Typical Situation: Our client is talking about their partnership and succession planning. Maybe another business owner they know died or became disabled and their company is floundering because of it. They are trying to figure out how to figure out how to disperse an estate equitably when not all the children are involved in the business. Their company has grown since they originally drafted their buy sell agreement and want a review.
 
When you hear a business owner say:

• “My taxes are too high.”
• “I would hate to have to deal with my business partner’s spouse.
• (What happens if my partner dies or becomes disabled?)”
• “What’s stopping my key employee from starting a business across the street?”

 
An Insurance Benefits Advisor protects business owners, their families and their businesses from the financial catastrophe that death or disability can cause. Whether it happens to a business partner, a key employee or themselves I make sure the financial impact is as minimal as possible.
 
How they Work First, they will do a deep dig to find out what the concerns are and other possible trouble points. Next, they educate on the possible solutions. Then once the client has the information needed to make a decision they implement the solution from one of our many carriers. They provide peace of mind and tax-savings ideas to business owners and successful individuals through qualified plans, life, annuities, disability, health, Medicare and long term care insurance.
 
Matching Ideas with Resources:

We have people that can help you. Please contact:
Tom Gosche, Business Strategist
​630-675-8971  tomg@goglm.com 

GLM has been working with business owners for many years. One of the biggest concerns most business have is: "Should I make them an employee or just in independent contractor?" This information is direct from the IRS:

A business might pay an independent contractor and an employee for the same or similar work, but there are key legal differences between the two. It is critical for business owners to correctly determine whether the people providing services are employees or independent contractors.
Here’s some information to help business owners avoid problems that can result from misclassifying workers.

An employee is generally considered anyone who performs services, if the business can control what will be done and how it will be done. What matters is that the business has the right to control the details of how the worker's services are performed. Independent contractors are normally people in an independent trade, business or profession in which they offer their services to the public.

Independent contractor vs. employee
Whether a worker is an independent contractor, or an employee depends on the relationship between the worker and the business. Generally, there are three categories to consider.

• Behavioral control − Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does the job?
• Financial control − Does the business direct or control the financial and business aspects of the worker's job. Are the business aspects of the worker's job controlled by the payer? Things like how the worker is paid, are expenses reimbursed, who provides tools/supplies, etc.
• Relationship of the parties − Are there written contracts or employee type benefits such as pension plan, insurance, vacation pay? Will the relationship continue and is the work performed a key aspect of the business?

Misclassified worker
Misclassifying workers as independent contractors adversely affects employees because the employer's share of taxes is not paid, and the employee's share is not withheld. If a business misclassified an employee, the business can be held liable for employment taxes for that worker. Generally, an employer must withhold and pay income taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, as well as unemployment taxes. Workers who believe they have been improperly classified as independent contractors generally must receive a determination of worker status from the IRS. Then they can use Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages to figure and report their share of uncollected social security and Medicare taxes due on their compensation.

Voluntary Classification Settlement Program
The Voluntary Classification Settlement Program is an optional program that provides businesses with an opportunity to reclassify their workers as employees for future employment tax purposes. This program offers partial relief from federal employment taxes for eligible businesses who agree to prospectively treat their workers as employees. Businesses must meet certain eligibility requirements and apply by filing Form 8952, Application for Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, and enter into a closing agreement with the IRS

Who is self-employed?
Generally, someone is self-employed if any of the following apply to them.

• They carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor.
• They are a member of a partnership that carries on a trade or business.
• They are otherwise in business for themselves, including a part-time business.

Self-employed individuals, including those who earn money from gig economy work, are generally required to file an tax return and make estimated quarterly tax payments. They also generally must pay self-employment tax which is social security and Medicare tax as well as income tax. These taxpayers may qualify for the home office deduction if they use part of a home for business

Our partner Human Interest, a highly rated, cost-friendly 401(k) provider, can help you integrate or start a 401(k) with any Payroll Company. 

With Human Interest, you’ll be able to:

• Seamlessly manage employee contributions and deductions from payroll through our integration with Human Interest
• Receive ongoing support, transparent pricing and zero transaction fees
• Save even more with tax credits like the SECURE Act that can be up to $15,000, with $5,000 per year for the first 3 years

Human Interest has helped many of my clients provide their employees an option, to help better prepare them in the future! Nancy Gilliam will be happy to connect you with her Account Executive and to find a time that works best for you, or please let me know a time that would work best for you in the meantime.

