3 Ways Small Businesses Can Donate to Charities

While cash donations are one of the most common ways to give to charities, small businesses may also provide support in other ways.

1. Volunteering

Instead of donating money, your business will be able to make an impact by donating their time to a local charity, such as a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.¹

2. Host a Charity Drive

If you see a need in their local community, consider helping by starting a drive to collect needed items, such as a holiday toy drive or canned food drive.¹

3. Take Advantage of Local Sponsorship Opportunities

Local youth organizations and groups are often looking for sponsorship. Consider sponsoring a sports team or local community event. You will also get a little advertising and community goodwill out of your involvement.¹

Tips for Small Business Giving

While there are no set rules on how or how much you should give to charity, below are a few helpful tips to help your business get started.

Find a Cause That is Meaningful to Your Company or Employees

All types of charities are looking for support, which means it is easy to find one that resonates with your business culture and employees. This way, you will be more personally connected to your contribution, which will mean something to you and your employees.²

Research Charities You Are Interested In

Take some time to learn about the different charities you may wish to contribute to. Through some research, you will be able to find out how much of the contributions go into their programming, what kind of services they provide to the community, and the impact your donation may have. This will give you a clearer picture of how you are helping through your contribution.²

Build a Relationship With Your Chosen Charities

Even if you only contribute to your charity once a year, you want to stay connected and find out other ways you are able to assist throughout the year. This is a great way to stay connected with your community, network, and build relationships with other businesses.²

Get Your Employees Involved

Have your employees volunteer with the charity or offer contribution matching for employees who donate independently. This will help your employees connect with the charity and provide the charity with much-needed assistance throughout the year.²

It is important to remember that every dollar counts for charities, so even if your business only contributes a small amount, it will still be making a huge impact on the community.

Important Disclosures:

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

This article was prepared by WriterAccess.

LPL Tracking #1-05377994

Footnotes:

¹ “Small Business Guide to Charitable Giving and Tax Deductions,” Business News Daily, https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10470-small-business-guide-charity-donations.html

² “Six Best Practices For Small Businesses To Give Charitably,” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/krisputnamwalkerly/2018/12/17/6-best-practices-for-small-businesses-to-give-charitably/?sh=60dcdffa2c98

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Maintain Liquid Assets

Everyone needs to have savings. For small business owners, savings are critical. Liquid assets may help you weather challenging times and make you a more attractive candidate for a loan. When times are tough, cash may help carry you through.

Engage a Financial Professional

You may assume you do not have enough money to make paying a financial professional a worthwhile investment. You may believe you cannot afford one. However, as a small business owner, you may benefit from getting help from a financial professional. A financial professional may help manage your tax burden and your operating expenses, with a focus on cash flow.

Do Not Overinvest in Physical Space and Equipment

It may be tempting to purchase or rent a storefront for your new business. However, it may help to avoid falling into the trap that hurts many business owners—the urge to quickly invest in a brand-new office, buy a company car, or otherwise overcommit to physical overhead as soon as the money starts coming in. By expanding at a more reasonable pace as your business growth demands, you may be able to maintain a more sustainable level of growth.

Avoid Ultra-Risky Stocks

Running a business is a gamble in and of itself, so adding a risky stock portfolio on top of this may expose you to extraordinary risk. Investing in individual stocks may be too risky. Instead, consider index funds that track one of the major market indices that might be less risky. However, be aware that no investment is risk-free.

Plan Your Succession

One frequently overlooked part of a successful small business strategy is having a contingency plan for transferring ownership at the time of your retirement or demise. As a business owner, you should have, at minimum, a last will and testament and life insurance in place.

Your will might include instructions to keep things running in your absence (like managing payroll), while life insurance may provide funds for the loved ones you leave behind. A succession plan is a strategy worth pursuing rather than leaving this issue unmanaged.

Important Disclosures:

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) or insurance product(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial professional prior to investing or purchasing.

Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee return or eliminate risk in all market environments.

All indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

Although index funds are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of their respective underlying indexes, the trusts may not be able to exactly replicate the performance of the indexes because of trust expenses and other factors.

Please keep in mind that insurance companies alone determine insurability and some people may be deemed uninsurable because of health reasons, occupation, and lifestyle choices.

This information is not intended to be a substitute for individualized legal advice. Please consult your legal advisor regarding your specific situation.

This article was prepared by WriterAccess.

LPL Tracking #1-05372579

The post 5 Tips for Saving and Investing as a Small-Business Owner  appeared first on Tribox Private Wealth.

Now, let’s flip the script for a moment and talk about something just as important, if not more so – your business. How much time do you invest in planning, strategizing, and calculating the moves that will take your small business to the next level?

Velocity of Money in Fantasy Football

In economics, the concept of the “velocity of money” refers to how fast money changes hands in an economy, stimulating growth and prosperity. The quicker money circulates, the better it is for the economy. Similarly, in fantasy football, the more quickly you adapt and change your roster according to the situation, the more points you generate.

Velocity of Money in Business

Now let’s apply that concept to your business. The time you spend planning and strategizing for your business increases the “velocity” of growth. This means, the quicker you act on opportunities, make changes, or even pivot if something isn’t working, the more your business benefits. And just like in fantasy football, you have to be agile, alert, and responsive to the changing market conditions.

Time Investment Multiplier

Consider this: what if the 4 hours a week you spend analyzing player stats, trade possibilities, and match-ups in fantasy football were directed towards enhancing your business strategy? That’s about 208 hours a year! Imagine the projects you could launch, the marketing strategies you could develop, or even the additional clients you could reach.

Time is the one resource that, once spent, you can’t get back. The question then becomes: How are you dividing your time to generate the best returns? You don’t necessarily have to give up on your passion for fantasy football, but a little balance could tip the scales in favor of your business success.

This fantasy football season, let’s also kick start a season of planning, growth, and success for our businesses.

Important Disclosures:

Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through NewEdge Advisors, LLC, a registered investment adviser. NewEdge Advisors, LLC and Tribox Private Wealth are separate entities from LPL Financial.

LPL Tracking #478364

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