http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=755&mname=ArticleGroup Helping Our Clients Win en-us 60 C&G assisted several of our clients manage their telecom vendors who were implementing major changes to their Internet, voice and data connections. Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:55:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27962&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27962&mname=Article Provided client with withholding tax and value-added tax implications related to contract for sale of product and installation services to a foreign country under tight time constraints. Wed, 26 May 2010 09:52:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27959&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27959&mname=Article Found a strategic partner to position our client growth and recapitalize the company. Wed, 12 May 2010 09:46:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27955&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27955&mname=Article C&G's webinar series, “Best Practices" presented Credit Card Security. The relevant topics included: - PCI compliance - overview - Data Security Standards - Principals and Guidelines - Changes to MAS 90/200 for PA-DSS compliance The free webinar was attended by MAS 90 / MAS 200 users that use the Credit Card module or process Credit Cards with MAS 90 / MAS 200 software by Sage. Tue, 04 May 2010 13:02:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27361&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27361&mname=Article Dawn Anastasi, Senior Consultant for C&G presented a free webinar on “Best Practices” when using MAS 90 / MAS 200’s Inventory module. Topics included: - Look-up personalizations - Module set-up options - Business Insights Explorer views - Maximizing the use of ‘canned’ reports - Security / Auditing features - Email alerts - More! Stay tuned for more webinars in our MAS User Series Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:55:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27234&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27234&mname=Article Dawn Anastasi and Rick Sovitzky presented the benefits to the newly released MAS 90 version, 4.4, to current Sage MAS 90 software users. Part of the ongoing series, the brief online webinar covered: - What are the top new benefits in version 4.40? - Brief Q&A Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:51:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26326&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26326&mname=Article Adding Endicia to Starship to streamline shipping C&G recently assisted two clients with the implementation of V-Technologies' Endicia add-on to the Starship shipping software. Starship allows companies to ship multiple carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS, Spee-Dee, and Airborne) from the same interface. The Endicia add-on allows the clients to print postage directly on the shipping labels with 2-D barcodes and receive discounts on priority and express mail shipments over retail rates. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:08:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27016&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27016&mname=Article C&G Consulting assisted a local sales and service business whose servers were nearing retirement (five years and more in service). We installed a single new server with several redundancy features and consolidated three servers onto the single new server using VMWare software. The performance of the network is noticeably improved, and the server hardware is now updated and under warranty, all without requiring a full reinstallation of any network software. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:07:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27015&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27015&mname=Article Assisted client in negotiating reduction of employee salary for time-off in excess of the amount specified in employee manual without the client losing employee. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:11:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25539&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25539&mname=Article Assisted client with recording the effect of a stock redemption. Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:00:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25509&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25509&mname=Article Assisted client in evaluating various financing proposals from multiple banks. Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:27:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25476&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25476&mname=Article Coordinated moving of $12m life insurance policies from a potentially troubled carrier to a new carrier. Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:13:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25421&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25421&mname=Article Established a banking relationship for high wealth client with a national banking group for unlimited FDIC insurance on all deposits. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:32:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25378&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25378&mname=Article C&G is assisting a new, out-of-state client review their ERP system setups and make recommendations on those areas that could be changed to be more effective and productive as they combine two company operations into one. C&G will also be conducting on –site training for their uses to maximize knowledge transfer so they can meet their January 2010 go live date. Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:00:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27013&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27013&mname=Article Assisted new small business with entity choice and name change corrections with government authorities Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:36:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25288&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25288&mname=Article Considered ramifications of like kind exchange dererral of gain due to tax rate increases. Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:30:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25287&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25287&mname=Article Reviewed acceleration of dividend income and capital gains in expectation of tax rate increases. Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:26:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25286&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25286&mname=Article C&G recently invested in new technology, iChannel, to make it fast and simple for clients to securely access and download important documents, including tax returns, financial statements, reports, and other documents. The secure portal allows password protected access to ‘final’ documents stored in our recently upgraded document management system. Documents can easily be securely uploaded to C&G as well. If desired, clients involved in multiple business entities can access documents across entities without multiple logins. We believe our clients will benefit from this new technology tool in two primary ways: by reducing the time it takes to securely obtain important business documents and by making it simple to securely send sensitive documents to us. Access to C&G’s new portal will be offered at no charge. We will begin granting access on a client-by-client basis in the near future. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:41:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25136&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25136&mname=Article C&G is excited to offer our clients and referral partners access to our new High Definition video conference system. We have just finished installing LifeSize Video Conference equipment in our Waukesha, WI and Northbrook, IL locations. Video conference in HD on our 52” screens makes meetings more productive and group interaction more personal than traditional web-cam and audio-only conference calls. The system is also interoperable with many other standards of video conference systems. We welcome you to contact our office to set up your next long-distance meeting via our conference system. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:43:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25137&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25137&mname=Article Assisted several taxpayers with foreign financial accounts to be in compliance with federal disclosure filings to avoid substantial penalties. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:27:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24856&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24856&mname=Article C&G recently assisted a customer with allocating vendor rebates to their purchase order receipt of goods and invoice process. This allows the customer to more accurately capture the true cost of the item after the rebate amount is received. The rebate amounts go into a rebate receivable general ledger account, pending the eventual receipt of a check or on-account credit from their vendor. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27011&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27011&mname=Article Rick Sovitzky of C&G Consulting presented a live demonstration during the webinar - “How the new ‘Purchasing agent’ module automates the purchasing process”.  The Sage MAS 90 / MAS 200 add-on – “Purchasing Agent”, is a new, powerful purchasing automation tool available for MAS 90 and MAS 200. For more information on this new Sage product, contact Rick Sovitzky, 262-522-8251. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:01:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24850&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24850&mname=Article Dawn Anastasi, Senior Consultant presented a free webinar in the Webinar Series on "Custom Office" in MAS on Wednesday, October 21st. The brief online meeting covered: - What is Custom Office? - What can Custom Office be used for? - Where can I receive further training on using Custom Office? - Brief Q&A Read about the upcoming November webinar, "SageCRM: Managing the Sales Process in your Organization" on November 18 @ 1:30-2:15 pm. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:48:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24773&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24773&mname=Article Installed a single, new server running VMWare virtualization technology, replacing a client’s two Dell servers which were nearing the end of their 5-year warranted lifespan. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:24:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24853&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24853&mname=Article We recently implemented Biscom Delivery Server for a professional services firm. This software allows a business to host their own secure email and file delivery system. A button is added to Microsoft Outlook allowing one-click security to encrypt and protect sensitive information from traveling openly over the Internet, as email does. Large files can now be sent to/received from customers securely, while reducing the problem of large attachments clogging the email system. More information on this software is found here: http://www.biscomdeliveryserver.com/ Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:56:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27012&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27012&mname=Article Lowered a client’s risk of downtime by eliminating tape backups in favor of a Backup/Disaster Recovery appliance which takes backups every 15 minutes throughout the day. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:21:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24852&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24852&mname=Article Dawn Anastasi, Senior Consultant presented a free webinar on the advantages of a paperless office. C&G offered a free webinar on Wednesday, September 23rd at 1:30 pm - 2:15 pm (central). The brief online meeting covered: - What is Paperless Office? - What are the advantages to using Paperless Office? - How can Paperless Office save my company money? - Brief Q&A Read about the October webinar, "How To Use Custom Office To Make MAS 90/200 Fit Your Business". Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:03:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24360&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24360&mname=Article Rick Sovitzky presented at the recent Alliott Group International meeting on several technology topics, including virtualization and effective uses of CRM, and also facilitated a discussion of IT issues with fellow members. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:07:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24356&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24356&mname=Article Completed a valuation calculation report for a client for informed strategic business and estate planning. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:20:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24340&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24340&mname=Article Paul Rodrigues and Dave Friedman, both of Chortek & Gottschalk, LLP and both Certified Fraud Examiners presented the symptoms of fraud and techniques to mitigate fraud at the Wisconsin Treasury Management Association Conference in Appleton, WI. Through experience with and examples of fraud the Firm has been involved with; attendees were exposed to the persons who perpetrate this often unreported crime, their motives and their methods. Attendees learned that a team of experts and skills are needed when a business owner suspects this crime, to prevent the perpetrator from continuing to defraud and to recover all the available assets that are remaining. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:12:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24345&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24345&mname=Article Reduced a client’s disaster recovery time by 24 hours with an image-based backup recovery solution. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:52:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24207&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24207&mname=Article Configured a virtualized network with server failover capability for a professional services firm. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:46:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24080&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24080&mname=Article Assisted client with obtaining Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:22:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23884&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23884&mname=Article Provided structure on proposed sale of principal residence and then converted second home to a principal residence to take double advantage of the home sale gain exclusion. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:29:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23792&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23792&mname=Article Kicked off a multi-company Sage MAS 500 software project for a technology and training organization with offices in multiple states. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:26:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23791&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23791&mname=Article Identified $90,000 to $100,000 worth of Research and Development (R&D) tax credits for a closely held manufacturing company in Wisconsin. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:46:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23474&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23474&mname=Article Assisted client with updating the manufacturing overhead rates by work center to better capture costs and prepare accurate, profitable job bids Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:37:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23255&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23255&mname=Article Developed the financial parameters for a company's business acquisition strategy, based on analysis of the historical financial statements and 3-year projections Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:21:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23253&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23253&mname=Article C&G presented a seminar in "Best Practices in cash flow management, fraud prevention, taxation issues, and IT resources" The seminar proved to be a productive, interactive afternoon of best practices in several timely, business-critical areas including: increasing cash flow mitigating asset misappropriation planning / budgeting virtualization cash flow forecasting effective security models sales and use tax bonus depreciation disaster recovery Our experts shared specific suggestions and our technology specialists gave practical examples of how businesses can act on our suggestions using modern business software and technologies. Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:21:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23156&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23156&mname=Article Assisted client with application process for obtaining Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:51:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23169&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23169&mname=Article Implemented two new disaster recovery systems featuring no tapes to change, backup server function, and ability to restore any network file from 15-minute interval "snapshots" taken over previous days. Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:48:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23168&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23168&mname=Article Replaced aging network servers with new hardware for three clients using "server imaging" software, to minimize labor cost and downtime. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:41:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22851&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22851&mname=Article Reviewed prior tax returns of a new client construction contractor and prepared amended returns to report missing tax deductions. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:39:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22850&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22850&mname=Article Prepared net operating loss carrybacks for a business client to take advantage of the new 5-year provisions. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:57:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22705&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22705&mname=Article Assisted various clients in converting to the new Wisconsin "My Tax Account" to make online payments for withholding and sales and use tax payments. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:35:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22680&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22680&mname=Article Provided structure on proposed sale of principal residence and then converting second home to a principal residence to take double advantage of the home sale gain exclusion. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:57:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22653&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22653&mname=Article Paul Rodrigues and David Friedman, Chortek & Gottschalk's Certified Fraud Examiners, presented "The Reality of Business Fraud" at a complimentary First Business Bank - Madison breakfast event on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. First Business sponsored this complimentary educational event which focused on asset misappropriation, exposing the risks of business fraud, and gave real-life stories and instructions on prevention. Speakers, Paul Rodrigues, CPA, MST, CFE, CFF, Principal, and Dave Friedman, CPA, CFE, CFF, Partner, both of Chortek & Gottschalk, LLP, explained how to partner with banks and utilize established tools like "Positive Pay" and "Automatic Clearinghouse (ACH) Filters" to help detect fraud and provide business owners with some protection. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:15:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22583&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22583&mname=Article Assisted business client in determining Illinois legal and tax registration requirements for expansion into multi-state operations. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:45:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22539&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22539&mname=Article Strategized with the company owner and top management team on creative alternatives to reduce labor and operating costs in this difficult economic environment, plus maintain gross margin percentage. Mon, 25 May 2009 14:13:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22500&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22500&mname=Article CHORTEK & GOTTSCHALK, LLP, along with DEWITT ROSS & STEVENS S.C., and TOWN BANK presented a client breakfast seminar, UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS FRAUD on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at The Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club, Madison, Wisconsin The presenters included: Stephen A. DiTullio, Esq. David V. Meany, Esq. DeWitt Ross & Stevens s.c. Paul Rodrigues, CPA, MST, CFE, CFF David Friedman, CPA, CFE, CFF Chortek & Gottschalk, LLP Tom Ormseth, VP-Treasury Management Wintrust Financial Corporation Sarah E. Grooms, CTP, VP-Treasury Management Town Bank Tue, 19 May 2009 16:20:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22317&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22317&mname=Article Paul Rodrigues, CPA, MST, CFE, CFF, and David Friedman, CPA, CFE, CFF, both of Chortek and Gottschalk, LLP presented "The Reality of Business Fraud" at a complimentary breakfast seminar at