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Every small business should establish controls
How do these lessons apply to small businesses?
Every week reporters publish stories about companies that have lost thousands, even millions of dollars because of fraud. They recount the dreadful details of business owners who learned – too late – that a lack of basic controls left their companies vulnerable to pilferage, embezzlement, and other types of misappropriation.
How do these lessons apply to small businesses? After all, small firms generally can't afford to hire internal auditors or set up separate divisions to break up incompatible duties. While it's true that a small company can't always protect itself in ways larger firms might, management can establish controls in certain high-risk areas, such as the following:
Cash disbursements.
If at all possible, the owner/manager should sign checks. This control has a dual purpose: management sees how the company is spending its money, and the cash disbursement function is kept separate from bookkeeping or accounting. If the same person signs checks and enters disbursement transactions in the accounting records, embezzlement is harder to prevent. Requiring two signatures on checks above a certain amount also provides greater control.
Customer collections.
Consider having the owner/manager open the mail, especially if customer collections are a regular part of your business. Alternatively, you might ask someone separate from the accounting function to open the mail and prepare the deposit slip. Of course, the practice of making daily deposits is also a good control.
Personnel practices.
By taking care to perform background checks before hiring key employees, especially those who will be handling cash or other high-risk assets, you can prevent problems later on. Of course, financial pressures, addictions, and other factors can corrupt even good employees. That's why managers might consider discreetly monitoring employee lifestyles (without invading anyone's privacy, of course). An observant manager might note that certain lower-level employees are living well beyond their means, or that warehouse staff are carrying off company materials to remodel personal residences.
Perhaps a small business's greatest control is the "tone at the top." If management sets a high standard, employees generally follow. However, if a manager is perceived as lax – for example, he or she doesn't respond quickly when evidence of misappropriation surfaces – employees might conclude that theft isn't such a big deal.
Remember this: A company that fails to establish minimum controls is providing a golden opportunity for fraud. If you'd like help reviewing your firm's controls, give us a call.
Burzenski & Company once again supported an event at the Children's Center in Hamden. On October 24, three employees volunteered to be onsite for the Children's Center Trunk or Treat Halloween event. Callie Kutys, Shelly Panico and Carmen Rosado donned costumes and handed out candy to about 100 children. Booooooooo!
IR-2024-263, Oct. 10, 2024
WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service announced today continued progress on Employee Retention Credit claims, with processing underway on about 400,000 claims, representing about $10 billion of eligible claims.
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On Thursday, August 29th, we held our annual state-of-the-firm and company picnic at Owenego Inn located in Branford, CT.
The firm recognized the 40th employee anniversary of Partner Melody Mann Fox, CPA. Managing Partner Bill Kalinowski congratulated Melody on her tenure and accomplishments with the firm. Said Ralph L. Ricciardelli, CPA, Emeritus, a founding partner of Burzenski & Company, PC, “Mel, 40 years where does the time go? It’s not easy to build a firm and you’ve done it with a lot of grit, expertise, and professionalism. You have been integral in building the firm. You’ve been integral in helping with the staff, whether it was the administrative staff or the accounting staff. I don’t know what we would do without you. There aren’t enough words of appreciation that we can give to you.”
It was a great day for employeea to play games such as bocce, corn hole, Jenga, and a trivia contest with staff split up into teams.
At the firm's annual state-of-the-firm and company picnic on August 29th, we recognized the 40th employee anniversary of Partner Melody Mann Fox, CPA. Managing Partner Bill Kalinowski congratulated Melody on her tenure and accomplishments with the firm.
Said Ralph L. Ricciardelli, CPA, Emeritus, a founding partner of Burzenski & Company, PC, “Mel, 40 years where does the time go? It’s not easy to build a firm and you’ve done it with a lot of grit, expertise, and professionalism. You have been integral in building the firm. You’ve been integral in helping with the staff, whether it was the administrative staff or the accounting staff. I don’t know what we would do without you. There aren’t enough words of appreciation that we can give to you.”Mel, 40 years where does the time go? I remember when you first came to us in 1984 as a staff person. Our first tax season together was 1985. There was a lot of fun things that happened during those early years that laid the ground work for the future.
2024 Connecticut Sales Tax Free Week
Highlights
The 2024 Sales Tax Free Week is Sunday, August 18, through Saturday, August 24, 2024.
Sales or purchases of certain items of clothing or footwear costing less than $100 per item are exempt from sales tax.
This special exemption applies to purchases made from retailers located in Connecticut as well as from on-line retailers.
This year will be Connecticut's 25th Sales Tax Free Week.https://portal.ct.gov/drs/sales-tax/sales-tax-free-week
Sarah Williams, formerly of Abilene, TX, has joined the staff at Burzenski & Company, as a Staff Accountant. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree as well as a Master of Accountancy degree from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX.
Prior to joining our firm, she was as a Tax Associate.
She has two cats named Fig and Peach.
Burzenski & Company, PC will close the office on Fridays at 12:00 (noon) in the months of July and August.
Please contact us during our normal business hours of 8:30AM to 5:00PM. 203-468-8133
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