Posts by Cougar Digital

If rising healthcare costs have sent your company searching for ways to reduce expenses, you should know there are alternatives to standard medical insurance plans. Your choices are not limited to either paying the higher costs yourself or transferring the burden to your employees. Tax-advantaged strategies are available which can mitigate the effect of rising costs…

Employers and employees are often at odds over the issue of overtime pay. Naturally, employers are inclined to argue that an employee isn’t entitled to overtime pay when it would boost the overall compensation that must be paid to the employee. The employer’s position may be bolstered by applicable regulations from the U.S. Department of Labor…

Every tax season, business owners must familiarize themselves with tax law changes that went into effect for that tax year. Fortunately, businesses don’t have to contend with sweeping changes for 2022. But there are three major ones that could affect business taxpayers as they file federal income tax returns this year for 2022. 1. Reduced Cap…

In a statement posted to its website on February 3, 2023, the IRS asked certain taxpayers to temporarily hold off on filing their 2022 returns until it could issue guidance on how to treat special tax refunds and payments made by approximately 20 states in 2022. The IRS published additional guidance to resolve this issue a…

Every company has its strengths and weaknesses, yet some business owners spend so much time trying to eliminate the weaknesses that they never capitalize on their strengths. Take the time to identify your company’s unique selling proposition — what makes you different from the competition? Your competitive edge might be something as complex as offering customized, state-of-the-art technological…

Despite the popularity of e-marketing, direct mail still works for many companies. How well it works depends on a number of variables. It’s a game of percentages. Here are six tips to help improve your company’s odds: 1. Direct is the operative word.A key advantage of direct mail versus traditional advertising to a mass audience is…

The discount for lack of marketability (DLOM) is one of the most contentious issues in business valuation. One reason is that the DLOM can lower a business interest’s value by as much as 35% or more. Another reason is that the DLOM varies significantly, depending on the rights and restrictions attached to the business interest. Here’s…

A comprehensive benchmarking study can provide your business with a healthy start to the new year. By comparing your business’s financial performance to competitors — or even itself over time — benchmarking can help identify trends, value drivers and potential risks. Here’s a look at the components of a comprehensive benchmarking study and how various factors affect…