Search Results

Rising inflation, a shrinking economy, and other leftover threats from a global pandemic have left many people fearing an inevitable incoming recession. With the majority of economists agreeing on the likelihood of a serious economic downturn coming at some point in the near future, business owners across America are scrambling to find solutions. In the last recession, no sector was hit harder than the construction industry. The number of contracting companies fell by nearly 150,000 between 2007 and 2013, alongside 2.3 million jobs being lost to layoffs, early retirement, and employees leaving to find higher-paying work somewhere else. With the threats of the future seeming darker than ever before, many contractors are looking for solutions on how they can hold steady through an incoming recession. This article will cover all you need to know about how to recession-proof your construction company. What are the Biggest Mistakes Construction Companies make during a Recession? The biggest mistake a construction company can make during a recession is relying on backlogs, followed by poor financing, and a lack of cash on hand. These mistakes follow from a shortcoming in preparation. It’s easy for companies to get caught up in how much work they have when the economy is hot. There is no fault in this; as they say, “you better get it while the getting is good.” The problem is that economic downturns hit fast and hard. Even if you’ve got work coming out your ears right now, the right combination of problems could cause a complete shutdown six months in the future. It’s hard to know how to prepare, but the following tips should add some solace. How Construction Companies can thrive in a Recession In the hopes of avoiding a reliance on backlogs, it’s essential for construction companies to find new customers in a recession. As hard as that sounds, it’s still possible. While many contractors fall into the trap of believing they can weather the storm with their strong list of backlogs, history would prove otherwise. In the peak of the last recession, many companies in the construction industry had backlogs of 12 months disappear as projects were delayed, put on hold, or canceled altogether. As your customers begin to lose their own ability to finance your work, you lose the work altogether. Contractors in any niche can avoid this by expanding current offerings, or by offering more work to current clients. The key is in staying open minded to possibilities outside of what you are used to. The construction companies that thrive in a recession are ones who ignored the boundaries of the niche they were in before. Maybe you make a living digging foundations and putting in underground utilities, but the recession has stopped all new construction. Now is the time to switch your services towards landscaping or maintenance, rather than what you’ve done in the past. Try and find low cost, high demand services in your area – landscaping and maintenance are just two of many common examples. How Contractors can get a hold on their Finances in a Recession We all have different financial situations. Some of us require loans to run our business, others don’t. Many of us have refused to get a loan altogether, but tomorrow’s circumstances can always change that. It’s best to plan ahead, and forecast what problems your company is likely to face in the future. Are you going to need a new piece of equipment? A new tuck? Trailer? Help with Payroll? It can be challenging to get a loan in a recession, and sometimes downright impossible for contractors without work. That’s why it might be best to lock in a loan at a solid interest rate now. Another financial misstep that many contractors make during a recession comes in the form of sloppy bookkeeping. Most contractors are best suited for professional work in their field. Bookkeeping can be a drag, especially when work is busy. But that doesn’t mean knowing your P&Ls, variable costs, and project timelines aren’t important. As the recession cuts demand in your industry, margins become thinner, and work becomes harder to find. In other words, every penny counts. With employees to pay, clients to negotiate with, and deadlines to worry about, it’s essential to know what your capital inflow and outflow looks like. Construction Expenses to Avoid in a Recession Much like the loan situation, every company has a different set of expenses. When work is abundant, every expense can seem justified, but that changes during a recession. Assessing your finances and thinking critically about the profitability of each of your services can allow you to spot holes in your expenses. It shouldn’t take long for you to find the places you can cut costs and hinder expenses, but here are some of the most common to get you started. Idle “productive” employees and equipment: If your business’s most important assets aren’t at work all of the time, you’re losing money. Even if you don’t have need of them in the moment, see if another contractor needs to rent a piece of equipment or sub-hire an employee. Unproductive employees and equipment: Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. In a recession, it’s important to assess whether or not an employee is worth keeping around, or if it’s time to sell equipment that goes unused. One cost that you shouldn’t cut is marketing. Work never comes easy in a recession. A dwindling bank account can make you think your marketing efforts aren’t worth it, but