The Wrap

We can all agree that there’s no shortage of uncertainty when it comes to what 2022 may look like for businesses, and taxes are no exception. With IRS delays, potential legislative updates and a dynamic business environment, how should organizations respond? In this episode of The Wrap, tax experts and business advisors Lisa Billings, CPA , and William Dow, CPA , join our hosts to discuss tax chan...

Every large and successful business started somewhere—and we’re guessing it probably wasn’t with hundreds of employees and multiple locations. So how did they get there? In this episode of The Wrap, our hosts welcome Doug Pace, CEO of Stonehill Innovation and David Capece, CEO of Sparxoo (authors of Level Up: Management Secrets to Create an Agile and Growing Services Organization), as well as Warr...

Six months from now, what will your business’s tax position be? (Talk about a literal million-dollar question!) President Biden has proposed new federal tax plans affecting both businesses and individuals. And while the specifics remain up in the air, the time to start preparing your business to adapt is now.  In this episode of The Wrap, Lisa Billings, CPA , and William Dow, CPA , join our hosts...

As companies continue to utilize the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), some are still applying for funds, some are navigating the forgiveness process and others are now facing a PPP audit.  No matter where your company stands in the PPP process, it can be difficult to know what to do and what to expect.  In this episode of the Wrap, Adam West, CPA (Warren Averett’s in-house PPP expert) and Mark W...

“You can have the best strategy in the world, but if the culture isn’t there – the talent won’t be either.”  With a fully deployed workforce in the professional service sectors, many employers are concerned about how to recruit and retain talent in today’s job market. How can business owners, small and large, plan for this talent shortage and consider their compensation, culture and retention stra...

“The bad guy doesn’t know who you are or what you do. They just know they can get money out of you.” As technology becomes more advanced, so do the ways your company can be exploited by bad players. Whether your company is a large leader in the technology industry or a local mom-and-pop shop, each person who works for or interacts with your organization is on the front lines of either protecting i...

While COVID-19 may have negatively impacted many businesses last year, others are ramping up for growth in a big way. And, according to Hanny Akl, “It just seems like the way to grow these days is through M&A.”  Mergers, acquisitions and transaction activity is booming. Business valuations are high, potential tax changes are coming and businesses that have withstood the pandemic are stronger f...

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans have provided much-needed aid to many businesses since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And while these funds proved to be a game-changer for companies everywhere, the process for applying for and receiving this loan forgiveness is certainly new (and possibly confusing) for everyone.  There are three different types of forgiveness applications, two different...

It’s important to incentivize your key workers, and there are clear business advantages to offering equity-based compensation to key employees.  Many businesses choose to reward team members in the form of partnership profits interest grants or through nonqualified stock options, but it’s important to understand what you’re getting—and what you’re giving up. Not to mention, you’ll need to comply w...

Since the CARES Act was passed earlier this year, one of its programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has received the most attention, but it certainly isn’t the only form of relief that the federal government provided in the pandemic.  Less likely to show up in your Facebook news feed and farther away from the spotlight (but just as important), is the Provider Relief Fund, which was creat...

As cybercrime increases in its frequency and severity, companies must be more intentional to protect themselves and their customers. Gone are the days when only the big, nationally-recognizable companies are the only targets for data breaches. These days, companies of all sizes and in all industries need to take action.  So, if your customers have asked you for a report about your company’s intern...

If your company has a lease, this one goes out to you. Did you know that a new accounting standard (ASC 842) requires that companies recognize their leases on their balance sheets?  If you’re thinking this sounds like something you’ve heard before, you’re probably right. The deadline for companies to comply has been deferred twice now. As our guest, Josh says, “We’ve been talking about leases for...

Taxes and technology can be complicated, but that doesn’t mean saving money has to be.  Did you know that your company may be able to save money on your taxes by utilizing the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit? If you’re thinking that only companies that have laboratories in their buildings and employees who wear goggles qualify, you might be surprised. Our guest, Maggie, says it best:...

