Continuing in our series about what you need to know during your first year in business, today we're going to look at what you need to include in a New Client Welcome Kit. Exactly what you need to include will vary based on your industry, but there are a few major elements every welcome kit should include. Details on How and When to Get Paid A stumbling block for many small business owners is … [Read more...]
Top Apps for Invoicing
In a recent post I talked about the top financial tools for your first year in business, but I wanted to come back to one of the most important tools today: invoicing software. For most of my clients, invoicing is the source of most of their income so it's crucial they're using the best software solution available. There are many great solutions out there so let's talk about a few … [Read more...]
Guidelines for Hiring Subcontractors
As your business grows, it might be time to start hiring help. You can do that by hiring employees or working with subcontractors. If you hire an employee, you have to deal with salaries, payroll taxes, and many other legal and HR related issues. If you hire a subcontractor, things are a bit simplified - as long as you follow the right guidelines. Since many small business owners prefer to … [Read more...]
Stop Using Excel for Your Bookkeeping!
Many new business owners try to use Excel for bookkeeping, especially in the early days of their businesses. They are, understandably, trying to keep costs low and don't want to spend money on hiring help or investing in software. But trying to use Excel for your books never ends well. Here are a few reasons why. When you try to do it yourself, you simply don't do it at all. I can't tell you … [Read more...]
Stop Using a Shoebox for Receipts!
There's a reason people joke about business owners keeping receipts in shoe boxes - because they do! It happens every year. Someone comes into their accountant's office with a big box (or bag, or folder), and the accountant is stuck sorting through crumpled receipts and trying to decide what's important and what isn't. Save yourself and your accountant time and money by keeping up with your … [Read more...]