you’ve got to hold the line. If anything, strategize around where your marketing efforts are best placed. How can Construction Companies get ahead in a Recession? For construction companies, getting ahead in a recession is about planning ahead, trimming unneeded expenses, and thinking critically about ways to drum up new business. The process can seem complex, but with proper guidance and experienced advice, your business can thrive even in the harshest economy. Getting ahead in a recession all comes down to a careful balance of finances, and it can be difficult to do that all by yourself – especially when things are tight. At Nucleo Financial, we’re experienced in the business practices designed to beat the odds of harsh recessions. Two brains are always better than one. If you are looking for a second pair of eyes in assessing your financial situation and preparing your business for the future, feel free to reach out today. #recession #construction #smallbusiness #business #businessowner #texas #financial #accounting #profit #texasbusiness #startup #sidehustle #cpa #accountant #advisor #consultant #market #worklifebalance #profitfirst #scale #scalingbusiness #llc #revenue #businessowner #local #financial

Small businesses have financial goals too. We provide specific insights on how you could protect and grow your company. As one goes about the day - to - day value exchange of goods and services for money, it is important to know the decisions and expenses that would call for short term results and those that would serve for the long term. Why must business owners be wary of this? Delaying gratification sounds so good and feasible but the reality is far from sweetness. Instead, knowing how to differentiate your seeds from your fruits may be a big, tempting task for you as a business owner and this calls for a lot of reflection for business owners. Small businesses stay protected by financially planning ahead. As one goes about the day - to - day value exchange of goods and services for money, it is important to know the decisions and expenses that would call for short term results and those that would serve for the long term. Why must business owners be wary of this? Delaying gratification sounds so good and feasible but the reality is far from sweetness. Instead, knowing how to differentiate your seeds from your fruits may be a big, tempting task for you as a business owner and this calls for a lot of reflection for business owners. Expand into a new geographic market Market through a new channel Penetrate a new demographic Broaden product and service offerings Acquire a competitor Expand personnel and facilities Migrate to a new technology platform Put financing sources in place Increase earnings Improve profit margins How to Manage Performance and Maintain Balance The management team has a duty to emphasize to their boards and the capital markets the relevance of both long-term value development and short-term financial gain. Business health can be determined by the capacity to maintain and enhance performance throughout time. This performance during the previous year is used as a key performance indicator (KPI). It is a mistake to prioritize short-term outcomes over the future cash flows that the company will accrue from its growth prospects, competencies, and connections. Share prices are the center of attention for all businesses, public or private. Focusing too much on the short term could endanger your business and threaten market confidence and trust. The primary factor influencing shareholder returns and, consequently, share price is the expectation of future performance. Business analysts estimate that cash flow projections beyond the next three years can account for up to 80% of a company's market value. Even private equity firms that anticipate realizing their investments in five years must still have a solid case for predicted future growth in earnings and cash flow to support a sale or IPO. 5 elements to gauge your profitability Are you a short or long term thinker? Be aware of these mistakes What Forbes has to say about a 2023 recession. Juggling These Five Elements Is Required For Balance Are the five elements necessary for long-term value growth and profitability in place? Business roadmap: a solid and reliable plan Harvesting your resources: productive, well-kept resources Knowing your value prop: items and services that are innovative Automating your processes: what procedures demand an adjustment? Earning & retaining new customers: ability to attract, retain, and develop high-performing individuals a good reputation with clients, regulators, governments, and other stakeholders It's difficult to strike the right balance between the short- and long-term. Managing both time spans is quite difficult. However, it is crucial that your company's strategy include initiatives over a range of time periods, some of which should be focused on short-term results and others which should create opportunities for the future, such as new products and/or services, entering a new market, or developing new channels. In order to be effective with this strategy, you must define how future success will be measured. There should be a gauge around the percentage of sales that come from new items, for instance, if long-term performance depends on revenue from new products. The elements that support your long-term health, such as new goods, customer retention, category ownership, etc., will determine your