct the expenses associated with professional development courses, seminars, and conferences.
3. Jury paid. Most employers will pay employees’ salaries while they are serving on a jury but ask that they turn over their jury fees to the company. This income has to be reported as taxable income. If you gave that income to your employer, you could deduct the amount, so you aren’t taxed on that money.
4. Moving Expenses for Work: If you move for work-related reasons, you may be able to deduct certain moving expenses, such as transportation costs, storage expenses, and lodging costs. The distance between your new home and your new job must meet certain requirements, and there are other eligibility criteria to consider. If you’re an active-duty military member who is relocating, you can deduct these expenses as long as the government doesn’t reimburse you. The move must be permanent and ordered by the military. The deductions include gas, lodging, moving trucks, and shipping your cars and pets.
5. Home Office Expenses: If you work from home, you may be able to deduct certain home office expenses, such as utilities, internet expenses, and office equipment. The space must be used regularly and exclusively for work purposes to qualify for the deduction.
6. Investment Expenses: If you have investments, you may be able to deduct certain investment expenses, such as advisory fees, custodial fees, and other expenses related to managing your investments. If you have any mutual fund and stock dividends, they are automatically reinvested in extra shares, each reinvestment increases your tax basis in the stock refund or mutual fund. This reduces the amount of taxable capital when you sell your shares. 7. 7. Reinvested dividends which you subtract from the proceeds of sale to determine your gain means you will overpay your taxes.
8. State tax paid. If you owed taxes when you filed your 2021 state tax return in 2022, then you can include that amount with your state tax itemized deduction on your 2022 return. You may also include your state income taxes withheld from your paychecks or paid with quarterly estimated payments. Limited to a maximum of $10,000 per year.

These are just a few examples of little-known expenses that may be tax-deductible. However, there are many other deductions and credits available that can help reduce your tax bill. It’s important to do your tax planning with a qualified tax advisor to ensure that you are taking advantage of all the deductions and credits that you’re eligible for while also complying with all applicable tax laws and regulations.

A.K. Burton, PC, has been working with the IRS for our clients for many years. Our firm has experienced accountants who can help you plan your tax, file your tax returns, and represent you to the IRS. We do individual and business tax returns. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation.

We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County, MD area.

*** You can find these deductions and other tax information on the IRS website.

Quickbooks, Small Business Accounting

How to Organize Your Small Business Accounting Using QuickBooks Services

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Tax Season ended at midnight on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Tax Day is such a stressful time for citizens, businesses, and accountants. This year was no different though. When the numbers come out, there will probably be an increase in filing extensions by people and businesses.

Now that the smoke has cleared, business owners may want to consider using our QuickBooks services to do their accounting and tax preparation. QuickBooks is an accounting software developed by Intuit. QuickBooks is mainly for small and medium-sized businesses. The cloud-based software can accept business payments, manage and pay bills, and do payroll.

QuickBooks can be used to organize your small business accounting. Here are some steps to get started:

  1. Set up your company: Start by setting up your company in QuickBooks. This includes entering your company information, such as your business name, address, and tax ID number.
  2. Add your bank and credit card accounts: Connect your bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks. This will allow you to automatically import transactions into QuickBooks, making it easier to keep track of your finances.
  3. Categorize your transactions: Once you have imported your transactions into QuickBooks, you will need to categorize them. This involves assigning each transaction to the appropriate account, such as income or expenses.
  4. Set up your chart of accounts: Your chart of accounts is a list of all the accounts you use in your business. This includes income accounts, expense accounts, and asset accounts. Setting up your chart of accounts is an important step in organizing your accounting.
  5. Create invoices and track payments: QuickBooks allows you to create and send invoices to your customers. You can also use QuickBooks to track payments and send reminders for overdue payments.
  6. Run financial reports: QuickBooks offers a variety of financial reports, such as profit and loss statements and balance sheets. These reports can help you understand the financial health of your business and make informed decisions.
  7. Get professional help: If you’re not familiar with accounting or QuickBooks, consider hiring a professional to help you get started. A certified accountant can help you set up QuickBooks and maintain your accounting records, so you can focus on running your business.

