Beware of a stealth tax on Social Security benefits
Some people mistakenly believe that Social Security benefits are always free from federal income tax. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case. In fact, depending on how much overall income you have, up to 85% of your benefits could be hit with federal income tax.
While the truth about the federal income tax bite on Social Security benefits may be painful, it’s better to understand it. Here are the rules.
Calculate provisional income
The amount of Social Security benefits that must be reported as taxable income on your tax return depends on your “provisional income.” To arrive at provisional income, start with your adjusted gross income (AGI), which is the number that appears on Page 1, Line 11 of Form 1040. Then, subtract your Social Security benefits to arrive at your adjusted AGI for this purpose.
Next, take that adjusted AGI number and add the following:
- 50% of Social Security benefits,
- Any tax-free municipal bond interest income,
- Any tax-free interest on U.S. Savings Bonds used to pay college expenses,
- Any tax-free adoption assistance payments from your employer,
- Any deduction for student loan interest, and
- Any tax-free foreign earned income and housing allowances, and certain tax-free income from Puerto Rico or U.S. possessions.
The result is your provisional income.
Find your tax scenario
Once you know your provisional income, you can determine which of the following three scenarios you fall under.
Scenario 1: All benefits are tax-free
If your provisional income is $32,000 or less, and you file a joint return with your spouse, your Social Security benefits will be federal-income-tax-free. But you might owe state income tax.
If your provisional income is $25,000 or less, and you don’t file jointly, the general rule is that Social Security benefits are totally federal-income-tax-free. However, if you’re married and file separately from your spouse who lived with you at any time during the year, you must report up to 85% of your Social Security benefits as income unless your provisional income is zero or a negative number, which is unlikely.
Having federal-income-tax-free benefits is nice, but, as you can see, this favorable outcome is only allowed when provisional income is quite low.
Scenario 2: Up to 50% of your benefits are taxed
If your provisional income is between $32,001 and $44,000, and you file jointly with your spouse, up to 50% of your Social Security benefits must be reported as income on Form 1040.
If your provisional income is between $25,001 and $34,000, and you don’t file a joint return, up to 50% of your benefits must be reported as income.
Scenario 3: Up to 85% of your benefits are taxed
If your provisional income is above $44,000, and you file jointly with your spouse, you must report up to 85% of your Social Security benefits as income on Form 1040.
If your provisional income is above $34,000, and you don’t file a joint return, the general rule is that you must report up to 85% of your Social Security benefits as income.
As mentioned earlier, you also must report up to 85% of your benefits if you’re married and file separately from your spouse who lived with you at any time during the year — unless your provisional income is zero or a negative number.
Turn to us
This is only a very simplified explanation of how Social Security benefits are taxed. With the necessary information, we can precisely calculate the federal income tax, if any, on your Social Security benefits.
© 2024
B2B businesses: Assess customer credit carefully
Does your company operate in the business-to-business (B2B) marketplace? If so, you’re no doubt aware of the double-edged sword that is customer credit.
On the one hand, it’s common practice. Most customers likely expect to be offered a credit option when engaging in B2B transactions. On the other, credit arrangements inevitably come with risk of late payments or nonpayment, which can lead to cash flow problems for you.
To manage this risk, it’s critical to keep a close eye on how your B2B business is handling customer credit. A good place to start is at the beginning — with credit assessment.
Gather the pertinent data
Presumably, you already ask new customers to complete a credit application. If you’ve been using the same form for a while, reevaluate it to see whether you should add questions or update the design. The application should request basic information such as each customer’s:
- Business name,
- Physical address and website URL,
- General phone number and email address, and
- Employer Identification Number for tax purposes.
Bear in mind that you can request additional specifics. For example, perhaps inquire into how long the business has been operating, under what entity type it operates and whether it has a parent company.
If the company is privately owned, consider asking for a set of its most recent financial statements — or, at the very least, its latest income statement and balance sheet. (Financial statements of publicly owned businesses are published in their annual reports.)
