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Building a High-performing Team, Despite Tight Labor Markets and Rising Inflation

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Mid-size companies already say the labor shortage is their biggest issue, facing mounting pressure to raise wages, alleviate cost of living pain, provide flexibility, increase benefits and add training as options.

Now, rising gas prices and inflation add additional stress on wages. If you have growth plans, you can’t afford not to have the strongest possible team.

Let’s look at the latest statistics:

Unemployment remains at historic lows. The unemployment rate is  3.6% in May 2022. This is the lowest rate in the past 20 years — with the exception of February 2020’s 3.5%, which was the month prior to the pandemic starting.

Higher labor costs. Compensation costs rose 1.4% from December 2021 to March 2022, and 4.5% year over year ending March 2022.

Energy driving inflation. The inflation rate was 8.6% in May 2022, the highest 12-month increase in prices since December 1981. The 2021 rate was 7%, compared to 1.4% in 2020. The primary drivers of inflation are energy costs and transportation costs. These include electricity, gasoline, fuel oil and vehicles.

Looking forward, the Congressional Budget Office estimates a 3.1% real GDP growth in 2022; 2.2% in 2023, and 1.5% in 2024. Inflation is expected to be tamed to about 4.7% coming out of 2022, 3.6% in 2023 and 3.8% in 2024 — a little ahead of recent years, but not horrific. Unemployment is expected to remain in the 20-year-low category of around 3.7% through 2024.

Bottom line for your business:

  • The economy is expected to grow
  • Businesses will need labor to meet demand
  • Unemployment will remain low, meaning businesses will need to compete for talent
  • Labor costs are already rising slowly
  • Inflation is driving up costs, primarily in energy and energy-related options

Workers will endure higher livings costs in the next year. Building your team will require you to find ways to alleviate that strain while rewarding top talent.

Here are three suggestions to compete in this market:

  1. Flexibility is your first option. High fuel and transportation costs means work-at-home and flexible working arrangements are at a premium. If that’s not an option, you can encourage traditional solutions such as carpooling, mass transportation (possibly offering vouchers), and flexible in-office work hours to encourage commute times that do not hit the heart of rush hour. Key: If you can offer some relief from travel costs, you’ll reduce pressure on your team.
  2. Compensation packages need to reward top talent. There’s going to be pressure to retain top talent. You’ll need line-of-sight to justify how competitive you can be — and clearly state to your team your expectations for performance. Also, clearly communicate the full value of the benefits package they receive to indicate total compensation.
  3. Training is always a strong option. Companies that invest in their people will build stronger, more loyal teams. There are tremendous online training opportunities for staff to build and expand their skill sets — while giving your company additional deductions for business expenses.

A rule of thumb is compensation is determined by three equally important factors: individual performance, company performance and labor market itself.

The key for keeping costs down is to find ways to work directly with your team, building their skills and offering compensation that fits your budget and company performance.

With our forward-looking Business Advisory services, Magone & Co can help you identify the levers that will most impact your growth and success. Call us at 973-301-2300 now or request a consult.

 

Survive and Thrive: 6 Secrets to Business Longevity

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We’ve all heard the stats — nearly a fifth of private businesses fail within their first year. After five years, 50% crash and burn.

But when you have a vision, a keen understanding of your environment and effective marketing strategies to draw in clients and prospects, you can set your business up for success in the long-term.

As a business owner of 30+ years, I’d like to share six secrets that stand the test of time:

  1. Having a pulse on your industry. How well do you really know the environment in which you compete? What are the fundamentals, challenges, trends and threats? Are you keeping up or relying on dated knowledge? Information is at the core of every successful business — from accurately assessing customers’ needs to having the confidence to set and achieve audacious business goals.
  2. Embracing your leadership role. Humility, honesty, integrity — these are just a few qualities of a strong business leader. Leaders know their people. They’re thought leadership experts. They can communicate their mission and inspire and motivate others to see the big picture. They can handle constructive criticism and feedback, taking action to build a greater organization. Or they’re wise enough to step back and hire more capable leaders. Which leads us to… 
  3. Hiring wisely. Your organization is only as great as the people who embody it. And each function at every level requires a unique set of skills and competencies that must be met to run efficiently and successfully.Fulfilling your organizational goals starts with the right recruiting and hiring process. It continues with a deliberate, strategic plan for developing and retaining talented people.
  4. Prioritizing process improvements. If your company hasn’t embraced SOPs and technology advances like automation and integration, you’ll never come out on top. Speaking from experience, these investments can be significant — but that doesn’t make them any less necessary. Without the research, tools and process improvements we’ve made over the last several years, it would’ve been impossible for Magone & Company to scale at speed and maintain a significant growth trajectory.
  5. Making strategic marketing investments. “If you build it, they will come” is not a viable plan for growth. Many service industries have become increasingly commoditized, CPAs included. As the Magone & Company business model has morphed to stay ahead of the industry, we’ve invested in consistent, ongoing multichannel marketing efforts to showcase our thought leadership and effectively differentiate our services.
  6. Overcoming fear of failure. Did you know that 33% of Americans have let fear hold them back from launching a business? Instead of stressing over all the scenarios that could play out, let them motivate you to work harder and work smarter. Anticipate challenges and how to mitigate them. Devise contingency plans if you don’t get the results you’re hoping for. If you make mistakes, learn from them and then move on to the next issue.

