Documenting Your Business Activities

Corporate Record Keeping is essential when it comes to protecting your assets and tax benefits. Anything that is of major business consequence should be documented in your records. You need to show evidence that it was approved by the company.

Read this helpful post that give some samples of business activities you should be documenting.

http://www.americancorpenterprises.com/documenting-your-business-activities/

Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/

An Introduction to the SBA

Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/

New Rule Regarding Solicitation of Investors

Here's yet another implementation of the JOBS Act that was passed by Congress in 2012. Read this important post regarding changes to a rule regarding solicitation of investors. This went into effect September 23, 2013.

American Corporate Enterprises, Inc.'s Blog: New Rule Regarding Solicitation of Investors: Yesterday the Nevada Secretary of State posted a media release regarding new regulations that went into effect regarding public solicitation...

Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/

Avoid Costly Hiring Mistakes

Contributed by Melissa Marsh of HRinDemand, LLC

A bad hire can cost big bucks. Careerbuilder conducted a survey in August/September 2012 in which respondents estimated that bad hiring cost their organization between $25,000 and $50,000 in 2012. In many cases, it was reported, that bad hiring was related to the pressure of filling jobs too quickly and lack of thorough information gathering about the candidate before hire. Take the time to be thorough and do research.

Most importantly, take the time to interview an applicant thoroughly. One way to do this is with behaviorally based questions; avoid the off-the-cuff interview where you chat with the applicant because too often this leads to unreliable surface information. Behaviorally based questions are a great tool because past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. The trick with behaviorally based interview questions is leading the applicant to answer the right way. Often, applicants want to give general, non-specific answers so the interviewer needs to probe and direct the applicant to answer with specific examples of past behaviors. Conducting a lengthy and thorough interview is well worth the time. It is amazing what applicants will say in an interview given the time to divulge!

Asking an applicant back for a second interview can uncover information about their willingness to put time into the process and their interest level in the job. Often, an applicant will waiver when asked back for another interview if he or she isn’t truly interested in the job. With the economy as it is, applicants are looking for any job and if someone takes a job because they need it but doesn’t really want it, that employee will not last long.

Having an interview with more than one manager is also a way to measure how well the applicant will interact with different types of people. This may seem overly time consuming and take away from a manager’s time to be productive, but it will “pay” in the end when the decision to hire is made with as much information with as many employees involved as possible. To this point, let at least one person from your staff meet with the applicant, you will be shocked at what applicants will say to “peers.” Also, get feedback from those employees who have greeted the applicant such as your receptionist. Make every second count that the applicant spends at your location!

Once you have decided after the interview process that you have met an applicant you would like to hire, take time to do more research. Ordering a background check is a great rule of thumb and helps you determine if the applicant has told the truth on their application. Checking references is also worth considering although keep in mind that applicants pick references who will say only good things about them. Often, it’s worth the time to call past employers. Past employers may not answer specific questions but if you ask the right way, you can uncover information you would not have gotten if you never called them in the first place. Consider asking people you know about an applicant if there is a connection between them. Often we know someone at a company where the applicant worked previously. There is nothing wrong with picking up the phone and asking some questions as long as you are avoiding illegal discrimination in hiring.

The more you know about an applicant before you hire, the more likely this person will be the right hire and work for you for years producing valuable, necessary work product. Here is a story that exemplifies the expense of a poor hire: someone recommended a friend be hired and she had the experience. Since a manager knew her, it wasn’t necessary to have her interview with anyone else. Around month four of her employment, she became “unruly” and made disrespectful, rude comments to one of the managers she supported. This continued until she needed a written warning. This did not help the situation; it seemed to make her more angry. Come to find out, she didn’t want to live here and was resentful that she did. This affected her work and her mood and she was lashing out at people because of it. If there had been a more thorough interview process, this information would have been uncovered and hiring her could have been avoided. She quit within six months citing relocation as her reason. All the time, money and resources spent in training her went out the window and the company had to start from scratch but this time, the interview process would be more thorough even though it would take time to find the replacement.

By spending time up front during the hiring process, your company can save considerable amounts of money in the months and years ahead. Let’s recall the survey by Careerbuilder where employers estimate a bad hire costs their organizations between $25,000 and $50,000. Take the time to hire right.

Melissa Marsh, HR Consultant and Founder of HRinDemand, is a proven HR professional with over 15 years experience in the field who works with businesses to streamline and improve human resources processes, policies and procedures. For assistance with employee related issues, contact HRinDemand directly at (775) 400-1322. Visit their web site at www.HRinDemand.com

Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/

Who Wouldn't Like to Save 70% in Operating Costs?

Starting a business requires significant planning- part of which includes where it will be located; hiring employees; what type of equipment you will need; capital requirements, etc. While most small businesses start out as a one-man operation, in order to grow at some point they have to consider hiring help or possibly outsourcing some things like bookkeeping or other administrative work.

Executive Suites are similar to outsourcing, but they provide you with many more benefits. This is why they are used by everyone from Fortune 500 companies, professionals in every trade, engineers, architects, manufacturer’s reps, to the entrepreneur and small to medium size business.

With an Executive Suite you can potentially minimize your startup costs by over 70%. The simple math makes it clear why the value and benefits of them are the desired choice of professionals around the world. From team rooms to board rooms, you are equipped in a comprehensive professional environment.

On Your Own: Consider what it would cost to rent and furnish an office, install phone equipment, purchase a printer and fax machine and hire a full time receptionist. Most likely it will cost over $25,000 PER YEAR.

