New Video: The Firecracker Foundation – Take a Tour
In this video, Tashmica, the executive director, invites you into the facility and introduces you to the space and some of the staff.
For more information: http://thefirecrackerfoundation.org/
Guest Post: What Kinds of Retirement Benefits Should a Small Company Provide?
An easy way to obtain the best employees in your field is by offering workplace benefits. Retirement benefits are something that workers all want to have to ensure their financial stability in their older years. Here are some of the most common types of retirement benefits you should be offering employees at your small company.
MyRA
If you’re looking for simplicity, then MyRA is right up your alley. This is as simple a retirement account as you’ll find anywhere. MyRA provides Roth IRA accounts for employees. They contribute their after-tax income into their IRA account. There’s no matching on the employer’s end when it comes to funding a MyRA account. Your employees can contribute up to 5,500 dollars per year to this account or 6,500 dollars if they’re over the age of 50. Interest earned is based on the G fund of the government’s Thrift Savings Plan.
Simple 401k
A simple 401k plan is another popular choice of small businesses. Simple means that this is a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. It requires employers to contribute to their employees’ 401k accounts each year. As a good 401k advisor can tell you, employees are not required to contribute to their 401k account on an annual basis. The main difference between a simple 401k and a simple IRA is that the 401k plan can allow for loans while the IRA cannot.
SEP-IRAs
Simplified employee pension plans allow employers to contribute to an IRA for their employees without the hassle of filing paperwork with the government. Most optimal for sole proprietorships and partnerships, employers are required to provide the same contribution to every employee. Employers can contribute annually up to 25 percent of an employee’s net compensation. Employees can contribute up to 5,500 dollars per year or 6,500 dollars if they’re over the age of 50.
Simple IRA
The last retirement account we’re going to discuss is the simple IRA. Again, simple stands for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. This type of IRA account works for businesses that have 100 employees or less. Your employees can opt to contribute if they so choose, but they’re not required to. The employer is required to contribute on an annual basis for this type of account. Employees are allowed to contribute up to 12,500 dollars per year.
As a small business owner, planning your retirement and the retirement of your employees is a must. Many employees will turn down job offers due to a lack of proper retirement benefits. Be sure that you stick to offering one of the main benefit programs above so you don’t lose viable talent.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter: @BrookeChaplan
New Video: DayStarr Communications – What to Expect When You’re Expecting…Fiber Internet
In this video, we help DayStarr carefully detail what customers should expect when they get their fiber internet installed.
For more information: https://daystarr.net
Guest Post: Resources for Business: How to Manage Marketing Data
The appropriate management of marketing data ensures the future success of your business model. If your data gets lost or corrupted, you’ll have to start over from scratch. Here are some of the techniques that you should invest in to streamline the management process.
Enable Security Features
Software and hardware updates should be completed in a timely fashion. This is what protects your systems to data breaches and loses. Making security your top priority is more than just good customer service. If you manage sensitive customer information as a part of your marketing database, having this information stolen gives your company a bad reputation in the industry. You don’t want to have to inform your customers that their information was stolen when you could have prevented it.
Invest in Database Management
Database management can be a time consuming task if you don’t have the right tools in place to help you handle it. Using cloud managed services for cloud data and IT support gets you started down the right path. What this essentially does is takes those tasks off of your plate so that you can focus on the matters of running your business. Queries for information can be formulated for the specific needs of your business and eliminate lost productivity time.
Focus on Backups
Backups can occur in a variety of manners. Using cloud based software is becoming one of the more common ways to store your information offsite. This can be especially important if one of your systems crashes or introduces a virus into your whole network. Restoring from these backups takes out some of the risk that may be associated with doing business. Another reason for a backup is that you won’t lose data from your server platform.
Clear out Obsolete Files
When marketing files or profiles are no longer valid, clearing them out saves on the amount of data that you need to store. It also eliminates the chance of sending out old data to your customers. You won’t make the mistake of not being able to anticipate the needs of your customers if you’ve kept your marketing files up-to-date. Another aspect to this involves developing a user interface that’s intuitive so that your customers can update their own information in a reliable manner.
The importance of managing your data works to increase your chances of success in the business world. Use these strategies to keep performing at an optimal level when it comes to your marketing platform.
Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700
New Video: A Fahrenheit Massage Story
Kristin is not your normal massage therapist. Her ability to know where your pain is and to focus on that area is an art. Also, her knowledge of how your body is responding to that pain and what to do between trips to see her. She is based in Lansing, MI and you can schedule some time with her on her website.
For more information: https://www.fahrenheitmassage.com
New Video: Ingham County Health Department – Issues on Housing
In this video for the Ingham County Health Department, we go into the economic and health issues concerning home ownership and rental properties.
For more information: http://hd.ingham.org/
New Video: DayStarr Communications – Our St.Johns Business Partners
We were tasked to tell the story of three area St Johns businesses and how they enjoyed the fiber internet service that was provided by DayStarr Communications. For more on DayStarr Communications: https://daystarr.net/
New Video: Elder Law of Michigan – MiCAFE Network: Nance’s Story
MiCAFE Network client Nance Conner shares his experience working with Bridging Communities to receive assistance with his utility bills.
For more info https://www.elderlawofmi.org/micafe
877-664-2233
New Video: Cristo Rey Community Center – Kalena’s Story
Kalena Baldwin discovered she had thyroid cancer in 2015. In 2017, she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. In order to take care of her five boys and herself, she leaned on the Cristo Rey Community Center for assistance. The CRCC were able to help her with getting food, clothing, and more while she was dealing with medical bills.
For more on the Cristo Rey Community Center: https://www.cristoreycommunity.org
#BetterCallPaul – July 2019 Recap
ICYMI – Five new videos went up on our main channel for five different organizations, each with their own unique offerings. Between barbecues, VR home searches, and helping the community, we covered it all this month.
Check out our main channel to watch all of these and more: https://bit.ly/2I6AGWr