Search Results - little-organization owners

Topic: Are You A Big Biller . . . But A Little W-2'er? (Hilarious Conversation With "Borg-Biller" Yesterday!) :): , Borg-Biller: Me: "Borg-Biller, how ya been? Still Borg-Billin over there at that Big-Box firm? Borg-Biller: "Yeah, you know me. Billin, billin, billin!" Me: "Wow, so what's your commission over there?" Borg-Biller: "Well, I take home 40% up to $250k, 50% after that up to $500k, and then 65% above that." Me: "Well, I know you've averaged $1 Million USD per year over the last 2 years. So if I do the math, that looks like a W-2 of $550k? And what do the taxes on that look like?" Borg-Biller: "Yeah, I bring home about $550k on $1 Million USD . . . but Uncle Sam took half of that last year." Me: "Wow, Uncle Sam took 50% of your take-home last year? Crap, I only paid 18% in total taxes!" Borg-Biller: "That's impossible." Me: "No, it's not. It's called owning your own firm and only paying taxes on what's left over after operating expenses." Borg-Biller: "That's over my head, man." Me: "So, you've billed $2.5 Million USD for that Big-Box over the last 3 years . . . meaning you have some equity now, right? Surely, you've earned some ownership . . . " Borg-Biller: "Equity? What do you mean? As far as ownership, I only get that if I purchase stock through our ESOP . . . " Me: "Borg, let me see if I'm hearing this right. You billed a cool mil . . . only earned commissions on that of $550k . . . and then gave half of your remaining commissions to Uncle Sam? . . . so you gave 45% total to the firm owner, then 50% on what was left over to the government . . . and you have zero ownership in your firm unless you buy it?" Borg-Biller: "Well, I never thought of it like that . . . but yeah." Me: "Borg, I like you, so I have to tell you something. I could bill 1/3 of your cool mil, pay significantly less taxes than you . . . actually take home more on my W-2 or Sched-K . . . oh, and by the way, I own the firm!" Borg-Biller: "That's impossible . . . I think. But either way, being a Big-Biller comes at a cost sometimes!" Me: "Does it really matter if you're a Big-Biller, but a Little W-2'er?" Borg-Biller: "Huh?" Closing Remarks: In the day and age of managing more for stock price than profitability (as the majority of executive comp is tied to stock value and not actually profitable performance), somehow we've missed the boat. There is a huge difference between growing the top-line and growing the bottom. I've seen many cases where organization grows the top (appeasing Wall Street Analysts) . . . only to see little to no benefit on the bottom (you'll see this called, "breaking even on margin.") Will the day come when Big-Billers are evaluated on their business acumen and what they actually bring home versus what they bill for the firm?…; Added by Joshua Letourneau at 9:16am on July 16, 2008

Comment on: Topic 'a rant about corporate recruiters..............by a corporate recruiter': , impersonal and unfeeling organizations who consider most candidates as a bonded servant class who are just so damn lucky to get an interview with the company. The corporate recruiter simply passes along the culture she works in to everyone she works with. Keep in mind that corporate HR is a cost center that usually has very, very little real power and clout in the organization. And after all, it's despicable but common human nature to treat others but a select few people of your own choosing (significant other, best friend, maybe mother, hopefully children) poorly in an effort to make ourselves feel less miserable about our own environment; in which we have little input or decision making power, no opportunity for creativity and no one to tell who gives a crap that the company is shooting itself in the foot by treating candidates and most others quite terribly. Agency recruiters work for and are taught by (for the most part) rigid, unscrupulous, capricious, unfeeling, small sole proprietors who resent every penny they pay their recruiters, since they could really do it all alone and much better if they weren't so very important and busy being CEO's of their little fiefdom. They teach us that the candidate is a piece of meat to sell to the highest bidder; that quantity and not quality is what makes a successful recruiter; that we should never leave our desks to meet with clients to assess the culture to make a smart fit for both parties; that candidates must come to our office for interviews to give us the upper hand in the eternal power struggle; that we must manipulate and at times lie (it's all about the spin, Virginia, and oh yeah, there is no Santa Claus) to the candidate/client to advance our agenda. Then they dick us around on our commission, job title, non-compete agreements and desk placement in an effort to keep us off balance and from getting too big for our britches since Top Producers are really just ticking time bombs who are planning to steal the clients from the business like the owner did when they started their own shop. In the midst of all this negative energy there is the rare recruiter (I've met a few, would love to hear from any self identified "anti-recruiters") who thinks for themself and does not blindly follow, who is creative about doing the job compassionately and well within the restrictive environment of corporate and agency recruiting. This is the recruiter who seeks to help both hiring managers and candidates from place of giving service; who is mindful of the uncomfortable place of hope and fear (especially in this market) that candidates find themselves in; who seeks to make sure hiring managers look good and are able to advance their goals by hiring the right candidate, who meets every candidate and client they work with (because really, you cannot make an accurate assessment/match without looking people in the eye, shaking their hand and reading their body language as they answer your questions); and who knows that the art of bringing people together with the goal of advancing each party's agenda is an honorable one deserving of respect, creativity, much thought, great care and sensitivity.…; Added by Lisa Williams at 1:30pm on December 9, 2009

Blog Post: Why HR Is The Most Underrated Aspect Of Your Company: Having a great human resources team is crucial to any successful company. The problem is, they aren’t always seen that way to outsiders or even to fellow…; Added by Paul Petrone at 9:14am on April 23, 2014

Blog Post: How's the New Gig?: The first impression a new hire has of a company is based on their experiences from the date they accept an offer to the first couple weeks of employment. New employment is a HUGE deal and often…; Added by Elise Jennings at 9:59am on March 7, 2013

Blog Post: Did you attend USC?: I was having lunch with my good friend, and former business partner, Rex Kurzius* the other day. During lunch, he informed me that he is only looking to hire people from USC. I let the statement…; Added by Kevin Womack at 11:21am on February 8, 2010

Blog Post: Integration & Market Trials Sr. Planning Consultant: Minimal Education Requirements:

-Bachelors Degree required - preferably in Computer Science, Mathematics or Electrical Engineering

Duties:

-Assess CLIENT's existing end-to-end…; Added by Radhika at 10:29am on January 27, 2009

Blog Post: Look beyond the ping pong perks when you're evaluating a career opportunity: Ping pong tables, foosball tables, beer on tap, unlimited vacation. Question is, does this make a company more attractive than a company without these perks? For some, yes it does. But should…; Added by Jamie Koback at 11:13am on July 1, 2015

Topic: Wednesday Wisdom: Caught in the Crossfire: rgument with my boss, who was actually getting fired. I left immediately, and don't think they even knew I was there. The next day my boss was at work like nothing was wrong at all. I think the owner is a jerk, and I really like my boss. If he leaves I want to work wherever he goes next. Should I tell him what I overheard? What would you do? Loyal in Little Rock Dear Loyal, Are you nuts? What could you possibly gain by inserting yourself into something that has nothing whatsoever to do with you? If you really like your boss, try doing your job well. But stay out of this can of worms; I can promise you there's more here than you know about...at the very least, the words and behaviors aren't matching. In business there's a time for loyalty and a time for professionalism - I suggest you choose the latter for now, and leave the discussion to your boss and the owner where it belongs. After your boss leaves, IF he leaves, you'll have plenty of time to tell him that you want to follow. In the interim, you might consider to pay closer attention to the social cues happening around you. Maybe you heard an argument, or maybe you stumbled over a thread in a larger pattern of codependence between these two. Anyone can have a bad day, but if I were you I'd be more concerned about tying my professional future to a leader who is challenged with conflict management. Only time will tell, so watch, listen, and learn my friend. Now get back to work. It's a much more productive use of your time. ** In my day job, I’m the Head of Products for Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to measure and manage competitive advantage in hiring and retention. Learn more about us here. Do you have a question you'd like answered in this weekly forum? Drop me a line!…; Added by Claudia Faust at 8:17am on October 1, 2008

Blog Post: I Think I’ll Stay Awhile: Why Employees Stay at Their Jobs