business planning Archives - The Free Financial Advisor

Pros and Cons of Self-Employment

March 2, 2022 by Jacob Sensiba Leave a Comment

The number of businesses that have started since the start of the pandemic has shot through the roof. People realized how short life can be and decided to take their earning potential and work-life into their own hands. Here are a few stats to illustrate the self-employment picture in the U.S.:

As of 2019, the self-employed section of the population accounted for nearly 30% of total employment (Source).
As of November of 2021, there are 9.9 million self-employed people in the United States.
96% of self-employed people don’t want regular jobs (Source)

Business structures

Sole proprietorship – There is no separate business entity. You are the business entity. That means your assets and liabilities are your assets and liabilities. Banks are more hesitant to lend to sole proprietors than they are for other entity types.

Partnership (LP/LLP) – An limited partnership (LP) has one general partner with unlimited liability and all the other partners have limited liability. Creditors can come after all of the general partner’s assets including things they personally own. Limited liability partners can only lose what they put in. A limited liability partnership provides limited liability to all partners. Profits are paid through on personal tax returns, except for the general partner – they must pay self-employment taxes.

LLC – Very similar to the LLP in terms of how profits, losses, and liabilities are treated. Profits are passed through to employees on personal returns. However, members of the LLC are required to file and pay self-employment taxes.

Retirement plan options

As a self-employed individual, you have a few options when it comes to retirement accounts – Traditional IRA and Roth IRA (available to everyone), SIMPLE IRA, Solo 410(k), and SEP IRA.

Traditional IRA and Roth IRA – Contribution limits up to $6,000 ($7,000 if you’re 50 and older). Withdrawals prior to 59 ½ are subject to a 10% tax penalty unless certain conditions are met.

SIMPLE IRA – available to employers with fewer than 100 employees. Contribution limits up to $14,000 ($17,000 if 50 or older). Employer match available.

Solo 401(k) – Contribution limit is $61,000 ($67,500 if 50 or older). Available to self-employed individuals and self-employed individuals that have their spouse as their only employee.

SEP IRA – Contribution limit is 25% of employee compensation up to $61,000.

Click here for more information about business retirement plans.

Be your own boss

You get to set your own hours and work with whoever you want to. There’s no one to tell you what to do and how to do it. For people that like to make their own schedule and like to go to the beat of their own drum, self-employment makes a lot of sense.

Earning potential

There’s no ceiling on your earning potential. You don’t have a salary range, you make what you make. You can make $10,000 or you can make $10 million. That’s a double-edged sword though, your effort determines your income. You will only make money if you work for it. Someone who isn’t a self-starter, should not be self-employed.

Costs

You have to pay for everything. Whatever the cost of business is for your sector or industry, that’s on you. Health insurance, you have to pay for that. There’s no business or employer that can foot those costs for you. Same with your retirement plan, a lot of employers offer an employee match. If you’re the business owner and the employee, ALL of your contributions are your responsibility.

Disclaimer:

**Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore, it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation. Please see the website for full disclosures: www.crgfinancialservices.com

Jacob Sensiba

My name is Jacob Sensiba and I am a Financial Advisor. My areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, retirement planning, budgets, and wealth management. Please feel free to contact me at: jacob@crgfinancialservices.com

www.crgfinancialservices.com/

Business Savings – Choosing the Right Equipment

August 30, 2019 by Susan Paige Leave a Comment

If you’re looking to cut costs within your business, you might want to take a look at the equipment you’re using. Did you know that your equipment could be costing you a lot more than it needs to?

Here, you’ll discover how choosing the right equipment can make a big difference to your running costs. You may just be surprised by the amount you could be saving.

How old is your equipment?

The first thing to look into is the age of your current equipment. How long have you had it and when was it last updated? This matters for a number of reasons. Firstly, older equipment is nowhere near as efficient as newer equipment. This means it’s going to cost you more to run it. Say you run a hospitality business for example. Investing in newer equipment form a company like JLA, will significantly reduce your monthly running costs.

Another reason why it matters is because it effects efficiency. Newer equipment is built with the latest technologies. This makes it more efficient, producing much better results. This in turn is going to help you work faster and keep your customers happier. As a direct result, this will also increase your profits.

Ensuring you don’t have more than you need

You’re also going to want to make sure you don’t have more equipment than you actually need. This includes having high-tech equipment you don’t really use. It’s all well and good investing in the latest equipment with an impressive list of features, but do you actually need them? If not, it’s time to sell it and invest in equipment you will make full use out of. After all, why would you pay more than you need to?

Consider leasing

When you’re looking to save money on larger equipment, leasing could be a great option. You’ll get to pay a low monthly fee to benefit from the latest equipment. This is an especially great option for businesses which need to replace or upgrade their large equipment but who don’t have the funds. You may need to pay a little upfront, but it will be a lot more affordable than buying the equipment outright.

There’s a lot of ways you can save your business money. Paying attention to your equipment and making sure you choose the right type for your business is going to really help. It’s surprising just how much money you can save by following the advice above.

Image credit: Pexels.

Own a Business? Think About Your Plan

August 8, 2013 by Average Joe 9 Comments

Hey, everyone! I’m back here….it appears OG and I are going to write at FFA once per week. My posts here will be more structured and on-task than my writing at Stacking Benjamins. If you’re looking for more humorous writing, find me there……

I just got off the phone with my coach. We have a session three times per month and they’re a powerful use of time. Not only do we focus on business, but on the balance between my business, personal and spiritual life.

This month we’ve begun digging deep. Here’s what we’re working through:

1) I’ve listed all of my important strategic priorities for the fall.

If I don’t prioritize what’s important to me right now, I find that it gets lost in the shuffle. It’s better to plan my fall now to make sure that those events that are important to my business and family all make the cut.

2) I took out the calendar and planned my model week. This also included making sure I block out time for family and friends. I don’t want to get buried in my work and forget my priorities.

For me, the Apple calendar works best because I use mostly Apple products. However, you should do something similar and find a good calendar that will automatically sync with all your devices. That way, whenever you remember something that needs to be added to a calendar, you don’t have to worry about being at your desk.

3) I reviewed my business accounts. Because I’m starting to build up some money in my business accounts that I’ll be spending later in the year, I’m interested in business savings. By setting up separate accounts, I can make sure my “buckets of money” for different projects don’t inadvertently get spent on other, less important pursuits.

4) I scheduled creativity. This is an important one for me. To write entertaining pieces and fun podcasts takes a ton of creative “juice.” Studies have shown that a neatly sewn calendar actually decreases creativity. I’ve scheduled time to read (called R&D) and time to play games with friends. I also schedule time to listen to other podcasts and read other blogs.

5) I created automation whenever possible. If I could automate it, I’ve scheduled ways to get it done. Much of my twitter and Facebook posting can be prescheduled. Because I’ve found a bank that offers free business banking, I’ve automated much of my financial tasks. Anyone helping me on the back end of the site is given tasks each Monday so that I’m able to concentrate on the reader experience.

That’s what I’m doing to plan for the fall. How about you?