Fraud is committed in small businesses every day. Some industries, such as retail and restaurants, are more susceptible than others but it happens everywhere. Yet most business owners do not believe it will happen to them. We know that the key element is to put in place key controls to deter and expose fraudulent behavior.... View Article
Michelle Bomberger’s article “What’s the Password?” was published in Seattle Business Magazine. It addressed key considerations for employers accessing employees’ social media accounts. The full article is below: Scoping out an employee’s or a potential employee’s social media life online has become common practice for employers who believe sound reasons exist for requesting this type... View Article
The time is almost upon us and Equinox wants to make sure your business is ready for the change. Here is an article written by Equinox outlining the basics of the Seattle ordinance going into effect September 1st. Equinox is offering free evaluations for compliance of the ordinance. Contact us at 425-250-0205 to set up... View Article
When looking at best practices in hiring and firing, we consider how to get those right people on board and how to end the relationship when things aren’t going well. Both facets of this process are difficult but some key practices can make things much simpler. Plan ahead. Anticipate your hiring needs a year in advance. ... View Article
When a company plans to expand its services into another state, a number of key legal considerations must be reviewed. Below is a summary of some of the critical steps that must be undertaken by the company as it expands. Business Structure. All entities doing business in the state must register with the state. Corporate... View Article
My initial thought regarding the new Seattle Sick Leave ordinance was that an employer that had a “Paid Time Off” policy for all employees would not be impacted much by the new ordinance. As we dig deeper into the specifics of the ordinance, I am finding more complexities and administrative burdens that employers will have... View Article
As we review the provisions of the new Seattle Paid Sick Leave Ordinance, we thought we’d provide some examples to show some of the issues and complexities of the ordinance. Anchorage Accounting is an accounting firm with its principal office in Anchorage Alaska. It has 6 full time employees in Alaska, 2 full time employees... View Article
Our Equinox Focus Event last week “Tax Update: What You Need to Know for 2012 (and 2011, too)!” was quite a success with raves from our participants. I wanted to share some of my key takeaways from the program. – Pre-Opening Costs. For folks starting or launching a business, certain pre-opening costs are tax deductible. In... View Article
Our guest blog post this week is from Connie Lewis at CliftonLarsonAllen. Connie’s practice focuses on state and local tax matters. We are seeing more Washington Department of Revenue audits with our clients as the state attempts to meet their budget needs. One area typically overlooked is the sales/use tax paid on items you use... View Article