Travis Martin

“I own Martin & Company AV, which is an audio-visual integration company that installs things like corporate conference rooms and church PA systems. Before I started my business, I worked in the industry for 10 years. I’ve always been an entrepreneur and wanted to jump out and do things on my own. Martin & Company has been in business for 12 years, and it’s been awesome to meet new clients and help them with their AV needs.

What’s awesome about running an AV business in Arkansas is that I get to see the whole state. We see Little Rock, of course, because that’s where we’re based. But we also visit Northwest Arkansas and Jonesboro, and it’s cool to see the economic booms there. 

‍As a small business, our biggest hurdle is the paperwork for things like transactions, sales tax, use tax, end of the year filings, quarterly filings, and payroll. 

As a small business owner, the least of my worries is the actual work. It’s the state and federal paperwork. We had to learn all of it through “trial by fire.” The government doesn’t offer any easily accessible help for people who don’t know how all of the codes work.

One of our biggest challenges has been sales and use tax. That’s challenging for a business because you don’t know all of the rules and laws. It’s difficult for a small business to grow. Any time we’ve made a bit of money at the end of the year, the government generally taxes it away. Anytime you profit, they take a portion—usually a large portion. 

At the end of the year, we could have had a nest egg to reinvest in employees and equipment. But that’s challenging to do, because it seems like the best place to stay with your business is zero, where you’re not making a lot but not losing a lot either. You have to stay where you’re breaking even.

Thankfully, there’s some legislation going on in the state government where they’re trying to lower income tax. But it’s still high, and it hurts. It feels like you’re paying from so many different angles. 

As a small business owner, I have to look at corporate income tax and personal income tax. At the end of the day, you see your profits go down. Maybe I should move to Wyoming where they don’t have those taxes!

‍If we weren’t paying income tax, we could honestly bring on a couple of employees tomorrow. We could look at different facilities for better offices, a better warehouse, and better vehicles. It would be a game-changer.

We’re always watching where we’re spending money. The biggest thing is that, at the end of the year, you don’t want to show a huge surplus. You’ll get it taken away from you, and that’s what really hurts. It’s always a cat-and-mouse game.

I would 100 percent love to see fewer taxes.”

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‍Travis Martin‍

Owner of Martin & Company AV

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