Accounting Considerations for Realtors
I’ve been housebound for nearly a week with the flu. While no one enjoys the flu, being stuck at home alone, when I already don’t feel well, is torture for an extrovert like me.
Of course, unless you already know Craig and I, most people don’t think of accountants as extroverts. No, the most famous extroverts of the small business world would probably be realtors.
But although realtors are known for being outgoing, high-energy, good-looking charmers, there is actually far more organization of paperwork and attention to detail involved in their job than most people realize. And though their bookkeeping can generally be fairly straightforward, there are always certain issues which can pop up to cause unexpected complications.
Needless to say, given our location in one of the most rapidly-growing metropolitan areas in the country, we work with a ton of realtors. Over the years, we’ve identified a few areas of their accounting which require a close eye.
Tracking Expenses
The real estate market giveth, and the real estate market taketh away. Few people can make money as quickly as a realtor in a booming economy. However, when times are slow, that fountain can dry up completely. That makes having a great system of tracking expenses of crucial importance.
Now, there are varying schools of thought on how one should go about paying for things but the argument largely boils down to: paper or plastic.
Since marketing and networking are two of the primary expenses in real estate, it can be easy to overspend, particularly as lunches, coffees, and referral fees add up. Those who study the psychology of spending advocate paying in cash or writing checks, as it has been proven that you spend less money doing so (because you physically observe the money leaving). However, cash and checks are an accounting nightmare.
Cash requires that you keep and organize receipts, which are prone to get lost, torn, smudged, or, in a best-case scenario, dumped in a box for your beleaguered accountant to sort through later.
Checks are not much better. For starters, realtors are busy people, and their handwriting reflects that. (I say this as someone whose own handwriting resembles an EKG readout.) It can be difficult for a bookkeeper to interpret to whom a check is made out (though you eventually learn how to translate your clients’ handwriting over time). Furthermore, both cash and checks come with 1099 implications (should the vendor meet the other criteria).
On the plastic side, debit and credit cards offer the benefit of easily tracking expenses, and cutting down on time and manual entry for bookkeeping purposes (without having to save stacks of receipts). Also, you get the benefit of avoiding the 1099 dilemma. However, for an undisciplined spender, swiping the card can be a far too easy, frequent reflex.
In my opinion, the best solution is to make use of debit cards, but to keep a close eye on your financial reports, and to analyze trends from month-to-month, so overspending can be corrected.
Paying Yourself
As we mentioned, the real estate market can be unpredictable, making it hard to pay your #1 employee (you). Many agents, particularly if they work independently, opt to structure their business as a sole proprietorship (sometimes with an LLC), and pay themselves only with Owner’s Draw. This works very well for simplicity’s sake, but you still have to pay quarterly estimated self-employment taxes (to avoid a hefty tax bill at filing). And these can be very hard to measure because, again, of the “estimated” part. Pay too little, and you’ll have to pay more at the end of the year. Pay too much, and you may be cash-poor until you get that tax return several months later (particularly if the housing market experiences a downturn).
To protect against this, some realtors establish an S-Corp and pay themselves as employees. This has the benefit of allowing you to pay in withholdings all year whenever you’re paid, and allows your salary to be treated as an expense of the company (as opposed to solely balance sheet activity). However, it does necessitate a payroll service (we strongly discourage filing your own payroll, for time and liability’s sake), and there is a balancing act in finding the right amount to pay yourself in salary as opposed to distributions (and different tax implications with both). It also means that, instead of a simple Schedule C, you’ll need a corporate return filed in addition to your personal return.
Generally, when your business begins to net roughly $50K per year, it’s wise to look into an S-Corp conversion.
Branching out in Real Estate
Probably because so much “go-getter” spirit is required to succeed, most of the established realtors I know are entrepreneurs at heart. And since real estate is already in their blood, many try their hand at other areas of it, such as investment properties, property management, and land development.
The problem, of course, is that all of those have much more complicated accounting.
In particular, property management can be dangerous, as it involves trust accounts, and the strict rules which surround them. Not only must careful accounting be done to show proper revenue recognition and relief of trust liabilities, but the physical money itself can’t be left in interest-bearing accounts, nor co-mingled with other funds. (If you were to compare a real estate commission audit to a home inspection report, commingling of funds would be along the level of black mold.)
