What Every Business Owner Needs to Know

Starting a business rarely begins with a strategic checklist of all of the resources necessary to run and scale successfully. Rather, many, if not most businesses start because the founder has a passion or skill that is exceptional and in-demand and they grow from there.  Because of this, many business owners find themselves at strategic points in their growth with gaps in resources that are easily avoidable with a comprehensive simple checklist of what every business owner needs to know. 

Take stock of the resources you currently have and compare them to this checklist to see if you have gaps, overlaps that can drain resources, or if you’ve overlooked an important area of expertise. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Your Checklist

Bookkeeper

You’ll need someone to keep track of your expenses and invoices.  Whether that person is in-house and manages your accounts receivable/ accounts payable, or outsourced and sends monthly reports on your cash flow status, a bookkeeper is essential to any business’ operations. 

A great San Diego based resource for bookkeeping is BooXkeeping. This company, started by Max Emma provides bookkeeping services for small to medium-sized businesses. They are a virtual service that serves a variety of industries. 

Certified Public Accountant

Gone are the days of the once-a-year call to a CPA to file taxes.  With great power comes great tax complexity. A once a year conversation is not going to cut it.  You need a CPA who is invested in your holistic business financial health.  

Mid-sized CPA firms such as Encore Partners, and Eakes and Company provide financial insights and strategies beyond simple tax planning and preparation.  Finding a CPA who understands your industry and special situation is a great addition to your team and your financial wellness as a company. 

Payroll Provider

At a certain point, Quickbooks is too simple for your company’s payroll needs. Getting a great payroll provider sounds easy, but with the behemoths dominating the industry many business owners feel they’re just a number.  Payroll is crucial because, as much as you may work because of the love you have for the company, your employees work at least in large part because you pay them.  

Some San Diego resources for payroll include Coastal Payroll and PayrollHUB. Both provide payroll services and human capital management services to let you stay focused on running your business. 

Insurance Provider

Business insurance is complex, expensive, and consequential.  From cyber liability to the industry-specific coverage you may need if you transport goods or provide services across state lines or internationally, proper insurance coverage is essential. 

Finding an insurance company that specializes in commercial coverage and will reach out to you more often during renewal time is not that easy.  From health insurance to EPLI coverage, insurance is a large part of the benefits you’ll offer to employees, and the protection you need for your business. 

Consider a small to mid-sized firm, some we know of here in San Diego are:

• Benchmark Commercial Insurance offers commercial and personal line insurance for business owners and individuals with complex structures. 
• Morrison Insurance creates various insurance programs for small to midsize businesses to help you find the greatest value for your dollar. 
• Competitive Edge specializes in high-risk and construction insurance. The founder, Brenda Jo, is passionate about believing that you are more than the history of your insurance claims 
• SBMA Benefits provides affordable ACA compliant Minimum Essential Coverage for Applicable Large Employers.

Human Resources

Human resources… Aren’t all resources human resources?  When it comes to compliance, having Human Resources services in-house or fractionally can make the difference between a bad hire becoming a lasting issue and being a blip on your company radar.  

The right HR provider can partner with your company to create manuals, handbooks, and pieces of training to keep you compliant. They also assist in creating operational structures to support healthy company culture and more. 

San Diego HR resources we know are: 

• Culture Works operationalizes your workforce’s culture by implementing systems, processes, leadership training, and a foster of culture alignment to aid in a smooth operations process. 
• Possibilities Consulting has outsourced HR services through Ari Saul and additionally, they help develop inspirational leadership, intentional culture, and high-performance teams in the workplace. 

Attorney

You don’t need an attorney until you need an attorney.  From employment law attorneys to civil litigation, finding the right lawyer when you need one will speed the time to resolution and protect you from unnecessary losses.  

Civil litigation attorneys Gupta Evans and Ayres and Employment law attorneys Tencer Sherman are reliable resources in the San Diego area. 

Protecting your intellectual property not only protects your ideas but can ensure that disgruntled ex-employees don’t take your business plan and implement it in a state with no non-compete clauses. Gary Eastman of Eastman IP is a resource here in San Diego.

At Milikowsky Tax Law, we’ve been entrepreneurs ourselves. We know first-hand about the challenges and the excitement of growing a business.  Regardless of your industry, there are structural elements that will help your company grow and manage the fluctuations of staffing, client success, and scaling more easily. 

Think we forgot something? Connect with us and share! 

Want to know when you might need a CPA vs a Tax Attorney? Read our article here.