Here at Pinnacle: We have furnished Executive Suites starting at $5,940 PER YEAR, ($495/mo.) which includes a full time receptionist, telephone equipment, conference room, printer, copier, fax service and more.

Why not take that savings and reinvest it into further building your business? There’s no better time than right now to start working smarter and not harder.

Take a virtual tour at http://pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/more.html or better yet stop in for a guided tour.

Read more on "Why Choose An Executive Suite".


Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/

Happy Thanksgiving from Pinnacle Executive Suites

Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/

Winning the Tax Game- End of the Season Tax Tips

Contributed by Elite Bookkeeping & Tax Services

If you think gridlock is a football term, you may not be too far out of bounds. Tax cuts, tax increases and tax provisions are being passed back and forth in Washington, D. C. and whoever fumbles, loses. That can be bad news for taxpayers.

Look at what hangs in the balance: Lower tax rates, the 15% capital gains rate on long-term investments, the 2% payroll tax cut, the 35% maximum estate and gift tax rates, direct IRA payouts to charity, higher alternative minimum tax exemptions, the deduction for state sales taxes and even the $250 deduction for out-of-pocket teacher supplies. And you thought the potential for a 2012 catastrophe was only a Mayan myth.

Although we may be down to the final quarter of the year, there is still time before the two-minute warning, to take a look at your tax situation and see if you can save a few tax dollars.

• The American Opportunity Tax Credit expanded the Hope Credit, providing a credit of up to $2,500 of the cost of qualified tuition and related expenses. Up to $1,000 of the credit can be returned to a taxpayer as a refund. The credit was supposed to end in 2010, but it was extended through 2012. This could be the credit's last year if Congress is looking for ways to cut the federal deficit.

• If you’re in the top tax bracket of 35%, you may want to accelerate income into 2012, if possible. If Congress doesn't act, the highest tax rate will rise to 39.6% in 2013.

• Along with the possibility of higher ordinary income tax rates, there's the possibility of higher capital gains rates on investment income in 2013. The top capital gains rate for investments held for more than a year is 15% for most taxpayers through 2012, and zero capital gains tax for investors in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. If your crystal ball says capital gains taxes are going up next year, you may want to consider locking in profits on long-term investments before the end of this year.

• Giving to charity can help reduce your tax bill if you are able to itemize deductions. In addition to contributions made by cash, check or credit card, the crisp fall air may provide the energy, while the potential of a lower tax bill may provide the incentive to clean out closets looking for items in good condition, that you can donate to a qualified charitable organization. Remember to make a list of the items and determine their fair market value. Clip the list to the door hangar or receipt that you receive from the organization and keep with your tax return documents for your records.

• If you believe that charity begins at home and you want to give away your estate's assets while you're still around to get thanks, you can give up to $13,000 each to as many individuals as you wish without any tax costs to you or your gift recipients in 2012.

• Sometimes, a major life change is thrown your way and you may not think of it as a tax deduction. If you found yourself looking for a new job, agency fees, resume expenses, career counseling costs and travel related to the job search may be deductible even if the job search was unsuccessful.

If you moved because of a change in job location, the cost of moving your household goods and family members may be deductible.

Unreimbursed travel expenses for military reservists, including the National Guard, may be deductible.

The fee that you pay for renting a safe-deposit box, the cost of having your taxes prepared, the advisory or management fees you pay a firm to manage your investments may also be overlooked deductions.

Some of these tax breaks require you to itemize. Others are available even if you claim the standard deduction. Naturally, there may be eligibility requirements to meet and in some cases, there will be extra worksheets, forms or schedules. And you will always need to have documentation for these often-overlooked deductions.

• Even if you’re thinking you’ll never be able to retire, putting money into a retirement account can save you tax dollars. Employees should contribute as much as they can to their 401(k) or similar plans at work.

If you’re eligible, you may want to contribute to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Although Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, traditional IRA contributions may be, depending on your income and whether or not you are covered by an employer’s plan.

Self-employed folks also have a variety of retirement plans from which to choose: SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) IRA, or Solo 401(k) or SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) IRA. Some taxpayers may be able to contribute to a Traditional IRA.

For 2012, remember Roth IRA conversion taxes! If you converted a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2010, you were allowed to span the taxes due on the converted amounts equally over the 2011 and 2012 tax years. Your first Roth conversion tax bill was included on your 2011 return, but make sure you plan for the 2012 conversion bill.

Along those lines, it is not too late to adjust the amount of Federal or state tax withheld from your paycheck. If you owed taxes last year, or received a larger refund than expected, you may want to take a look at adjusting your withholding. Remember: the goal is to pay the least amount of taxes. The final quarter of the year is the perfect time to talk to your Enrolled Agent to make sure the game plan you discussed at the beginning of the year still applies, and you’ll surely be the winner at tax time.

For assistance with your bookkeeping and tax needs contact Elite Bookkeeping & Tax Services at (800) 416-3820.

Pinnacle Executive Suites - located in Carson City, NV: Our goal is to provide the finest office space and best service possible to make the professionals and their guests feel comfortable with their surroundings. This goal is accomplished when you come in and enjoy your surroundings. We have tried to accomplish this through upscale furnishings, to show some affluence, without being ostentatious. Our staff has been selected for their genuine desire to help our professionals with their business needs and graciously welcome your guests. Our staff has many years of experience to assure the best possible service. Contact us today at 775-884-6123 or visit our website at http://www.pinnacleexecutivesuites.com/