Category: Running a Business

My career spans almost 40 years. And, with the exception of a few years I spent in a publicly-traded company, I have spent the bulk of my career working in, managing, or owning a small business myself. Although I’ve worked through some hard times and a couple of difficult recessionary times, none have been as challenging or devastating as what we are facing right now. I share this because there are some things we can learn from doing business through… Read More

In the upper right hand corner of the PPP application, there is a box asking for your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). Although many sole proprietors or independent contractors who don’t have employees file taxes with their Social Security Number (SSN), there are many more small businesses that file with an Employer ID Number (EIN), also known as your Federal Tax Identification Number—the IRS uses this number to identify your business entity. Does Every Business Need an EIN? The quick answer… Read More

On December 22, 2020 Congress passed the new stimulus bill which includes new Paycheck Protection Program loans and new EIDL grants along with other small business relief. Read more about that legislation and apply for a new PPP loan here. If there’s a silver lining in the coronavirus pandemic, it’s that people and organizations have quickly banded together to provide support for one another. Given how hard this is hitting small businesses, it’s great to see organizations, both at the… Read More

With new “stay in place” orders being executed in more cities and states every day, employers like you are, understandably, concerned about how they will continue to pay employees. And given that your employees might be twiddling their thumbs with no customers able to come to your location, are you on the hook to continue to pay them if there’s nothing for them to do? Here are the answers to some employer questions about COVID-19. While you may not have… Read More

Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant in San Diego was slammed last weekend, despite the massive fear of coronavirus spreading. But today, things look a little different. While restaurants in the city hadn’t yet been told they have to shut down (they have since), Ponce’s elected to shut down dine-in service and focus on takeout. Owner Ponce Mesa said it was a difficult decision, but he said, “it’s better to keep our employees safe” than to try to continue normal operations.  While the… Read More