Why You Need a Business Plan
In the highly competitive field of real estate, your survival depends on your ability to stand out, and a successful business plan will get you there. It’s a harsh reality that many people with big real estate dreams fail within the VERY FIRST YEAR. In fact, some...
Is your Assistant an Employee or an Independent Contractor?
Differences Between Independent Contractors and Employees Deciding whether to hire an independent contractor or a regular employee is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. There could be financial consequences if you hire someone as an independent contractor...
Is This Your Situation: Getting Through Monthly and Year End Closings
You know that at the close of each month, you need to complete a month-end report to keep your accounting statements updated. You also have to issue a yearend report and mail out IRS Form 1099s to vendors for their taxes. There are a lot of issues you have to address:...
Is This Your Situation: Trying to Estimate Business Taxes
When you work for someone else, your employer generally takes out an appropriate amount of taxes from your paycheck for your federal taxes. But when you're self-employed, a sole proprietor or the owner of an S-corporation, you're responsible for paying your federal...
Is This Your Situation: Facing Problems in a Family-Owned Business
If your company is going strong and is profitable (or on the way to being profitable), there are things you can do to keep things civil, and even better, joyful. As Inc. contributor Carolyn M. Brown explains, "Conflicts are a part of a normal experience for many small...
Is This Your Situation: You Don’t Have a Business Plan
A business plan helps counterbalance your emotional response to your business so that you can step back and take an objective look at what you're doing and why, what you know for a fact, and what you're still trying to figure out. A business plan helps you launch...
Is This Your Situation: Team Not Working Together
A team-oriented business culture is one of the best ways to run a business. When you get a group of talented people and allow them to work together independently, the production value is no longer "1+1=2" ... but instead "1+1=4." Teamwork, under the proper...
Is This Your Situation: You Don’t Know Your Company’s Metrics and KPI’s
They're called "key performance indicators," and they let you know whether or not you're on target for success. Without KPIs, you're like a pilot without instruments. Why? They shine a light on performance, letting you know what areas in your business need attention....
QuickBooks Can Help Prevent Fraud
Many businesses have experienced fraud first-hand. Those who survived the theft are quick to implement accounting controls. Below are 10 tips for best practices related to protecting your cash and the tools you can use in QuickBooks. Implement an Expense and...
Is This Your Situation: Do You Have the Financial Experience to Grow?
The No. 1 piece of advice people say they've received when they've launched their own small business is "Get a good accountant." But without any previous experience owning a small business, how do you determine which accountant is best for you? Shopping around for a...