QuickBooks guides and assists you to organize your small business accounting. Using QuickBooks can save you time and help you make informed financial decisions for your business. Millions of business owners use QuickBooks as a daily part of their accounting. 

It takes time to learn and integrate into your business. However, with training and experience, many small and medium-sized business owners have come to depend on it. If you are considering QuickBooks to do your accounting, consult an accountant to get started. 

AK Burton, PC offers QuickBooks services for our clients. We can train you in QuickBooks and help you use it to run your business. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. 

We serve Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County. MD area.

*** For more information visit the QuickBooks website.   

 

Small Business Accounting

Small Business Accounting: What is the Difference Between a Contractor and an Employee?

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Many people have chosen to leave their job and become self-employed. They now work remotely from their home.  

This is a popular trend in today’s economy. It’s exciting but there are tax implications, of course, that should be considered. 

If you are planning to start your own small business, you need to know the difference between a contractor and an employee. Let’s start with definitions: 

  1. Employee: On the company payroll and receives wages and benefits in exchange for doing their job correctly.
  2. Contractor: An autonomous, independent worker who does not receive health insurance and paid time off. 

If you are now a “contractor” or self-employed, note the following: 

  1. A contractor is compensated by form1099-NEC. Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation, is a form that solely reports nonemployee compensation. Form 1099-NEC is not a replacement for Form 1099-MISC. Form 1099-NEC is only replacing the use of Form 1099-MISC for reporting independent contractor payments.
  2. A self-employed contractor needs to pay the Self-employment (SE) Tax. The SE tax consists of Social Security and Medicare taxes for individuals who work for themselves. This tax is both Social Security and Medicare taxes for individuals who work for themselves. The tax rate is 15.3% and consists of 12.4% for social security and 2.9% for Medicare. 
  3. Retirement: There are five self-employed retirement plans: Traditional or Roth IRA, Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, or Defined benefit plan. Working for yourself, you need to set up your retirement plan. Interested in potential tax implications as to which plan suits your needs best?  – contact your tax advisor. 
  4. Health insurance: Self-employed individuals must choose their health insurance plan. It could be Blue Cross, HMO, PPO, Signa, United Health Care, or any one of many options. *** 
  5. Estimated tax payments: This is a method used to pay income tax and is not subject to withholding. This income includes income from self-employment, interest, dividends, rents, and alimony. Self-employed individuals who do not have taxes withheld from other taxable income should make estimated tax payments. Other income may include unemployment compensation and the taxable part of Social Security benefits. 

Individuals who are employed by a business or organization typically have the following:

  1. Compensated by Form W2. As an employee, your wages and your share of Medicare and social security tax are reported on your W2.
  2. Retirement: Businesses may offer a retirement plan such as a 401(K) and/or Roth for employed individuals. Employers may even match the employee contribution up to a certain percentage (depending on the plan set up by the employer). 
  3. Medical insurance: The most common employee benefit is medical or health coverage. It covers medical appointments, checkups, ER visits, basic medical procedures, and surgical procedures.
  4. Prescription benefits: Lower co-pays for medicines and no-cost prescriptions are included. There is a list of the available medications with tiered pricing for prescription drugs.
  5. Life Insurance: Usually it is group-term life insurance. The employer extends life insurance coverage to all staff members and is in effect for a set period. It lasts for the time that the employee works for their employer. It costs less than individual insurance policies. 

In addition, there are many more benefits that can be included in a company employment package such as paid time off, paid sick leave, paid vacation time, extended leave, family leave, disability, and worker’s compensation.    

AK Burton, PC can help define what becoming an independent contractor means to you and the steps needed to set yourself up for successful tax preparation. Our experienced tax preparers can file your business and personal tax returns and represent you to the IRS. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. 

