The Corporate Transparency Act mandates that certain U.S. companies disclose their key owners’ details to combat financial crimes.

As of now, on 12/04/2024, Clemmons, NC business owners have 27 calendar days (or 20 business days) left to file their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with FinCEN—don’t wait, or you could face fines of $500 per day!

1. Determine if Your Business Must File.

Most LLCs, corporations, and small businesses qualify as “reporting companies.” Exemptions apply to publicly traded companies and certain regulated entities.

2. Identify Your Beneficial Owners.

A “beneficial owner” is someone who either has substantial control over a company or owns at least 25% of it. For example, in Clemmons, a co-owner of a local hardware store who owns 40% of the business and is responsible for major purchasing decisions qualifies as a beneficial owner.

3. Gather the Required Information.

Prepare:

• Business name, address, and EIN.

• Beneficial owners’ names, addresses, DOBs, and ID details.

4. File Your BOI Report.

Deadlines:

• Existing businesses: File by 01/01/2025.

• New companies (2024): File within 90 days of formation.

• New companies (2025+): File within 30 days of formation.

ZenBusiness can help your business with BOI reporting, providing accurate guidance to ensure compliance with FinCEN requirements.

Who Needs to File?

A ‘reporting company’ is any small business, corporation, or LLC that is registered with the state, unless exempt. Exemptions apply to publicly traded companies, banks, and charities. For example, a local bakery in Clemmons, NC would likely need to file a BOI report.

What Is a Beneficial Owner?

A beneficial owner is someone who:

1. Holds substantial control over the company, OR

2. Owns 25% or more of it.

For instance, a managing partner of a coffee shop in Clemmons who owns 35% of the business and oversees daily operations qualifies as a beneficial owner.

What Information Is Needed?

You’ll need:

• Business name, address, EIN.

• Owners’ names, addresses, DOBs, and identification documents.

How and When to File:

BOI reports must be submitted electronically with FinCEN. Deadlines:

• Existing companies: File by 01/01/2025.

• 2024 startups: File within 90 days of formation.

• 2025+ startups: File within 30 days of formation.

ZenBusiness offers a seamless way to handle BOI filing services, ensuring small business owners meet FinCEN requirements without the stress of navigating complex compliance rules.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:

Failure to file can result in fines of $500 per day, up to $10,000, and potential criminal penalties. FinCEN offers a 90-day safe harbor for corrections without penalties.

Additional Resources:

• FinCEN 

• BOI FAQ

• Completing the Beneficial Ownership Information Form

• Beneficial Owner Definition

• Beneficial Ownership Report Guide

• Corporate Transparency Act Deadlines for 2025

We want to hear from you!

We value your feedback! Please complete our BOI survey by December 18, 2024, and for every 25 responses, our Chamber will receive a $100 donation! Take the survey here! Your participation makes a difference!

*As of December 3, 2024, a Texas federal district court has issued a preliminary injunction for all states to block the CTA and its relevant regulations. However, filing your BOI will help you avoid fines if this injunction is overruled.

Transforming a side hustle into a thriving full-time business offers a rewarding path packed with potential and challenges. With the right strategies and resources, you can create a foundation for lasting growth and success. From refining your business model to building a strong customer base, each step brings you closer to long-term stability. As you make this shift, focusing on efficient planning and goal-setting will ensure a smoother transition. Here’s a look at essential steps to guide you on this exciting journey.

Utilize All-in-One Platforms for Business Growth

An all-in-one business platform streamlines essential functions, making it easier for entrepreneurs to manage every aspect of their business from one place. Whether creating a professional website, adding an e-commerce cart, or designing a logo, this type of platform can provide comprehensive services and expert support to ensure business success. Platforms like zenbusiness.com offer tools and resources tailored to the needs of small business owners, simplifying growth and marketing strategies. 

Ensuring Scalability in Your Business Operations

To transform your side hustle into a successful full-time venture, it’s crucial to design your operations with scalability in mind. This means establishing processes that can efficiently manage increased customer demand without a corresponding rise in costs. By implementing scalable systems, you can enhance productivity and maintain high service standards, even as your business expands. Leveraging tools like automation and project management software can streamline operations, allowing you to optimize resources.

