Need a good business idea

amother

Pink

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 4:48 pm

debsey wrote:

I agree about staffing agencies. I feel like we are oversupplied and I'm starting to get annoyed by all the solicitations coming in from the new ones opening up. It's great when I can hire temps and when I need a new secretary - but I have a plethora of options. So far the newest one (the one that's part of a franchise) is my go-to place because she's really organized and great with things like tricky payroll problems.

That's different from a housekeeper agency - most of the staffing places don't handle domestic staff. I promise you, if you start a housekeeper agency, I will be your first customer!

And I agree - being in business is a HUGE headache. You have people relying on you for parnassah. You know the saying - when you work for yourself, you have a relentless boss AND a reluctant worker. I happen to love my work, which helps a lot, but it's still pretty major to juggle.

are you willing to pay legally for a housekeeper?
all associated taxes and fees?
I'm not!
and I dont know how many women in lakewood are.
OP would do well to do a poll. From the amount of lakewood post here...maybe would be a good idea.

Raisin

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 5:06 pm

This might not be profitable or a good model for where you live but I have seen a website operating in Europe where you can book a cleaner. You pay through the website, and a cleaner comes. Its called hassle.com, if you want to check it out. My friend uses them all the time for cleaning help.

No idea how it works with taxes etc - I think the cleaner gets say 10euro or pounds and the website gets 2.

debsey

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 5:47 pm

amother wrote:

I sure am. when you hire someone off the books, you open yourself up to all sorts of problems. They can claim you never paid, they can just dissapear on you, they can steal, your homeowner's insurance won't cover a slip-and-fall etc. I know that "everyone" does it, but it's very risky.

people at lower income levels probably don't have a choice, but if you have assets to protect, it's unwise. I would love to find a housekeeper on the books, legally here, who I can pay at least partially with pre-tax income (since childcare is a business expense). I'm not the only one. Like I said, as lakewood grows, and you have more and more upwardly mobile couples with two incomes, the cleaning lady for an hour a day that you share with 12 neighbors model just doesn't work.

debsey

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 7:52 pm

kb wrote:

Since when is childcare a business expense?????

I'm positive that every year I ask my accountant and every year he tells me nothing doing.

My accountant says that for my business, it would be a business expense. Maybe because I have a home based business? I don't know, but he keeps recommending it. I just can't find someone.

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 7:56 pm

debsey wrote:

My accountant says that for my business, it would be a business expense. Maybe because I have a home based business? I don't know, but he keeps recommending it. I just can't find someone.

I have a home based business and was explicitly told no. And my father is an accountant who also told me it doesn't count. And a quick Google seems to back that claim...

I don't mind if you claim it anyway, but I like to know that my tax return doesn't have anything I might get in trouble about.

That being said, if your accountant has a source for it being ok, I'd be more than happy to take advantage!

debsey

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 7:58 pm

kb wrote:

I think if I follow my accountant's recommendations, I'm unlikely to get into trouble, since he is a licensed professional.
I'm not talking about a deduction, I'm talking about putting her on payroll for my business as an employee, which means that I'm paying her with pre-tax income.

MagentaYenta

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 8:03 pm

amother wrote:

I don't live in Lakewoood although I have family there and I find this position to be offensive. I'm pleased that the people in my community are willing to comply with the law when it comes to domestic workers.

amother

Pearl

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 8:03 pm

kb wrote:

There is a child and dependent care credit, but you only get it if you pay on the books. Maybe tha's what she's talking about. Childcare is not a business expense.

debsey

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 8:08 pm

amother wrote:

There is a child and dependent care credit, but you only get it if you pay on the books. Maybe tha's what she's talking about. Childcare is not a business expense.

I don't know - I have not looked into it enough because I have not been able to find someone. When I do, I will sit down with my accountant and figure out how to structure things. I'm eventually going to hire someone to provide childcare in my office for myself and a few employees, which I understand is allowed for small businesses as a legitimate employee, but that's a whole different pay structure, from what I understand.It also will change my business insurance, and right now, it's not warranted. But it's in the long-term plans.

That's why I'd only do it through an agency that knows payroll and can handle that end of things for me.

amother

Pink

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 8:51 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

I comply with the law when it comes to my very legal business. I hire through agencies both to protect myself, and to make certain I am getting only legal workers. I pay all payroll taxes & liability insurance for my employees, and the agencies provide the same for all workers we keep on their payroll.

However, for my home cleaning needs our arrangement suits both me and Mary.
Mary gets more take home pay and I pay 1/3 less than I would otherwise.

Just curious what the rate is in your community for domestic help?

MagentaYenta

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 9:05 pm

amother wrote:

Domestic workers here get $15-20 an hour. Minimum wage is $10. My credit union has a program whereby you can get payroll services for two domestic employees (tutors are included) without charge. I just plug in the the hours into an online spread sheet. They do the math and deductions. I print out the document and write the check (They handle remitting taxes for unemp etc. I approve the payment online). When I lived in Los Angeles the CU had a similar program but limited its use to one domestic employee. I am responsible for vetting the domestic employee, I use a state approved service company for those details and must submit that to the CU at the time I set up my household payroll. It costs around $75 per person vetted, the last time I used this service which was about 5 years ago.

amother

Pink

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 9:11 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

very cool.
maybe OP should bring a domestic agency service to lakewood as other suggested.
How do you find legal domestic help? through an agency? and is it hard to find?

MagentaYenta

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 9:16 pm

amother wrote:

very cool.
maybe OP should bring such a service to lakewood.
How do you find domestic help? through an agency? and is it hard to find?

I no longer use domestic help since it is just me. When I did use help here I used an agency. In Los Angeles, I only hired once and kept the woman for a very long time.

I have no idea if this could be a business, since most credit unions across the country are offering this as a free service for a single employee. If it's via a CU, why would anyone be willing to pay?

amother

Pink

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 9:19 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

sorry
edited my post to read "bring a domestic agency service to lakewood"

amother

Ecru

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 9:23 pm

I would consider targeting the general public, not only lakewood. Maybe selling something online or better yet, selling through Amazon. I think the PCS gives classes on how to start your own online business. I also recently saw an Amazon course advertised in Lakewood.

If you want to target lakewood, well, everyone here is always having babies so most people need babysitters! Day care centers are so popular now since they offer child care past the 2pm cut off that lakewood is famous for. Also there is government funding for childcare that many families receive and they can only use that in a licensed child care agency.

Another lakewood related idea. Do you have any idea how many thousands of women there are in Lakewood? Well, almost all of them wear shaitels. You can either become a shaitel macher or manufactor your own wigs. Coming out with your own line of wigs with quality hair will no doubt be very profitable.

How about a real estate agent? The course is only a few short weeks. Think how many houses are being built in lakewood. People are swarming here from all over to buy a house!

Your question is way to general. Usually people have experience of some sort or certain interests. Maybe you know someone in a certain line of field who is successful and can offer advise.

amother

Slategray

Sun, Nov 27 2016, 10:22 pm

Many people seem to think lakewood has a decent cafe but I beg to differ. The best of the kosher cafes are run by israelis. Partner with an Israeli, incorporate that style (ie. Cafe K, cafe rimon)and you will be successful!