by Candy | Apr 20, 2018 | Community, Uncategorized
You love giving to others, but sometimes just don’t have the cash to share with your favorite charities. Instead of feeling guilty for skipping out on a donation, why not try these five ways you can still give to non-profits and receive charitable tax deductions. Donate Stock I’m sure you’ve donated food and clothing to a charity before, but did you know that you can also donate stock? Instead of selling appreciated stock and giving the earnings to a charitable organization, avoid losing money on taxes by donating the stock itself. As non-profits don’t have to pay capital gains tax, through gifting an appreciated stock to a charity, the entire value will be preserved while you avoid having to pay extra on taxes! Open a Donor-Advised Fund If you want to give to multiple charities or don’t have a specific amount in mind, opening a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a great way to always have money set aside for your donations and get tax deductions that same year. Simply choose a DAF sponsor, invest in one of their many pre-approved options, and then submit a grant request when you’re ready to donate the money! Like all investments, however, there is risk involved as the value of your DAF can rise or fall with the economy – which is why it’s often smarter to invest in low-risk opportunities if you’re planning to withdraw the money sooner rather than later, or vice versa. Create a Charity Budget As the needs of a non-profit are year-round, treating charitable donations like any other expense and budgeting them out accordingly can not only help...
by Candy | Feb 13, 2018 | Business, Community
As a proud sponsor of the South Bay Business Women’s Association (SBBWA), here at AB&P we are so excited to announce that early bird tickets to this year’s annual South Bay Women’s Conference are now available! A local non-profit organization based in the South Bay, Los Angeles region, the SBBWA focuses on empowering and strengthening working women in the community by providing support, encouragement, education, and networking opportunities through their many monthly events and mixers. And as the crowning jewel of the SBBWA’s events, the South Bay Women’s Conference is no exception. Featuring keynote speakers, scholarship giveaways, networking luncheons, and plenty of like-minded businesswomen and vendors, the South Bay Women’s Conference is an all-day event that never fails to send its attendees home feeling refreshed, empowered, and brimming with new business connections. Plus, with ample sponsorship opportunities, the South Bay Women’s Conference makes for an excellent outlet to help earn a new business valuable exposure with the leading ladies in local business. The real beauty to the South Bay Women’s Conference, however, is that all ticket proceeds go towards funding scholarships for young, forward-thinking women in the community helping them to achieve their goals and attend the college of their dreams. However, as the scholarship amounts are entirely dependent on sponsorships and how many conference tickets are sold, we need your help to ensure the brightest futures for scholarship recipients. To help women in your community and sign up for a day of fun, laughter, learning, and lasting relationships, click here to purchase your early bird tickets today while rates are still low! This year’s South Bay Women’s Conference...
by Candy | Sep 8, 2017 | Community
A current client of mine just opened a new Ragin Cajun restaurant in our local area. As many of you who read my blogs know, I enjoy supporting my clients’ businesses when I can, and will share about them on my blog, as well as become a client. Stephen Domingue is well known in the Hermosa Beach area as he used to own a Ragin Cajun restaurant in the city years ago. Currently, he operates a food truck in both Los Angeles and Orange County. But a few months ago he contacted me to let me know he was going to open another location for his former restaurant that operated in almost the same place years ago. And I received a call on the day they opened and was excited for the new adventure to begin! Stephen and his restaurant had been missed by many. I went to his new location with one of my administrators just days after it opened and the food is amazing! I had the shrimp kabob with coleslaw and veggies, and my employee ordered the peel and eat shrimp with veggies and hush puppies. While we were there, people came in and said how happy they were that he was back. Even my admin’s husband was excited to hear it was open again and called his friends to tell them. I also had the chance to meet one of Stephen’s long time friends and investor in this endeavor. I am looking forward to working with them to assist with their bookkeeping and payroll so they can focus on other business aspects that take their time so...
by Candy | Aug 18, 2017 | Community
This past weekend I celebrated the 3rd year anniversary of a client’s business with other members of his club. I met Dan of 9Round when he called my office prior to his opening to discuss his upcoming needs. I was about to have a book signing at the local Barnes & Noble for Business Success With Ease (see https://affordablebookkeepingandpayroll.com/bswe/ for book details). I invited Dan to stop by the event since I would be sharing information I thought would be helpful for him. A couple of months later, I was at our Chamber Business Expo and saw he had a table and was promoting his grand opening coming up and I took the information he shared on attending that day for free. I’d never been to a kickboxing studio, and I was interested to find out about it. I invited a good friend of mine to join me. I have to admit I don’t really like exercising that much (there are other things I’d rather do!), but it was a fun way to exercise if I was going to do it. Although I don’t normally trade services with clients (I usually just purchase their products/services and they purchase mine), when he said he was ready for bookkeeping assistance, I offered a trade. Rather than charge him for the QuickBooks set-up, he gave me the same value in classes. I figured if I had a financial investment, I’d be more likely to go. I like 9Round Torrance for a few reasons which include: Dan and his staff are very kind and patient with the members. It doesn’t matter if your fitness is...
by Candy | Aug 26, 2016 | Business, Community
Are you an independently-owned business that is retail or service based in the South Bay (Los Angeles Area)? Do you employ 10 or less full-time workers? Are you active in the community or have local collaborative efforts? There is a grant you could win from Shop Local! To apply, create a 2 minute (or less) video highlighting what the grant money would be used to help fuel the success of your business. If someone you know could qualify for this grant (maybe even you), click here for more information. The deadline for entries is September 30th. The finalists are featured in the month of October – which will give more business promotion. There will be three winners that will be eligible for part of the prize package with a current value over $5,000. This is a small piece of the Small Indie Business Grant Awards, given by ShopLocal.us. The winners are announced at the South Bay Business Mavericks Gala on October 21st. Not only will the awards ceremony give grant money to the winners, but a panel presentation with local successful business owners will take place as well. The founder of Shop Local is passionate about helping locally owned businesses (I know her personally). Take the time to complete the application/video and you could be one of this year’s winners! Click here to enter! ...
by Candy | Jun 28, 2016 | Community
Criminal activity towards senior citizens’ finances has increased from people wanting to take funds from their life insurance and annuities. However, regulators and financial advisors are providing information to protect this vulnerable part of the United States population. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) wants to help seniors keep their money safe from criminals. Geri Walsh, Senior VP of Investor Education gave these tips: 1. Ask many questions. The more information you have on the investment, the better. Here are questions you could ask for clarity: Are the investments registered with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), or a state regulator? Why or why not? What fees are associated with the investment? Is the investment liquid? How liquid is it? What are the associated risks? What’s the chance that the investor could lose money? Do you have the correct documentation needed to retrieve cash out of your accounts? Do you fully understand what you are buying? If they push you to make a snap decision, or you don’t completely understand what you are getting into, those are red flags. Do not proceed or give them any access to your money. 2. Do you know if the salesperson is registered in your state to sell financial products? You can check their background at FINRA BrokerCheck. This information can be verified with your state’s securities and insurance regulators. Ask about every cost, such as commissions paid upfront and the withdrawal charges to start or cancel the contract. Thoroughly understand how the product works. Always ask for details in writing, so you can take your time to digest the information given. Complete...
