To help ensure continued stability and profitability, businesses need to engage in some form of strategic planning. A recent survey by insurance giant Travelers drives home this point. In its 2024 CFO Study: A Travelers Special Report, the insurer surveyed 610…
Every business needs a budget, but not every budget looks the same. Some companies have intricately detailed ones, others rely on simple templates generated with off-the shelf software, and still others forego formal budgets in favor of a “fly by…
Successful manufacturers know that the key to sustainable growth is increasing profits, not just revenue. Let’s take a closer look at some ways you can boost your bottom line. Reduce overhead Increasing profits doesn’t always mean plant layoffs. Often cuts…
When a company’s leadership engages in strategic planning, growing the business is typically at the top of the agenda. This is as it should be — ambition is part and parcel of being a successful business owner. What’s more, in many industries, failing to grow could leave the company at the mercy of competitors.
For a company to be truly successful, its ownership needs to attempt the impossible: see into the future. Forecasting key metrics — such as sales demand, receivables, payables and working capital — can help you manage overhead, offer competitive prices…
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. The IRA includes significant provisions related to climate change, health care, and, of course, taxes….
If your manufacturing company is like many others in the industry, you’re having difficulty finding top-notch new hires to expand your workforce as well as to replace employees who are retiring or quitting. At the same time, you’d like to…
Manufacturing company owners may mistakenly believe that the misclassification of employees as independent contractors doesn’t really matter, so long as contractors satisfy all of their tax obligations. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Improper classification of workers can…
While many economic indicators remain strong, the U.S. economy is still giving business owners plenty to think about. The nation’s gross domestic product unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter of 2022. Rising inflation is on everyone’s mind.
A companywide income statement may be sufficient for lenders or other outsiders to evaluate your manufacturing company’s financial performance. But from management’s perspective, a “segmented” income statement can provide valuable insight into key performance drivers and possible improvement strategies.
A buy-sell agreement is a critical tool for owners of closely held manufacturing companies. It ensures an orderly ownership and management transition when an owner dies, becomes disabled, or otherwise leaves the company. And it creates a market for departing owners’ shares, providing owners and their families with liquidity and ensuring that the business stays in the family or other tight-knit ownership group.
First-year bonus depreciation typically creates a powerful tax incentive for eligible manufacturers to purchase qualified property needed for business reasons. These tax write-offs can benefit a manufacturer’s cash flow, but claiming them isn’t always the best decision. However, if your manufacturing company wants to take full advantage of the bonus depreciation, this is the year to do so.
Common sense dictates that every company, no matter how small, should carry various forms of business insurance. But that doesn’t mean you should pay unnecessarily high premiums just to retain the coverage you need. Here are five ways to better control your insurance costs without sacrificing the quality of your policies:
The IRS has announced additional relief for pass-through entities required to file Schedules K-2 and K-3 for the 2021 tax year. Certain domestic partnerships and S corporations won’t be required to file the schedules, which are intended to make it easier for partners and shareholders to find information related to “items of international tax relevance” that they need to file their own returns.
Managing and improving cash flow can help manufacturers survive tough times and prosper during better times. Every manufacturer is different, so the right cash flow strategies depend on your situation. Let’s take a look at several strategies that might be right for your manufacturing company.