The Perfect Office Space for You

Whether you work at an office with others, another shared location with someone else, or have a personal room at home, it’s important to create the right office space for you. With a little help, you can plan and execute the best office for yourself!

Employer Guide to the Right Office for Employees

According to Gallup, as of August 2025, 52% of work is done in a hybrid work setting. (Hybrid means a mix of being in office or working remote/at home.) With about half the time spent in an office, it’s vital that employers design and produce an office space to benefit employee wellbeing. For starters, instead of cubicles, having a more open layout can promote more interaction between employees and thus lead to more ideas and strengthen team work. Creating a quiet zone can prove to be valuable as well.This gives individuals a place where they can either zero in on what they’re doing undistracted or give them an area when they’re not feeling up to socializing. It may also be a good idea to have break areas or outdoor spaces for others to roam to. No one wants to be stuck at their desk for 8(+) hours. Furthermore, outside of employee happiness, these spaces can show potential new hires that employers consider employee needs and wants.

The International WELL Building Institute focuses on their system, called WELL Building Standard, when determining a building’s performance in a comfortable and productive environment. Although some parts of WELL are less about the physical design of an office, this can still be a good way to construct an office building to make all your staff happy. Below is a picture that outlines their ideals.

Recently, they have added additional categories which are: thermal comfort, nourishment, sound, and materials. For more information on the WELL Building standard check out this link and you can check out IWBITM’s website here. When you work at home, it’s just as vital to enhance your workspace as well. 

Creating your Office Space on Your Own

Now, for the 26% of us who work exclusively at home, (or those hybrid workers), it’s time to conjure up and commit to making an outstanding workspace for yourself! First off, consider the location. If you live somewhere where there is a lot of noise, it may be best to find a space that reduces your chances of continually hearing outside distractions. Furthermore, if you are often in meetings, external sounds can take away from the importance and, for some, the professionalism of your meeting. Placing your desk by a window can also bring natural light in and fresh air; should you decide to open it. If you are still worried about sound, there are different types of soundproofing foam that are meant to absorb and diminish excess noise.

Health and comfortability are essential to everyday wellness. When it comes to your space, your chair and desk are paramount to achieve these things. A good desk chair should be cozy but also allow for good posture and mobility. Standing desks can also be a good investment for those who spend long periods at their desk. (If you are unfamiliar with this type of desk, it gives you the power to either sit or stand by alternating the height of the desk.) Next, lighting can be just as critical as everything else. For those who experience migraines or headaches, certain lights can amplify this effect. Lighting also assists in building an ambience in the room. Finally, clutter can create more stress and interfere with your focus. Consider keeping your desk and space organized with shelves, bins, and even other tools to manage all your computer’s cords.

Go on and Design the Perfect Space for you!

By thoughtfully curating your office space, you can achieve the ideal room for all your needs!

Scams & Keeping Yourself Safe from Them

In the digital age, so much of our lives are intertwined with the internet, and because of this, we run the risk of cyber attacks everyday. With all the different ways one can reach out on the web, it’s vital to keep yourself safe and aware of common scams.

Best Security Practices to Keep Everyone Safe

Online protection comes from having a good foundation of practices in place and general knowledge on what to look out for. The five C’s of cyber-security is a good tool to lay down the framework of good online practices in a business. They are as follows:

Change – This means keeping up with new trends and working with them.

Compliance – Each state has different laws and regulations and it is your responsibility to understand these rules, carry them out, and continue to do so.

Cost – Implementing new safety measures (like software for example) may cost your business a lot up front, but the cost now will be far less than if something were to attack your business’s security and leak information of yourself, or especially, clients. Spend time finding something that works in your budget but is also reliable.

Continuity – Information gained is useful but only if you continue to apply it and adapt regularly. Similar to change, this more so means continuing on with good practices and not just stopping once you’ve done the minimum.

Coverage – Ensuring you protect your valuable information; both physical documents and online ones. Insurance is available for cyber-security and can protect your business in many ways. (Making sure you stay compliant, handling fines if something happens, etc.)