Obviously, I don’t say this to imply you shouldn’t expand your portfolio of services. However, it’s very important to understand the financials of the business you’re building in advance of building it, so you can have everything set up ahead of time. That way, you can protect what you have already worked so hard to grow.
Some of the most caring, hard-working people I know are realtors, and, like all business owners, it’s so very important that their financials are managed well. If you know of a realtor who could use some of this advice, please feel free to share it with them. (After all, who doesn’t know at least ONE realtor?)
Accounting Considerations for Marketing Agencies
Over the last several months, I’ve had the honor of serving as the Treasurer of Triangle AdFed. It’s a volunteer position, and a lot of work at times, but it’s given me the joy of getting to hang out with some of my favorite people: marketers.
Despite the fact that I’m in a typically uncreative industry, I do love the enthusiasm and energy of professional creatives, and I greatly admire their work. A good number of The Bookkeeper’s clients are marketing agencies or professionals, and I consider many of them close friends outside of work.
I learn so much from my marketing friends, and the only advice I can offer in-turn is related to their financial management. So, to kick off our series, I thought it would be fun to write an article about the things marketers need to take into consideration when viewing their accounting systems.
Cash-Flow
Few industries can be as volatile and unpredictable as marketing. Trends change, Google adjusts algorithms, and marketing clients don’t always recognize the back-end work that goes into their return-on-investment. Add in high costs and challenging margins, and marketing agencies can face cash-flow problems from month-to-month.
However, there are a few strategies which can be put into place to mitigate these issues. Cash-flow is really comprised of two main components: Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.
On the Accounts Receivable side, there are steps marketing agencies can take to keep money coming in. The first is to have a plan in place to handle delinquent client accounts. A documented series of steps for contacting clients with overdue balances can help separate the emotions from collections practices, and can help overcome the fear of “not wanting to make a client mad”. And, particularly when clients are slow-to-pay, it is good to examine not just the on-paper profitability of the client, but the cash profitability of the client. That’s because, in marketing, a large part of Accounts Payable is tied to client activity.
On the Accounts Payable side, marketers will often have high bills (for ad spend, website design, etc.) tied directly to client projects. Ideally, you would have a client paying for these costs directly, or paying for them in advance, to improve A/P cash-flow. However, in situations where that might not be feasible, it can be wise to utilize credit for some of those large purchases, and pay the balance off in-full from cash each month. This way, in the event of a non-paying client or other emergency, there is a bit of a “cash cushion” to sustain the business for fixed expenses such as rent and payroll. There is also no shame in partnering with vendors to find a monthly payment schedule which works for the regular flow of your business; so long as they know when to expect their payment, most vendors will be happy to accommodate your preferred payment date each month.
Payroll
Payroll is so important because it is the one thing you can absolutely never be late on. If you have employees, they are the most valuable resource of your business. And marketing companies often walk a fine line in determining when to work with employees, and when to work with subcontractors.
Now, we know I can write an entire article on FLSA compliance, so I won’t bore you with reminders to pay employees as employees and vice-versa. However, for budgeting and expense-management purposes, choosing which type of worker to use can be a crucial part of a marketing agency’s growth.
Subcontractors typically come at a higher hourly rate, but can be used as often, or as sparingly, as is needed. Also, it’s easy to track client-specific costs when paying for work on a per-job basis.
Employees often come with a lower hourly rate, but they also come with employer tax liabilities, and might not be as motivated for high production efficiency if their hours are set. Also, if the market turns and sales drop, you can be put in the awkward position of having to cut hours and/or staff.
A good solution is to perform a break-even analysis of adding an additional employee vs. paying a subcontractor. You can use this to determine exactly how many hours of work necessitate additional part-time or full-time staff; you can also take into consideration such factors as production bonuses and/or commissions or profit-sharing for employees (to encourage strong work and efficiency).
Pricing
Many industries struggle with pricing, but marketing has come unique concerns. Many clients contract marketing agencies for both project and ongoing retainer work, and tracking the associated costs for those clients (and billing accordingly) can be a major challenge.
The first step is to clearly define the parameters of retainer hours and service projects, and to monitor those closely to prevent “scope creep”. This will help you to keep costs down, and will also help prevent large, unexpected bills for clients. For clients who are paying a flat monthly fee, either have a provision in the agreement for going over hours, or regularly review client hours to see whether a retainer needs to be increased.