On the income statement, analyze financial data such as after-tax profit margin, which can be calculated by dividing net income by net sales. Ideally, this metric will have remained steady or increased over the course of the year. The company’s profit margin also should be similar to that of other businesses in its industry.
From the balance sheet, you can determine current ratio, which can be calculated by dividing the company’s current assets by its current liabilities. The higher this ratio is, the more likely the business will be able to cover its bills.
Check references … and more
Along with the information mentioned above, references are key. Ensure someone on your staff is following up on these.
Begin with the company’s bank reference to learn or verify its checking and savings account balances, as well as the amount available on its line of credit (if it has one). Find out whether the business has recently violated any of its loan covenants.
Next, contact multiple trade references for the company. Establish the length of time that each reference has worked with the potential customer, as well as the approximate size of each of the accounts. Also inquire about the potential customer’s payment history with each reference.
In addition, order a credit report on the business from one of the major credit rating agencies. The report will describe the company’s payment histories with various creditors and reveal whether it has filed for bankruptcy or had a lien or judgment against it.
Last, consider using “adverse media screening” in your due diligence process. This is when a prospective borrower is “screened against” various media sources to determine whether the person or entity has been a party to any suspicious, unethical or illegal activities. It can also reveal worrisome news, such as stories about impending lawsuits or plans to shut down a division.
Improve the odds
As a B2B company, you don’t have to accept customer credit problems, and the resulting negative cash flow impact, as a “cost of doing business.” By continuously improving your approach to credit assessment, you’ll stand a better chance of avoiding unreliable payers. We can help you review your process and choose the optimal metrics.
© 2024
Bartering is a taxable transaction even if no cash is exchanged
If your small business is strapped for cash (or likes to save money), you may find it beneficial to barter or trade for goods and services. Bartering isn’t new — it’s the oldest form of trade — but the internet has made it easier to engage in with other businesses.
However, if your business begins bartering, be aware that the fair market value of goods that you receive in these types of transactions is taxable income. And if you exchange services with another business, the transaction results in taxable income for both parties.
Fair market value
Here are some examples of an exchange of services:
- A computer consultant agrees to offer tech support to an advertising agency in exchange for free advertising.
- An electrical contractor does repair work for a dentist in exchange for dental services.
In these cases, both parties are taxed on the fair market value of the services received. This is the amount they would normally charge for the same services. If the parties agree to the value of the services in advance, that will be considered the fair market value unless there’s contrary evidence.
In addition, if services are exchanged for property, income is realized. For example:
- If a construction firm does work for a retail business in exchange for unsold inventory, it will have income equal to the fair market value of the inventory.
- If an architectural firm does work for a corporation in exchange for shares of the corporation’s stock, it will have income equal to the fair market value of the stock.
Joining a club
Many businesses join barter clubs that facilitate barter exchanges. These clubs generally use a system of “credit units,” which are awarded to members who provide goods and services. The credits can be redeemed for goods and services from other members.
In general, bartering is taxable in the year it occurs. But if you participate in a barter club, you may be taxed on the value of credit units at the time they’re added to your account, even if you don’t redeem them for actual goods and services until a later year. For example, let’s say that you earn 2,500 credit units one year, and that each unit is redeemable for $2 in goods and services. In that year, you’ll have $5,000 of income. You won’t pay additional tax if you redeem the units the next year, since you’ve already been taxed on that income.
If you join a barter club, you’ll be asked to provide your Social Security number or Employer Identification Number. You’ll also be asked to certify that you aren’t subject to backup withholding. Unless you make this certification, the club is required to withhold tax from your bartering income at a 24% rate.
Tax reporting
By January 31 of each year, a barter club will send participants a Form 1099-B, “Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions,” which shows the value of cash, property, services and credits that you received from exchanges during the previous year. This information will also be reported to the IRS.