success factors and, consequently, your metrics. Naturally, you'll want a well-balanced selection of KPIs that take into account all facets of the organization. Businesses must always strike a balance between the pressing need to address the here and now and provide short-term outcomes and concentrating on strategy and pursuing long-term objectives. Because the two commonly clash, business owners and other leaders must make difficult choices about what to prioritize and how to strike the correct balance. A short-term objective might be to boost your advertising expenditure each month for the following three months. To double business revenue by the end of the fiscal year is an example of a long-term business objective that the short-term aim aids in achieving. Direct elements to improve your business today. Revenue Objectives and Related Objectives Another example of a supporting short-term objective is to hire an advertising consultant for one month to help you study and capitalize on your customers' buying tendencies if your long-term revenue goal is to double revenue by the end of the current fiscal year. Spending the next month researching your main competitors and coming up with ideas for what you have to offer that they don't is another example of a short-term aim. Customer Service Objectives A long-term objective for customer service would be to receive at least 95% favorable feedback from customers. Designing new surveys and benefits, such as periodical giveaways for free samples or discounts on future orders for clients who devote the time to reply, into the customer service research procedure is an illustration of a complementing short-term target. Employee Appreciation Goals Some businesses establish a long-term employee appreciation goal of awarding an employee of the year award to the employee who provides the most creative input during the year in terms of practical ideas to improve the company. Supporting short-term goals are to award employee of the month designations each month throughout the year to mark the progression of creative input, and to include more employees in the reward process than is possible with a single annual award. Community Outreach Objectives A common long-term objective for businesses is increasing the company's brand recognition in the neighborhood through community engagement initiatives. Employees that volunteer with specified community initiatives should be recognized with extra time off, bonuses, or gift cards, as examples of short-term supporting goals. Choosing one or two prestigious annual charity events to sponsor is another short-term supportive objective. Website Traffic Objectives To at least double website traffic for your business by the conclusion of the current fiscal year is a long-term objective in terms of online traffic. Purchasing web traffic analysis software, doing research on it, and hiring a web consultant for a month to suggest and implement programming modifications are supporting short-term goals that will help you better understand current traffic trends. To better understand current traffic trends, research and buy web traffic analysis software. Additionally, hire a web specialist for one month to suggest and incorporate computer program changes that will make the site more alluring to a wide range of customers than your traffic pattern research suggests exists currently. Another example of a short-term aim is to choose a channel for advertising your website other than the Web, such a bus campaign where you lease a banner in a prominent location in town for one month and promote your website URL on the side of city buses. How do business owners strike a balance between immediate needs and long-term goals? The standard of the workforce Your business will be able to adapt to short-term issues and accomplish long-term goals more efficiently with the aid of a qualified and competent team. Putting off investing in skills today may allow you to save money in the short run, but it may also prevent you from achieving your long-term objectives. When businesses don't have enough employees, business executives may end up doing more of the everyday work that should be delegated and spending less time developing and implementing the long-term strategy of the organization. Financial soundness A corporation will be better equipped to allocate the resources it needs to address immediate problems the more financially sound it is. Strong financial standing also allows a business the assurance to make investments for the future. Owners' and investors' mindset Some investors and business owners prioritize maximizing near-term profitability. However, this can come at the cost of long-term growth. For instance, a company may decide to forego a planned investment in staff or technology because of a brief decline in sales, but this impulsive action will prevent the company from achieving its long-term objectives. The level of business development Due to a lack of funding and the desire to develop their brand, new firms are frequently obliged to concentrate on the short term. Long-term goals should be considered as a firm evolves in order to reduce risks and create a framework that can sustain future expansion. Common mistakes when balancing short-term needs with long-term targets Strategy is not given enough attention by leaders. Business owners and executives devote too much time to handling urgent and immediate duties and insufficient time to making sure