It is also important to have a clear definition of what clients you want to serve. There is a fine line to walk in pricing competitively and remaining profitable; recognizing that you can’t serve every client model and identifying your target market can help you walk that line.
Because marketing is such a large field, there are many other niche problems which can arise. (For example, 1099s for inf marketing, or currency conversion for international marketing.) So for marketers in particular, it’s important to work with finance professionals who understand your company and its unique needs fully. Don’t be shy about asking your bookkeeper, tax preparer, or CFO how they would address some of these issues.
Getting Ready for Year-End Starts Now
You may be lamenting the fact that stores already have Halloween decorations out but, here at The Bookkeeper, we are already preparing for year-end.
In an effort to help our clients (and everyone else) get ready, we’re putting out a list of things you can start doing now to ensure a smooth first quarter and segue into tax season.
Hire a tax preparer.
If you don’t already have a CPA or EA lined up for your year-end taxes, start interviewing now. They will get very busy by the end of the year, and the good ones tend to fill up on clients quickly. (If you need a referral for a good tax preparer, we are happy to provide some!)
Get last year’s records handy.
If you are using a new tax preparer, they will likely want to see a copy of your prior year tax returns. If available, a copy of your balance sheet from the end of the prior year will be helpful, as well.
Check your sub-ledgers.
If you have a copy of your balance sheet handy, it’s a good idea to go ahead and take a look at your sub-ledgers, your Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. It may be that interest hasn’t been properly recorded on some of your loans, and that you are missing out on a deductible expense there. Or, if you are accrual-basis and have receivables outstanding, you want to either follow up on those clients for payment, or write off any unrecoverable invoices, so you aren’t liable for taxes on income which you’ll never receive.
Review uncleared transactions and amortizable expenses.
If you are filing accrual-basis, you will also want to be sure you have a record of checks which were written but have not cleared the bank, as these expenses should be deductible in the same calendar year they were incurred.
Also, if you have any assets on the books for prepaid expenses, be sure those were expensed properly throughout the year, so they will lower your taxable income.
Prepare your 1099 list.
You will be liable for filing 1099s for any non-incorporated service provider to whom you have paid over $600 in cash receipts within the calendar year. To file 1099s, you will need a W-9 from each vendor fulfilling that criteria, and a total of how much you paid them this year.
What’s worse is that 1099s are actually due not at tax time, but at the end of January, and the penalties for late or missing 1099s are stiff. So start gathering that information now!
Start your payroll reconciliations.
If you have staff, or yourself, on payroll via an outsourced service, it’s a good idea to review the reports on a quarterly basis, to make sure that what you have in your set of financials matches the payroll provider’s records. You want to also ensure that any taxes they have taken on the responsibility of paying have been paid in a timely fashion.
W-2 corrections take time, and you can be liable if W-2s are late. If there’s an issue in your payroll reporting, it’s best to locate it before year-end, when the payroll companies will be at their busiest.
Finally, don’t forget that any bonuses you plan to pay employees around the holidays are treated as W-2 earnings, and should be run through regular payroll.
Pay your quarterly estimated self-employment taxes.
Paying in on a quarterly basis is a good way to avoid a massive tax bill the following spring. But be aware, the next due date is only 9 days from now, on September 15th!
Make sure you’re not missing anything.
Be certain there’s a record of any business expenses you might have paid out of personal accounts, and that any transactions which have been uncategorized to this point are properly allocated. And if you find that it’s been an unexpectedly successful year and you need to lower your taxable income, (particularly if you’re cash-basis), you might want to consider going ahead and paying for some of your typical January expenses earlier, in December before the year ends.
Ask for help, if you need it.
If you’re finding that you don’t have an up-to-date set of books, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re already behind, the last thing you want to worry about is catching up your books over the holidays. We’re here to take that off your plate so you can focus on the things that matter most to you at this time of year.
What to Look for in Hiring a Bookkeeper
As your business grows, you will reach a point where you need to seriously consider hiring a bookkeeper. Unfortunately, bookkeeping is still a very un-regulated industry. Anyone can market his or herself as a bookkeeper, and it can be very difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Obviously, your needs will be very specific to your company. However, there are a few basic things you can look out for to help you make the best decision in hiring a bookkeeper.