Exchanging without exchanging money
By bartering, you can trade away excess inventory or provide services during slow times, all while hanging on to your cash. You may also find yourself bartering when a customer doesn’t have the money on hand to complete a transaction. As long as you’re aware of the federal and state tax consequences, these transactions can benefit all parties involved. Contact us if you need assistance or would like more information.
© 2024
How renting out a vacation property will affect your taxes
Are you dreaming of buying a vacation beach home, lakefront cottage or ski chalet? Or perhaps you’re fortunate enough to already own a vacation home. In either case, you may wonder about the tax implications of renting it out for part of the year.
Count the days
The tax treatment depends on how many days it’s rented and your level of personal use. Personal use includes vacation use by your relatives (even if you charge them market rate rent) and use by nonrelatives if a market rate rent isn’t charged.
If you rent the property out for less than 15 days during the year, it’s not treated as “rental property” at all. In the right circumstances, this can produce significant tax benefits. Any rent you receive isn’t included in your income for tax purposes (no matter how substantial). On the other hand, you can only deduct property taxes and mortgage interest — no other operating costs and no depreciation. (Mortgage interest is deductible on your principal residence and one other home, subject to certain limits.)
If you rent the property out for more than 14 days, you must include the rent you receive in income. However, you can deduct part of your operating expenses and depreciation, subject to several rules. First, you must allocate your expenses between the personal use days and the rental days. For example, if the house is rented for 90 days and used personally for 30 days, then 75% of the use is rental (90 days out of 120 total days). You would allocate 75% of your maintenance, utilities, insurance, etc. costs to rental. You would allocate 75% of your depreciation allowance, interest and taxes for the property to rental as well. The personal use portion of taxes is separately deductible. The personal use portion of interest on a second home is also deductible if the personal use exceeds the greater of 14 days or 10% of the rental days. However, depreciation on the personal use portion isn’t allowed.
Income and expenses
If the rental income exceeds these allocable deductions, you report the rent and deductions to determine the amount of rental income to add to your other income. If the expenses exceed the income, you may be able to claim a rental loss. This depends on how many days you use the house personally.
Here’s the test: if you use it personally for the greater of more than 14 days, or 10% of the rental days, you’re using it “too much,” and you can’t claim a loss. In this case, you can still use your deductions to wipe out rental income, but you can’t go beyond that to create a loss. Any unused deductions are carried forward and may be usable in future years.
If you’re limited to using deductions only up to the amount of rental income, you must use the deductions allocated to the rental portion in the following order:
- Interest and taxes,
- Operating costs, and
- Depreciation.
If you “pass” the personal use test (that is, you don’t use the property personally more than the greater of the figures listed above), you must still allocate your expenses between the personal and rental portions. In this case, however, if your rental deductions exceed rental income, you can claim a loss. (The loss is “passive,” however, and may be limited under the passive loss rules.)
Plan ahead for best results
As you can see, the rules are complex. Contact us if you have questions or would like to plan ahead to maximize deductions in your situation.
© 2024
Should your business change its health care plan for next year?
Open enrollment for most health care plans is many months away. That makes now a good time for businesses to consider changing their employer-sponsored coverage for next year, or perhaps to think about launching a plan for the very first time.
If you’re going to do either, you’ll have many details to sort through. To simplify matters a bit, let’s look at a few “big picture” factors that can serve as good starting points for contemplating the size and shape of your plan.
Funding approach
As you’re likely aware, there are two broad types of employer-sponsored health insurance plans: fully insured and self-funded (also known as self-insured). A fully insured plan is simply one you buy from an insurer. This is the most common approach for small to midsize businesses because it limits financial risk while offering the most predictable costs.
Under a self-funded plan, your company funds and administers the insurance, usually with the help of a third-party administrator. This approach may save money if your business can design its own plan and manage the claims process. However, you assume financial risk for the plan — costs can be unpredictable and potentially catastrophic.