In addition to the five C’s, there are a few other things to keep in mind as well. First off, you should identify any risks in your systems. By doing this, you can then find ways to mitigate these risks. Next, stay aware and cautious of who has what access. Whether that’s personal logins or client’s passwords, you’ll want to ensure all information is protected as much as possible for everyone. Finally, create a plan to promptly deal with a cyber-attack if it does happen. Being prepared is important for all situations, but especially when information is paramount to people’s lives. For a bunch more tips on cyber- security, check out this website!

Types of Cyber-Attacks & Common Scams

Now that you’re equipped with all the knowledge of basic safety practices, it’s time to learn about all the most common scams and the different types of cyber-attacks. Understanding the most basic type of attacks on a core level will help you to recognize if something seems amiss. Phishing is one of the most well known types of attacks. Phishing requires an individual to click on a link that then asks for sensitive information. Filling this document/paper/etc out, then goes into the attackers hands and now they have all your info. Ransomware is another very common digital threat. Ransomware encrypts into an user’s device and locks it; then the attacker uses this as a way to extort money from you in order to unlock the device. DDoS stands a frequent cyber attack as well. DDoS, (which means distributed denial-of-service), are attacks made on a network to cause huge outages on a person’s/place’s/business’s server.

Even acknowledging the different overarching types of attacks, there are a vast amount of scams nowadays. Sometimes, it can seem easy to detect a fraud post, link, etc., but other times it may be challenging to determine if something is genuine or not. Here are some of the current and most well known scams.

Work Scams – When searching for a new job, it is possible you may see a fraud listing. Upon submitting your resume, you’ll get told you got the job and they will send over a document to fill out for employment. On this document, it will ask for SSN (Social Security Number) and/or other important personal information (like your bank account numbers). Another way work scams are done is by asking for money once you’ve “got the job.” They may tell you that the money is for a job-related reason or they will give you a “sign-on bonus”- only for the check to bounce- and then request that money back. To stay safe, never put in any vital & confidential information until you either get to the workplace, or/and confirm the place of business and hiring manager. And if you need money from the get-go, especially “before you get hired”, it’s a scam.

Tech Scams – These scams usually begin with a pop-up or a call stating that your computer has a virus. (The pop-up will usually lead to a hacked link or it gives you a fake tech number to call.) The “support team member” will then ask for remote access to “help” you, and upon accepting, they gain full control of your computer. Here they can download malware that allows them to harvest all your logins thus, ultimately, getting all of your information. Alternatively, the scam artist may only ask you to pay for “new software, warranties, and/or, regular maintenance.” Real tech support will never call you first and do not ever click on any pop-ups that you see (in general- not just tech ones!)

Imposter Scams – These scams start with someone pretending to be someone else. Often the scammer will pretend to be a family member or a romantic connection but they also commonly pretend to be a celebrity, authoritative figure, delivery person, and even company representatives. Popular scams are: saying there are overdue invoices to a company, building a romantic relationship to ask for investments, family member(s) asking for help with bills/projects/other things, celebrating pushing a product (that is not real or doesn’t exist). Keep yourself safe by never sending money to anyone/anything you aren’t sure of. Be wary of all new phone numbers and take steps to verify the information said to you.

AI Scams – AI is developing more rapidly than ever and is now being used in a multitude of ways. One of the most common is through deep fakes. Deep fakes are described as “images, videos, or audio that have been edited or generated using artificial intelligence, AI-based tools or audio-video editing software.” Consequently, this tricks people with eye-catching ads/photos, promotion of counterfeit products, and deception through phone calls as AI can even mock voices. Handle this similar to imposter scams – double check if everything is accurate, don’t hand over money to anyone/anything you don’t know 100%, and then try to decipher if it is real. AI, as it is not human, will often alter photos/videos in strange ways (like arms or ligaments bending in unnatural ways, melding the background into the main focus of the picture, etc.). Additionally, check for weird ways of writing or saying something. It may not always be obvious in emails, text, or letters, but it’s a good thing to check for regardless.