the organization is on track to achieve its long-term objectives. And to make matters worse, they don't assign routine tasks to others. Too centered on quick victories These choices are likely to go back to haunt you in the future if you are particularly worried with immediate success or too frightened to experience brief failures. This is made worse off by peoples choices inclination to act in an impulsive manner, to prioritize urgent activities above important ones, and to listen to those who speak the loudest. Concluding this blog, not your business... If your organization hasn't established its goals, it is practically difficult to know if what you are doing now is endangering or promoting the long-term success of the business. Many businesses also fail to adequately communicate this to their workforce, even when they've done so. A business without one is rudderless and susceptible to being blown from one item to the next.. About Hayden, Owner/Founder of Nucleo Financial: A people person that happens to be good with numbers. Hayden started Nucleo with one thing in mind, help others build their financial "core". Through accounting, he set the stage for accounting firms across the US by focusing on what matters most to clients, a strong financial foundation. Outside of accounting, Hayden enjoys spending time with his two children and wife as well as making a fool of himself on the golf course. Whether you desire services or not, he is always welcome to meeting a new friend! #business #profit #smallbusiness #texas #texasbusiness #startup #sidehustle #cpa #accountant #advisor #consultant #market #worklifebalance #profitfirst #scale #scalingbusiness #llc #revenue #businessowner #local #financial

As Texas continues to see dramatic growth in the real estate market, should you consider selling your home? Sure, there are currently plenty of eager buyers but is now the right time to sell? Selling your home can be complex and this guide is meant to provide a brief overview of some options. Always consult with your tax professional on what works best for your particular situation. For now, let’s weigh your options together! Texas real estate continues to see record highs. First things first - Are there any “loopholes” ? Short answer: Yes! If you’ve done a little research by now, you may have heard of the “2-out-of-5-year rule” for tax purposes. What this means is, you must have lived in your home for a minimum of two out of the last five years before the date of sale. However, these two years don't have to be consecutive and you don't have to live there on the date of the sale. Because of this rule, this only applies every two years. If you have met the two year requirement then it is important to know the exempted amounts for your appreciated value. You can sell your primary residence and be exempt from capital gains taxes on the first $250,000 if you are single and $500,000 if married filing jointly. Example- “2-out-of-5-year rule”: The average home price in Celina, Texas is around $500,000 and real estate growth is about 35% according to realtor.com. So you sell your home with a cost-basis of $500,000 for $675,000 in November 2021. With a $175,000 gain both single and MFJ filers are exempt from capital gains taxes. What if you haven’t been in your primary residence for two years? This is where decisions need to be made and options are available. Below is a list of ideas for you to consider: Show me the money! Who cares about taxes? Sounds like a plan, let's calculate if the sale of your home is worth it! First, it should be known that even if you have not been in your primary residence for two years, the IRS allows for a prorated capital gain based on the time that you have lived in your residence. To calculate your capital gains quickly, go to NerdWallet. Key areas to consider when taking this option: Gains above cost basis are considered “earned income” and will be taxed as such based on your income amount. Home improvement expenses can be added Must be primary residence Cannot be a home acquired in a 1031 exchange within five years North Texas Capital Gains Example: Transfer your personal property to LLC: For those considering starting a business and renting the property to tenants please watch this short video to get a detailed description about the process. As more and more small businesses emerge in Texas this might be a good time to consider this route. That said, it is crucial that you do it correctly and ensure that you and your LLC (business) is protected. Get ready to explain everything! Start with a catchy introductory sentence or two to get the ball rolling, and then begin sharing your insights with your audience. Keep property and rent out: If you’re not the entrepreneurial type, that’s ok! You do have the option to rent your property outright to those looking to rent. There are some liabilities to consider when taking this route so consider: Insurance- if a tenant is injured on your property you are liable to pay for the damages through your insurance. Upfront costs- renovations, legal fees to protect your property, renters agreements, etc. Ongoing Expenses- depending on the tenants this could be a large or small factor in your decision. Keep in mind that although rare, you will be responsible for repairs, upkeep (mowing, HOA dues) Reputation- this is an unfortunate category but something that may be of importance to those that happen to occupy their rental property with noisy tenants. So