Paramount Tax & Accounting Harrisburg Blog
Summer Accounting Tips for Small Businesses in Harrisburg / Hershey
Summer is a season of sunshine, vacations, and relaxation, but for small business owners, it can be a challenging time. With employees taking time off and potential slowdowns in sales, small business owners need to be proactive in their accounting practices to ensure they remain financially stable. Read on to learn more essential accounting tips for small businesses during the summer months, brought to you by our experts at Paramount in Harrisburg / Hershey!
Plan for Seasonal Staffing Needs
Summer is typically the high season for businesses such as restaurants, ice cream shops, and retail stores. If your business is one of them, planning for seasonal staffing needs in advance is crucial.
Start by reviewing your financial statements and projecting your revenue and expenses for the summer months. This will give you a clear idea of how much you can spend on additional staff. Additionally, you'll need to factor in the costs of hiring and training new employees and any potential overtime pay or benefits you may need to provide.
Schedule Employee Vacation Time
Summer is also a popular time for employees to take time off for vacation. It's essential to have a clear vacation policy in place and ensure that your employees understand it. The policy should include guidelines for requesting time off, how much notice is required, and how vacation time will be scheduled.
Encourage Productivity
Knowing that summer is when many of your employees may choose to go on vacation, have a plan to ensure essential tasks are still being completed while employees are away. You may need to consider hiring temporary staff to fill in while employees are temporarily out of the office. You can also consider cross-training employees in different areas to ensure the business runs smoothly, even in someone's absence.
Review Your Cash Flow
Summer can be challenging for small businesses, as cash flow can become tight. With employees taking time off and potentially slower sales, reviewing your cash flow regularly and adjusting as needed is essential. This may include delaying certain expenses, negotiating payment terms with vendors, or even applying for a line of credit or a short-term loan to help bridge gaps.
Keep Up With Bookkeeping
While summer may be a slower season for your business, be careful not to fall behind on your bookkeeping tasks. Staying on top of your invoicing, bill payment, and financial reporting is critical to ensure you have an accurate picture of your business's financial health.
Keeping track of expenses is also important to avoid any potential cash flow issues down the line. Consider outsourcing your bookkeeping tasks to a professional accounting firm like Paramount to ensure everything is done correctly and on time.
Plan For Taxes
Finally, it's never too early to start planning for taxes. Summer is a great time to review your financial statements and projections to ensure that you are on track to meet your tax obligations for the year. Keep track of all expenses and receipts, and consider working with the professional tax preparers at Paramount to ensure you take advantage of all available deductions and credits.
Our Paramount team in Harrisburg / Hershey understands the unique challenges that small businesses face during the summer months. That's why we offer a range of services to help small business owners stay on top of their finances. From bookkeeping and payroll to tax planning and preparation, our experienced team of accounting professionals can help ensure your business remains financially stable year-round. Contact us today for a free consultation!
