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What is Corporate Filing?

Filing corporation articles

What is a corporate filing?

So, what is meant by corporate filing? When you own a company, there is paperwork involved. A lot of paperwork. A corporate filing is some of that paperwork, and it provides vital information to a corporation. Among that information are the company name and address, the company’s representative information, and the purpose of the corporation that has been formed.

Regardless of what state your business is located in and where it has become incorporated, it is mandatory to file the articles of incorporation. This is referring to forms that are required by the SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) that states a company’s financial condition and material changes of the organization. Does every company have to file these forms?

No, only companies that are going to be a publicly-traded company, meaning a company that will be on the NYSE.  You know that 30 seconds on the news every night where a small group of people is standing around a podium banging a gavel?  Those are representatives (usually the original owner is in that group) announcing to the world their company is no longer a private company, but publicly traded on the NYSE. They have completed the required corporate filing of paperwork.

That paperwork is drawn up by business consultants, people that have a financial and legal background and knowledge of the protocol, laws, and requirements of the SEC.  Do you need such a company to do your corporate filing paper for you? No, it isn’t a law or requirement, but corporate paperwork, legal or tax paperwork, is complicated, confusing, difficult, and overwhelming.  and difficult.

Just as with your taxes, if your corporate filing paperwork is not done correctly, there could be repercussions costing you money. By hiring a small business consultant, you can have peace of mind knowing that they know what they are doing. They know and understand everything for corporate filing that will prevent possible consequences for your company.

If you are considering going public with your business, losing the sole proprietorship status, if you don’t already have a small business consultant, google “corporate filing services near me” and begin the search for such a company. You want experienced, knowledgeable people on your side for this next step.

How do you find if a company is registered?

The Internet is a wonderful tool. It can be used to find contractors for anything you need to be done, including a small business consultant. Information on anything, find out certain laws, dates of events, and recipes. It is also a tool to find out the status if a company has registered and when they submit their corporate filing. Every state in the country has a link to this information.  It will tell you the date the company registered, under what name, their ID and the company’s current standing.

Who is the owner of a business?

The person responsible for all aspects and facets of a business, the person who receives all the business profits, is the legal owner. The owner is the business. They file income tax listing their expenses, losses, and profit on individual tax forms like the Federal 1040 form annually. This information in their corporate filing along with the financial condition of the company and any material changes within the organization, all done through the corporate filing and dissemination system.

How do I find the owner of a corporation?

Every state has a website that provides a complimentary database with business registration is entered with the corporation’s name and registration number. This will also provide the business owner’s name and address and the registered agent’s name.

corporate office and businessmen

What happens if you don’t file your annual report?

For a company to be in good standing and acknowledged as a registered entity, its annual corporate filing report on time. There are repercussions for filing late or not at all, such as late fees and the company being administratively dissolved as a legal entity.

Corporate filing is just as important for a business to maintain good standing as it is to meet corporate tax filing deadlines and other items of this nature.  Here is a summarization of 8 things that you should expect to get from a small business consultant:

  • Experience and Knowledge of Your Industry.
  • Experience and Knowledge of Your Business.
  • Passion about Your Business.
  • Accentuate Your Leadership Skills.
  • Develop a Strategic Plan.
  • Provide Effective Training.
  • Hold You Accountable to Commitments and Responsibilities.
  • Produce Measurable Results for the Goals You Both Set for Your Business.

If you aren’t getting these things from your current business consultant, request a meeting and review what you perceive and understand to be their part in your business and what you expect. Just as you review your electrical service, auto, business, home, and life insurance policies, your internet, and phone service contracts, regularly, review what your business consultant is providing you. They are a team member and having clear and open communication is important for your business’s success. Dial (214) 382-2964 today for your corporate filing in Dallas, TX.

How do incentive programs work?

team working together on project

Improve morale with incentives

There are times the job market is the employer’s market and at other times, it is the job seeker’s market. Meaning, when the jobs are few, employers have the upper hand and when the jobs are plentiful, the employed and the job seekers have the upper hand in demands and expectations. When it is in the job seekers with the upper hand, employee incentive programs can do a lot in hiring and keeping good employees. 

Some employee incentive program examples are sign-on bonuses and retention bonuses, more sick days and vacation days, quarterly incentive bonuses, etc. Companies may design an incentive program based on the industry, such as accident-free bonuses for an industry that is prone to accidents or reaching a goal of error-free shipping. There isn’t a box of employee incentive programs, as they can be customized to fit the company’s overall goal or to fit a specific department within the company.

A company should choose employee incentive programs that work to make the employee incentive program benefits appealing to the masses or to the type of employee they desire to attract and retain. The employee incentive programs for small businesses are typically different than those of a larger company or corporations, and employees and job seekers can and should need to choose their employment aspirations accordingly.

What is an example of an incentive?

An incentive is something that gives a person the motivation to accomplish something or work harder toward a goal. One example of employee incentive programs in the workplace is to be paid extra money for working additional time on a project. The ultimate goal for the employer may be to get an order out on a time, reach a number in sales and profit, reduce the employee accident rate, boost morale, or any number of things that a company needs to achieve.