you’re ready to make your next move...Now what? As you gather this information and discuss, it is important to know what next steps look like. The process can be as simple or complex as you make it so make sure that you have the right team in place. The purchase and sale of your home can be one of the biggest investments you make. Coordinate with the appropriate professionals for help. More than likely, you’ll be glad that you did. Nucleo Financial is a family owned small business located in a small but rapidly growing North Texas town of Celina, Texas. Our focus is serving individuals and businesses with accounting, bookkeeping, tax planning and tax preparation. We have the pleasure of helping clients ask the right questions and find the answer that is best suited to their needs. Additionally, we have strong partnerships with those in the area that are more than proficient in teaming up with you to make this process easier. Was this helpful? Leave us a comment or contact us to discuss! We are thankful for our partners, be sure to let them know that Nucleo sent you! Home Lender- The Amaya Team Real Estate Agent - Celina, Tx- Durbin Realty Group Insurance- Andrew Thompson- Farmers Agency Ranch and Real Estate Agent of North Texas- Garner Realty Financial Planner- David McEntire Insurance- Eggar Insurance Group

"You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong," Warren Buffett. If there is anything that must be right in your life, it should be your finances. More so, your business and personal finances must be well understood to get it right. Although your personal finance might have been managed over the years by you, managing it with your business finance is a different ball game entirely. Experts say that the hardest learning curve for any business owner is learning to differentiate their business finance from personal finance and how to manage them accurately. In this article, we would: Discuss what personal finance is Highlight strategies to help you manage personal finances In part 2 of this article, we would take a look at the business aspect of your finances. For now, let's dive into the personal finance world. What is personal finance? According to the corporate finance institute, personal finance is referred to as the process of planning and managing all personal financial activities like spending, saving, income generation, investing, and financial protection. Furthermore, personal finance can be summarized using a budget or a financial plan. Investopedia defines personal finance as the term that covers everything that has to do with managing money, saving, and investing. It entails insurance, budgeting, retirement plans, tax, and other forms of financial planning. Following these definitions, we can see that personal finance has a lot to do with achieving your personal financial goals. It includes your short-term financing, retirement planning, child saving, saving for a child's college education, and personal spending. It does not end at having a plan for personal finance; you must develop the right strategy to see that you achieve your financial goals. Strategies for personal finance The earlier you start drawing up a plan for your finances, the better for you. It is never too late to start working on a financial plan for yourself and your family to attain financial freedom and security. Below are our best tips and strategies to help you with your personal finance. Get a budget A budget is very important if you want to stay within your means or earnings. This will help you meet your long-term goals by saving. There is a popular budgeting method that has helped a lot of people – the 50/30/20 budget method. This means 50% of your net income (after tax deduction) is for your essential living need – groceries, transportation, utilities, and housing/rent. 30% is for expenses on lifestyle – dinner nights, shopping for clothing, etc. The remaining 20% goes to future financing – paying off debt, retirement savings, and savings for emergencies or rainy days. Request our most effective personal budgeting tool here. Always have an emergency fund. This can be seen as paying yourself to have cash for unexpected and unforeseen expenses. Such expenses could include serious car repair, medical bills, urgent home repairs, and rent payment in case you are laid off. You should make it a habit to save between three to six months of your net income. Some experts even believe that it's best to put aside 20% of every paycheck you receive for the month. Depending on the job or career you have, it is typically estimated that you should gather 3-6 months of expenses should you have an emergency arise. Did you know, 40% of Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency? Don't let debt get out of hand – limit debt. There is a saying that you shouldn't spend more than you can earn to keep you out of debt. This might sound very simple, but it takes a lot of effort to achieve. Although some people still have to borrow money once in a while – and some debts can be advantageous if you end up getting an asset. An example of a good debt could be taking out a mortgage to purchase a house. Be wise with the use of credit cards. One major debt trap for most people is credit cards. Not having a credit card in this age and time is simply unrealistic since they have more applications other than to purchase goods. Although credit cards are a great way to track your spending and establish a credit score/rating, you still have to be careful not to get into debt using them. In conclusion, there are other things you need to consider when drawing up a strategy for personal finance – monitoring your credit score, considering your family in your strategy, paying student loans, retirement planning, and tax break maximization. You need to get it right to make any headway in your finances. This is where Nucleo financial can helps you. Nucleo financial is the leading expert in financial coaching and accounting that is focused on helping you maximize your finance within the Dallas-Forth Worth area and the United States as a whole. Have any questions on finance? Talk to us today. Website: https://www.nucleofinancial.com/ Email: nucleofinancial@gmail.com Phone: 469-952-9829

