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Franchisee Spotlight – Mercedes Puerto & Luis Campos, Corvus of Denver

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May’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of Denver Franchise Owners Mrs. Mercedes Puerto and Mr. Luis Campos. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisees who go above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

For the month of May, Corvus of Denver is proud to recognize the outstanding contributions of Mrs. Mercedes Lizeth Puerto and Mr. Luis Campos. Despite not being the first Franchise in the Denver Market (Franchise code DEN001), they have undoubtedly secured the number one spot in our hearts! Having embarked on their entrepreneurial journey in May 2009, Puerto and Campos recently commemorated their 14th business anniversary.

According to Denver Regional Director Michael Kerby, “They are the absolute best. They excel in their work, consistently helping us achieve growth by tackling challenging accounts and transfers.” Over the years, Mrs. Puerto and Mr. Campos have demonstrated remarkable growth, managing numerous major accounts. Their expertise in floor work is truly commendable, as they have already completed 25% of the one-time work for Denver this year. “They are super reliable,” adds Mr. Kerby. You may have even spotted Mr. Campos’ face on Corvus materials showcasing strip and wax and floor cleaning services.

Not only are Puerto and Campos highly skilled professionals, but they also prioritize family values. They have become an integral part of the Corvus of Denver family over the years. The entire staff shares a wonderful rapport with the couple, and Revenue Days provide a perfect opportunity for everyone to connect and catch up.

Corvus extends our heartfelt gratitude to franchise owners Mercedes Puerto and Luis Campos for their unwavering dedication and hard work. As Mr. Kerby aptly described, you are truly All-Star Franchise Owners!

Good Shepherd School President & CEO Tommy Moran Reviews 6+ Years as a Corvus Cleaning Partner

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At Corvus Janitorial Systems, we firmly believe that strong partnerships are the bedrock of success. Today, we are thrilled to celebrate our six-plus year partnership with The Good Shepherd School in New Orleans. This remarkable journey has been characterized by trust, mutual support, and shared values. As we reflect upon our partnership, we are filled with gratitude and admiration for the incredible work that The Good Shepherd School does in shaping the lives of underprivileged youth in our community.

The Good Shepherd School’s Mission Statement:

The Good Shepherd Nativity Mission School, Inc., seeks to help low-income, urban youth in order to realize their fullest potential as productive members of society by providing them with an extended-day, year-round, quality education, integrated with personal, moral and spiritual development, and continued guidance during the students’ further education.

The Judeo-Christian values which have inspired the Nativity model include a respect for the dignity and potential of each person, a responsibility to assist the poor and those in need, a strong sense of community within the one family of God, and the obligation to promote a society characterized by social justice. In this Nativity model, students are enrolled without regard to race, color, religion, or ethnicity.

A Testimonial from Good Shepherd School President and CEO Tommy Moran:

Franchisee Spotlight – Timothy Shields, Corvus of Indianapolis

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April’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of Indianapolis Franchise Owner Mr. Timothy Shields. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisee who goes above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

Since September of 2021 Franchise Owner Timothy Shields has slowly been building his business, but quickly building a great reputation with customers and Corvus teammates alike.

This month’s Franchise Owner Spotlight is focused on Mr. Shields from Corvus of Indianapolis. “My team and I talked about it, and we really wanted to acknowledge him,” says Executive Director David Villafana. “Mr. Shields is extremely reliable and always willing to help out when other Franchise Owners are out of the area on vacation or in an emergency.”

“What makes him unique is his responsiveness,” says Mr. Villafana. “He has an immediate intent to fix any problem right away, even if it is a minor thing. He never takes criticism in a negative way and has the attitude of ‘it will help me be better.’”

With over 20 accounts, Mr. Timothy Shields is known to his customers for his professionalism and eye for detail. He feels that all accounts are important and deserve his best, no matter the size or contract value. He operates his Corvus Franchise full time. During this time, he has gained the reputation of being a role model and customers speak highly of his work ethic and demeanor.

Mr. Shields is a shining example of a Franchise Owner who is there to show support for his peers and gain respect for his commendable work. Corvus is more than happy to partner with someone who builds meaningful relationships and morale. Thank you, Mr. Shields!

Small Business Owners: Tax Benefits to Consider

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Tax season is upon us, and even if we’ve been filing this time each year for over a decade (or several), most of us still get a bit anxious when the time comes. If you’re a new small business owner, you might be feeling particularly worried about the unique challenges that tax filing in a new category might bring. Feeling more prepared can help ease these worries.

All small business owners want to ensure that they’re filing their taxes the right way, and save as much money as they can in the process. Luckily, there are several small business tax deductions that help you make the most of the filing process and save where you can. As the tax deadline creeps up on us, now is the best time to start getting organized. But if that sounds daunting, don’t worry, we’ve done a lot of the research for you already:

Changes to Credits and Deductions for 2022 Taxes

Some tax credits and deductions that will expire or decrease in 2022 are:

-Section 179, which allows businesses to deduct 100% of qualified expenses for certain fixed assets purchased in 2022. This figure will decrease to 80% in 2023.