Look for certifications AND references.
Some people are very good at test-taking, and can certifications easily in an afternoon. (For instance, some lower-level QuickBooks certifications can be very easy to obtain with a minimal amount of studying.) But if they are difficult to work with, or don't do a great job of taking care of clients' books, they will likely not have many positive references available.
Some bookkeepers are very social and, at least on the surface, can impress clients. (Or, at the very least, they're good at getting friends and family to provide them with references.) However, if they do not have the accounting knowledge and technical skills necessary, they won't be good bookkeepers.
When seeking help, prioritize bookkeepers who have both certifications and a significant amount of references. Beyond client reviews, also look for reviews from partnering businesses, such as CPA firms. A good CPA appreciates working on financials that have been prepared by a good bookkeeper.
You can also ask your potential bookkeeper for references from current or prior clients in a business similar to yours.
Check their business registration.
Most legitimate bookkeeping firms will have officially registered their company. Depending on their state of registry, you can look up such information as how they are structured, how long they have been in business, their company officers, whether they have every faced dissolution, etc. (In North Carolina, where we're based, you can check the Secretary of State website for business registrations.)
There's nothing wrong with hiring a newer company, but you might want to consider a bookkeeping firm which has been in business for a few years, first. You can also look at things like whether they have a physical office space, or if the company ownership has changed hands multiple times. (And if they have been administratively dissolved in the past, consider it a major red flag.)
Heed the red flags.
There's a great quote from the show Bojack Horseman which goes, "When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags."
Considering the high importance of your bookkeeping being done accurately, you do not want to ignore any red flags in your search for a bookkeeper. Being slow to respond, having little web presence, or being too eager to jump into working with you can all be red flags. If they are setting off your alarm bells during the initial search, consider how much worse things can become once you have hired them.
Ask about their experience with companies like yours, and with services you might need (such as their systems for managing payroll, sales tax, etc.). Ask about their policies on client communication, and how they prioritize time-sensitive tasks. Most importantly, particularly if they are a 1-person shop, ask about their plans for who can back them up on your account in the event of an emergency, where they might be unexpectedly unavailable.
Make sure THEY ask YOU good questions.
A few months ago, we met a prospective client for a free 1-hour consultation. She was upfront about the fact that she had scheduled interviews with other bookkeepers, and would be following up with us later. A few weeks later she let me know she would like to hire us. Her reason for choosing us, over other companies was, "You actually asked me questions and looked at my system. You were the only one who did that."
Be leery of a bookkeeper who swears they can handle your business financials without first establishing exactly what that entails. Not every client is a good fit for every bookkeeper (and vice versa). We maintain friendly relationships with our local competitors, so we have a good alternative to offer when we meet with a prospect and realize they would not be a good fit for us. Likewise, our competition sends us referrals, as well.
In your initial meeting with your potential bookkeeper, make sure they are trying to learn about your business, and not just sell you on theirs.
Find someone who understands accounting beyond record-keeping.
There is a misconception that a great bookkeeper is just someone with exceptional data entry and organizational skills. However, there is a lot that a real bookkeeper can do to help save money on taxes, identify areas of risk, or even improve profitability. Something as simple as how an owner's cash contribution to the company is recorded can have a massive effect on tax liability. A good bookkeeper can also locate missing accounts receivable, or locate credit balances with vendors. There's so much more to it than entering transactions from the bank feed.
Hiring a bookkeeper is one of the most important decisions you will make for your business. Be sure to take your time and be intentional in your search.
If all taxes were abolished tomorrow, you would still need a bookkeeper.
If the world hit a big reset button tomorrow and taxes were simultaneously, globally eradicated, a lot of professions would go away. There would be no tax preparers, of course, but also significantly reduced need for financial advisors (why bother with tax shelters?), and payroll companies (can't I just hand my employees whatever I'd like to pay them?).
But you would still need a bookkeeper.
You would still need to track not only your income and expenses, but also who owed you money, and to whom you owed money. You would still have loans to track, and need to break out the amortized interest from the repayments. You would still need to know how much your assets were worth, and how much your company as a whole was worth.
There are so many things a good bookkeeper can do for you that are relevant not only at tax time, but throughout the year and over the whole life of your business.