Two weeks ago my wife and I had our first child. This is an amazing time in both of our lives, no doubt; we are overjoyed, fearful, excited and completely in love. When the dust settles there is a lurking fear that I may not have enough money to provide and secure a financial future for my family. How do I save for college? Should I even be saving right now amidst the current economic state? What amount of money is recommended for my family if I were to pass away? How on earth should I pay the new enormous medical bill? And so on... The fact is, these questions are normal and honestly pretty fun to ask yourself (if you like financial conversations) or stressful (if you may be financially overwhelmed). My goal for this article is to help relieve the financial pressure that arises with the birth of a child and set a good budget for your family moving forward. Disclaimer: this is a simple list for families and individuals that have just had a child. Of course, these guidelines apply for those without children but may be altered slightly. Our goal for this exercise is to get organized and set a strong financial foundation for you and your growing family. Start with gathering your information in a list. What should this look like? 1)Budget. Start with a current budget. How does your current cash flow look? Can you see a trend in where your money flows? Visit here for a copy of my personal budget spreadsheet as well as the one used with our clients. Things to focus when budgeting: 1a)Income- It is important to have pre-taxed income (Gross Income) and then "take home" income (Net Income). Why? Primarily, you'll want to know how much you pay in taxes/ deductions annually, additionally I feel this give you a very accurate measurement when using your Net income for your spending ability. 1b)Debts- Categorize and combine all current debts. Credit card, home loan, auto loan, student loans, miscellaneous, etc.. Learn key ways to lower debt quickly and most effectively based on your personal style. 1c)Bills- Subtract all current bills, starting with largest to smallest. Find precise amounts to give yourself the best chance of creating a strong budget. 1d)Cash Assets and Savings- do you have a nest egg sitting aside? That's awesome! Depending on your objective you should either leave this alone or use towards time sensitive debts. This can be used for many goals but keep in mind that you have spent time saving this money, be wise and do not spend it if you do not have to. 1e) 2) Protect. Get protection- but only if needed! Mostly provided by your employer but it is crucial to have your own coverage- unless you plan to work until you die... (sorry so morbid) 2a) Life insurance- There is a sense of pride and a undeniable need to protect your new child when he or she arrives. There are many choices and considerations when finding the correct protection you need. Please, do not get swindled by crafty sales people. 2b) Disability Insurance- Around 80% of disability claims are non physical, meaning an illness can cause a major reduction in your income. Do not get caught without your income, remember that it is the key factor in paying for everything within your life. 3) Win. Set Goals that are S.M.A.R.T.- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based. I am such a huge fan of setting and achieving goals. A win is a win, no matter how big or small. Financially, it is amazing to win as much as possible! This is an important aspect to building life after a newborn but it varies greatly for each individual. 3a) Example of Financial SMART goal: Pay off student loan debt, Amount: $10,000, Goal timeline- 10 Months. Having your goals listed will keep them at top-of-mind for you which ultimately will lead to a well executed success story. 4) Execute. Take action for your financial success. Warning, time will slip away from you so take the time to make the proper moves to get your plan into action. If you need help staying accountable or building this plan, contact us today. Now this goes without saying but it is important to know that it this is not a one size fits all. Feel free to make some changes that work for you or give us a call if you would like; even if your'e not an existing client, we love helping others. Our approach at Reed Financial Consulting is completely individualized to your style, goals and of course your interest. Did we miss something? Let us know! We would love to get to know you, work together, receive feedback or feel free to just say hi! For those of you that know me, you know that I love being a dad. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time and although the financial aspect is not everything but it will be a big part moving forward.