We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County, MD area.

*** For more information, visit the IRS website. 

tax preparation

How to Beat a Small Business Tax Audit

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The Internal Revenue Service IRS) has ratcheted up its small business audits this year. *** These audits include the mom-and-pop retail stores, tech startups, and investment funds such as cryptocurrency.

The infrequent checks from the IRS for small businesses are over for now. So, you as a small business owner, need to be ready when the tax-man cometh. Here are several tips on how you can beat the small business tax audit:

  1. Keep good records: The main question we accountants get is, “How far back do they go to do the audit?” Typically, you will need to keep copies of filed returns and documents for at least three years from the filing date or the return’s due date, whichever is later. This is the period of time that the IRS has to audit most returns. This process can go out as long as six years if the income was misreported by 25 percent or more. (There is no statute of limitations on fraudulent tax returns.)
  2. Make a case for unsubstantiated income: The IRS has an aggregate or algorithm of the typical income/expense ratio for any type of business. If they see a higher-than-average expense list, extremely low income, or a major loss, it may trigger an audit. If you have truthful and legitimate reasons for that data, such as insurance claims that show losses after a natural disaster (such as the floods in the Southern US) or advertising promoting more services, you may be able to survive the audit. You must have detailed records of it. This would include travel expenses, receipts, calendars, and mileage logs. 
  3. Investigate your records for possible audit red flags. You must do your due diligence to protect yourself from an audit. It’s actually pretty simple to do. Review your income records. Did you write the correct amount? (No transposed numbers.) The IRS cross-references your wages with other tax records. Also, be sure you have reported all of your income. Lastly, double-check your business deductions, particularly meal and entertainment expenses, a major bugaboo with the IRS. 
  4. Don’t lose your head. An IRS Audit does not mean you are going to prison, your home will be seized and your business(es) closed.  Actually, field audits are rare. If an IRS agent visits your location, then it would have to be an audit substantial enough to pay for the audit. In fact, most IRS audits are done online or with mail correspondence. The IRS, once it reviews the documents that you have sent, may only recalculate the return and bill you for the corrected amount. So, you can be calm about it and no need to look for agents in dark suits hopping out of SUVs with briefcases, showing you their IDs, and bargaining into your home. It makes for interesting television, but it is quite rare in real life.
  5. Bring in a professional accountant. Your tax records may be much more complicated than just transposed digits. When that is the case, you should consult with a professional, licensed, accountant. They can review and check all your numbers and documents to see if there are any discrepancies. Additionally, they can represent you to the IRS and make sure you are not unfairly or inaccurately audited. 

Audit. It is not a pleasant process but there is no need to hyperventilate and lock yourself in your basement. But, before tax season begins on January 1, 2022, do the necessary tasks to best protect yourself from a letter from the IRS requesting a small business tax audit. It can be done and you can survive it. Millions do every year. 

A.K. Burton, PC, can do all your income tax preparation. We have experienced staff who can prepare and file your tax return and represent you before the IRS. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. Our office is open. We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County, MD area.  

*** For more information on IRS Tax Audits see this website. 

tax preparation

Extended Business Tax Returns: One Month to Go

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August marks the end of summer and beginning of school. As summer draws to a close don’t forget that the end of summer marks an important tax deadline: Filing 2020 Extended Business Tax Returns.

Business owners that filed a 6 month extension to file their 2020 business tax return Form 1065 or Form 1120S must file by their tax returns by September 15, 2021. ***

If you haven’t filed your 2020 form 1065 or 1120S and don’t know where to start; here are some tips to collect the information to prepare your return:

  • Make sure your books are up to date and reconcile your books
  • Compile your business bank & credit card statements
  • Download your December 2020 loan statement that shows the year-end balance and interest paid
  • Compile your payroll tax returns including:
    • Quarterly Forms 941
    • Form 940
    • Quarterly state unemployment returns
  • Compile your sales tax returns
  • Did you file form(s) 1099? – if so, gather form(s) 1099
  • Did you make estimated payments? – if so, make note of the date and amount of each payment.
  • Did you make an extension payment? – if so, make note of the date and amount of each payment.
  • Vehicle mileage – make note of your:
    • Total mileage
    • Business mileage
  • Do you have a home office which you use exclusively for business? Include:
    • Total sq ft of home
    • Exclusive Business use sq ft of home
    • Expenses (utilities, taxes…etc,)
  • Does your business have a retirement plan? If so – gather your December 2020 retirement plan statement

Once you have collected this information, it’s time to file. The deadline to file extended partnership and S-Corporation returns is less than a month away. Not sure about preparing your own return? At A.K. Burton PC, we specialize in tax services for small business owners. We prepare and file forms 1065 and 1120(S). 

A.K. Burton, PC, can do all your income tax preparation. We have experienced staff who can prepare and file your tax return and represent you before the IRS. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. Our office is open. We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County, MD area.  

*** For more information on filing as a Partnership or an S Corp, consult the IRS website.  

Quickbooks, Small Business Accounting

Five QuickBooks Small Business Hacks You Need to Know

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Small business accounting and bookkeeping is a necessary part of the business. The software has made small business accounting and bookkeeping easier and more convenient. Affordably-priced software ranging from Wave Accounting to Xeno help business owners easily run billing, payroll, invoicing, and inventory.

There is a wide range of small business accounting software. As a small business owner who doesn’t even have time to spare for accounting and bookkeeping, how do you decide which software is best for your company? One potential software is Quickbooks Online. It’s a cloud-based accounting solution where records are kept online, protected by security, easily accessible, and regularly updated. *** 

If you are considering Quickbooks Online for your business or are using it now, here are some highlights of features that you should know:

  1. Connect your bank account(s) to it: Quickbooks Online allows you to connect your bank account once and it will then download all your bank transactions from the last 90 days. Additionally, it lets you connect multiple checking accounts, savings accounts, and credit cards. It will also auto-suggest categories and functions. The algorithms are quite amazing. 
  2. Don’t have to back up your data: As QuickBooks Online is all web-based, you keep all the data in the cloud. All information you store on QuickBooks Online is stored in the cloud. Data can be accessed at any time from your laptops and devices. 
  3. Invoice clients in CBO: Quickbooks Online can do all client invoicing. Gone are paper billing and sealing envelopes. It lets you design invoices with your business brand on it. Invoices can be automated and it will mark invoices that have been paid. Recurring invoices can be sent out, too, thorough the automated invoicing function. 
  4. User Interface Is Intuitive: QuickBooks was created for the non-savvy, non-accountant business owner or employee. So, it is much easier to use based on the easy interface. It has a brief and easily-understood tutorial. This five-minute guide shows users how to import and categorize transactions. A menu shows how to navigate between the Banking, Reports, Sales and Expenses functions. Reviewers consistently complement the design as it is not all pushed into a small space.
  5. Many users can use it at the same time: Quickbooks Online has several packages which allows multiple users to have full access and use of the data. Additionally, if you want to save money, the username and password can be shared with other employees. However, if there is restricted data, such as payroll, it can be protected and accessed only approved individuals. 

These are just a few of the features available with Quickbooks Online. As with any small business accounting software you choose, the software might be designed to be simple and easy to navigate but somehow a wrench gets thrown into the books!

If this happens, the staff at A.K. Burton, PC is here to help. We specialize in small business tax preparation and provide a wide range of services to our clients including getting that wrench out of your books. If you need help straightening out your QuickBooks online, please call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. Our office is open! We serve Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County. MD area.