You can learn more here:

​Family (Personal) Challenges
 
Emotions and inability to separate business and family. Family problems and dynamics will affect the business. Divorce, separations, health or financial problems also create difficult political situations for the family members.  Emotions can interfere with business decisions, and trying to make one another happy constantly is unrealistic.
 
Tunnel vision. Lack of outside opinions and diversity on how to operate the business.  No-one, like a business coach, to ask the tough questions.
 
Role confusion. Roles and responsibilities (for active and passive family members) must be clearly defined. Absence of clear written policies and business norms for family members.  Going from family character to business professionalism can create confusion.
 
Paternalistic and Overly Conservative. Control is centralized and influenced by tradition instead of good management practices.  Older family members try to preserve the status quo and resist change. Especially resistance to ideas and change proposed by the younger generation.
 
Communication problems. Usually provoked by role confusion, emotions (envy, fear, anger), political divisions or other relationship problems create barriers to effective communication.
 
Retirement and estate planning. Long term planning to cover the necessities and realities of older members when they leave the company.

​When you own a family business, there are two types of challenges you have to deal with; Business Challenges and Family Issues. We will talk about both, this week starting with Business Issues.

Business Challenges
 
Lack of written strategy. No documented business plan or long term planning. Decisions are made day-to-day in response to problems. No long-term or strategic planning.
 
Control of operations and compensation problems for family members. Dividends, salaries, benefits and compensation for non-participating family members are not clearly defined and justified.  Lack of participation in the day-to-day work and supervision required. Which family members are shareholders vs. daily management.  Difficulty controlling non-participating members of the family.
 
Vision, Growth and Expansion. Each family member has a different vision of the business and different goals. Problems due to lack of capital and new investment or resistance to re-investment in the business.  What measures must be taken to grow locally, nationally, and internationally.
 
Succession Planning. Most family organizations do not have a plan for handing the power to the next generation, leading to great political conflicts and divisions.  Problems when the next generation is not adequately prepared for take-over.  There are some specific issues related to the third generation.
 
Business Valuation and Exit strategy. No knowledge of the worth of the business, and the factors that make it valuable or decrease its value.  No clear plan on how to sell, close or walk away from the business.
 
Lack of talent and Training. Hiring family members who are not qualified or lack the skills and abilities for the organization. Inability to fire them when it is clear they are not working out.   There should be a specific training program when you integrate family members into the company. This should provide specific information related to the goals, expectations and obligations of the position.
 
High turnover of non-family members. Happens when employees feel that the family “mafia” will always advance over outsiders and when employees realize that management is incompetent.

You may know that Tom Gosche, Business Strategist of GLM, has been the President of the local Rotary Club of Schaumburg Hoffman Estates. This club has given time money and Energy to local causes for over 53 years. During that time, when the club was presented with a need, we figured out what we could do to help.

Along the way, we help start the Schaumburg AM Club and have been working together as much as we could to help the local community.

This project is no different. Dave Ligman, Autos teacher at Hoffman Estates High school, has been working with all of us over the years finding outstanding candidates for our Applied Technology Scholarships that helped students pay for education and training in the trades. We provided around $10,000 a year and had candidates’ winning the Rotary District 6440 Awards as well.

About a year ago, Dave Ligman mentioned to Don Minor, a long time Rotary member and very active with our Applied Technology Scholarships, that many students still need help getting the tools they needed for the training and beyond. Don found fellow Rotarians that could help put this together. Cris Hinojosa, owner of BNC Auto Body, gather the tools list and made contacts in getting quality tools.

Don enlisted the Help of the Schaumburg AM Club and Jim McKenzie came in to help. Holly Fath, our Club’s Youth Service Director became a cheerleader for the cause. After a short presentation at our meeting, hearing from a student we had award scholarships to in the past, we asked for financial support of the members in the club. Now, here we are giving the first set of tool kits to worthy students to use during their education and beyond.

I know there are many clients of GLM who are in the Auto industry. If you are interested in helping young students and potentially future employees, please contact Tom Gosche tgosche@scherotary.org 

Here is a Daily Herald Article Highlighting the program:
https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20220707/rotary-clubs-give-district-211-automotive-students-jump-start-on-careers

​GLM can provide an Opinion of Value of your business. This is based on information provided in your last three years Financial Statement, we can then estimate the Value of Your business.

