New Walking-Working Surfaces Rule
The State of Michigan adopted the new federal OSHA standard pertaining to walking-working surfaces earlier this year. MIOSHA’s Part 2. Walking-Working Surfaces applies to all general industry workplaces in the State.
Improving Resident Retention Rates with Social Media
The bottom line for an effective social media presence is simple: the more communication you have with your residents, the better. Your social media channels have the potential to provide renters with the modern and memorable customer service they seek and can go a long way in retaining your current residents! With all your engagement documented and displayed online, taking care of your current renters is also synonymous with generating new leads for your community.
Data Protection Regulation: What It Means for Your Apartment Community’s Privacy Policy
Due to the Internet’s global reach, the GDPR essentially affects everyone, regardless of location. For this reason, American businesses are just as responsible for upholding regulatory practices as their European Union-based contemporaries.
Financial Dilemmas
Better definition is needed for what qualifies as workforce housing—along with expansion of financing options. But growing interest is resulting in some solutions.
Top 5 “Kid Friendly” Amenities for Apartment Communities
This may be a game changer when it comes to “family friendly” communities. One of the most significant issues for families is finding quality child care close to their residence. Having an on-site daycare within your community solves many problems for working parents and could be a tremendous asset to your residents. We see partnering with a local daycare to open in a retail section of your community or underused space. You get a great tenant that genuinely adds value to your community, and your residents get a one-of-a-kind amenity.
Gov. Rick Snyder moves China relationship into overdrive with next trip
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is the state entity that has been leading global trade missions.
Automation Alley CEO: Manufacturing isn’t prepared, either
Michigan’s smaller suppliers, those family-run companies that supported the ideals of Michigan’s manufacturing might, are faced with the rapid digitization of the auto industry with very little means to accomplish the goal. Automation Alley hopes to educate them on what investments they must make.
Commentary: Focus on Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing is key to the success of the U.S. economy, but requires a very specialized talent pool.
Keeping a king in the castle with a well-maintained cash reserve
They say cash is king. Well, one way to ensure there’s always a king in the castle is to maintain a cash reserve. But what’s the optimal amount? There’s no simple answer. Your bank’s liquidity covenants are a good place to start. To take it further, identify various liquidity metrics and compare them to industry benchmarks. Believe it or not, many companies suffer from hoarding too much cash. Maybe the best way to find the right balance between excessive and insufficient liquidity is to create financial forecasts for the next 12 to 18 months. Contact us for help.
The tax deduction ins and outs of donating artwork to charity
If you collect art, appreciated artwork can make one of the best charitable gifts from a tax perspective. In general, donating appreciated property is doubly beneficial because you can both enjoy a valuable tax deduction and avoid the capital gains taxes you’d owe if you sold the property. The extra benefit from donating artwork comes from the fact that the top long-term capital gains rate for art is 28%, as opposed to 20% for most other appreciated property. To maximize your deduction, plan your gift carefully and follow all the rules. Contact us to learn more.