The difference can be huge with the right employee incentive programs. Studies have found that a properly structured incentive program can increase the performance of a company’s employees by 40% or more. Some examples of incentives are: 

  • Financial: Money may not everything, but it doesn’t hurt to have more either. A financial reward is commonly always one of the most well-received employee incentive programs and gives the employees that motivation an employer is trying to generate. This financial reward can be in the way of a prepaid card or an open-loop prepaid card that can be used for ongoing motivation. Paycheck bonuses and raises are always a plus too!
  • Networking Social Events: After work, most of us just want to go home and relax, but the occasional work gathering can be fun and give employees the desired incentive to know there is a free “party” waiting for them at the end of a period.  These events are useful for team building among the employees and create camaraderie between employees while strengthening the relationship between the boss and the employees.
  • Points System: A workplace points system as employee incentive programs have proven to be successful. It would reward employees for reaching assigned goals or achieving specific behavior. They can redeem the points for a variety of things like gift cards, merchandise, or time off with pay, like a half day.
  • Learning Chances: Every business is more successful with educated and informed employees, so these types of employee incentive programs are a win-win. Offer educational and training programs that give employees the opportunity to improve on their skillset and expand their knowledge that could lead to paying raises and job advancement.
  • Simply Saying Thank You: Simply saying “thank you” or acknowledging a good job from the boss or management team will make a big difference for an employee. A little bit of one-on-one recognition does a lot for the ego and morale, and best of all, it’s free.

How do you recognize employees for good work?

Nobody wants to fee underappreciated, especially at work. The days of getting a paycheck aren’t enough anymore. Being recognized in the workplace does a lot for morale and encouraging us to keep going at it another day. Sadly, only 1 in 3 workers receive praise or recognition in a week according to a Gallop poll and when an employee doesn’t feel they are appreciated, they are two times as likely to leave an employer within 12 months.

Here is a list of employee incentive programs that won’t cost the company a quarter’s worth of profit.

  1. Give a shout-out from time to time
  2. Offer opportunities for personal development that expand into professional development
  3. Offer fun projects
  4. Take employees to lunch for achieving a goal, like getting a huge order out on time, under budget
  5. Loosen the management reins
  6. Create a fun competition between departments
  7. Throw an appreciation party or plan a potluck lunch
  8. Encourage peers to recognize their fellow associate’s accomplishments

How do I incentivize my employees without money?

As we mentioned earlier, money isn’t everything, but it is something. However, looking beyond to find employee incentive programs that won’t cost the company is helpful too. We’ve mentioned a simply “thank you” can do a lot for motivation and feeling appreciated. Here are some intrinsic motivators that won’t break the budget while getting your employees motivated. 

Independence, mastery, and purpose

Experts say there are three things that motivate humans:

  • Independence: We all want to be independent thinkers and have control over what we do in life, including at work. Don’t be a “helicopter boss” that hoovers over your employees. Give them the opportunity to make decisions.
  • Mastery: We all want to be better at what we do, by providing your employees the opportunity to show off their achievements and progress allows them to show they have mastered something. Provide them constructive feedback and performance metrics so they can achieve that mastery with development plans individually designed for each one.
  • Purpose: Everyone likes to be a part of something that is larger than they are, and by seeing how their contribution benefits the whole business does that. It shows them their work is of value to the whole picture.

Offer praise

You can’t praise an employee too much praise or recognition, even if only a thank you. A shout-out during a team meeting does wonders and can give other employees the push to do strive harder for more too. Make the acknowledging praise and recognition for tangible accomplishments. 

Community development

Your employees need to feel connected to the company and each other. y building a sense of community your employees feel connected to each other – and not just to the business. Have each department go to lunch together, put old fashion games in the breakroom, even a jigsaw puzzle that everyone can work on together. Company picnics that include the employee’s families are excellent for “out of the workplace” togetherness.

Get to know the person

Learn your employee’s hobbies, interests, family situation. Do their kids play ball or take dance? Do they raise a certain breed of cats or dogs? This personal connection will let you know what motivates them.

Volunteering as a team

Of all the employee incentive programs there are, this one helps others too. Get a group of volunteers to work at a food bank or soup kitchen. Find a non-profit to support and encourage the employees to reach out for donations. This brings everyone together for a single goal and it can only help publicity for the company.

What are some employee incentives?

We’ve covered and offered several ideas and suggestions, but there are so many more things that you can do for successful employee incentive programs. Some more ideas to consider are:

  • Make sure your employees have the equipment, materials, and tools they need to do their job well.
  • Create a special, unassigned office for a day when a goal is reached by an employee
  • Give away an outside service like a massage, house cleaning service, sizeable discount for fitness equipment for the home
  • Make a game out of finding small gifts around the workplace
  • Create a funny award
  • Let an employee that wins a contest or achieves a goal pass on a project or switch a client with another employee
  • Draw attention to an employee’s outside accomplishment or interests
  • Shake things up by having management serve lunch to the crew
happy team shaking hands

What are the three types of incentives?

