1st Quarter Checklist
With the end of 2020 rapidly approaching, here are a few examples of how to get a strong start to 2021.
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4th Quarter Checklist
It’s time to close out 2020 strong! We’ve compiled the bookkeeping list you need to make sure it happens.
5 Ways To Streamline Data Entry
Are you still manually entering data into your accounting system? If so, there may be a better solution.
Have Your Layer Cake and Eat It Too
The best cakes have layers and layers of different delicious flavors to enjoy. Stacked on top of one another, each layer is…
Cool Tech Tools: Cloud Storage
Have you ever wished you didn’t have to buy yet another server? Do you have to delete old files on your hard…
Seven Small Business Risks You Might Not Know You’re Taking
Running a small business is often about taking and managing risks. Market risks are normal but business and tax risks are another…
Five Steps to Getting a Loan
Most small businesses need help with cash during certain stages of their growth. If you find that you have more plans than…
Marketing by the Numbers
Two very important skills for entrepreneurs to master are marketing and finances. Combine them by understanding the numbers behind marketing, and you…
Six Ways to Put the Spring in Your Sales
Spring denotes new growth, fresh starts, and spring cleaning. Why not apply these ideas to your sales so they can blossom along…
Boost Your Accounting Know-How with These Terms
Outsmart your accountant and other financial friends with these accounting-related definitions: Fiscal Year Most companies report their results on a calendar year,…
Separating Business from Personal in Facebook
Do you love using Facebook with your friends but know you’re missing out by not using it in business? Do you feel…
Awesome Tech Tools: Boost Team Collaboration with Slack
Slack is a relatively new collaboration tool that is designed to cut down on emails among team members and boost productivity. It…
Cool Social Media Apps: Periscope
Periscope is one of social media’s newest darlings. It enables cell phone users (iPhone and Android) to capture and steam live video…
The Triangle of Fraud Risk
A 2014 Global Fraud Study conducted by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) estimates that the average business loses five percent…
5 Ways to Delight Your Customers
Providing great service can make a huge difference in a small business. For companies like Zappos, Nordstrom, and Southwest Airlines, customer service…
Will 2016 Be Your Best Year Ever?
Will 2016 Be Your Best Year Ever? If you want 2016 to be better than 2015, you have to do something differently…
Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?
You may have heard that Google has rolled out a new search algorithm that ranks mobile-friendly websites higher than sites that are…
Get Finance-Savvy with 10 Accounting Terms
It’s good to know some basic accounting terms, and here are ten terms with friendly definitions for your review. Asset: Essentially, assets…
Cool Tech Tools: Automate Your To-Do List
Keeping a to-do list is a great way to be productive, avoid having things fall through the crack, and unclutter your brain. …
Eight Ways to Save Time You Might Not Have Thought About
Time is money as they say, and if you can save time, you’re also saving money. Since your time is limited to…
Three Costly Accounting Mistakes to Avoid
Small business owners have a lot on their plates, and time simply does not allow you to become an expert in all…
How Pinterest and Instagram Can Make You Money
How Pinterest and Instagram Can Make You Money There’s a visual side to every business, and Pinterest and Instagram, which are social…
Cool Apps: Zapier
Do you need to get data from one app to another? If so, it’s time to check out Zapier. You might be…
Attract More Customers with Event Marketing
Holding your own event is a great way to meet new people and allow them to sample your business in a low-risk…
Your Daily Numbers
Some numbers need reviewing on a daily basis, and one example of this is cash. When cash is coming in from a…
Cool Tech Tools: When There’s No Internet, Use Your Personal Hotspot
Have you ever been in a situation where there’s no internet and you needed it? Or perhaps you’re at a hotel and…
How to Avoid Sales Tax Surprises
Sales tax laws are constantly changing, and sales tax audits have increased since states and local agencies have become creative about finding…
What to Do About Spam
Unfortunately, spam is an inevitable part of today’s digital world. The bad news is if you have your spam settings set too…
Mid-Year Milestones
Wow, can you believe that 2015 is half over already? Now that we’ve crossed the halfway mark, it’s time to see if…
Cool Tech Tools: Customer Portals
If you have a business where you have to send documents of any kind to your customers, then you may benefit from…
Ten Excuses to Have a Sale
If you need cash fast, there’s nothing like having a sale to increase your bank account quickly. Here are ten excuses you…
Understanding How Teams Grow
Do you have employees who need to work together as a team? Or perhaps you need to work as a team with…
The Best Payment Terms for Faster Cash Flow
A great way to speed up your cash flow is to get paid faster by customers who owe you money. One way…
Five Modern Marketing Methods You May Not Know About
Older marketing methods like direct mail and cold calling just don’t work as effectively as they did a few decades ago. There…
Cool Tech Tools: Google Drive
Google Drive, which used to be called Google Docs, is a great way to collaborate with team members and stakeholders that are…
Does Your Accounting Department Have Holes in It?