30 years and going strong

It’s hard to believe 30 years have passed since I’ve embarked on this venture. The next 30 years will likely be filled with new challenges and changes that will impact the way we do business. But what will not change is our unwavering commitment to help our clients achieve their goals and solve their challenges.

Don’t already have a trusted business strategist working on behalf of your organization? Let’s chat.

 

How the CFO’s Role is Becoming More Data-driven

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Lower costs and increase profits; that’s the universal mantra for CFOs. It’s as old as business itself.

What’s changing is the CFO’s role within business. They’re increasingly being asked to step up in tech and automation to propel growth while keeping costs down.

Partnering with IT

CFOs are now being asked to work closely with IT teams in designing and implementing digital tools that can provide data for decision-makers or analytics that help to identify areas within a company ripe for new growth and revenue.

As a result, CFOs are becoming more data-driven and basing key decisions on advanced analytics.

For example, the CFO of a multi-national company was tasked with overseeing the reduction of expenses by more than $750 million. The changes didn’t occur overnight, but gradually through the use of digital tools designed for specific needs like salary planning, financial forecasting, task automation and broader expense planning.

Driving front-end revenue

Cutting costs is no longer enough for successful CFOs. They must also look to long-term strategies for improved margins, revenue growth and development of new product or service lines.

Here’s where the analytics mentioned above also play a vital role in driving your company forward. If there’s no easy access to data around product line performance and profitability, sales and labor costs or sales forecasts, work with your IT team to make it happen.

Taking on non-financial roles

CFOs are also being asked to cross-train in non-finance roles within a company. It’s believed CFOs will gain better insights and develop new perspectives leading to a higher quality analysis of company data —  in turn, leading to sound financial decisions for the company.

While some jobs are lost due to automation, others are created. Instead of gathering data, displaced employees can begin to analyze it. Companies will often provide the training programs needed to become an analyst.

Simply put, analysts have the ability to condense data and present it. Data that is not only invaluable to the CFO, but others in the decision-making chain of the company.

By plugging-in all of the digital tools that are now available to them, company costs will decrease and profits will increase. Just as the company used in the first example, it surpassed the goal of slashing expenses by more than $500 million within a year of plugging-in its new technology.

Manage the rapid change of the CFO’s role with Magone & Co

We know the challenges privately held companies are experiencing — we’ve been there. That’s why we designed our Business Advisory services to help find areas that will most impact your organization’s success. Check them out and give us a call to see if they’re a fit with your company’s growth plans.

Operating Challenges: Clogged Supply Chains and Higher Costs of Doing Business

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Most business leaders expect revenues to rise throughout 2022, despite serious challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic is winding down, but still interrupting supply chains. Energy prices are increasing, partially because of the Russian-Ukrainian War. Inflation is rising, and taming it may involve some economic pain for everyone.

Yet despite all this, there is good news.

Growth is expected to continue. In fact, 95% of business leaders expect their revenues to increase or hold steady, while 88% expect profits to grow or hold steady, according to JP Morgan Chase & Co. economists. The best bet for small and midsize business owners is to focus on the following:

  • Take a look at a new talent strategy. Many small and midsize companies are struggling to find and retain people. You may need a combination of outsourcing some business processes, engaging 1099 contractors or upgrading a benefits and salary strategy to attract high-quality talent.
  • Stay optimistic. Economists expect the U.S. economy to grow 2.4% through the third and fourth quarters of 2022 — and they expect growth to continue (albeit slower) throughout 2023, around 1-4%. They key thing to remember is you’ll be operating in a growing economy.
  • Supply chain problems continue to be rough, so you’ll need a risk mitigation strategy. The silver lining is this is an opportunity to see where you are vulnerable and where you need to source additional suppliers. (And on the business-growth side, where you can provide added value to your customers.)
  • Monitor costs closely, especially the impact of inflation. Energy costs are skyrocketing, affecting the entire supply chain. The federal government is looking to raise interest rates to tame inflation, and they expect it will cause economic pain. Devise a plan to protect your margins.