Size of network
The size of a plan’s network determines how many options employees have when picking providers and how much they’ll pay out of pocket. A smaller network of preferred providers often grants the most coverage with lower out-of-pocket costs for employees when they visit those providers. Participants can typically still pick out-of-network services, but they’ll usually pay more out of pocket. Rightsizing your network is critical to participant satisfaction.
Tax-advantaged accounts
Although technically not insurance, widely used tax-advantaged accounts can be strong additions to a benefits package. These include Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which must be offered in conjunction with high-deductible health plans, and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
HSAs and FSAs let employees set aside pretax dollars from their paychecks to use for eligible medical expenses. HSA funds remain in participants’ accounts until used, while FSA dollars typically must be spent within the year or lost (though a plan can provide for a grace period of up to 2½ months after the end of the plan year). A third option is a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). This is an employer-funded plan under which participants submit out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as deductibles and copays, for tax-free reimbursement.
Availability of government assistance
If your business happens to be considered a small business for health insurance purposes, you may want to check out the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). This federal marketplace is designed for small-business owners looking for health care plans. To qualify, a company typically must:
- Have one to 50 employees,
- Provide health benefits to all staffers working 30 or more hours per week,
- Reach plan enrollment of at least 70% of employees,
- Maintain an office or have an employee in the state of the SHOP used.
Every state runs its own SHOP marketplace, but they’re similar. Your state’s SHOP may be a good place to start if you’re ready to sponsor a plan but aren’t sure where to begin.
A major decision
Making changes to an existing health care plan or launching a new one is a major business decision, so be sure to go about it carefully. Hold honest discussions with your leadership team. Perhaps survey your employees to get a better idea of what plan features they value and whether there are any you should add. Consider engaging an insurance broker for assistance. For help identifying the costs and tax impact of health insurance, or any employer-sponsored benefit, contact us.
© 2024
Coordinating Sec. 179 tax deductions with bonus depreciation
Your business should generally maximize current year depreciation write-offs for newly acquired assets. Two federal tax breaks can be a big help in achieving this goal: first-year Section 179 depreciation deductions and first-year bonus depreciation deductions. These two deductions can potentially allow businesses to write off some or all of their qualifying asset expenses in Year 1. However, they’re moving targets due to annual inflation adjustments and tax law changes that phase out bonus depreciation. With that in mind, here’s how to coordinate these write-offs for optimal tax-saving results.
Sec. 179 deduction basics
Most tangible depreciable business assets — including equipment, computer hardware, vehicles (subject to limits), furniture, most software and fixtures — qualify for the first-year Sec. 179 deduction.
Depreciable real property generally doesn’t qualify unless it’s qualified improvement property (QIP). QIP means any improvement to an interior portion of a nonresidential building that’s placed in service after the date the building is placed in service — except for any expenditures attributable to the enlargement of the building, any elevator or escalator, or the internal structural framework. Sec. 179 deductions are also allowed for nonresidential building roofs, HVAC equipment, fire protection systems and security systems.
The inflation-adjusted maximum Sec. 179 deduction for tax years beginning in 2024 is $1.22 million. It begins to be phased out if 2024 qualified asset additions exceed $3.05 million. (These are up from $1.16 million and $2.89 million, respectively, in 2023.)
Bonus depreciation basics
Most tangible depreciable business assets also qualify for first-year bonus depreciation. In addition, software and QIP generally qualify. To be eligible, a used asset must be new to the taxpayer.
For qualifying assets placed in service in 2024, the first-year bonus depreciation percentage is 60%. This is down from 80% in 2023.
Sec. 179 vs. bonus depreciation
The current Sec. 179 deduction rules are generous, but there are several limitations:
- The phase-out rule mentioned above,
- A business taxable income limitation that disallows deductions that would result in an overall business taxable loss,
- A limited deduction for SUVs with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 6,000 pounds, and
- Tricky limitation rules when assets are owned by pass-through entities such as LLCs, partnerships, and S corporations.