*** For more information about Quickbooks Online, visit their website.

Small Business Accounting

Small Business Accounting Trends for 2021

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Thinking about improving your small business? How about improving your small business accounting? Here are some accounting trends for small businesses to consider: 

  1. Data Analytics: Small business accountants can track data and perform an analysis. These insights into data help business owners make better financial decisions and improve resource efficiency. 
  2. Cloud-based Accounting: Businesses can access their bookkeeping records anytime and anywhere on the cloud. The cloud system saves business time and effort as they can track all their sales, inventory, and expenses in real-time. 
  3. Outsourcing small business accounting needs: Just because the technology is out there, does not mean you have to use it or feel comfortable with it. Many small businesses are outsourcing to accounting firms, either in their location or even in another state. This option lets the business focus more on its daily operations. A.K. Burton, PC specializes in tax preparation for small businesses and their owners. 
  4. Using Social Media: Social media channels are essential in building brand loyalty, promoting accounting services and products, engaging with the public and clients, and educating followers on accounting procedures and trends. Social media management also sends visitors to the website which increases traffic and recruits new customers. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram have become an invaluable part of marketing for 2021. 
  5. Website Content Management: Blogs, both written and video, are ways to educate and sell to the public. This also increases traffic to the website and is considered quality content by the major search engines. Publishing monthly blogs should be a staple of any marketing strategy.

Hopefully, these trends have inspired you to reconsider your small business accounting. A.K. Burton, PC, has experienced accountants who can assist you with your small business accounting. We specialize in tax preparation for small businesses and their owners. Call us at (301) 365-1974 or email info@cpa-maryland.com. A.K. Burton, PC serves the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County areas.

Quickbooks, Small Business Accounting

How to Use QuickBooks Services for Your Small Business Accounting

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In these days of COVID, (I’ll be so glad when I won’t have to use that term anymore!) it’s good practice for small business owners to do much of their accounting online using software designed specifically for them. It saves money, time, and protects them from exposure to others. 

QuickBooks *** is a popular and economical program for business owners and accountants. Its features, functionality, and ease of use are all strong reasons to use this program. 

If you are considering QuickBooks as a tool to manage your books, here are some ways you can use it:

  1. Invoice customers: QuickBooks lets you invoice your customers to decrease accounts receivable and increase cash flow.
  2. Manage bills and accounts payable: Keep updated on your bills to your vendors and suppliers by using the enter bills and pay bills function. Keeping your vendors and suppliers happy is important as well.  You don’t want to fall behind on your outstanding bills with vendors. You just enter the payment and due date. No longer do you have to write and print checks. QuickBooks online pay function is easy and efficient. Plus, it saves you money from having to buy checks.    
  3. Employee time management: Enter the employee time data on the home screen. It can be a one-time event or a weekly payroll period. QuickBooks measures employee productivity and job costing, if applicable.
  4. Payroll management: QuickBooks lets you process payroll directly or you can integrate a third party for it. You will record your outsourced payroll in QuickBooks. You can also import your payroll data from QuickBooks to the accounting firm. 
  5. Memorized transactions: You should use QuickBooks memorized transactions to automatically enter transactions that occur on a regular and predictable basis.  This can include invoices, bills, journal entries, and payments.  The idea is to boost efficiency and have certain items be entered automatically into QuickBooks.  One example of good use of a memorized transaction is a bill that you have set up to be automatically deducted from your checking account like the monthly internet payment.  By memorizing a check you can have the payment automatically post to your checking account a certain number of days in advance. 
  6. Online banking: Major banks are now integrated into the QuickBooks software. So, you can set up your business to do all its online banking through it. 
  7. Printed checks: If you do need to print checks, you can keep cash flow analysis updated. Then you can print from it. It is extremely efficient!
  8. Journal entries: You may need to correct bookkeeping issues and create year-end entries per with your CPA so it matches your tax return. These detailed entries may be necessary when you file your tax return. 
  9. Online payments: The QuickBooks Intuit Payment Network gives your customer a convenient way to pay your invoices online. 
  10. Financial reporting: QuickBooks allows you to run reports to help get a snapshot of where your small business is at the moment. Your bookkeeping will be enhanced by its financial reporting.

