Blog

On Dec. 20, 2017, Congress passed the most significant tax reform act in over 30 years. Business owners have been clamoring for this type of reform, but now that it’s passed, what does it mean? Who wins and who loses?

The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations produced a comprehensive 40-page breakdown of the tax bill. Don’t have the time, stomach, or patience to read it? I’ll touch on a few of the highlights.

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Flu season is normally bad for businesses, but 2018 may be much worse than usual. The New York Times reports that “this year’s flu season is now more intense than any since the 2009 swine flu pandemic and still getting worse,” which creates havoc both for you and your workers.

You can’t always prevent the flu or stop employees from getting sick, but you can offer them the means to receive quick, affordable attention from a medical professional. Telemedicine is an attractive benefit that gives employees 24/7 access to physicians via phone, video, or internet chat and benefits your business. Here’s why you should consider offering telemedicine to your employees this flu season.

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A new year brings new opportunities. Unfortunately, it also ushers in big changes that can leave businesses scrambling. Recent changes to legislature or ongoing trends can leave your company open to legal problems if you don’t take appropriate action. A good employee handbook can be a key tool to make sure that your business is  prepared for 2018. 

An outdated handbook is a serious problem for any business. It’s important to make sure that your handbook evolves as new laws go into effect. Here are five parts of your handbook that you should update in 2018.

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When you run a business in a competitive industry, it can be difficult to find and retain employees. The Society for Human Resource Management conducted a survey and found that “95 percent of HR professionals rated health care as one of the three most important benefits to employees.” In short, benefits are big.

Of course, every prospective and current employee may have different health needs. While a group health insurance plan provides employees with medical coverage, there may be some additional health needs that don’t fall under your base plan. This is where a supplemental insurance plan can give your business an edge in attracting new talent and retaining quality employees.

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When you’re a small business owner, your schedule is never empty. Each year contains several important deadlines that you need to follow to keep your business compliant with important laws and regulations involving your company’s finances and employees. Just a single missed date can lead to problems with the IRS or other government agencies.

Keeping track of all these dates as well as everything else you need to do as a business owner can be difficult. We’ve put together a list of critical dates you need to know to keep your business legally compliant.

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Every year presents new opportunities to strengthen and grow your small business. Sometimes it’s just a matter of finding and identifying which of these opportunities make the most sense for your organization. 

A good small business conference is a great place to uncover ways to improve your business, whether you attend in person or send key members of your team. While some people may not think that leaving your office to attend an outside event may be all that beneficial, finance website The Balance lists five good reasons why you should consider attending small business conferences:

• Educational opportunities
• In-person networking
• Learn about competitors
• Marketing to potential clients
• Spark creativity and innovation

Whether you’re interested in just one of those benefits or all of them, there are plenty of conferences across the country that may be beneficial for you or some of your employees. We’ve identified some of the top HR conferences to attend this year, but you also need to consider marketing, finance, and other functions. Here are some of our top conference choices for small business owners in 2018.

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Professional HR conferences are a great opportunity for organizations to discover new ways to improve. For an HR professional, they provide a way to network with fellow experts in the field and learn about new tools, resources, and strategies. For a business owner, they offer a deeper understanding of how HR functions affect their business and provide a chance to allow their employees to find ways to strengthen the organization.

Every year, there are several HR conferences that organizations can choose to attend, whether those attendees need to earn Society for Human Resource Management recertification credits or simply want to learn more ways to help grow their organization. Here are some notable HR events to look out for in 2018.

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On Dec. 22, Gov. John Kasich signed legislation that clarified the 2013 small business tax statute, assuring that Sub S Corps adopting the PEO model will enjoy the same tax savings as all other Ohio small businesses. GMS took a leadership position in the industry that led to this legislative victory.

In 2013, Ohio business owners became eligible for small business deductions, reducing tax rates down to three percent. It wasn't until August 2016 that a client's tax practitioner noticed the issue on the Ohio Department of Taxation website containing instructions for the small business income deduction. FAQ No. 28 said that Sub S owner's wages paid by a PEO is not subject to the deduction.  

The client contacted their Client Services Manager, who in turn contacted GMS's Chief Financial Officer, Mark Watkins. Watkins realized that this was a major issue for all PEO clients who are Sub S Corps in the state. 

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The end of a calendar year usually causes business owners to do two things: Review the past year and learn from its successes and failures. They also start looking to the new year and set their expectations of what they want to accomplish. While a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can’t help you with the former, it can help you tackle the latter.

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Payroll is an important part of every business. While some small business owners take the time and effort to handle payroll administration in-house, certain factors can signify that outsourcing payroll with a PEO might be in your best interest. Here are some signs that it may be time to consider a switch.

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