the Milwaukee Marriott West-Waukesha. This educational event was sponsored by First Business Bank and focused on asset misappropriation, exposed the risks of business fraud, and gave real-life stories and instructions on prevention. Experienced fraud experts, David Friedman and Paul Rodrigues also explained how to partner with banks and utilize established tools like "Positive Pay" and "Automatic Clearinghouse (ACH) Filters" to help detect fraud and provide business owners with some protection. Tue, 12 May 2009 09:39:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22265&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22265&mname=Article Integrated the business software systems from three separate companies with thousands of customers and inventory items into a single Sage ERP application. Tue, 05 May 2009 11:40:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22367&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22367&mname=Article Hosted a client's state franchise tax audit at our office which resulted in a refund of taxes for the period 2005 - 2007. Fri, 01 May 2009 11:53:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22368&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22368&mname=Article President-elect Barack Obama's tax proposals make tax planning for 2008 and 2009 challenging because of the uncertainty of which tax changes will pass into law and what the effective date of those changes will be. Paul Rodrigues, Scott Henkel, and Pat Wirth, CPA's at Chortek and Gottschalk, LLP, presented an interactive discussion of potential tax law changes and what actions you should consider implementing by the end of 2008, in a one hour webinar, on December 4th. The Agenda included: An overview of Obama’s tax proposals Individual tax planning strategies in uncertain times Corporate tax planning strategies in uncertain times Questions and Answers If you missed attending the webinar, you can call Pat Wirth, 262-522-8255, to discuss how the upcoming administration will affect you and your business. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:31:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20174&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20174&mname=Article Implemented the creation of a licensed transportation company to provide services on a contract basis, a strategy that will result in tax savings to the company owner. Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:07:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19854&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19854&mname=Article Reviewed a financial accounting and reporting process and developed recommendations for improvements to various aspects of infrastructure used by a client company. Our recommendations will improve the quality of information and the efficiency with which transactions are processed. Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:05:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19853&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19853&mname=Article Deployed a strategy to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2008. Worked with the taxpayer to defer income to 2009 in order to minimize the tax costs on the conversion. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:04:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19852&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19852&mname=Article Analyzed various alternatives for structuring the sale of an S-corporation to minimize the tax impact and take advantage of the shareholder’s loss carryforwards. Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:01:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19851&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19851&mname=Article Upgraded server computers for several clients, using a new disaster-recovery software tool. We were able to transplant full configurations of existing servers to new machines with minimal downtime and interruption. This process updates the server hardware and places it under warranty coverage, while minimizing the typical reinstallation time. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:58:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19850&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19850&mname=Article Saved a new client over $200,000 in annual taxes by recommending IC-DISC. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:55:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19849&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19849&mname=Article Working with our overseas Alliott Group members, we identified potential foreign acquisition candidates for a client business in order to expand its product line in the US and overseas. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:35:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19706&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19706&mname=Article Identified and implemented $130,000 in cost savings within the first two weeks of the project on a client operational review. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:32:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19705&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19705&mname=Article Performed lease vs. buy analysis to formulate recommendations for a major equipment acquisition. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:28:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19704&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19704&mname=Article Deployed new firewalls connecting three separate US office locations, as well as provided remote access to a mobile sales force.. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:25:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19703&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19703&mname=Article Assisted a client with due diligence on potential acquisition including performing agreed-upon procedures. Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:22:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19702&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19702&mname=Article Developed financial statements in a client accounting system so the business could prepare internal monthly reports. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:20:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19701&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19701&mname=Article C&G was pleased to be a sponsor and supporter of our client, Image Makers Advertising, Inc., at the Small Business Times top 10 awards. This prestigious award is an annual honor that focuses on each of these 10 award winner's ability to grow a successful organization. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:14:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19700&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19700&mname=Article C&G Consulting assisted an area firm with an expedited installation of an enterprise firewall solution, complete with a second firewall unit for hardware failover. This solution utilized the well-reviewed Sonicwall E Series firewall platform and added web site content filtering and virus/spyware scanning to their Internet firewall. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:59:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19699&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19699&mname=Article Recently assisted an existing customer by adding another one of their customers to a custom barcoding label process. The process allows users to click a single button that will print 'compliance' shipping labels for the entire order and have the barcode appearance, as well as item quantity per box, change based on which customer placed the order. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:47:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19698&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19698&mname=Article C&G's Paul Rodrigues, CPA,MST, CFE recently attended the 19th Annual Certified Fraud Examiners Conference in Boston. Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:24:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11979&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11979&mname=Article C&G Consulting assisted a growing manufacturing and distribution firm with network upgrades to replace old server hardware. These upgrades also provided failover coverage so the network is not dependent on any one server being on line for all network services to still be functional. This implementation used the premier server virtualization product from VMWare: Virtual Infrastructure Enterprise 3.5 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:19:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11978&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11978&mname=Article Waukesha, WI (August 1st, 2008) – C&G Consulting, a division of Chortek & Gottschalk LLP, announces that Michael L. Senkbeil, CNE, MCSE, has achieved CISSP certification. Considered the international gold standard of achievement in the IT industry, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) program is an independent information security certification and is formally approved by the U.S. Department of Defense. Information security professionals who receive the elite CISSP credential have demonstrated mastery in the IT field, have passed a rigorous six-hour examination, maintain certification with continuing education, and legally agree to uphold a code of ethics. Senkbeil’s recent CISSP certification underscores how C&G Consulting continually strives to protect clients’ interests, reduce risk and manage their technology investments. The ten areas covered by CISSP certification address the major security concerns of many small business owners, and include disaster recovery planning, technology policy and enforcement, user login security, multi-site and remote access security, firewall design and implementation, spam filtering, spyware scanning and more. C&G Consulting approaches technology needs from the perspective of the management team of their clients, with the goal of recommending technology investments that produce cost-effective results. Senkbeil, who joined C&G Consulting in 1997, leads the C&G Consulting team of security experts. His expertise lies in network infrastructure and IT support aspects of business technology. As a partner of C&G Consulting, Senkbeil manages the support center and network integration teams at the firm. He lives in Merton with his wife and two children. ABOUT C&G CONSULTING Headquartered in Waukesha, C&G Consulting helps small and medium sized businesses manage their technology investments. Originally focused on customers in Southeastern Wisconsin, the company’s coverage area has expanded to cover all of Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and western Michigan with additional clients located across the country. The firm is recognized for its emphasis on helping clients manage their operations through the effective use of information technology, with implementation, training and support services. For more information contact: Rick Sovitzky, Partner Chortek & Gottschalk, LLP (262) 522-8251 or (414) 698-8226 rsovitzky@c-gcpa.com www.c-gcpa.com Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:33:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11980&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11980&mname=Article Featured in a recent July edition of The Business Journal of Milwaukee, managing partner Greg Junek addressed the shift from generally accepted accounting standards (GAAP) to international standards. With the face of business changing to a global marketplace, the ability to understand and use international standards has become a training issue. Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:00:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11975&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11975&mname=Article Successfully removed a $1,700 IRS civil penalty related to Form W-2 tax filings by sending a letter for reasonable cause. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:04:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11976&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11976&mname=Article Consulted with a manufacturing client to review the application of overhead to jobs and the modification of the rate to a specific line of business. The benefit will be realized in more accurate cost estimates when preparing quotes for customers. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:45:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11924&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11924&mname=Article Held a well attended Sage Software users' group meeting at Miller Park on June 24th to update users on recent additions including paper-saving technology, dashboard and KPI tools, updated data analysis tools and more. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:39:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11923&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11923&mname=Article Prepared an R&D tax credit study for a metal coating manufacturer which will result in approximately $150,000 of tax refunds for the period 2004 - 2006. Also, a study of the client’s foreign sales will result in an exclusion from Federal income of approximately $10,000 per year. Amended returns were filed to claim both the R&D tax credit and foreign sales exclusion. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:34:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11922&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11922&mname=Article Presented an executive medical reimbursement plan to the family owners of an S Corporation. A shareholder of an S Corporation who owns more than 2% (and their family members: spouse, child, parent) is considered self-employed. The IRS prohibits self-employed individuals to participate in Section 125 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). This executive medical reimbursement plan allows the family owners to obtain a tax deduction for their out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision expenses. This plan also works for LLPs, LLCs General Partnership and Sole Proprietors such as entrepreneurs, doctors, law firms, architects and engineers. Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:31:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11921&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11921&mname=Article Obtained over $200,000 in additional ordinary loss allocations for our client, while at the same time minimized capital loss treatment, through the use of a QIO (qualified income offset) provision contained in an Operating Agreement. This provision is especially important where a Partner is not required to restore negative capital account balances for previously allocated items that created a negative capital account beyond their current obligation to restore it. The QIO provision is intended to eliminate any unexpected deficit balance in a partner's capital accounts. Please call us if the economic arrangement between you and your partner(s) has changed. Reading the fine print pays off. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:13:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11920&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11920&mname=Article Developed and implemented procedures for a construction contractor to record jobs on a percentage of completion basis in QuickBooks, providing more accurate monthly financial statements. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:09:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11919&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11919&mname=Article Calculated the projected estate tax burden based on life expectancies of a business owner and his wife, plus future appreciation of their estate. We then illustrated how millions of dollars in estate taxes could be saved by currently transferring certain assets to an intentionally defective grantor trust, thereby escaping estate tax on the future appreciation of these assets. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:05:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11918&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11918&mname=Article Greg Junek recently spoke at the Alliott Group North America regional conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Greg provided information to the group on Chortek & Gottschalk’s merger & acquisition niche conducted through CGK Investment Banking, Inc. Particular emphasis was placed on ways other Alliott Group firms in North America could utilize the services provided by CGK Investment Banking, Inc. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:26:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11911&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11911&mname=Article Rick Sovitzky recently spoke at the Alliott Group 'Europe, Middle-East, and Africa' (EMEA) regional conference held in Milan, Italy. Rick shared best practices for disaster recovery and business continuity planning with his colleagues. Separately he shared highlights and best practices from an IT survey he conducted of EMEA members, similar to the IT survey he coordinated for the last several years for the Alliott Group North American members. The conference also generated interest in C&G's Audit and Merger and Acquisition services. Tue, 27 May 2008 15:28:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11910&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11910&mname=Article Provided guidance and the valuation of a client's company for estate planning purposes and buyout of minority shareholders. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:50:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11895&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11895&mname=Article Providing proactive Managed Network Service to a Milwaukee-based manufacturer, offloading most day-to-day IT tasks and helpdesk support from the office manager, freeing up valuable time for her primary job duties. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:44:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11894&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11894&mname=Article Advised a real estate company on the risks and benefits of a like-kind exchange on a property transaction and provided guidance on increasing cash flow for the entity. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:40:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11893&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11893&mname=Article Saved a new client $50,000 in future taxes by changing the filing status of the corporation after analyzing prior tax filings. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:29:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11892&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11892&mname=Article A new software implementation for a client triggered a discussion of the company’s costing model. The new approach and activity-based costing will allow management to make better decisions on a day-to-day basis. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:25:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11891&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11891&mname=Article Helped a project-based manufacturer free up over $1,000,000 in immediate working capital after discussions with Management and a review of their financial records. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:22:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11890&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11890&mname=Article Reviewed and advised on business entity structure and planning for a Wisconsin-based transportation company. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:16:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11889&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11889&mname=Article A Madison-area service and distribution company is investing in a new Sage ERP system to manage its inventory, new project installations and service department. To support the new software, the company asked C&G to plan and install the new network server and workstations, complete with remote access and a new firewall to increase security. After the network deployment, C&G will begin the ERP implementation for completion later this year. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:15:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11888&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11888&mname=Article Assisted an area printing company claim over $75,000 of Federal and State Research & Development tax credits. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:14:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11887&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11887&mname=Article C&G prepared and facilitated discussion of a cost-benefit analysis of opening a satellite branch for a wholesale distribution company. The three year cash-flow study included analyzing costs such as inventory levels, facilities, labor, delivery, sales and marketing and debt coverage. C&G also measured the effect that the expansion would have on the company's return on equity. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:54:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11886&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11886&mname=Article In December a Madison-area company contacted C&G looking for immediate assistance with migrating accounting data for two companies from one software package into a new accounting software package. Raw customer, vendor, and accounting data was efficiently mapped and imported into two companies, and the entire project was completed several days ahead of schedule. The customer has since engaged C&G to assist with several additional projects. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:52:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11885&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11885&mname=Article Assisted a Milwaukee-based manufacturer claim over $175,000 of Employment Zone Credits. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:50:00 CST http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11884&mname=Article http://www.c-gcpa.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11884&mname=Article