If you are not using QuickBooks services, you may want to consider it. For the reasons listed above it may benefit your business to look into purchasing and using a software such as QuickBooks.

At A.K. Burton, PC, we help our small business clients with their taxes. We are familiar with QuickBooks as it is one of the many software that we use to serve our clients. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. Our office is open! We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County. MD area.

*** For more about QuickBooks Small Business Services, click here.  

Accounting, Financial Advice, Small Business Accounting

Ask a Financial Advisor: Should You Do Your Startup Business Now?

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We have all seen the headlines: “Best economy in fifty years!” 

We’ve also seen the story about the person who lost their job and said they weren’t going to work for “the man” anymore. So, they started their own business and now are multi-millionaires! 

Great economy. 

Wealthy entrepreneur. 

There are plenty of success stories. There are also plenty of failures. Starting a business is a risky venture which can make or break an individual and their investors. It should be done carefully and with research. 

Before you hand in your two-week notice, pack your office and take out a loan to start your new business, it is important, from a financial advisor’s view, to consider these factors:

  1. Starting a new business by yourself is almost impossible: You will not be able to do it all on your own. You may need a business coach to help you prepare. You may need the advice of a financial advisor to set up a budget. You may need an accountant to do your bookkeeping. You may need an admin assistant to take phone calls and do your records. You may also need to create a team of subcontractors. In other words: You will need a support system. 
  2. Start-up is a way to not make money for a while (i.e. years): If you had planned to replace your income during your startup time period, you will be disappointed. Many new entrepreneurs go without paying themselves for years, sometimes five years or more until the business begins to pay. Most income goes into paying for rent, utilities, equipment, Wifi, fees, and payroll. You may need to keep your present job just to pay the bills or depend on your spouse, family or investors to pay your personal expenses. It may pay off eventually but, in the meantime, you may live a Spartan lifestyle. 
  3. Take care of your mental and physical health: We’ve heard the horror stories of doing 20-hour workdays and working seven days a week. That cannot last long. The body and mind will shut down. A new startup will require long hours but doing a ridiculous schedule will only burn the new entrepreneur out. Share your difficult times with your spouse, family, church/temple or networking group. Get 6-8 hours of regular sleep, eat three meals a day, exercise fifteen minutes a day, reduce alcohol consumption and dependence on drugs to keep you going. Finally, practice humility. You cannot work all day, every day. You won’t survive. Put your mental and physical health first. 
  4. Be comfortable with change: Life is all about adapting to change and leading a startup can be quite chaotic. Be ready to accept changes, some big (moving the business to a new storefront) and some small (changing copiers). Change may also signify success. Embrace it and roll with it. Most changes are not negative, even if they take a while to adapt. 
  5. No job is too low or too dirty: Running your own business, at first, may mean cleaning your bathroom, emptying your trash, mopping the floor, dusting the desk and doing the inventory. You are part of a team and that means not being afraid to get your hands dirty. 
  6. Keep a tight watch on your finances: As a financial advisor, I have seen startups that have been disciplined in their spending and others that have become debt-ridden as expenses got out of control. Either hire an experienced bookkeeper to watch every expense or have someone on the company keep tabs on expenses. Most business failures come from out of control spending that is not paid for by income. Debt is part of doing a startup but it can send businesses crashing to the ground, too, never to return. Bottom line: watch every penny and be disciplined in spending.   

After reading the above, you may still be asking: Should I start my own business? You have to make that decision on your own after getting seasoned and smart advice. If you can handle all that we talked about, you may be ready to start your own business. 

A.K. Burton, PC, works with small businesses and entrepreneurs every day. Our experienced legal and financial advisors can help you with planning, budgeting, and payroll.  Contact our friendly and experienced staff at (301) 365-1974 or email info@cpa-maryland.com. A.K. Burton, PC serves the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County areas.