Research and studies have found that when a company provides a variety of incentives, it motivates the employees to do their best consistently. Three popular and well-received employee incentive programs are:

  • Profit-Sharing Plans
  • Cash Bonuses – paid in cash, not by check where IRS gets a piece of it
  • Retention Bonuses – and not just for newcomers, but 5-year, 10-year, 20-year, etc.   

Employee incentive programs are essential to a company’s longevity and success. Happy employees are satisfied employees and those are productive employees. The effort, money, and time you put into this endeavor could have a long-lasting ROI. Call (214) 382-2964 today to discuss employee incentive programs in Dallas, TX.

Is an Exit Strategy Really Necessary?

working on exit strategy business plan

Building Your Dream and Preparing for the Worst

If you are a business owner, then you have likely thought about almost every single scenario. For those that own a brick and mortar location, you’ve probably even thought about how to get out when there is a fire. However, the one plan you have likely not thought about is an exit strategy. What is that? It’s a specific guide for you when things either go south or when you are ready to move on to new ventures. To learn more about an exit strategy business plan for your Dallas, TX company, contact R Moon Consulting. We are the experts you need for this very thing. Call us at (214) 382-2964 to get started. 

an exit strategy business plan for finances

An Exit Strategy Business Plan for You

So what actually is an exit strategy? In a nutshell, this is a specific and strategic plan for an entrepreneur to sell their interest or stake in a business. This could provide a profit if the business itself is successful. However, an exit strategy within a business plan is often there to actually help minimize losses when an entrepreneur sells its stake. Though this sounds very scary, exit strategies are there to serve you, not scare you. An exit strategy business plan example might be a strategic acquisition. In this scenario, you might plan with another company to strategically buy most or all of your shares in your business. You often hear about this happening catching owners by surprise, but this would not be the case for you. There are many other choices for you to pick from which is why it’s important to work with a consultant or consulting agency when writing a plan like this. Similar to when you may need something like HVAC duct sealing. While you can do it yourself, you’ll experience better results and more satisfaction by relying on experts.

Top Exit Strategy Plan Options

When it comes to planning an exit strategy, there is no one way. Rather, there is no exit strategy business plan template. Every business and every plan will be different because it is all based on you. It’s based on what you want, what you have planned, what you currently have, and so on. There is no way to say that what worked for someone will work for you, but that in mind, there are several options to consider.

  • Merger & Acquisition (M&A): With this plan, it usually involves merging with a similar company or just being bought out by a larger company. This is considered a win-win for bordering companies with complementary skills. You get to step back from the business without hurting your finances or employees. 
  • Initial Public Offering (IPO): This is a viable option for a larger business, but most certainly not for smaller businesses. Going public is a long and costly process, which is not always possible for smaller businesses. There is also the risk of being liable for things since public companies are held to strict standards. 
  • Sell to Friend: Selling to a friend or valued business owner is not the same as an acquisition. You won’t actually be combining two resources into one. Instead, you are selling your interest in the business and walking away. This is often ideal for those that want a fresh start. 
  • Liquidation: With a liquidation, this is an immediate, close up shop and sell everything situation. Smaller businesses dependent on a single source or individual may have this as their only option. In that case, you may need some help reworking your business for a possible buyout or acquisition. 
  • Liquidation Over Time: If you are lucky enough, you may get to liquidate your business over time. It may still shut down, but it won’t be immediate. In this case, the owner will typically extract funds over time rather than preparing the business for expansion.

This can all seem very overwhelming to new business owners, which is why it’s recommended to work on this with a consultant. For that, you can rely on R Moon Consulting. We can help you with everything from how to write an exit strategy business plan to employee development coaching. We are here to help business owners just like you find what they need to make their business work for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a good exit strategy?
    • A good exit strategy will have everything you need to move on from your current business. It will include information about a retirement plan, pension plans, plans for spending or earning money, and so on.
  • Why do you need an exit strategy?
    • You need an exit strategy for those just in case moments. There is no guarantee that a business will thrive and survive the way you hope it will. If that is the case, you need a plan to ensure you and your money are protected. That’s why you need an exit strategy. 
  • What is a business exit strategy?
    • This is a strategic plan to sell your interest or investment in a company. It’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs to liquidate or reduce their stake in a business. This is often meant for those wanting to retire or spend less time working. 
  • What should be included in an exit strategy?
    • One of the most important things that needs to be included in your exit strategy is what will happen to your business once you sell. This could be an acquisition, merger, IPO, or just simply shutting down the business. This is a critical step to understand where your money is going. 
  • How do you make an exit strategy?
    • Your best bet for preparing an exit strategy is to work with a consultant. They will go over every single detail with you, figure out what it is you want, and help to build a plan from there. While you can do it on your own, it’s best to work with a professional for expert advice.
exit strategy business plan

Connect With Our Team Today for More

When you need help with an exit strategy business plan in Dallas, TX, look no further than R Moon Consulting. Dial (214) 382-2964 to schedule your consultation today.

What Does a Leadership Coach Do?