Understanding Economic Influences on Your Business

To successfully transition your side hustle into a full-time business, it’s crucial to understand how the economic environment can impact demand for your offerings. During periods of economic growth, consumers often have more disposable income, leading to increased spending on non-essential goods and services. Conversely, in economic downturns, people tend to tighten their budgets, focusing on essential purchases and saving more. By staying informed about these economic shifts, you can adjust your inventory and marketing strategies to better align with consumer behavior.

Crafting a Brand Story That Captivates and Converts

To transform your side hustle into a successful full-time business, it’s crucial to develop a brand story that deeply resonates with your audience and clearly conveys your mission and values. By focusing on a narrative that highlights your company’s core principles and the positive impact you aim to make, you can create a lasting impression that distinguishes you from competitors. For instance, addressing a common problem and offering a solution through your products or services can attract customers and foster loyalty by aligning with their values and expectations.

Maximize Your Side Hustle’s Potential on LinkedIn

Leveraging professional networking platforms like LinkedIn can significantly enhance your side hustle’s visibility and attract new opportunities. By meticulously crafting a profile that not only showcases your primary skills but also highlights your side hustle achievements, you can position yourself as a versatile professional. Ensure your profile is complete with a professional photo, a compelling headline, and a detailed summary that incorporates industry-specific keywords. This strategic approach not only optimizes your profile for search results but also demonstrates your ability to manage multiple roles. 

Enhance Customer Engagement with CRM Systems

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system enhances how businesses manage client interactions and improves customer service. Integrating CRM with marketing and e-commerce platforms establishes a seamless framework that tracks customer behavior from first contact through purchase. This setup enables businesses to automate personalized marketing efforts while freeing the team from repetitive tasks, allowing for a stronger focus on customer relationships. Businesses that adopt CRM principles tend to see noticeable improvements in customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Harnessing the Power of Networking for Business Growth

Turning your side hustle into a thriving full-time venture requires connecting with industry leaders and joining professional associations. Engaging with these networks provides access to specialized insights and keeps you informed about current industry trends. Building relationships through events, whether in-person or virtual, fosters meaningful connections that often lead to valuable collaborations. Prioritizing networking like this can enhance your business’s trajectory and expand its potential for growth.

Embracing these strategies can empower you to confidently transition your side hustle into a full-time business. With a focus on growth, scalability, and customer engagement, you’ll be well-prepared to turn your passion into a thriving enterprise. Prioritizing sustainable practices and consistently improving your offerings will ensure long-term success. As you gain momentum, building strong relationships with your audience will also help solidify your brand and expand your reach.

As we celebrate Women's Small Business Month this October, it’s important to highlight the innovative tools that help women entrepreneurs streamline their operations and drive growth. Adobe Acrobat offers a powerful suite of features designed to increase efficiency, simplify document handling, improve team collaboration, and streamline key business tasks. For women business owners looking to save time and focus on scaling their ventures, these solutions can be a game-changer in today’s fast-moving entrepreneurial world.

Acrobat AI Assistant: Take a look at Acrobat AI Assistant, which empowers entrepreneurs with smart document tools designed to boost efficiency and clarity. Its ability to generate summaries instantly highlights the most critical points of any document, turning dense information into actionable insights. Plus, by answering user questions directly, it streamlines decision-making and optimizes daily workflows, helping small business owners stay focused on growth and innovation.

Edit: Adobe Acrobat's Edit tool allows entrepreneurs to modify text and images directly within PDFs, ensuring quick adjustments without losing formatting. It offers a practical solution for small business owners who often need to update contracts, proposals, or marketing materials. This feature keeps document editing seamless, saving time and enhancing professionalism.

Share Feedback: Share Feedback in Adobe Acrobat fosters collaboration by allowing team members, clients, or stakeholders to provide input on documents in real time. Entrepreneurs benefit from this feature by streamlining communication and consolidating feedback from multiple sources. It’s a valuable tool for refining proposals or product documents to align with client expectations.

Request e-signatures: The Request e-signatures feature accelerates the signing process for entrepreneurs who need to finalize agreements quickly and securely. It enables business owners to send, track, and manage digital signatures, ensuring contracts are legally binding and efficient. This tool reduces the need for manual paperwork, helping entrepreneurs close deals faster and keep their businesses moving forward.

At Bon Bon Bon, founder and chocolatier Alexandra Clark and her team have leveraged the diverse suite of tools Adobe Acrobat offers to elevate their business operations and drive success.

