Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Less Than a Week Left to Grandfather

We are down to the final week.  Anyone who wants to apply for the Home Inspection or Mold Remediation or Assessor License has very little time left.

The DBPR requires that they receive your application by the end of the day on Monday, February 28th

If you are looking to submit your application in the Grandfathering timeframe, the gals at Licenses, Etc will take care of you.  Please contact us immediately to get this process started.  This will be a rush situation because we are into the countdown, so for $400 for the first application and $200 for each additional we can assure a thorough job that will ensure you won’t miss out on the chance of a lifetime. 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

What You May Not Know About Worker’s Comp.

Have you obtained workers' compensation insurance or filed for an exemption with the Division of Workers' Compensation?

The Facts:
·        An exemption only costs $50 and is good for 2 years. 
·        Up to 3 people per company can be exempt. 
·        A person must own at least 10% of the company to file for an exemption.
·         If the company qualifier is NOT an owner, he or she MUST be covered under the company’s WC policy. 
·        Same holds true for any non-owner employee. 

You may think you’re “legal” because you’re covered under one company’s name, but that may not be the case.  When you license a company, you are required to either have WC insurance or a WC exemption for that company, EVEN IF THAT COMPANY ISN’T ACTIVELY WORKING AT THE PRESENT TIME.  The DBPR requires you to be in compliance with Chapter 489.114 and says, “any person, business organization, or qualifying agent engaged in the business of contracting in this state and certified or registered under this part shall, as a condition precedent to the issuance or renewal of a certificate or registration of the contractor, provide to the Construction Industry Licensing Board, as provided by board rule, evidence of workers’ compensation coverage pursuant to chapter 440.”

What can happen if you are caught without workers’ compensation coverage or an exemption for any and all companies that you qualify?  The department shall notify the persons or entities governed by this section who have been determined to be in noncompliance with chapter 440, and the persons or entities notified shall provide certification of compliance with chapter 440 to the department and pay an administrative fine in the amount of $500. The failure to maintain workers’ compensation coverage as required by law shall be grounds for the board to revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance or renewal of a certificate or registration of the contractor under the provisions of s. 489.129.

You can find the exemption form here: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/wc/pdf/DWC-250.pdf. 
Or call us and we will give you information on how to get coverage. 

Would you like to verify your WC status with the state?  Go here:  https://secure.fldfs.com/WCAPPS/Compliance_poc/wPages/query.asp to access the state’s records for WC coverage and exemptions.  If you’re not listed, you need to resolve this immediately!

These rules may not have been actively enforced in the past, but this is the law.  The Boards are tightening their reins and pursuing prosecution.  You really cannot ignore this.

Please contact us if you have questions about any of the next steps you should be taking after receiving your license.  We are here to help you.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Florida UC Assessment

It appears the Florida Department of Revenue is hitting mailboxes this week with tax assessment notices [bills].

These taxes ARE NOT due to an incorrect filing or underpaid deposit.

In a nutshell, the Florida unemployment ‘piggybank’ has been empty for years.  Because that fund is basically insolvent, Florida continues to borrow from Uncle Sam to meet its unemployment obligations.

All of us as Florida employers must bear the burden of paying the interest on that debt, and that is what these notices pertain to.  It appears the state is examining a look-back period of 7/1/09 through 6/30/10 for the purposes of computing each firm’s obligation.

The formula for calculating the payment is specified by law.  The calculation is based on your taxable wages reported from 7/1/09 through 6/30/10 which is listed as line 1 on your bill.  There will be a flat charge of $25 for any delinquent quarter which is line 2 on your bill.

Call us with any questions.

-    Thanks to Greg Borden at Olde Florida Payroll for this information.

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Power of the Press Release

You are constantly looking for the best ways to market your business… but I bet you are missing one of the most obvious ones:  The Press Release!  And guess what, other than the time put in, they are free.  Plus a newspaper article holds a lot more credibility in people’s eyes than an advertisement because it appears to be coming from a trusted, third-party source, rather than the company itself.
Let’s start by saying what a press release is.  Wikipedia defines it as “a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value.”  This means if you have something that people would want to know about, the press wants to hear about it.  This can be anything from a charity event you are hosting to the hiring of a new employee.
Press releases have a very regimented format and will only be considered by the media if written correctly.  There are many online sources to guide you, and there are even entire books written about this topic.  Take a moment to read up on this to be sure that you don’t waste your time.
Once your press release is written, choose the media contacts that you will be sending it to.  They are usually listed on the websites of the papers and trade associations.  Remember, not all of the media contacts out there are looking for the same stories.  A charity event would be directed to most of the contacts, but a new employee would go to the business section writers and trade publications.  So think about what you are sending and be realistic.
Thank them when your article is used.  This is such a simple thing, but so many people forget to do this!  You like to be thanked when you do something nice. They do, too. 
The last tip I will leave you with… Only send a press release once.  You may not hear back from your contacts even if they plan on using your story, but do not hassle them.  Nothing will put you on their block list quicker.
So take a moment and learn to use this powerful tool.  Or give us a call.  We offer press release services.  Isn’t it time to see your name in the headlines?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Congratulations, January licensees!

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in January:
· Khamir Patel at KHP Developers, Inc. of Tampa, FL
· Michael Armstrong at Armstrong Woodworking, Inc. of Indiatlantic, FL
· Isabelo Rodriguez at Accutilities, LLC of Miramar, FL
· Bryan Meklir at BBMK Contracting and Blue Team Restoration, LLC of Fort Lauderdale, FL
· Mino Campobasso at Bell'Aqua Pool Service, Inc. of Naples, FL
· Roger Frakes at Ecoswitch, LLC of Valrico, FL
· Scott Kish at Kish Enterprises, Inc. of Naples, FL
· Matthew Lyons at Expedited Development Services, LLC of Pompano Beach, FL
· Travis Carter at Granite Construction Limited of Naples, FL
· Joe Miceli at Construction Brokers, Inc. of Kansas City, MO
· Kevin Barry at Orion Home Inspections, Inc. of Bonita Springs, FL
· Braddon Cornish at Technology West Group, Inc. of Las Vegas, NV
· Dan Sheffield at J and L Electric Group, LLC of Seville, FL
We're also pleased to share the newly created or revamped Social Media Networking pages for these fine businesses we get to call clients:
· The Lykos Group
o    Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/LykosGroup
o    Twitter:  www.Twitter.com/TheLykosGroup
Be sure to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.
Would you like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, too? Call Lisa at 239.963.5369 for more information.