Leadership Coaching in Action

Leadership and Business Coaching for You

If you are a business owner with employees, you can tell who is going to shoot to the top. You probably have your eye on a select few that you know, if given the chance, could do great things within the company. It can be difficult to find the time and the effort to mentor others so they can succeed, which is why leadership and executive coaches exist. A leadership coach can be brought on to help bring out the best potential in your employees. If it sounds pretty straight forward, that’s because it is! Leadership coaching for Dallas, TX businesses isn’t designed to reinvent the wheel. It’s designed to help unlock the potential hiding within your company. Dial (214) 382-2964 to connect with R Moon Consulting for more.

Employee Utilizing Leadership Coaching

How Does Leadership Coaching Work?

A leadership coach, sometimes known as an executive coach, is a qualified individual that works with high-potential employees within a company. A coach is not a therapist or a consultant, but rather a sounding board and a source of confidential support. They help those high-potential with things like:

  • Gain self-awareness
  • Identify goals
  • Establish objectives
  • Challenge assumptions
  • And so much more

When given permission, these coaches can offer advice when necessary, but again they are not therapists. They are not brought in to tell an employee how they should or should not act. Rather, they are brought in to help employees unlock their potential and rise to the occasion. As mentioned, the title for a leadership coach or an executive coach is relatively interchangeable. There really is no leadership coaching vs executive coaching. The only difference that could be identified would be that executive coaching could be reserved for employees in more executive responsibilities. Whereas leadership coaching could be for employees that show a high-potential for executive responsibilities. Now there is a difference between leadership coaching and something like business coaching. With business coaching, you’d be learning more about how to run a business while also finding those goals and unlocking your potential as a business owner.

Things a Leadership Coach Can Do for You

If you have been considering coaching for your business, you have probably wonder if there are any leadership coaching benefits. And the answer is, yes! Leadership, executive, and other forms of coaching have proven track records. They are reliable resources for positive growth within companies. There really are a number of things you can glean from coaching. 

  • Clarification: Coaching can help you get a much clearer understanding of yourself and of those around you. Perhaps the most critical aspect of leadership coaching is the drive to self-awareness. Knowing who you are and what you want will help you get much further than you currently are. 
  • Strengths and Weaknesses: The other potentially critical aspect of coaching is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Having a complete understanding of these things can help you utilize your strengths while minimizing and even working on improving your weaknesses. 
  • Actual Achievement: Of course, the bottom line of coaching is to help you and your employees actually achieve your goals. Coaches are not there to consult on how to run your business. Rather, they are there, in a way, to help make your business run more effectively. 

Why leadership coaching is important is because it helps potentially great employees find themselves. It can help those that want to go to the next level with their career and with themselves as well. Leadership coaching can help you both in your profession and in your personal life, to an extent. The one thing that leadership coaching can’t do is help with something like network consulting. Other than that, executive or leadership coaches can have a profound impact on your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is leadership coaching and how is it beneficial?
    • Leadership coaching is a great way to bring inspiration and motivation to yourself or to your office. It’s beneficial because coaching can help find hidden strengths and weaknesses that you and your company can use to better yourself. 
  • What is the difference between executive and leadership coaching?
    • Executive coaching and leadership coaching are essentially the same thing. They both intend to help clients find hidden strengths while also working to inspire and motivate clients to be the best version of themselves.
  • What do you expect from leadership coaching?
    • You should expect your coach to help you identify big and small goals you have. You should also expect them to help you find and secure the motivation you need to go after and ultimately achieve those goals. 
  • Why is coaching important in the workplace?
    • In the workplace, coaching is primarily important because it can help boost company morale. Coaching can also help you identify and organize your goals so you as a company can ultimately achieve them.
  • How can coaching help leadership development?
    • Coaching can help with improved emotional intelligence. It can help with better time and resource management, better communication, more motivation, a higher or more positive return on investment, and much more. 
Leadership Coaching Conference

Connect With Our Team for More Information

Ready to get started with leadership coaching in Dallas, TX? Call R Moon Consulting at (214) 382-2964 to schedule a consultation today. 

Do Business Coaches Really Work?

Young Female White Collar Worker Teaching Male Colleagues

Expand Your Career With A Business Coach

When you’re wondering what the next step should or can be with your business and field a business coach may be able to help you! There are many seasoned professionals out there that are familiar with your struggles and aspirations and have the knowledge and heart to assist you in navigating your field. A business coach comes with many different personalities and ideologies which can assist the many different mindsets of people out there in the world trying to grow. It’s therefore important to do your research and find out what you ultimately want from a business coach and see if there is enough chemistry to spark a movement towards your future. Here is some information that may be helpful to you in your search for improving your career!

What is a business coach?

A business coach is someone who can assist you in furthering your career as well as establish long term business goals by developing habits that will be beneficial for your future. You can develop ideas that are not only strategic but able to be built upon. Businesses fluctuate and a business coach will be able to help your navigation through changes with a clear head and practical applications.

What should I expect from a business coach?

A business coach should be someone that acts more as a mentor than an actual coach who is willing to sit down with you or lead by example. It’s important to seek someone who is eager to impart their wisdom be it from their seasoned experience or from other field methods. It’s important that you share a sense of chemistry and agreeable mindset that will progress you further. Aim for someone who will hold you accountable and provide you with a dose of honesty so you can constructively be critiqued and challenged. With a business coach, it’s important that they are someone who is objective and can stimulate your thought process. They should be trustworthy and able to admit from past failures so you can learn from them. 