Too many small businesses build websites like they’re storefront windows, polished and pretty but ultimately silent. What customers need instead are conversations—responses to the dozens of questions they’re too busy, distracted, or unsure to ask. That’s where strategic content creation enters the picture, not as a marketing gimmick, but as a long-term investment in trust. Proactive customer education through digital content such as blog posts, FAQs, and especially short videos that address frequently asked questions turns confusion into clarity and prospects into loyalists.

Think Like Your Customers, Not a Marketer

The most effective content starts by stepping away from the brand voice and stepping into the customer's shoes. What seems basic to a business owner is often bewildering to a first-time buyer. Businesses that routinely answer, "How does this work?" or "What happens next?" save their teams time and make their customers feel acknowledged. Instead of relying on clever taglines or lofty value statements, they win by being plainspoken and relentlessly useful.

Turn Repetition Into a Resource

Every small business has those questions they hear over and over. It's tempting to see these as interruptions, but they're actually goldmines for content. Turning the top five repetitive inquiries into blog posts or explainer videos doesn’t just ease the load on customer service—it sets a tone of openness. It tells people, without fanfare, that their questions matter enough to be answered thoughtfully and publicly.

Short Videos, Big Returns

People don’t always read the FAQ section, but they will watch a 90-second video that shows them exactly how to assemble that product or prepare for a service appointment. Video has become the format of choice for on-the-go consumers, especially when it provides quick, no-fluff answers. When a small business owner appears on camera to explain a common misunderstanding, it brings a personal touch no chatbot can match. The production doesn’t need to be Hollywood-polished; it just needs to be clear, honest, and direct.

Speak Their Language, Serve Their Needs

It’s not enough to simply create FAQ or instructional videos—those videos need to speak the language of the people watching them. By translating content into the languages spoken within the local community, businesses create a more inclusive experience that removes unnecessary barriers. With AI-powered tools now able to generate accurate subtitles and voiceovers, it’s easier than ever to ensure that every viewer feels understood. If you’re unsure where to start, take a look at this and see how improved clarity leads to smoother service and fewer repeat questions.

FAQs That Actually Work

Too often, FAQ pages are tacked onto websites as afterthoughts—dense, outdated, and unhelpful. But when crafted with care, an FAQ section becomes a powerful hub, organized around real customer curiosity. Instead of jargon-filled responses, the best FAQ entries are conversational and action-oriented, using everyday language and linking to related content for deeper dives. That kind of thoughtful structure encourages browsing and boosts confidence in your expertise.

Blog Posts as Digital Conversation Starters

A business blog shouldn’t be a soapbox. It should be a well-organized vault of answers, stories, and how-to guides that meet customers where they are. When blog posts directly tackle real-life customer dilemmas, they gain traction—not because they’re optimized for search engines, but because they’re optimized for humans. Over time, these posts form a living library of insight, reducing friction in the buying process and giving hesitant customers a reason to stay on the page just a little longer.

Trust Is Earned in the Details

Every answer a business gives is a chance to either build or erode trust. When content provides clarity with warmth and authority, it builds a kind of quiet credibility that ads and slogans can’t match. Customers learn to rely on that business not just for a product or service, but for guidance—and that relationship becomes harder to replace. In an age where consumers vet businesses online before ever making contact, these little moments of transparency can be the deciding factor.

Creating smart content isn't about anticipating every possible question—it’s about being ready to respond with grace and precision when questions do arise. Businesses that embrace this mindset make space for feedback, mine it for patterns, and continually update their content to reflect what customers actually care about. The result is a smoother, faster, and more human experience for everyone involved. More than a time-saver, this kind of digital communication becomes part of the business’s character, leaving customers feeling seen and supported.

Adventures by Disney® is about immersing yourself in the cultures, stories and people of the world. Let Adventures by Disney be your guides, your storytellers, your local experts and your masters of hassle-free guided group travel. They will take you where you want to go.



Come by the office 6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct Ste. 23 Clemmons NC 27012 or call 336-896-3013 



Let me bring you closer to the places you visit. See to every last detail. And make sure every moment of your vacation, for everyone in your family, is a moment you'll want to remember again and again.



Africa, to Alaska, the Caribbean, British Isles, Antarctica, Australia, Japan, China, Even the Holy Land are all a part of a World you can experience with the Magic of Disney!  There are many more 

Europe