How to pay employees with more than one business?

[Brian Orr]

What I'm trying to understand is the employer side when you have multiple companies (I don't just mean multiple LLCs for properties), and are working in and hiring people that work in both. 

For example:

I have a real estate investment company currently. If I want to start an e-commerce company, do I need to setup an entire new LLC? If so, and I hire an assistant, do i need to pay that person partly from each company?

I think I understand the accounting side regarding separation of funds more or less when things are exclusive to industry. But how about other shared expenses like car miles, computer purchase? Is there any smart way to do this under one umbrella and have all expenses funnel up to one company?

I'm in Florida and willing to hire an attorney and or CPA to help me get this in order.

[Sergey A. Petrov]

You could roll your staff under one separate “employee leasing” entity. All payroll flows through that one entity but you still need to segregate depending on where your staff actually “works” (20 hours at Company A, 10 hours at Company B and 10 hours at Company C). Those separate companies would then pay your leasing company. The leasing company will be responsible for taxes, insurance, benefits, etc etc etc. May be more effort than worth it if you have just a handful of employees but if you have hundreds of staff members and multiple businesses then it might make sense. If each company is a small employer it benefits from being subject to fewer Federal and local regulations. Once you wrap them under one, there are additional required benefits to staff, discrimination laws, potentially higher taxes, and a full on HR department!