First-year bonus depreciation deductions aren’t subject to any complicated limitations. But, as mentioned earlier, the bonus depreciation percentages for 2024 and 2023 are only 60% and 80%, respectively.
So, the current tax-saving strategy is to write off as much of the cost of qualifying asset additions as you can with Sec. 179 deductions. Then claim as much first-year bonus depreciation as you can.
Example: In 2024, your calendar-tax-year C corporation places in service $500,000 of assets that qualify for both a Sec. 179 deduction and first-year bonus depreciation. However, due to the taxable income limitation, the company’s Sec. 179 deduction is limited to only $300,000. You can deduct the $300,000 on your corporation’s 2024 federal income tax return. You can then deduct 60% of the remaining $200,000 ($500,000 − $300,000), thanks to first-year bonus depreciation. So, your corporation can write off $420,000 in 2024 [$300,000 + (60% x $200,000) = $420,000]. That’s 84% of the cost! Note that the $200,000 bonus depreciation deduction will contribute to a corporate net operating loss that’s carried forward to your 2025 tax year.
Manage tax breaks
As you can see, coordinating Sec. 179 deductions with bonus depreciation deductions is a tax-wise idea. We can provide details on how the rules work or answer any questions you have.
© 2024
Update on retirement account required minimum distributions
If you have a tax-favored retirement account, including a traditional IRA, you’ll become exposed to the federal income tax required minimum distribution (RMD) rules after reaching a certain age. If you inherit a tax-favored retirement account, including a traditional or Roth IRA, you’ll also have to deal with these rules.
Specifically, you’ll have to: 1) take annual withdrawals from the accounts and pay the resulting income tax and/or 2) reduce the balance in your inherited Roth IRA sooner than you might like.
Let’s take a look at the current rules after some recent tax-law changes.
RMD basics
The RMD rules require affected individuals to take annual withdrawals from tax-favored accounts. Except for RMDs that meet the definition of tax-free Roth IRA distributions, RMDs will generally trigger a federal income tax bill (and maybe a state tax bill).
Under a favorable exception, when you’re the original account owner of a Roth IRA, you’re exempt from the RMD rules during your lifetime. But if you inherit a Roth IRA, the RMD rules for inherited IRAs come into play.
A later starting age
The SECURE 2.0 law was enacted in 2022. Previously, you generally had to start taking RMDs for the calendar year during which you turned age 72. However, you could decide to take your initial RMD until April 1 of the year after the year you turned 72.
SECURE 2.0 raised the starting age for RMDs to 73 for account owners who turn age 72 in 2023 to 2032. So, if you attained age 72 in 2023, you’ll reach age 73 in 2024, and your initial RMD will be for calendar 2024. You must take that initial RMD by April 1, 2025, or face a penalty for failure to follow the RMD rules. The tax-smart strategy is to take your initial RMD, which will be for calendar year 2024, before the end of 2024 instead of in 2025 (by the April 1, 2025, absolute deadline). Then, take your second RMD, which will be for calendar year 2025, by Dec. 31, 2025. That way, you avoid having to take two RMDs in 2025 with the resulting double tax hit in that year.
A reduced penalty
If you don’t withdraw at least the RMD amount for the year, the IRS can assess an expensive penalty on the shortfall. Before SECURE 2.0, if you failed to take your RMD for the calendar year in question, the IRS could impose a 50% penalty on the shortfall. SECURE 2.0 reduced the penalty from 50% to 25%, or 10% if you withdraw the shortfall within a “correction window.”
Controversial 10-year liquidation rule
A change included in the original SECURE Act (which became law in 2019) requires most non-spouse IRA and retirement plan account beneficiaries to empty inherited accounts within 10 years after the account owner’s death. If they don’t, they face the penalty for failure to comply with the RMD rules.
