When it comes to evaluating a business, especially one that is publicly traded, determining its return on equity (ROE) is one way to see how it’s performing.What is Return on Equity?Return on equity is a ratio that gives investors insight into how effectively the company's management team is taking care of the shareholders’ financial investments in the company. The greater the ROE percentage, the better the business' management staff is at making income and creating growth from shareholders’ investments.  How ROE is DeterminedIn order to calculate ROE, a company's net income [...]

When it comes to determining depreciation for Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E), there are many considerations that exist for accountants and business owners.Defining Furniture, Fixtures and EquipmentFF&E refers to expenses for business items that are not affixed to the building where that business operates. Real world examples of depreciable assets includes chairs, desks, phones, tables, cabinets, etc., which are used to perform business-related tasks, directly or indirectly. These types of items are associated with long-term use generally more than 12 months, according to the Internal Revenue Service.Understanding How It WorksWhen [...]

As the name implies, First-In, First-Out (FIFO) is a way for companies to value their inventory. The first items put into inventory or produced by the company are accordingly the first taken out of inventory or transferred to customers and therefore expensed. When it comes to accounting for acquisition and/or production costs, initial and earlier costs are the first to be expensed, with more recent costs staying on the balance sheet to be expensed later.Assume a company already has 200 widgets costing $4/widget. From there, the company increased its inventory [...]

With more than 1.4 million accounting jobs in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are many different uses for accountants and their skills. With the need for accuracy and transparency in private and public accounting, one important concept to explore is absorption, or full costing.Absorption or full costing is an accounting method that is used by businesses to determine the complete cost of producing products or services.When it comes to calculating the full cost, there are three main categories taken in account:Direct Costs – How much material, [...]

When it comes to an employer's responsibility for non-exempt workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are many requirements businesses must follow related to payroll. In one example, there are strict regulations on what information employers must document for each non-exempt worker. While there's no requirement on how the information is recorded, there are three main categories.Personal details: This should include the employee’s name, complete address, Social Security number, date of birth and gender.Job details: This must include the worker’s job description and hours clocked in each day [...]

When it comes to tracking incoming sales and outgoing expenses, there are many ways businesses can keep up with their invoices and implement strategies to reduce the time they spend on unpaid sales.Accounts Receivable Turnover RatioSimply defined, the accounts receivable turnover ratio is a way of showing what percent of a company’s receivables or invoices are paid by clients. The U.S. Small Business Administration explains this ratio is determined by "dividing average accounts receivable by sales." Determining average accounts receivable is done by adding the beginning and ending figures -- be [...]

According to data from a U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy report from August 2018, businesses have varied longevity.Nearly 80 percent (79.8 percent) of business startups in 2016 lasted until 2017. Between 2005 and 2017, the SBA mentions that 78.6 of new businesses lasted 12 months. Similarly, nearly 50 percent lasted at least five years.  While there are many reasons why a company goes out of business – one is profitability. Knowing when the business is breaking even and will start making a profit can be accomplished with a [...]

When it comes to gross margins and the American economy, they vary widely throughout the country's industries. When New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business recently compiled gross margin statistics for January 2019, they found the low end includes the Auto and Truck industry with a gross margin of 11.45 percent and the Oilfield Services/Equipment industry with a gross margin of 10.70 percent. On the top end, the General and Diversified Real Estate industry saw a gross margin of 73.08 percent and the Investments and Asset Management industry [...]

According to a March 22 Internal Revenue Service News Release, 2018 federal tax filers might be able to have any penalties for an underpayment of estimated tax removed. This could be possible if they've paid at least 80 percent of their 2018 tax obligations through either quarterly estimated payments, income tax withholdings or a combination of both during the 2018 calendar year.This new level was established after the 90 percent payment requirement was reduced to 85 percent of estimated tax obligations on Jan. 16. With paying estimated taxes a legal [...]

When it comes to making cash flow projections, we’re all aware that it’s not an exact science. One of the main difficulties about accurately projecting cash flow has to do with timing. Examples include factoring in overhead such as payroll; lease or tax payments on the building; using credit to make purchases or for future investment to grow the business; and when payment is collected from clients.Understanding Cash Flow ProjectionOne important reason that many business owners create a cash flow projection is to include it in their business plan when [...]