What can a business coach help with?

A business coach can be useful for people who are in different stages of their life. A business coach for entrepreneurs can start at basic functions of goal setting, networking, establishing routine and schedules. Or you may already be established and would like a business coach to assist in your potential for growth if you find yourself stumped as to where to go next. From simple stages to the more complex, a business coach is proven to assist individuals further their careers. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to find who fits the best with their mindset to further their growth. 

Business Coach vs Management Consultant

A business coach differs from a management consultant based on the establishment and other factors. A management consultant is technically an executive coach that will typically work with individuals that are employed in larger corporations, Fortune 500s, and C-Level teams. Their focus is mostly on the preservation of culture and workmanship spirit yet they can innovate on company structures as well. With a business consultant, you’ll have someone who knows how a business works with both start-ups and established businesses. Their focus if often helping someone transition or shift gears in the playing field of business and how to carefully navigate responsibility and commitment down the road. A business coach will differ from consultants as they will tie in a bit of psychology into the mix and act more as a mentor with interpersonal goal setting, habit-forming, behavioral changes, performance goals and setting your own path.

How can a business coach help me?

A business coach is almost like a therapist that’s with you on the field. They offer wisdom and are familiar with the knowledge that specifically can help you with your career growth. They will guide and assist you in running a business and help achieve a clear vision for the future. A business coach will help connect the dots to see how ultimately this can be achieved with both your business and personal goals. They will establish where you are and get you to where you want to be.

Two Males By a Computer

Why should you hire a coach?

Reasons to Hire a Business Coach 

  • Learn Your Strengths & Weaknesses
  • Be Accountable to Someone
  • Harness Your Ideas
  • Establish Realistic Goals
  • Prioritize Business Needs
  • Get Support & Encouragement
  • Increase Your Creativity
  • Increase Income
  • Challenge Yourself
  • Try New Things
  • Find Motivation 
  • Get Out of Rut
  • Gain Confidence

How do I find a good business coach?

Business coaches know that in this day and age it’s important to offer information or previews of their styles before committing. That’s why several offer routes where you can preview their ways and see if they’re a fit for your through website, podcasts, blogs and more! A search may be as simple as looking for a business coach in your area with a simple search engine implementation such as attic insulation in Fort Worth, TX. There are various avenues to look into for leadership and management coaching, weigh your options with research and a few trials until you find the person who is right for you! 

If you’re interested in a business coach in Dallas, TX call (214) 382-2964 with R Moon Consulting!

What Can I Expect From a Business Consultant?

A Business Consultant Assists With Inventory Planning

Precision Insight for Specific Problems

Overcoming challenges is just a part of life as a business owner or corporate officer. We’ve all faced the frustration of a management problem that simply won’t go away no matter how many different angles your team analyzes it from. Sometimes the solution is to bring in an outside, experienced perspective. That’s where a business consultant can help!

Today, we’ll dig up some of the most frequently asked questions about these crucial industry experts. By the end, you should know what to expect from consulting services, when to hire a consultant, and what qualities to look for as you search for third-party talent. Let’s get started!

Consultants Explained

“Why do you need a business consultant? What exactly does a business consultant do?” Before diving into how to get the most out these misunderstood professionals, we’ll define their role in the business community.

Role

What is the Role of a Business Consultant?

Sharma Graham (M.A.D.E. To Lead and Forbes Coaches Council contributor) does a fantastic job of defining the role of a consultant. “Consultants diagnose a problem and make a recommendation. From there, they take the client somewhere based on what they believe is best.” In other words, they tackle specific challenges laid out by the hiring company. These professionals often specialize in one or a handful of industries related to their clients.

Let’s use a personal-sized example to explain this concept. Say you discovered a sudden surge in your monthly energy costs. You can hire an energy consultant to determine why the spike occurred and how to fix the problem. After the process of home performance testing, your expert would identify the issue causing the waste and provide a solution (for measurable results)

Purpose

Why Do Companies Hire Consultants?

The life cycle of a business is one of continual change, road blocks, and modifications. While companies can hire new employees to address certain problems, others are too complex or cost-prohibitive to overcome with internal talent alone. This is particularly common for smaller businesses, who don’t have a larger pool of expertise to draw from. Even larger corporations look to business consultants however, especially when they’ve become stuck in the deadly pattern of “That’s just the way we do things.”

Companies hire consultants for a variety of reasons, such as the following:

  • Process Efficiency: Discovering new ways to complete a familiar process in order to save time and money.
  • Consumer Research: Identifying traits or patterns in a particular target market to create opportunities for growth and strategize for the future.
  • Management: Determining more effective ways to hire, consolidate, and manage internal and external talent.
  • Risk Assessment: Examining the market and environmental landscape to identify risks, comply with regulations, and create solutions.
  • Financial Analysis: Assessing and consolidating the financial resources of an enterprise.