According to IRS proposed regulations issued in 2022, beneficiaries who are subject to the original SECURE Act’s 10-year account liquidation rule must take annual RMDs, calculated in the usual fashion — with the resulting income tax. Then, the inherited account must be emptied at the end of the 10-year period. According to this interpretation, you can’t simply wait 10 years and then drain the inherited account.
The IRS position on having to take annual RMDs during the 10-year period is debatable. Therefore, in Notice 2023-54, the IRS stated that the penalty for failure to follow the RMD rules wouldn’t be assessed against beneficiaries who are subject to the 10-year rule who didn’t take RMDs in 2023. It also stated that IRS intends to issue new final RMD regulations that won’t take effect until sometime in 2024 at the earliest.
Contact us about your situation
SECURE 2.0 includes some good RMD news. The original SECURE Act contained some bad RMD news for certain account beneficiaries in the form of the 10-year account liquidation rule. However, exactly how that rule is supposed to work is still TBD. Stay tuned for developments.
© 2024
2024 Q2 tax calendar: Key deadlines for businesses and employers
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines that apply to businesses and other employers during the second quarter of 2024. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements.
April 15
- If you’re a calendar-year corporation, file a 2023 income tax return (Form 1120) or file for an automatic six-month extension (Form 7004) and pay any tax due.
- For corporations, pay the first installment of 2024 estimated income taxes. Complete and retain Form 1120-W (worksheet) for your records.
- For individuals, file a 2023 income tax return (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR) or file for an automatic six-month extension (Form 4868) and pay any tax due.
- For individuals, pay the first installment of 2024 estimated taxes, if you don’t pay income tax through withholding (Form 1040-ES).
April 30
- Employers report income tax withholding and FICA taxes for the first quarter of 2024 (Form 941) and pay any tax due.
May 10
- Employers report income tax withholding and FICA taxes for the first quarter of 2024 (Form 941), if they deposited on time, and fully paid, all of the associated taxes due.
May 15
- Employers deposit Social Security, Medicare and withheld income taxes for April if the monthly deposit rule applies.
June 17
- Corporations pay the second installment of 2024 estimated income taxes.
© 2024
Business owners, your financial statements are trying to tell you something
Business owners are commonly and rightfully urged to regularly generate financial statements in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). One reason why is external users of financial statements, such as lenders and investors, place greater trust in financial reporting done under the rigorous standards of GAAP.
But that’s not the only reason. GAAP-compliant financial statements can reveal details of your company’s financial performance that you and your leadership team may otherwise not notice until a major problem has developed.
Earnings are only the beginning
Let’s begin with the income statement (also known as the profit and loss statement). It provides an overview of revenue, expenses and earnings over a given period.
Many business owners focus only on earnings in the income statement, which is understandable. You presumably went into business to make money. However, though revenue and profit trends are certainly important, they aren’t the only metrics that matter.
For example, high-growth companies may report healthy top and bottom lines but not have enough cash on hand to pay their bills. So, be sure to look beyond your income statement.
A snapshot is just that
The second key part of GAAP-compliant financial statements is the balance sheet (also known as the statement of financial position). It provides a snapshot of your company’s financial health by tallying assets, liabilities and equity.
For instance, intangible assets — such as patents, customer lists and goodwill — can provide significant value to businesses. But internally developed intangibles aren’t reported on the balance sheet. Intangible assets are reported only when they’ve been acquired externally.
Similarly, owners’ equity (or net worth) is the extent to which the book value of assets exceeds liabilities. If liabilities exceed assets, net worth will be negative. However, book value may not necessarily reflect market value. Some companies provide the details of owners’ equity in a separate statement called the statement of retained earnings. It covers sales or repurchases of stock, dividend payments, and changes caused by reported profits or losses.
Ultimately, your balance sheet can tell you a lot about what you’ve got, what you owe and how much equity you truly have in your company. But it doesn’t tell you everything, so it’s important to read the balance sheet in the context of the other two parts of your financial statements.