There are a number of different methods that can be used to place an estimated value on a business. Different methods can yield different results. In fact, even the same method can yield varied results because different appraisers will make different assumptions.

In valuing Your business, our GLM’s Valuation used a modified version of the classic excess earnings method of valuation. We know from experience that this method offers a good estimate of value for small businesses.
In its simplest form, the method for excess earnings method of valuation makes use of the following items:

• Fair market value of the assets owned by the business less any debts owed by the business
• REAL income being earned by the owner(s) of the business (including items such as excess salary, profit, dividends, and business paid expenses that are not essential to business operations). 
• An earnings multiplier- The methods used for calculating the real owner income and for the appropriate earnings multiplier are detailed within the report.

This method, when used properly, is able to predict the range of prices at which a business is likely to be sold. 
 
GLM’s Valuation uses the following elements in arriving at our estimate:

• 2019, 2020 and 2021 (and sometimes YTD 2022) profitability
• Company assets
• Type of business
• Business longevity
• Competitive environment
• Customer concentration
• Vendor concentration
• Geographic location
• Profitability trend
• Revenue trend
• Estimated value of plant and equipment owned by Your business
• Working-capital requirements

If you are interested in learn more about how much your business is worth, Contact us:
​
Tom Gosche
630-675-8971
tomg@goglm.com
Schedule a 30 Minute Online Meeting: https://tomgosche-goglm.zohobookings.com/#/customer/30minuteonlinemeeting

Direct from the IRS: Here’s what businesses need to know about the enhanced business meal deduction
The IRS encourages businesses to begin planning now to take advantage of tax benefits available to them when they file their 2022 federal income tax return. This includes the enhanced business meal deduction.
For 2021 and 2022 only, businesses can generally deduct the full cost of business-related food and beverages purchased from a restaurant. Otherwise, the limit is usually 50% of the cost of the meal.
To qualify for the enhanced deduction:

• The business owner or an employee of the business must be present when food or beverages are provided.
• Meals must be from restaurants, which includes businesses that prepare and sell food or beverages to retail customers for immediate on-premises or off-premises consumption.
• Payment or billing for the food and beverages occurs after December 31, 2020, and before January 1, 2023.
• The expense cannot be lavish or extravagant.

Grocery stores, convenience stores and other businesses that mostly sell pre-packaged goods not for immediate consumption, do not qualify as restaurants. ¬
Employers may not treat certain employer-operated eating facilities as restaurants, even if they operate under contract by a third party.
Here’s what business owners need to know about certain costs:

• The cost of the meal can include taxes and tips.
• The cost of transportation to and from the meal isn’t part of the cost of a business meal.

Entertainment events
Business owners may be able to deduct the costs of meals and beverages provided during an entertainment event if either of these apply:

• the purchase of the food and beverages occurs separately from the entertainment
• the cost of the food and beverages is separate from the cost of the entertainment on one or more bills, invoices, or receipts.

Businesses should review the special recordkeeping rules that apply to business meals.

Direct Link to Chicago.Gov: 
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/minimumwageinformation.html

Summary
As of July 1, 2022 the minimum wage in Chicago is $15.40 per hour for employers with 21 or more workers, and $14.50 per hour for employers with 4 to 20 workers. Tipped workers (workers who receive tips as part of their wage, like restaurant servers) have a minimum wage of $8.70 for employers with 4 to 20 workers, and $9.24 for employers with 21 or more workers. If a tipped worker’s wages plus tips do not equal at least the full minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.

As of July 1, 2022, the Minimum Wage to be paid under City contracts or concessionaire agreements pursuant to the Order is $16.00 per hour. When applying an allowance for gratuities to the wage of City concessionaire employees in positions that customarily receive gratuities, the resulting rate is $8.20 per hour.

Every July 1, Chicago’s minimum wage increases per the Minimum Wage Ordinance. The Chicago minimum wage is tiered for large businesses with 21 or more employees, and small businesses with 4-20 employees. The minimum wage for larger employees increases annually according to the Consumer Price Index or 2.5%, whichever is lower, since reaching $15 per hour in 2021. The minimum wage for small businesses continues to increase towards $15 per hour by 2023.

​Complaint
File a Complaint by calling 311, using CHI 311, or by filling out a Complaint Form.