Starting this year, New Jersey is requiring all residents to have health insurance. Even though the Federal government has gone in the opposite direction, there are a handful of states that have their own mandates or are considering a mandate. What are some of the requirements, exceptions, and penalties regarding this new law? Requirements: The […]
Small Business, Large Profits
All small business owners want to increase sales, open new locations, obtain more customers, add employees and grow, grow, and grow some more. It sounds good, but is it really necessary? Is there an alternative? Necessity: It is necessary to grow your business as the alternative isn’t too appealing. You have financial obligations and people […]
How Long Should You Save Your Tax Returns and Financial Records?
The IRS says that you should normally keep your records for 3 years, and for some situations you should keep them for 6 to 7 years. However, I strongly disagree and here is what you should do and how to do it: Tax returns: Do you want to know the prudent answer to how long […]
Should You Talk About Religion and Politics in a Business Setting?
We are taught that you should not speak about religion and politics because it causes tension, disagreement, and bad feelings. What about in a business setting at work with your boss, employees, co-workers, and clients/customers? The correct answer is . . . . Maybe. Here are some examples of when and when not to speak […]
8 Red Flags That Could Trigger an IRS Small Business Audit
My colleague, Brad Paladini, has granted me permission to post this article that was originally posted on his blog: Last year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited just over one million returns. That’s a lot less than the 1.74 million returns they audited in 2010, but it’s still no fun for the millions of taxpayers that had […]
Be Careful When Making Online Payments to the IRS
We usually recommend that taxpayers make their tax payments online to the IRS and states. Here are the benefits, but a few caveats to watch out for: Benefits: When making payments online, your payments are generally credited on the day that you make the payment. Additionally, you can clearly apply your payments to a prior […]
Is It Better to Pay Off Debts or Invest?
Almost everyone has some sort of debt and economic data shows that this is the case. Between mortgages, student loans, credit cards, business debts, and auto loans and leases (yes, a car lease is debt), many people find themselves allocating large portions of their income towards debt payments. When you are in a position to […]
How to Successfully Start a Second Business
Quite often entrepreneurs want to start a second business or even possibly a third, fourth and so on. What are the ways to make this successful, especially without selling or potentially harming your existing business(s), and what are some alternatives? Similar or complementary business: Instead of say, an attorney, starting a restaurant, they may consider […]
3 Ways to Turn Around a Struggling Business
After the Great Recession there are still some businesses that may be struggling and don’t know what to do about it. Here are a few ways to turn around a struggling business: Upgrade: The rate of change nowadays seems to be accelerating at a pace that has not existed in the past. This includes technology, […]
So You Want to Flip Homes?
Buy a house, put in a few improvements, and then sell it for a much higher price. Do it again and again. It sounds so simple, but here are a few pointers to keep in mind if you want to succeed with house flipping: Experience: If your experience in real estate is performing repairs on […]