Cash is (you guessed it) king
The third key part of GAAP-compliant financial statements is the statement of cash flows. True to the name, it shows all the cash flowing in and out of your business. Cash inflows aren’t necessarily limited to sales; they can also include loans and stock sales. Outflows typically result from paying expenses, investing in capital equipment and repaying debt.
Typically, statements of cash flow are organized in three categories: operating, investing and financing activities. The bottom of the statement shows the net change in cash during the period.
Read your statement of cash flows closely as soon it’s available. It’s essentially telling you how much liquidity your business had during the reporting period. A sudden slow down in cash flow can quickly lead to a crisis if you aren’t generating enough cash to pay creditors, vendors and employees.
Detailed picture
In the day-to-day commotion of running a company, it can be easy to think of your financial statements solely as paperwork for the purposes of obtaining loans or other capital infusions. But these documents paint a detailed picture of the financial performance of your business. Use them wisely. For help generating GAAP-compliant financial statements, or just understanding them better, contact us.
© 2024
A general look at generative AI for businesses
If you follow the news, you’ve probably heard a lot about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it’s slowly and steadily expanding into various aspects of our lives. One widely cited example is ChatGPT, an AI “chatbot” that can engage in conversations with users and create coherently written articles, as well as other content, when prompted.
ChatGPT and other similar chatbots are what’s known as “generative” AI. The operative word there refers to software that’s able to generate new content based on input from users and existing data either inputted during development or gathered from the internet.
Along with college students and the curious, more and more businesses are joining the ranks of generative AI users. Research and advisory firm Gartner surveyed more than 1,400 company leaders in September 2023. Two in five (40%) said their organizations were piloting generative AI programs — a substantial increase from the 15% results of the same survey conducted by Gartner about six months earlier.
Imagine the possibilities
Naturally, how companies are using generative AI depends on factors such as industry, mission, operational needs and strategic objectives. But it can be informative to look at a few examples.
In consumer goods and retail, for instance, businesses are using generative AI to create new product designs, optimize materials and align aesthetics with the latest trends. In the energy sector, it’s being used to improve supply chain logistics and better forecast demand. In health care, generative AI is helping accelerate scientific research and enhance medical imaging.
More generally, this technology could help many types of businesses:
- Generate marketing and advertising content,
- Analyze financial data and produce reports that assess risk or draw trendlines, and
- Develop chatbots or other means to automate customer service.
There’s no harm in letting your imagination run wild. Think about what types of content and knowledge AI could create for your company that, in years previous, would’ve probably only been possible to develop by hiring new employees or engaging consultants.
Be methodical
Of course, pondering the possibilities of generative AI should never translate to blindly throwing money at it. To start exploring the possibilities, sit down with your leadership group and discuss the topic.
If you’re wholly new to it, be sure everyone does some preliminary research. You might even ask an IT staffer or someone else knowledgeable about AI to do a presentation. As part of your research and discussion, make sure to learn about the potential legal and public relations liabilities.
Should everyone agree that pursuing generative AI is a good strategic decision, form a project team to identify “use cases” — that is, specific ways your business could use it to deliver practical, competitive functionalities. Prioritize the use cases you come up with and choose a winner to go after first.
You may be able to buy an AI product to fulfill this need. In such a case, you’d have to shop carefully, thoroughly train the appropriate staff members and cautiously roll out the solution. Doing so would be relatively simpler than developing your own AI app, but you’d need to manage the purchase and implementation with return on investment firmly in mind.
The other option is to indeed create your own proprietary generative AI app. This would likely be a much more costly and labor-intensive option, but you’d be able to customize the solution to your ultra-specific needs.
Prepare for the future
What can generative AI do for your business? Maybe a little, maybe a lot. One thing’s for sure, its influence on how business is done will only get stronger in the years ahead. We can help you assess the costs vs. benefits of this or any other technology.
© 2024