Is pursuing your dream practical in this economy? Many will say no, but I say, there has never been a better time.  This is a time of survival, but also of reinvention, of learning, of finding your passion and living it every day.  When you make a decision about your career, your job, your means of income, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration besides the salary.  Things like, how many hours will you be working, how many will you be commuting, what kind of flexibility will you have to do the important things in ... << MORE >>

I was so proud of what my brother wrote and I was truly moved just reading his words. When I thought about Earth day and what it meant to me, this letter came to my mind. To me, it represents how powerful it can be if we all come together for a common cause, what we can do if we really want to and how we can all be one when the need arises. I hope that today, and every day forward, we will all work together to take care of the Earth, each other and all the creatures. I hope that we can rid the world of all the negative people and actions that affect so many. I hope we can change the attitudes of all the people on this planet to a positive, loving attitude. << MORE >>

I know, I know, accounting is not in the least sexy or exciting or creative, but it is necessary if you own a business.  You know, one of those necessary evils, but it doesn't have to be evil, or even difficult.  All you need is a few basic tools and a good accountant/bookkeeper that knows how to explain things in terms you can understand.  Ok, so maybe that's the hard part, finding someone like that.  The key, I think, is to be open to learning about it, don't automatically assume that you won't ever understand it or that you can't ...<< MORE >>

It's the great American dream - start your own business and get rich!  Well, not to burst your bubble, but there is a lot more to it than that.  If you want to start your own business, which is happening more in this economy, I want to help you be realistic about it and be prepared.  I find that a lot of people get an idea and just jump in, without researching anything, without planning anything and without knowing exactly what they are getting into.  Most of the time, they don't know anything about how to ...<< MORE >>

Most business owners are greatly concerned with owing taxes.  They are concerned to the point they create fear and anxiety for themselves worrying about it.  Ok, so I agree that no one likes to pay taxes, but there is another way to think about it.  Try thinking about the fact that if you end up owing taxes, you made a profit!! Now that's a good thing, right?  I always advise my clients to think about what all that means for them.  It is not just about paying taxes.

Here is where the Catch 22 comes in, if you have losses, and ...<< MORE >>

Just wanted to let everyone know that I changed the name of the blog - it used to be Taking the Stress Out of Accounting.  I wanted to make it something more about helping small businesses, which is what I do.  I also wanted to take the words 'stress' and 'accounting' out of the title, because I think that stresses people more, lol.

Anyway, hope you will continue to read the blog and get valuable information.  Please subscribe so you will know when there is a new entry and I really would love more comments and feedback.  Tell me if you ...<< MORE >>

Do you know that there is an opportunity for you to give back in almost everything you do?  I want to share with you some ways to give, without spending any more than you already spend.  I know the economy is tough and everyone is tightening their belts, however, there are some simple ways to help others with activities you do every day.  Do you shop online?  Do you search online?  Do you have a small amount of money you could give that would keep helping people over and over, with no further investment?

If you shop online, you can sign ...<< MORE >>

Do you have a vision for your business?  For your life?  Having a visual reminder of your goals and dreams is a very powerful way to achieve them.

To help me visualize my dreams, I use a dream board.  This can be any kind of board in any place that you will see it every day.  I have a big bulletin board that hangs over my desk, so I see it all day, every day when I am at my computer.  On my board, I have pictures, words and quotes to help me focus on the things I want.  It is ...<< MORE >>

Learning to save is going to be one of the biggest keys to recovering our economy.  If we, as a nation, don't learn to save and quit accumulating more debt, we will never get out of this crisis.  I know for me personally, it is a big challenge to save, but I also can see the impact that not saving has had on me.   It's difficult when you are trying to make ends meet, when your income is down and you can't see that it will go up any time soon; to figure out how to save money, but I ...<< MORE >>

If you use QuickBooks for your accounting, I suggest you use the following method to record credit card charges, especially if that is your primary payment method. This method is especially useful if do not pay your credit card bill in full every month.  Here is the best way to record charges:

1.  If you have a newer version of QB, there will be an icon on your main QB page that says "Enter Credit Card Charges" or to get to it manually, you can click on Banking in the top menu, then Enter Credit Card Charges.

2.  Pick the correct credit ...<< MORE >>