JEFE Financial Solutions

For businesses looking to reach the next level of success, there’s no bigger star than organic sales growth. It’s defined as achieving an increase in revenue through existing operations rather than from mergers, acquisitions or other external investments. How can you set the stage for growing sales organically? First, provide customer service that addresses problems quickly and exceeds expectations. Second, continuously adjust and improve marketing tactics to align with changing trends. And third, train all employees to contribute to sales while offering them valued benefits and a positive work environment. Contact us at (773) 500-5433 for help identifying your company’s optimal strategies for achieving organic sales growth.

Proper payroll recordkeeping is critical for every business to ensure tax compliance and guard against litigation. Most companies must keep information regarding federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes for at least four years after the due date of an employee’s personal income tax return for the year in which the payment was made. This is known as the “records-in-general” rule, and various data and documents fall under it. Contact us at (773) 500-5433 to schedule a review of your payroll recordkeeping processes today!

Companies often prepay advertising, insurance, rent and other items. Rather than immediately report the full prepaid amount as an expense on the income statement, companies that use accrual-basis accounting methods may need to recognize a prepaid asset on the balance sheet. The remaining balance is gradually deducted as an expense as it’s used to generate revenue. This financial reporting concept sometimes trips up business owners and bookkeepers. We can help you understand the accounting rules and decide whether the benefits of prepaying outweigh the costs. Contact us at (773) 500-5433 if your business is transitioning to accrual accounting or you’re unsure how to expense prepayments.

Worried about market volatility and losses in your portfolio? Remember, losses aren’t truly losses until they’re realized; in other words, until you sell an investment for less than what you paid for it. If you hold on to the investment, it might recover. But if you do decide to sell, know that realized losses have a silver lining: They can offset realized capital gains. So if you’re sitting on appreciated assets, this could help you divest tax efficiently. Call us at (773) 500-5433 for more information. (Also, keep in mind that there are important factors to consider besides taxes.)