-The Expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which has decreased from an $8,000 maximum in 2021 to $2,100 in 2022. Income thresholds and percentage of child care expenses deductible have also decreased.

-Qualifying business meals, which were instituted during the pandemic to encourage support of restaurants and make it easier for employers to provide catered meals. This deduction may not be extended beyond the January 1, 2023 deadline.

-Mortgage insurance premiums will no longer be treated as deductible mortgage interest starting in 2023. This may affect businesses with property or brick-and-mortar locations.

List of Small Business Tax Deductions to Consider

With the numerous changes to tax rules over the last few years, there are many other small business tax deductions that you might not yet be aware of. These include:

-Vehicle expenses

-Dedicated home office space

-Capital equipment depreciation

-Professional services

-Salaries and wages paid to full and part-time employees, as well as bonuses, meals, lodging, and certain employer-paid taxes

-Work Opportunity Tax Credit (if you hired any military veterans or other long-term unemployed workers before the first of this year)

-Business supplies and office expenses

-Meals and entertainment for clients and employees

-Labor for independent contractors or freelancers

-Equipment and furniture

-Employee benefits (health plans, life insurance, education reimbursement, pensions, etc.)

-Relevant business software (POS and other computer systems)

-Rent for your business’s physical space

-Start-up costs and expenses (hiring costs, legal entity fees, etc.)

-Utilities (electricity, phones, Wi-Fi, etc.)

-Certain taxes

-Commission payments

-Rental equipment or machinery

-The interest paid on business lines of credit

-Bad business debts

-Mortgage interest

-Bank charges

-Disaster and theft losses

-Small business tax deductions that carried over from previous years

-Business insurance

-Renovations and insurance-related strictly to your home office space

-Business tools

-Unfulfilled invoices

-Education

-Marketing and advertising costs

-Charitable deductions

-Cleaning, janitorial, and PPE expenses

-Licenses, trademarks, and other intellectual property

Small Business Tax Deductions Explained

Some of these tax deductions are straightforward, like vehicle expenses, including gas, maintenance, parking, and tolls for business-related travel. But others may be a bit more ambiguous if you’re not familiar with their definitions or limitations. So, let’s talk about the ones whose meanings aren’t immediately obvious. Home office deductions are an area that tends to cause some confusion. You can deduct a portion of your rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, and other costs for the square footage of your home that is used as an office.

But the thing to remember here is that it has to be a strict home office space. It can’t be a spare room that you occasionally escape to with your laptop if your loved ones or roommates are being noisy in other areas. Your home office can’t be dual purpose, it must strictly be a home office space. Your tax software or a tax professional can help you decide between calculating the costs to write off or taking the standard deduction based on square footage.

Speaking of consulting a tax professional, professional services like this one are another potential deduction. You can also deduct fees for accountants, attorneys, or business consultants. The same goes for freelancers or independent contractors that you bring in to help with marketing or extra help during busy months. Client and employee entertainment is a deduction that often gets missed. If you take a potential client out for lunch, you can typically deduct up to 50% of the cost, as long as at least one employee is there and it isn’t a particularly lavish experience. You can deduct snacks and meals that you provide in the office, too.

Deducting taxes can get a bit tricky because the deduction you qualify for depends on the tax type. For example, you may be able to deduct license taxes, taxes on real estate your business owns, sales taxes on purchases made for your business, or a portion of your payroll taxes. For this one, the deductions can vary depending on several different factors, including state and business type, so it may be best to talk to a professional here, too.

Similar to the last one, some of your insurance premiums may be tax-deductible. These are strictly business-based premiums for coverage in different areas, like property, liability, casualty, employee theft, and business-owned vehicles. Lastly, let’s talk about bad business debts. These include money advanced for goods or services that were never fulfilled. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to deduct the costs. One example of this might be advancing money to an employee or vendor and then having them disappear without fulfilling their end of the bargain.

The Wrap Up

There are many benefits to being a small business owner. But like all things worthwhile in life, there are times when it’ll require more effort than we’re used to. Filing our taxes this year is one of those times. If you feel confident handling your tax filing on your own this year, several reputable tax services, including H&R Block, offer specialized online filing services for the self-employed and small business owners.

Because they require more work, you should expect to pay more to file. But the number of deductions that they’ll help you sift through will make it worth the extra upfront cost. If you want to be extra thorough to ensure that every possible tax benefit is explored or you simply have a lot of questions you’d like answered, hiring a tax professional you can meet with in person may be the better way to go this time.