A business may hire consultants for one or more of these tasks, generally when they need a trusted, third-party perspective on a specific problem.

Consulting vs Coaching

Business Consultant vs Business Coach

Confusion between these two terms leads to thousands, sometimes millions of dollars in wasted investments. Without digging in too deep, we’ll briefly describe the differences between these two roles.

Consultants’ extensive knowledge and experience allows them to make specific, metric-driven plans to address a specific problem. You’ll find this to be true, whether you’re hunting for a business consultant for small businesses or large corporations.

Business coaches, on the other hand, offer more generalized knowledge to educate and equip management professionals. They don’t solve problems, but teach internal talent how to do so. If you’ve been looking for a mentor to guide development for yourself and/or the management team, consider a coach instead of a consultant.

How Can a Business Consultant Help?

So we’ve talked about the general purpose of a consulting professional. Now let’s dig into how a consultant can benefit your company. Keep in mind, there are countless industries in the United States alone, any of which can benefit from consulting. We’ll use some of the most frequently faced problems that have cross-industry applications.

When to Hire a Business Consultant

  • Your business struggles with inventory management.
  • Your management desires insight for launching a new product or entering a new market.
  • Your operational team craves new opportunities for better processes or department efficiency.
  • You need help planning cash flow, developing capital, or facing a financial threat.
  • Your management team needs assistance with organizing employee compensation or boosting engagement.
A Business Consultant Helps a Small Business Owner Plan Ahead

Start Finding Your Solutions!

What does it mean to be a business consultant? We have your answer at R Moon Consulting! Industry-specific knowledge, metric-driven planning, and timely results are traits you can depend on when you choose our team as your Dallas, TX business consultant. If you’ve run into management challenges, HR difficulties, or sluggish growth, feel free to talk with one of our seasoned professionals! Learn more about our services and start planning your strategies at (214) 382-2964.

How Do Small Businesses Manage Income?

A businessman drawing on an interactive graph schema.

How Can a Business Manage Finance?

When you are starting out a new business, one of the most important aspects of your management will be to manage the cash flow. Cash flow is the lifeblood of the business. Even a small mistake can increase costs exponentially. An integral way to manage your income is through finding an excellent local credit union. Credit unions have a propensity to provide loans given the needs of your business. A loan can go a long way toward accomplishing your goals. Another way you can manage your business finances in a more informed way is through acquiring a trusted mentor. Mentors can be found through reputable entrepreneurial sites. A trustworthy mentor will be able to guide you through various pitfalls using their experience and knowledge.

What are Good Money Management Skills?

Good money management skills are integral to operating a business correctly, and provides benefits in other spheres of influence. One strong factor to consider is remaining transparent in your books by consulting with a partner or trusted associate. This will assist with creating an atmosphere of respect and trust. Even if you are the only one paying the bills, should an emergency arise, having another pair of knowledgeable eyes can beneficial. Having a way of analyzing your cash flow will enable you to explore more options with regard to enabling stronger money habits. Cash flow analysis is a service that enables deeper introspection for your money managing habits.

How can I Manage Money Better?

Creating a strong budget is one of the strongest steps you can take toward financial independence. Using a reliable schema, assign all your finances and don’t leave a penny unassigned. Monies that are not attributed toward a direct goal will be vulnerable to reckless spending and waste. Educate yourself in terms of the basic aspects of finance. Learn how to read financial statements if you are not currently adept. Financial statements contain four essential details: cash flow statement, income statement, balance sheet, and statement of shareholders’ equity. Familiarize yourself with these terms and their implications. More ‘homework’ enables better money habits.

How Can I Be Cheap?

How to cut costs? An excellent question. It is important for every entrepreneur develop the habit of retaining as much of their income as possible without hampering customer satisfaction. In small business, there are two different types of costs: fixed and variable. While fixed costs occur regardless of whether or not your business is in operation, there is an availability of funds in variable costs. An example of this, is instead of purchasing costly software for your company, free, cloud-based software is equally available, and just as good.

How do Small Businesses Organize their Finances?

Use separate accounts for your personal and business funds. Separating your funds will offer you protection check points and make it easier for you to sell your business if you see that occurring in the future. Separate accounts also make it easier for you to handle your taxes on an annual basis.

Business Finance Issues

There are many business finance pitfalls that small businesses should be aware of. For example, even if your business appears to be operating smoothly on paper, building up accounts receivable can find itself short on cashflow. Getting clients and customers to pay your business in a fashion that enables you to keep it afloat is critical to your business’ financial health. Develop good collection methods to avoid this shortfall.

You may also want to be on the lookout for legal challenges. Businesses get sued – it’s a fact of life. However, even if the suit is frivolous, it can still be very costly to defend your business, which is your principle investment. Professional liability insurance can assist with insuring against certain types of lawsuits.

Business Finance Tools

There are a number of different finance tools that will assist you in relation to managing your business. One that should be on the forefront is accounting software. Quickbooks has long been the gold standard for small business accounting. Review relevant accounting software to see which fits best for your business. Two other finance tools that you should consider are a payroll management system, and agile billing. A payroll management system will help you streamline the payroll process and eliminate expensive inefficiencies. Agile billing is possible through cloud-based software, and will create better customer experiences and an increased credit score.

