Tag Archives: CBS Review

Reasons Your Business May Fail

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Some businesses do fail. Most owners do not want to imagine a scenario where their business might actually fail. While this is understandable, consultants with Corporate Business Solutions encourage business owners to imagine scenarios that may lead to failure. It’s important to keep failure in mind when running a business to avoid making a fatal mistake. Here are several situations to keep an eye on that usually cause small businesses to fail:

Not tracking cash flow – Many small businesses we review track sales, but not the cash flow. A business owner should always know how to predict the cash needs of the business going forward. Now, sales might have increased, but how did that affect the cash flow? Some businesses increase sales and also other expenses along with it, which can result in a cash crunch. If your business is not tracking monthly cash flow, then it could be on the way to failure by not being able to pay all expenses when they are due, including payroll.  If you can’t pay your bills on time, it can lead to punitive actions by suppliers which can have a snow ball effect on the business.

Spending too much on products – We do not recommend businesses invest on a product, service or infrastructure on the basis of “hopium”.  Business investments must be based on realistic sales numbers which indicate the market worthiness of the product or service. Businesses should develop minimum-risk products first. Then, make sure the product is actually profitable before proceeding to further investments.

Overspending on appearance – Appearances are important in the business world. But it can also get out of hand. More often than not, small business owners tend to overspend on leasing office space at fancy addresses, buying expensive furniture, sending partners on over-the-top business trips, and the list goes on. Spending a lot just to appear successful could lead to serious debt. Failure to control costs is one of the most common reasons small businesses fail. We recommend keeping things humble until the company actually has solid sales numbers to justify additional expenses.

Avoiding business taxes – Small businesses must be aware of all taxes related to running a business, such as payroll taxes. Avoid the temptation to solve cash flow problems by not paying payroll taxes on time. Failure to pay taxes can lead to costly penalties and could even lead to a shuttering of your business.

Overpromising – Do not promise customers or partners things you cannot deliver. Your company will be expected to deliver as promised, and if you cannot, the business will not survive.

Afraid that your business may go broke or fail due to any reason? Contact us at CBS-CBS.com to fix the problems and ensure the continual survival of your company.

 

How Restaurants Can Improve Employee Performance

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The food service sector is one of the toughest industries to run a business in. Competition is high, and without a watchful eye, costs can run amok. CBS Corporate Business Solutions can help restaurant owners improve productivity with business reviews. Owners of the restaurants we have reviewed are quite concerned about employee efficiency. Business places like restaurants are highly dependent on employee performance. Inefficient employees can ruin customer service and drive up costs. Here are several tips our consultants recommend for restaurants that want to improve employee efficiency:

Provide Clear Instructions – If you want your employees to perform as you intend, vague instructions or directions will not deliver the results you desire. It’s important to make sure employees know what’s expected of them. Explain clearly which tasks employees must be carried out each day, the performance standards you expect for the employee, and how quickly the task needs to be done.  One of the foundations to the work we do for our clients is to develop the methods, systems and controls needed to operate a restaurant both efficiently and profitably.

Avoid Micromanaging – While it’s important to give clear instructions, it’s equally important to avoid micromanaging. No one likes it. Also, micromanagement leads to a “wait to be told” work culture, where the employer has to direct everything. A productive workplace has employees who can take the initiative. So, train employees well so they don’t always have to be told what to do.  When the proper systems are put in place, employees know what is expected of them.  In addition, employees have a clear understanding of what they need to do to be accountable.  Moreover, businesses which are system- dependent are more successful than those which are people-dependent.  The proper systems allow management to have more control.

Reward Good Performance – Reprimanding bad performance but never rewarding good performance can leave employees confused about the service that’s expected of them. If an employee does a really good job, it’s important to let them know you appreciate a job well done. Rewards can boost morale and also motivate others to improve their own performance.

Understand Their Work-Life Balance Needs – Overworking employees often leads to bad performance. It’s important for employers to understand that employees require sufficient time to spend with their families. So don’t force people to take on extra shifts or work on holidays. Seek willing employees to take on the extra shifts, when needed.  A respect for work-life balance will improve employee satisfaction and lead to better performance.

Make sure the employees you hire are well trained and have the necessary tools to carry out their jobs.

Unsure about whether your restaurant workforce is performing as well as they should? Contact us at CBS-CBS.com to get an affordable performance review.