If you haven’t been already, keeping detailed records of your expenses and other information related to your taxes and tax benefits can help you feel better prepared next time. Keep receipts, write down business-related items, training, or travel expenses, and store it all somewhere safe. If you haven’t already, investing in some small business software like QuickBooks’ accounting, bill-pay, record keeping, and payroll software might help you get more organized. And depending on the software and what you’re using it for, you might be able to deduct that cost, too.

Franchisee Spotlight – Rodjay Benford, Corvus of Louisville

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March’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of Louisville Franchise Owner Mr. Rodjay Benford. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisee who goes above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

Corvus Janitorial is pleased to announce that this month’s Franchise Owner Spotlight is shining brightly on Mr. Rodjay Benford of Louisville. Mr. Benford opened his franchise just over two years ago, and he is already among the highest earning Franchisees in the Louisville market.

“Rodjay is one of the best franchise owners we have,” says Eric Coy, Director of Operations for Corvus of Louisville.

“We can always count him. He’s very attentive to customer needs. If Rodjay is cleaning your building, you’re in great hands. He understands what it means to be a business owner and doesn’t treat this as a job, but rather treats it as his career. He does whatever he needs to succeed. We can always count on Roday to give it his all no matter the task.”

Mr. Benford says of his experience partnering with Corvus, “I’ve been with Corvus for just over two years now. After working my whole life building someone else’s dream, I decided it was time for me to build and work towards my own. The decision to do so was scary at first because I was leaving all that I knew behind and diving headfirst into the unknown. However, Eric and Aaron (Aaron Shader, Corvus of Louisville Operations manager) guided me through this transition. The leap of faith Crystal and I took to becoming small business owners has been one of the greatest decisions we’ve made. I would encourage anyone who is faithful, committed and dedicated to wanting to build on their own dreams, to also take the leap. I promise you; you will not regret it!”

Mr. Benford and his family are prime examples of how hard work pays off and prove that the American Dream is possible. Thank you, Rodjay, for being such a fantastic partner; we are excited to continue helping you build on your dreams!

Franchisee Spotlight – Eric Glenn & Taquita Green, Corvus of Knoxville

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In February’s special Black History Month edition of our Franchisee Spotlight Series, we feature Corvus of Knoxville Franchise Owners Mr. Eric Glenn and Mrs. Taquita Green. Read on to learn more about these standout black business owners who go above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

In honor of Black History Month, February’s Franchisee Spotlight features the first two Franchise Owners in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, Mr. Eric Glenn, and Mrs. Taquita Green. As Corvus continues to grow into new territories, we embrace diversity as a strength. We believe that, as our workforce becomes more diverse, our Franchisees’ unique experiences and perspectives will drive growth, increase competition, and solve industry-wide problems.

Corvus of Knoxville opened in late 2022, and they were eager to enlist the first Franchise Owners in the market. Mr. Eric Glenn has the distinct honor of being the first Franchise Owner in Knoxville, joining the team just a month after Corvus opened in the area. Mr. Glenn started his Franchise in October of 2022 and picked up his first account at the beginning of 2023. “He patiently waited for a pipeline of customers to be built over the holidays,” says Mr. Jason Bishop, Regional Director for Corvus of Knoxville. “He takes pride in his work and, to quote Michael LeBouef, he knows ‘a satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all’.”

“I’ve been with Corvus for a few months and already have my business going,” says Mr. Glenn. “It’s that simple.” He has more than ten years of janitorial experience.

Mrs. Taquita Green moved from Florida to Knoxville in 2010, and she says it is the best decision she’s ever made. This mother of three, with two daughters (21 & 14) and one son (17), has a varied work history, having worked in childcare for five years, and most recently working two jobs: one as a security officer and the other as a certified nursing assistant.

Jason is happy to have Mrs. Green as the second Franchise Owner in his market. “She is a very ambitious and caring mother who is looking to create possibilities for her family’s future. She has a great attitude about life and this business.”

As a self-described “Jill of All Trades,” she is eager to grow. “In 2021, I started an online cosmetic business. I am very ambitious, resourceful, and I love to learn new skills. I like to write and I have books that I plan to publish in the near future.”

Mrs. Green was introduced to Corvus by a friend, and she saw it as an opportunity to quit working several jobs and go into business for herself.

“At first, I was kind of skeptical about it, so a few months passed by and I asked myself, ‘What am I doing working two jobs?’ I wasn’t getting many sales with my online store and I knew there was something better out there for me, so I decided to learn more about Corvus.”

“Jason made me feel very welcomed and comfortable. He’s a great guy. Overall, the reason why I want to franchise with Corvus is because they make you feel like family, and I want to be able to give my family an opportunity, so they won’t have to struggle like I have.”

“She has a vision for what she wants to accomplish, and I am confident that she will succeed,” said Mr. Bishop. “Corvus of Knoxville is proud to have her as a Franchisee.”

Corvus would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Mr. Glenn and Mrs. Green for their dedication, hard work, and determination to making lives better. We are proud to partner with business owners like you that make Corvus such a special place, and we are excited to grow our businesses together!