Business Finance and Management

There are a number of tools that will further assist with business finance management. Consult the following bullet points for further introspection:

  • Financial Dashboard. A financial dashboard allows you to see a snapshot of your small business’s financial health. These programs allow you to track key performance indicators and measure whether or not your business is performing with excellent, or to its own detriment.
  • Inventory Management. If you own a business that sells inventory, one of the tools that will help you manage this function is cloud-based software. Using one of these tools, you can efficiently track your inventory on its journey from your purchase, to it’s sale, to your customer’s order fulfillment. Such tools can also generate sales reports.
  • Business Credit Card. Obtaining a good credit score is integral to your business’ continued financial health. Opening a line of credit and operating it with prudence will lead to higher credit limits, and more expansion.

If you are considering investing in a way of marketing yourself, why not consider custom t-shirt printing? Custom t-shirt prints in Texas will allow you to label your business and provide an informal way of marketing your establishment.

Businessman wearing a watch drawing up a budget.

Business Finance Class

If you are looking to increase your business acumen, consider taking a business class. Many online classes from accredited universities are available, as well as a plethora of free courses. An investment in education is an investment in your business. Be discerning as you scan through possible options and use your business expertise to select a course that will improve the aspects of business that you want to improve.

Would you like to schedule an appointment to improve your knowledge of business finance? Our friendly operators at R Moon Consulting are available now at (214) 382-2964. Discover more about business finance in Dallas, TX.

What Do You Need To File Taxes for a Small Business?

When it comes to small business and taxes, it can feel pretty daunting knowing how to file taxes. It’s important that when you own your own small business, you know a thing or two about small business taxes and management. If you are just now starting out as a small business owner and you need help on how to file your taxes, here is a step by step guide on how to file your small business tax. 

  • Assemble Business Earnings and Expenses: Before you file your taxes, you will need to gather all of your documents that have to do with the earning and expenses that your business has been through.
  • Choose the Correct Form: Based on how you operate your small business is going to depend on the form you need to file your taxes. If you are a sole proprietor or a limited liability corporation (LLC), you are going to need different forms to fill out.
  • Fill Out Correct Form: If you are a sole proprietor, you will fill out a Schedule C form, but if you are an LLC, you will want to fill out a Form 1120.
  • Know When To File: Different forms are going to have different deadlines, so you need to know when the deadline is for your particular form so you aren’t late on filing your small business tax.

A Hand Using a Calculator and a Pen To Calculate Things Off a Form

Know What You Need To File Your Small Business Tax.

Now that you know how to file your small business tax, you might have a lot of other questions such as, “How do small businesses pay less taxes?”, “Will I get a tax refund if my business loses money?”, or “What percentage of taxes does an LLC pay?” to learn more about your small business tax, keep reading through this blog to get in-depth answers to your most frequently asked questions.

What is the Tax Bracket for a Small Business?

Taxes are already complex, but they can be more so when you own a small business. This is because taxes are very detailed and require a lot of information. In the year 2019, you will start to see the effects of the 2018 tax reform bill, which will not affect anyone until taxes are filled this year. The more you know about small business tax, the more comfortable and confident you will be in filing your taxes. So what tax bracket do small businesses fall under? It’s important to note that depending on the type of business you run will depend on the total taxes you will pay. Another thing that affects how much you pay for small business taxes is the state where your business is operating. According to Fundera, sole proprietors will pay 13.3%, C corporations pay 17.5%, S corporations pay 26.9%, and small partnerships pay 23.6%. If you need more small business tax examples, you will need to get in touch with a professional for more information.

How Do Small Business Tax Deductions Work?

In order to get the most out of your small business, it’s important to know what kind of tax breaks you can receive. If you are looking to decrease the amount you pay on your taxes, then you must be familiar with the kind of tax breaks you can write off. Below are some things you are able to deduct from your small business tax.

  • Office supplies
  • Office furniture
  • Use of your car for business
  • Travel expenses
  • Business meal expenses
  • The cost of business calls
  • Computer software
  • Electronics like computers, tablets, and smartphones
  • Business repairs like soffit repair
  • Home offices
  • Cost of renting an office space
  • Different types of insurance that pertain to your business
  • Marketing and advertising

A Hand Filing Out a Tax Form

If You Need To File Taxes for Your Business, You Need To Know When the Deadlines Are.

There are a ton of ways that you can benefit from business tax deductions, but the only way you will know about these types of deductions is if you talk to a professional.

When Are Small Business Taxes Due

As a business owner, you have to make pretty frequent tax payments. Because of this, it’s important to know when taxes are due. Depending on what kind of business you have or if you hire employees will depend on what kind of taxes you have to file. If you have an S corp or partnership, then your taxes are going to be due on March 15, 2019; if you file corporate tax returns (these types of businesses would be a sole proprietor and LLC) is due April 15, 2019. It’s important to note that not every year is going to have the same exact date. You need to check every year to determine when your small business tax is due.