How to Cut Costs at a Small Retail Business

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Corporate Business Solutions provides management advice and cost reduction strategies for small retail businesses, among a host of other services. Retail businesses fail more often than not due to excessive expenses. Even retail giants like Wal-Mart and Macy’s have faced this dilemma. It’s important to start early to prevent a potential disaster if expenses are out of control. Here are several tips, gleaned from our years of experience, for reducing costs and managing finances better at your small retail business:

Automate inventory management – Automation is reducing costs for businesses in many different sectors. Retail is definitely one of the biggest sectors to benefit from new technology. In recent years, manual inventory management has gotten quite expensive. Some outlets have found budget success by switching to cloud-based software. According to one study, using cloud-based programs saved some retailers about 30 percent of operational costs. We know from experience that retail outlets, especially inherited ones, are quite stubborn regarding adopting modern practices. However, we highly recommend switching to new ways of managing inventory to significantly reduce costs.

Outsource non-core business tasks – If there’s room to outsource certain tasks or activities at your retail business, do so without hesitation. For example, if you need a writer to come up with product descriptions, hire a freelance writer, not a full-time employee. Small tasks not related to the core of your business, like graphic design, can be outsourced to save money, and in some cases, time. Outsourcing has other benefits too, such as getting expert advice in an area your staff is unfamiliar.

Go virtual and pay low rent – Thinking about expanding your office? We highly recommend switching partly to a virtual office instead. Virtual workplaces allow employees to connect with each other regardless of where they are located. Some parts of your business will probably require a physical office. You can pay low rent for a small physical office for the core group members and host other employees over a virtual office. You can also consider hosting virtual storerooms and the like to save money on actually leasing a showroom. For example, Audi, the car brand uses virtual showrooms in select locations to save money.

Of course, each business has unique needs. If you contact us at CBS-CBS.com, we can evaluate your company’s expenses and recommend cost-cutting measures as part of a long-term financial strategy.

Getting a Small Business Valuation

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Small business owners often do not have any reliable way to determine how much their company is worth. There is always a ceiling for valuations, but the number is important for tax purposes, investments, and estate planning and inheritance situations.

Business valuation involves getting an assessment of finances and intellectual property a company owns. Calculating how much a small business is worth can be tricky. Most small business owners try to come up with an estimate on their own, only to find out that the processes involved can be complicated and unreliable. But there can be a method to madness. You can hire an expert evaluator, like the professionals working at Corporate Business Solutions. In addition, it’s worthwhile to know that the business valuations involve the following:

Recreate Costing – One of the popular tools used to value businesses is this method called cost recreation. This involves sit calculating all costs it would take another person to start the owner’s business. Costs will be replicated for marketing, buying inventory, office rent or lease and hiring staff. This method is relatively easy to do, but it is not necessarily scientifically accurate.

Market Comparison – A more investor-friendly approach is the “market principle” method, where a company is valued based on how much other companies of similar size and capacity are worth based on numerical figures. For example, if a business twice the size of yours sold for a million in the market, you can value your company based on that.

Multiplying Earnings – This method values businesses based on current and future earnings. If you expect your profits to increase, you can value your business by taking into account future expected increase in earnings.

Business valuations can be complicated for small businesses and should be done by a certified business valuation expert with the proper valuation credentials recognized by the industry. We highly recommend hiring professionals to get an accurate valuation of your business who have the proper credentials. The pros at CBS Corporate Business Solutions can help your small business obtain a valuation that investors can trust.

Tax Tips for Small Businesses

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Planning a good tax strategy is crucial for running a small business. Our experts at Corporate Business Solutions routinely offer professional help for smaller companies to develop a sound tax strategy for the long term through one of our affiliated companies which specialize in strategic tax planning. While it’s highly recommended that small business owners hire an knowledgeable firm with experience in strategic tax planning to develop a tax plan, there are some things the owners should also do. Here are several easy tax tips all small business owners should follow:

Track All Expenses – Do not forget to keep very close track of all business expenses for the whole year. Keep a record of expenses regardless of how small they are. You should record income and expenditures as soon as they happen, so you don’t forget to do so in a timely manner.

Keep Business and Personal Expenses Separate – This may sound like a no brainer, but some small businesses often struggle to keep up with this fundamental rule. Small companies are informal atmospheres. So it’s easy to get personal expenses mixed in with business ones. But avoid doing so at all costs. It can complicate your tax strategy. In addition, failure to keep personal and business expenses separate is one of the key issues which can allow a person suing the company to pierce the corporate veil to go after personal assets in collecting on a legal judgment.