Even with all these scams covered, there are still a plethora of other scams out there. Check out these two links to read about some more!

Stay Safe and Informed!

By practicing online safety etiquette, you stay up to date with common scams and have all the knowledge to protect yourself going forward!

All About Audits

According to H&RBlock, the average amount owed after an office or field audit (will be explained later) is $65,000. With so much money to possibly lose, it’s important you understand audits and how to handle them.

What is an audit? Why was my business chosen?

An audit, in simple terms, is a thorough examination of the financial statements of a business. When most people think of audits, they are thinking about the IRS. While the IRS does audit people, you can also be audited by others; like your state government or another private company. One of the most common reasons for private audits is because someone inside the business wants to ensure their business’s financials are accurate. By doing this, it can guarantee the company’s credibility to investors, stakeholders, etc. In the intro above, we specified office and field audits. There are a slew of different types of audits but the IRS has three that it uses; these are: correspondence (may also be referred to as mail), office and field. In a mail audit, the IRS is typically looking for verification of something specific and will need proof that they request back in the mail. An office audit sends out a request to review in person (their office) and requires you to bring along all needed documents for the reason it lists. And lastly, a field audit sends a representative to your place of business who examines every single part of your tax return(s). These audits get more serious and comprehensive as you go from mail to field.

Being audited by the IRS does not necessarily mean you have done anything wrong. There are a multitude of reasons that can trigger red flags to the IRS. One of the number one reasons that set off an audit is deductions. As a business owner, you can get deductions on your tax returns for expenses (based on your type of business). Having too many deductions may set off an audit, even if you are doing everything correctly. Another common reason that triggers an audit is too high or too low of a pay for others, or even yourself. As an example from RCReports, “Too-low salaries are often intended to avoid payroll taxes…..An S-Corp owner who pays herself only enough to contribute the maximum amount to a traditional 401(k) (tax-free) could be subject to back taxes, fees, and penalties unless she can prove her compensation was ‘reasonable.’” Next, having contractors, and mislabeling contractors vs employees, is another common reason you may be audited. (Here is a guide from the IRS to decide whether to count an individual as an employee or a contractor.) 


Unfortunately, and annoyingly so, if you have been audited before, you are more likely to be audited again; especially if you owed money before. Auditors may excuse this as “seeing you learned from your mistakes,” or “checking that everything is going right now.” If they were able to get money from you beforehand, it makes sense they would try again (and again) and thus this is why you may be more likely to have repeat audits.

How to handle an audit?

The best way to handle an audit is to already be prepared. It’s crucial to keep records and documents of all business related financials. Furthermore, it’s in your best interest to keep your business and personal finances separate. It becomes significantly harder and more confusing to separate finances when you are using the same account for everything. Additionally, accountants (and CPAs) can be vital assets to your business. They can help review and record documents, keep you up to date with trends in your finance, and help make sure your finances stay accurate. (Check out some of our other monthly blogs to learn more about: the differences between CPAs and accountants, benefits of having a CPA, and how to find the right accountant for you!) Audits usually happen years back, so it’s important that you keep your records and they maintain accuracy!


So you’ve just been dinged for your first IRS audit – where do you go from here? In the beginning, you will always be notified by mail that you are getting audited – the IRS will NEVER call you. At this point, it is most advantageous to hire a tax professional if you do not have one already. CPAs often work well for this; but you can also hire a EA, Enrolled Agent, as they are a tax specialist that specifically represents clients to the IRS. The steps should be outlined and direct to follow after, but you can always call the IRS if you have any questions. Also, be honest! Making up numbers may cost you more and can cause the IRS to dig a lot deeper. For more resources around IRS audits, check out this page from the IRS.

Knowledge is Power!

Being informed and prepared for any audit that comes your way can make you stress less and keep your business safe!