Take some time, away from tax season, to take a look at your financials and discuss them with your bookkeeping professional. Getting the best possible tax return is important, but there's so much more you can be using your financial data for.
Staying (Financially) Fit Over the Holidays
With Halloween only 12 days away, we are officially in the holiday season. This is my favorite time of year, and I understand the temptation to let work slide as I give into the distraction of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and vacation.
But holiday season coincides with year-end and, for businesses, this needs to be a time of focus. Just as it's easy to undo months of dedicated diet and exercise with the wild abandon of the holidays, it's easy to let your business financials slip at the time when you really need them at their peak.
Here are a few common bookkeeping issues we see in Q4 year after year, and how to avoid them.
Missing Deductible Expenses
The holidays are a great time to let loose and be more sociable with co-workers, clients, and referral partners. But just as you lose count of how many calories you're taking in, you can lose track of the money you're spending. Not only can this result in overspending, of course, but you can also be missing out on deductible expenses that will save you money in just a few months at tax time.
Perhaps you're planning an office Christmas party for your staff. Not only would those expenses be deductible, even food purchased for a potluck, but any staff appreciation gifts you'd like to hand out, as well. The same goes for client or vendor appreciation gifts. (If you have someone external doing your books, be sure they're asking about purchases for things like massage gift cards and fruit baskets, and recording them as business expenses, not draw activity.)
Many networking groups hold a special holiday party. Not only would any food and drink you purchase for that be deductible, but also mileage to the event. If you're having trouble keeping up with your mileage, something as simple as a mileage log (free to download here) in your vehicle or as sophisticated as an app can do wonders to help you track that.
Whatever you do, be sure you're keeping proper record of your business expenses, even while you party it up.
Falling Behind on Bookkeeping
Between parties, travel, and employees being out sick from all the germs they picked up partying and travelling, it's easy for certain tasks to get a bit behind in the later part of the year. However, bookkeeping is not like cleaning the house; you can't just plan to catch it all up at once. If I don't clean my house for a month, it's not that much more difficult, proportionately, than if it's not cleaned for a week. Bookkeeping doesn't work that way. If your bookkeeping takes four hours a month and you fall three months' behind, you now have twelve hours worth of bookkeeping to do. (And finding twelve hours for a task you like is difficult enough; imagine trying to find half an entire day to dedicate to a task you dislike.)
Many business owners who find themselves in the position of staring down months of untouched financials make the decision to get some outside help, just to catch things up. The problem is that they're in good company. Beginning in November, professional bookkeepers get very busy with new clients who are hoping to get their books cleaned up for year-end. Not only is there an influx of new clients, but existing clients continue to need service, and we're busy getting all of their year-end documents ready as well. Many of my friends who work solo or operate smaller firms do not take on any new work during this time of the year.
If you aren't certain that you'll be able to keep up with your financials on your own during the holiday season, begin seeking assistance now, before you get too busy.
Not Preparing for Next Year
(NOTE: If you are one of those people who files an extension out of habit, this is for you.)
You may not realize it, but there is a lot you can be doing right now to get ready for next year's tax season.
Just like you don't have to wait to make a New Year's resolution to start getting fit, you don't have to wait for January 1st to start getting your books in shape for tax season. For starters, you can be preparing for the January payroll reporting rush. In the chaos of year-end, many business owners forget that 1099s and W-2s are due at the end of January, and not in April. To prepare, you can be sure that you have W-9s, W-4s, and any required state tax documents on hand now, instead of trying to get them from workers later. (This is especially true of 1099 contractors, as they may work for you for a much shorter season and can be harder to track down later.)
If you have been using an outsourced payroll system, be checking now to ensure that the payroll reports in your financials match those provided by the vendor. Sometimes errors do occur, and you will need to alert the payroll company right away if their totals are incorrect. (Like bookkeepers, they are getting very busy this time of year, too.)
You want to check to make sure that your sub-ledger totals, such as your Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, match your General Ledger balances. You also want to be sure that you are up-to-date on any reconciliations.
Finally, it's a good idea to take some additional tax-sheltering steps. For example, if you had a good year and are cash-basis, consider making a large business purchase in December instead of January, to reduce your taxable income. Or maybe you have not been paying enough into your withholdings or your quarterly estimated self-employment taxes, and need to increase those in December. There are many options available to you, but you need to act now.