Offer Social Benefits to Employees – Offering care benefits to employees, like health and dental, can actually reduce the tax burden for small companies. Therefore, worker fringe benefits should be considered as part of an overall compensation plan.

Get Trainee Deductions – The tax code allows businesses to deduct certain educational expenses needed to train employees and improve overall skills in the workplace. You can get tax deductions for things like attending seminars and fees spend for conventions.

Take Mileage Deduction over Auto Expenses – Mileage deduction is more advantageous especially when gas prices go high. So, if you are facing a choice between mileage deduction and an auto expense deduction on your form, consider the benefit of choosing mileage.

Donate Unused Inventory for a Deduction – If you have unsold inventory, donate it to a recognized charity instead of storing it in a costly way. Small businesses can claim tax deductions for donated inventory. Do keep thorough records of donated inventory because documentation is needed to get the deduction.

The above are a handful of simple things you can do to reduce the tax burden at your small business. Contact a CBS Corporate Business Solutions expert to develop a more comprehensive tax strategy for your company.

Tips for Staying Motivated When Running a Business

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Running a business is not easy, especially when you are doing it on your own. Even successful businesspeople often have to stop and give a mental nudge to stay motivated. It’s not uncommon for even the most driven entrepreneurs to feel a little unmotivated or demoralized from time to time. There are steps you can take to remedy the problem:

Think Back—Whenever you feel a bit down, think back to what made you start the business in the first place. Relive the first spark that inspired you and you will find your drive again. If possible, take a look at your notes or photos from back then. You will rediscover your original inspiration that made you want to run a successful business.

Take a Breather—Here at Corporate Business Solutions, we encourage everyone to just relax and step back for a moment. Sometimes, too much stress can take a toll on your motivation and productivity. So it’s important to take a breather from time to time. Use these moments to take a look at the big picture and not let everyday negativity keep you down.

Look at the Things You have Already Accomplished—Has your motivation taken a toll because a recent project failed? Now is a good time then to take a look at things you have already achieved. You may have thought those things were impossible once too. Success is marked by failure. And sometimes we all need to celebrate the things we have already accomplished to move forward.

Make a New Plan—Perhaps you are going about your tasks or projects the wrong way. If you can’t find your motivation still, try to redo the plan for your company in a way that makes you want to keep on going. Look at your old goals or make new goals. Keep at it until you find your inspiration.

Last but not least, don’t shun professional help. Hiring a consultant or a reviewer may help you fix the issues that are keeping you down. Keep in mind that the experts at CBS-CBS.com are always here to help.

Why Small Businesses Should Never Skip Web Optimization

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According to the latest Small Business Digital Trends Report released by Web.com, a large majority of small businesses are not optimizing business websites with SEO tactics. Only 17 percent of small businesses surveyed were actually willing to spend money on SEO. A surprising 45 percent didn’t even know what SEO meant or how it could affect company sales performance. The majority, 85 percent, of small businesses encountered some type of issue when trying to implement SEO, such as financial restrictions.

These findings definitely come as a surprise, especially to experts like Corporate Business Solutions, CBS-CBS.com, which has a long-term affiliation with a major SEO implementer as part of a larger marketing strategy. Small businesses that pass over on SEO are losing out on many major fronts. For those who still don’t know, SEO stands for search engine optimization. The acronym stands for a series of techniques a website can use to improve its ranking on the search engines results page to a query.

SERP ranking matters a lot because an increasing number of surveys show web users do not usually scroll to the bottom of a results page or click to the second page of results. Most click on a link presented above the scroll line on the results page. Therefore, companies that get ranked at the top have a higher chance of attracting traffic, and thus a better chance at making sales.

SEO also affects how a small business website gets recognized overall. Keyword optimization is important so your company’s website appears among the results for particular search queries. The more optimized a website is, the easier it will be for a niche audience to find.

Despite popular belief, SEO tactics are neither expensive nor hard to implement. It’s possible to learn SEO by oneself and start a campaign. Small businesses can also invest in an experienced SEO professional at relatively reasonably prices to perfect the existing marketing strategy.