The good news: Despite a lot of vivid rhetoric in the headlines (i.e., “shattered” supply chains), supply chains are operating and the economy is expected to continue growing. And rest assured, there are plenty of options in talent, cost control, supply chains and growth.

Enlist the experts at Magone & Co

With our forward-looking Business Advisory services, we can help you identify the levers that will most impact your growth and success. Contact us for a free consultation.

 

Payroll Taxes Increase, But Tax Credit Relief May be Coming

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New Jersey business owners face a projected $200 million increase in unemployment insurance (UI) taxes scheduled to take effect in July.

However, a bill now being considered by the New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee would help minimize the impact on the state’s small businesses in the form of tax credits.

Assemblyman Roy Freiman, D-District 16, says while the UI tax increases may have a negative impact, it will be countered by the positive tax credits. Small businesses would be able to use the credits to offset their corporation business taxes and their gross income taxes.

If enacted, Senate Bill 2378 would adopt the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) parameters for a small business. According to the SBA, size standards are mainly based on yearly business receipts or an average number of employees. The SBA also indicates that its definition of “small” varies by industry.

Tax credits provided by the bill would be available for calendar years beginning in 2023 and the following year. Credits would be based on expected increases to unemployment insurance taxes in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

The bill would also allow the tax credits to carry forward for seven years, and they are non-refundable.

If a small business uses government funds, including grants or subsidies, to minimize its contribution to UI, the business would be prohibited from using the tax credits.

Goal is lower UI taxes

Senate Bill 2378 has the long-range goal of reducing employer UI taxes. The bill’s sponsors are asking for the establishment of a supplemental unemployment compensation fund and $375 million to go along with it.

According to the bill, the fund would be used to pay off federal loans made to NJ’s UI fund. Once the loans are paid-in-full, sponsors say that will also eliminate federal charges for the debt, allowing the fund to regenerate quickly. With the reserves in the UI fund, sponsors hope that will lead the way for reductions in UI taxes for employers.

Opponents of the bill say the $375 million could be better spent elsewhere. They argue the current state of the economy doesn’t allow for diverting resources that could be used by people who are still out of work.

Finally, the bill calls for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to notify individual employers, 30 days in advance, of any changes to their UI tax rates.

The bill is now before the New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration. We’ll keep you posted.

Don’t miss the credit if it applies to you

How will the new tax credit impact your payroll? Don’t miss a beat – the CPAs at Magone & Company have years of experience assisting businesses and individuals with our strategic Tax Planning Services. Give us a call today at (973) 301-2300 to learn more.

4 Reasons Your Nonprofit Needs an External Auditor

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How are you handling your nonprofit’s audits?

Internal audits are a great way to promote fiscal responsibility, but they’re not always the most reliable. Because the auditor is an employee of the organization with a vested interest, it can be challenging to conduct a neutral analysis.

An external auditor, on the other hand, has no affiliation with your nonprofit. They are typically CPAs who are hired to conduct a thorough review of all financial statements to ensure they fairly represent the entity. In other words, they verify the work of internal auditors — which can be beneficial to your organization for several reasons:

  1. Mitigate potential risks. External auditors are in a better position to spot discrepancies that can paint an inaccurate picture of your nonprofit’s finances. They can help board members identity any unethical practices or internal errors that could compromise the integrity of the organization.
  2. Perform a thorough analysis. The auditor will delve into balance sheets and cash flow statements, as well as leases, mortgages, donations, budgets and more. They may also interview your board members and your employees to learn more about internal controls.
  3. Offer outside expertise. Following their review, the external auditor will share their assessment with your organization’s audit committee. They may make recommendations on how to improve your processes and procedures, and safeguard assets. They will also answer any questions raised during the investigation.
  4. Strengthen donor potential. Did you know that charity rating websites take into account whether a nonprofit undergoes an external yearly audit? Donors may be more likely to contribute to a charitable organization with this distinction.

Preparing for an external audit

An external audit is usually performed at the close of an organization’s fiscal year. To streamline the process, begin by compiling the financial documentation that the auditor will likely need. This includes:

  • Banking and financial statements
  • Budgets
  • Donations
  • Payroll documents
  • Accounts receivable and accounts payable records
  • Mortgage statements or leases
  • Board meeting minutes

In addition, it’s important to share any factors or legal matters that may have impacted the organization’s reporting and recordkeeping. So be sure to collect any related documentation.

Guide your organization to a healthier financial future

Some nonprofits, because of the size of their annual budgets, or because they receive federal or state funding, are required by law to conduct an independent audit.

In other situations, a charitable nonprofit has a choice whether or not to conduct an independent audit. If you’re among the latter, you may choose to invest in an audit for the reasons mentioned above. If you need help determining if an audit would benefit your organization, give us a call at (973) 301-2300 to learn more.