You’ve got someone to do your federal and state income tax returns, and you have a bookkeeper. So that’s all that a…
The Short and the Long of It
The balance sheet is one of the main financial reports for any business. Among other things, it shows what a company owns,…
Influencing Your Word-of-Mouth Results
Just about every business relies on “word-of-mouth” marketing to get the vast majority of its clients. If this is true for your…
Are Your Workers Contractors or Employees?
If you have workers in your business, you likely made a decision when you hired them as to whether they should be…
The One Question to Ask Each Day
As a business owner, you’re likely torn in a hundred different directions every day. It can take up most of the work…
5 Ways To Streamline Data Entry
Are you manually entering data into your accounting system? If so, there may be a way to enter that data that’s faster,…
Do You Have A Revenue Plan For 2015?
A great way to start the new year is to get clear on exactly how you can make your revenue goal number. A…
Planning For A Fabulous 2015
The holiday month of December brings celebration as well as reflection for all the events that occurred in 2014. It also…
It’s Bonus Time
Year-end is a great time to think about rewarding your staff for a job well done in 2014. Here are a couple…
Catching Up With Your Contractors Before 1099 Time
In a little over a month, it will be 2015 and time for year-end accounting chores. One of those chores is getting…
What is Real-Time Accounting (and Why Should You Care?)
Real-time accounting is when your books are caught up to the present and you know exactly where you stand with your account…
How Understanding Assets vs. Expenses Can Make You Rich
Assets and expenses both have a “debit” balance on the financial statements, but that’s where their similarities end. Spending on one can…
What’s Your Hourly Worth?
Time is the most precious resource on the planet, but sometimes we don’t treat it that way. In our businesses, it’s important…
Navigating Nanny Taxes and Household Payroll Compliance
Time is precious for most of us these days, and often, we need help at home so we can have more time…
How to Read Your Balance Sheet
The Balance Sheet is an important report in your business’s financial statements. Most small business owners are unsure of what all of…
Is There an App for That?
The technology side of the accounting industry is rapidly changing and expanding. Literally hundreds, if not thousands of new companies and new…
How Do I Prevent Employee Theft?
It’s happened again….locally….and it makes my blood boil! Another full-time, long term, on staff, trusted bookkeeper has been arrested/prosecuted for company embezzlement. …
2013 Christmas & Holiday Bonuses
If you are having trouble figuring out how to calculate end of year bonuses you are not alone! Here are some quick…
End of Year Payroll To-Do List
Remind employees that if there has been a change in their filing status due to a marriage, divorce or dependents that they…
Common QuickBooks® Mistake in the Undeposited Funds Account
A common mistake I find many QuickBooks® users make is with the Undeposited Funds account. When you create a new company file,…
4th Quarter Checklist
It’s mission critical time to close out 2013 strong! Check to make sure all of your accounts are reconciled and up-to-date. This…
The Down and Dirty of Accounting
Did you know that accounting processes began more than 7,000 years ago? The Assyrians began a process that relied on primitive accounting…
Smart Book Business Solutions is here to serve you!
Whether you are just starting your new business and need help with the logistics of “setting up shop” or have been in…