There are plenty of free online guides for implementing SEO techniques as well. Corporate Business Solutions can provide marketing guidance for companies that want to implement SEO professionally but on a budget.

Tips for Starting With a New Company

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Corporate Business Solutions  is recognized in the small business industry for using expertise, experience and education to access the information that is often necessary for growth.  We employ the best of the best to ultimately help business leaders achieve success.

Many business professionals are looking to find new positions in the New Year. If you’re starting with a new company soon, we have tips to help you thrive from the very beginning:

  1. Introduce yourself – Make the initiative to meet people at your new office. Say hello to new colleagues in the elevator, kitchen and bathroom. It’s often easiest to begin making friends with the employees that work directly with you as it will be in their best interest to get you started on the right foot, since your work will directly affect theirs.
  2. Establish expectations with your boss and / or employees – Initiate a meeting with your boss. Then, use that initial meeting to set in writing what they believe success will look like in the first week, month and three months. Also, if you’re in a managerial position, start setting expectations with your direct reports. The first week in a new role sets the tone for the nearly everything!
  3. Become an organizational pro – You probably expect a lot of new information to come your way, so creating good habits and getting organized from the start will make your transition easier. A new job is also a good time to improve any old bad habits. Realize challenges from the past and plan to combat those accordingly.
  4. Reinforce your new connections on social media – Once you’re officially on the job, it’s important to update your title across your own social media platforms and also start following your new company and colleagues. As you meet new people, reinforce the relationships by finding them on LinkedIn or twitter. If fitting, send a friendly introductory message to remind them of your initial introduction.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Employment & Labor Laws in Small Business

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Corporate Business Solutions  is recognized for using expertise, experience and education to access the information that is often necessary for growth in small and medium – size businesses.  Many business owners struggle with employment and labor laws.  However, understanding these laws is necessary for success.

Hiring your first employee or building your business team brings with it a whole new area for compliance – employment and labor law. These laws cover everything from preventing discrimination and harassment in the workplace, workplace poster requirements, wage and hour laws and workers’ compensation regulations.

The U.S. Department of Labor oversees federal employment and labor law; however, individual states also have their own specific laws. We can help you understand and comply with these laws.  The SBA is also a great resource for business owners.  In addition, an online tool from the Department of Labor, the “FirstStep Employment Law Advisor” – can help you determine which laws apply to you and how to comply.

The FirstStep Employment Law Advisor helps employers determine which major Federal employment laws administered by the U.S. Department of Labor apply to their business or organization, what recordkeeping and reporting requirements they must comply with, and which posters they need to post. The Advisor can help all employers, including non-profit organizations, private sector businesses and government agencies.

If employers already know which Federal employment laws apply to them, the Advisor can quickly provide basic information about how to comply with these laws, including the requirements for recordkeeping, reporting, and posters and other notices.  This information can also be printed off as a reference guide.

Please note that the FirstStep Employment Law Advisor is intended as a guide on major Department of Labor laws – it does not cover all laws administered by Department of Labor. In addition, the system will not identify laws administered by other Federal agencies that might be applicable to your business or organization.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Tips for Preventing Workplace Accidents

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The consultants at Corporate Business Solutions thrive on helping small and medium – size businesses succeed.  We specialize in many areas of business, ensuring small business owners can grow their businesses.  Many business owners need a third party to help in preventing fatalities in the workplace. Here are three sources of potentially fatal accidents your employees could get into and how to prevent them:

•Workplace Violence — Non-employees perpetrate most instances of fatal workplace violence. The disgruntled gun-toting recent fire resides more in the newspaper headlines than in the category of statistically significant concerns. It’s important to examine where employees are exchanging or guarding money, interacting with the public and / or working alone or in small groups in the late or early hours of the day. You can also make sure the area around your workplace is well-lit, install security cameras, or consider scaling back your business hours if late or early operation comes to necessitate hefty security and insurance costs.

•Falls — The falls that result in fatalities tend to be in industries such as construction or landscaping. This is a case where training your employees in safety procedures and periodically evaluating their understanding and execution of those procedures is the most useful course of action. Additionally providing equipment precautions such as guardrails and rope and pulley supports when possible is also a good idea.

•Toxic Events — Gas and chemical leaks are the most common problems though asbestos continues to plague businesses moving into older facilities. It is now mandated that natural gas have some sort of odor but preventing ventilation problems and carbon monoxide leaks is the next frontier for OSHA.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.