“Great leaders love chaos.” Casey Graham, CEO and Co-Founder of Gravy Solutions, is no doubt one of those leaders.  For him, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic meant much more than leading a business through uncertainty. It meant supporting his team and seizing the chaos for what would become opportunity. In February, the company was set to lose nearly $600,000 in the span of four short weeks, and u...

“I don’t think there will ever be a month—a two-month period—that was ever as hard for me to manage a team, a business, a group of friends, as that March and April period. It was brutal.” Unfortunately, for many businesses operating in the restaurant, franchise and hospitality industries, “brutal” is a word that has been used increasingly to describe the effects of COVID-19 on their companies earl...

“We’ve got to up our game, no matter what business we’re in.” Quint Studer is a lifelong businessman, entrepreneur, student of leadership and a prominent presence in the business arena and community of Pensacola, Florida.  He’s the founder of the Studer Group (a healthcare consulting company, ultimately sold in 2015), the founder of the Studer Community Institute (a not-for-profit organization), a...

“We will never go back to where we were.” Quint Studer is no stranger to the worlds of business, leadership and community. With his involvement in businesses of varying industries (including a minor league baseball team, a nonprofit organization, a coffee shop, office space, retail operation—to name a few), Quint not only strives to keep an eye on opportunity for his ventures, but for the communit...

Babypalooza got its start as a magazine that founder Cecilia Pearson managed as a creative outlet. Fast forward to 2020, Babypalooza is a growing company and community platform that thrives through large in-person events, now faced with navigating a global pandemic.  In this episode of The Wrap, our hosts welcome Cecilia to talk about how her company grew from a hobby to a business to an organizat...

“It has been breathtaking to see how, overnight, the scale of our activity has just shifted totally.” While most businesses have been forced to adapt at a blistering pace, when you’re a nonprofit organization that distributes meals to assist those suffering from hunger and food insecurity, a global pandemic brings an especially unique set of challenges. Kyle Waide, President and CEO of the Atlanta...

“A pandemic was not on my radar.” Most of us would probably agree with Faris Malki, the owner and operator of a bicycle repair and service shop in Birmingham, Alabama called Cahaba Cycles. The reality is that, even though very few of us—if any—would have predicted the COVID-19 outbreak this time last year, many businesses have made sharp and fast changes to adapt to the rapidly evolving business e...

COVID-19 has created many questions for investors, retirement plan sponsors and anyone looking to maintain financial stability. What does COVID-19 mean for long-term and immediate financial success for individuals? What does it mean for business owners who are charged with guiding their organizations as a trusted employer? How can you best move forward with financial planning when the future is so...

As many companies begin to receive funding as part of the Paycheck Protection Program, businesses are turning their attention from navigating the application process to allocating their own use of the funds and understanding loan forgiveness.  In this episode of The Wrap, Adam West, CPA and David Crabtree, CPA join our hosts to discuss what companies can do to gain an accurate understanding of the...

Companies are facing a wide array of challenges in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially wen it comes to employee matters. Some are considering reducing their workforces, while others are striving to increase them.  In this special edition episode of The Wrap, David Salters, CSP, TSC , Director of Sales and Operations for Warren Averett Staffing & Recruiting, and Kelly Cochran, Warren Averett’s Di...

In the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have been forced to make changes to their operations that otherwise may not have been made, and for many, that provides an opportunity to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes. As companies adapt to the changing world, how can you help your team adapt their own tasks in a way that’s beneficial for the business? In this special edition epis...

In this special edition episode of The Wrap, Hanny Akl CPA, CFE, CEPA, CVGA, a Member of Warren Averett and the Firm’s Transaction Advisory Services Practice Leader, and Roger Spain, CPA, CFA, a Principal in Warren Averett’s Outsourced CFO practice, re-join our hosts to discuss how businesses can contain costs in this financially stressful season. Our guests bring actionable ideas and advice for r...