Fortunately, you still have some time to make the most of your holiday season. Stay on top of your books as you go, and you will have a restful and relaxing January (at least compared to everyone who didn't put in the work during December). If you need help, we are always available.
5 Things Business Owners Don't Realize They Need
We've all heard, "You don't know what you don't know." This is particularly true in business, where it can be easy to develop tunnel vision and focus on your own expertise at the expense of the company.
Accepting the premise that you don't know what you don't know, we can extrapolate that you can't get what you don't realize you need. Everyone knows they need sales avenues, customers, etc. But there are other business essentials which, though not as well-known, are utterly necessary. Here are five things businesses need (which you might not have thought of yet).
1. General Liability Insurance
It's no wonder that no one likes to think about getting insurance for their business. Buying personal insurance, for your house, car, or health is enough of a hassle. Getting quotes and comparing premiums and benefits for your business? That's just piling on.
However, general liability insurance for your business is an absolute essential. You can hope to never need it (I'm sure you're never planning to get sued) but, in the eventuality that you do, you will be grateful for it. Depending on the nature of your business, Commercial Property Insurance might be a recommendation, as well.
2. Workers' Compensation Coverage
Even more insurance! Laws vary by state but, in North Carolina, you are required to carry Workers' Comp if you have three or more employees, or if you have at least one employee and your business works with radiation. (If your business works with radiation, you'll definitely want those general liability and commercial property insurance policies, as well.)
Many employers try to avoid purchasing workers' compensation policies, but it is not a wise choice. Not carrying coverage opens you up to charges of fraud, huge fines and, in some cases, even jail time.
Now let's move away from insurance and segue into something else that can protect you from being sued by employees or the government...
3. A Good Payroll Provider
Unless your business is large enough for an in-house full-scale accounting department (in which case, we're flattered you're reading our blog), you need to be outsourcing your payroll. Running payroll manually is intensely time-consuming, and very risky. If you do not have a payroll expert on your staff, you are taking a big gamble with your tax withholdings and filings. According to the IRS, 40% or small businesses pay an average of $845 per year for late or incorrect filings or payments. (That's over a third of small businesses.)
Furthermore, outsourced payroll services have become ridiculously inexpensive and painless. We at The Bookkeeper are huge fans of Gusto Payroll, and frequently recommend them to clients. Their customer service is excellent, the interface is user-friendly (even for avowed Luddites), and packages start at less than $40 a month. And Gusto is one of many simple, affordable payroll solutions.
Please, do not take on the headache and risk of penalities associated with payroll, without researching your provider options first.
And while we're on the subject of taxes...
4. Sales & Use Tax
Who has to file sales and use tax? According to the North Carolina Department of Revenue, "Every person engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail, selling certain digital property at retail, renting or leasing taxable tangible personal property in this State, operating a laundry, dry cleaning plant or similar business, or operating a hotel, motel or similar business in this State must register with the Department and obtain a Certificate of Registration. This includes a person who sells tangible personal property and certain digital property, or provides a taxable service at a specialty market, flea market, fair, festival, sporting event, or another event or function."
Needless to say, there are many, many people who should be paying sales tax who aren't. So if you are selling a tangible good, even if it's just from a booth at the fairgrounds on Saturdays, you should be filing sales and use tax. And if you do not know to do so, contact someone who does. If you are caught not paying sales tax, you may be assessed penaltyand interest. The risk is simply not worth it.
Now that we've bummed everyone else by talking about insurance and taxes for four entries, let's move on to what's surely going to be the most controversial item on this list...
5. A Website
In 2016, in order to maintain credibility, your business needs a website. (No, a Facebook page doesn't count, though it's better than no web presence at all.) A website (preferably with a unique, personally-owned URL, and not through a "freebie" site-building service) shows your customers and potential customers that you a legitimate, solid company. Your website is the first place people will go to look for information about your business. Not having any sort of web presence at all can read as very suspicious.
Furthermore, you are doing yourself a huge marketing disservice by not having a website. Web marketing provides the absolute most "bang for your buck" out of any form of advertising. Even if you have a successful business without a website, you could be reaching so many more potential customers and be more available to current customers.
Are there any other little-known business essentials you would add to this list? Let us know, and we'll amend accordingly.