If you are interested in working with a tax consultant, call R Moon Consulting at (214) 382-2964! We are a professional consulting firm who is able to help with small business tax, training, and more. For small business owners who think that they need a consultant to help them with a wide array of services for their business, we are the consulting firm to call! Call us today and one of our consultants will walk you through our tax consulting services.

5 Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business

Man On Phone

Creating a Marketing Plan Is Critical To The Success Of Your Business.

When it comes to marketing your business, there are so many different avenues to explore. Small businesses are the small fish in a very big pond that is the business world. You can’t count out small businesses and the reach they can pull, though. Every business started out as nothing at one point and then grew to become their own definition of success. The reason they were able to do that, and keep doing that, is by a little thing called marketing. Small business marketing is the key to getting your business or idea off the ground and into the living rooms and the mouths of the people surrounding you. Have you ever been driving on the freeway and seen a car that had a big logo for some company? If you can think of even one single incident of this, their marketing system is working, because you remembered what it was. These are called franchise wraps and they are just one technique in small business marketing that you can use to grab someone’s attention without really trying. In this case, you have to drive everywhere you go anyway, so why not throw your business name out there while you do it, right? Let’s talk small business marketing strategies. What are some creative ways to market your business?

  • Radio
  • Social Media
  • Blogging
  • Professional Help
  • Word Of Mouth

These are a few small business marketing ideas that you can begin with and grow from. When you have a small business, whether you have 2 employees or 20+, you need to run like a well oiled machine. That means, for starters, always come prepared. If you are serious about marketing help for small businesses, you need to be on your game at all times. A simple way to explain this is if you are driving around with your company’s logo on your car, don’t cut anyone off or park poorly (don’t be that guy). Calling up a local radio station to talk about your small business has the ability to reach people that live hours from where you are. The point is that you want to get your business into people’s minds so that when they come to a point that they potentially want a service you provide, they will remember hearing about it on the radio during their morning drive to work. You are planting the seed and then building on it. This is also where social media plays a large part. Now a day, convenience is key, so if you ask all your friends and family to start sharing a post you made on your social media page, all they have to do is click share. You have extensive knowledge about whatever it is that you are selling or you wouldn’t be selling it; write about it. People want to know what you know. Creating a blog that is well thought out and written clearly, is an important part of small business marketing. When you are looking for marketing help for small businesses or small business marketing needs, you can always get professional help. If you aren’t good at the social media aspect or creating and running a website, there are companies out there that can help do it for you. Last and certainly not least is word of mouth. Talk about your business wherever you go. If you tell the lady at the grocery store about the dentist you go to and then she needs a dentist, she may very well call the one she heard from you, get it? Word of mouth is one of the strongest ways to get your small business up and running. This will not keep it afloat in most cases, but it is certainly a great starting point.

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Marketing Questions

What is small business marketing?

Small business marketing are all the different ways that you can get your companies name out there. Before you go out into the business world, you will need to come up with a marketing strategy that you can implement to get yourself up and running. With all of the big names out there, the small businesses often get left out to dry, but setting yourself up for success and getting your name out there is what will help make your business thrive.

How do I advertise my small business?

There are a multitude of ways to advertise your small business, like the ones mentioned above. Start by sitting down with a consulting company and coming up with a marketing strategy. This will help guide you in the right direction and launch all of the hard work you are doing into reality.

What are good ideas for small business?

Being consistent is always the best idea for a small business. Reach out to people, talk about your company, and if you can, send out postcards to homes or print flyers and place them around your area. Someone is more likely to call for a service or product when they need it, if a flyer is sitting on the counter with the phone number on it. Convenience is key.

How Professional Marketing Can Help

If you have small business marketing issues or need help getting your business of the ground, call R Moon Consulting. We can help you come up with a plan that we can unfold with you and move forward. Call us at (214) 382-2964 if you need marketing planning in Dallas, TX and turn your ideas into a reality.

What is Corporate Filing?

hands rummaging through filing cabinet

For The Best Corporate Business Filings For Small Businesses, Call Our Professional Consultants Today

Ever see advertisements for businesses to get their filed organized? You probably thought ‘just buy a filing machine.’ What these advertisements are saying are do businesses need corporate business filings services? Corporate filing involves handing over paperwork to the government. So these files could be paperwork like legal settlements or tax solution and CPA services.

Filing government paperwork is stressful and confusing- one wrong mistake or forgotten piece of paper sets your plans behind. And the business world is constantly changing its rules and laws about necessary paperwork. What you filed last year could be totally different than this year, and failure to file the correct paperwork this year could result in fines, audits, or even business license suspension. Don’t fret about all that and let our professional small business consultants handle the paperwork process for you. For corporate business filings services in Dallas, TX, call R Moon Consulting at (214) 382-2964 today. Our staff stays up to date on all rule changes and modifications regarding corporate business filings laws. We also are aware of deadline adjustments, edits, and modifications.

What Are The Types of Documents Companies File?

  • formation paperwork and requests
  • structural amendments
  • dissolutions
  • mergers and acquisitions
  • document retrieval and authentication
  • tax documents
  • foreign qualification when you want to expand globally.