Oohing and ahhing over all the 3D printed goodies you’re seeing on our site? Or adding lots of crazy laser cut acrylic pieces of jewelry to your “must figure out how to make” list? Perhaps you’ve got a weakness for puff pastry and just have to learn how to make it yourself? Or maybe you finally want to figure out how to create your own jewelry, from fixing that sparkly pair of J. Crew earrings to making your very own statement necklace?
Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got a class for you… right here in our Brit + Co SF! And guess what? Classes start… today! It’s time to get on it.
In case you haven’t heard, Brit + Co SF is a brand new retail experience that combines making and shopping under one roof. Every few weeks, the theme of the DIY projects, the decor, and the shoppable products change. In December, everything was ho-ho-ho crazy as we celebrated the holiday season. This time, it’s all about “Winter Love” and we’ve got so much snow that you’d think the Polar Vortex was back in town. Read more about what’s happening in the Brit + Co SF this season right here. Now, let’s get schooled! ;)
The best part about all of these classes is that no prior experience or knowledge is necessary, so they’re great for budding DIY-ers and seasoned makers alike. Here’s what’s on deck for Winter 2014:
Laser Cutting 101: Want to know the secret to creating your own beautifully carved wooden objects? Laser cutting, of course! Don’t worry it’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds. In just 60 minutes, Brit will teach you to use a laser cutter, AND you’ll walk away with customized cork coasters and etched Moleskine notebooks. How sweet is that? Each two-hour workshop is $50 and includes all the supplies you’ll need.
Always wanted to try your hand at 3D printing? Now’s your chance! Join us for 3D Printing 101. Taught by the Co-Founders of
, Nick Kloski and Liza Wallach have developed the standard in 3D Printing education. A two-hour workshop that teaches all the basics of using a Makerbot Replicator 2. In this class you’ll learn: the best places to discover 3D designs; how to customize designs that you find; and how to print your favorite designs using PLA plastic. You’ll leave the workshop with your very own 3D printed Valentine’s gift. Each two-hour workshop is $50 and includes all the supplies you need to design and print.
3D Printing 101 Schedule:
– Tuesday, January 28th, 6-8pm (sign up here)
– Tuesday, February 4, 6-8pm (sign up here)
– Monday, February 17, 6-8pm (sign up here)
Quick Puff Pastry by Richard Festen: Equal parts butter and flour, quick puff pastry is the most luxurious dough in the kitchen. Each student will create their own batch of quick puff pastry to take home, learning how to incorporate butter and repeatedly fold the dough to make thousands of butter layers, as well as create a rustic French apple tart with a shiny glaze and light and airy cinnamon sugar crusted palmier cookies. We’ll have time to sample these freshly baked pastries in class and Richard will be available to answer all your baking related questions. This is beautiful food that will be the perfect ending to your next dinner party. Each two-hour workshop is $85 and includes all the supplies you’ll need.
Puff Pastry Schedule:
Puff Pastry Schedule:
– Thursday, February 6th, 6:30-8:30pm (sign up here)
Make Your Own Statement Necklace: You know there’s a jewelry artist inside of you. In our class on jewelry-making, we’ll take you from amateur to artist. You’ll learn the basics of jewelry making tools and supplies, experiment with common repair techniques, and, by the end of the class, leave sporting your very own statement necklace. Each two-hour workshop is $75 and includes everything you need to make your own statement necklace.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
You X Ventures for Unsplash
Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures