Business Discussions

Hello QuickBooks Community! Hope your week is going well and business is booming. I wanted to take some time and talk about something I learned this week. It’s called Radical Candor, and it’s based on a book by Kim Scott. If you’re not up for reading a book, you can watch the Ted Talk or search the web for more information. Author  Kim Scott describes this approach as “Caring Personally while Challenging Directly. At its core, Radical Candor is guidance and feedback that’s both kind and clear, specific and sincere.”   Managers across the globe can wind up communicating feedback poorly with their team by using one of these 3 feedback fails:   Obnoxious Aggression- hopefully this isn’t you, but this is that boss that no one likes. They haven’t really taken the time to create a relationship with their team and their feedback is harsh and unkind. They may think it’s “brutal honesty” but the delivery doesn't foster a healthy working relationship, and the f

In our QuickBooks Blog, we have information for seasoned business owners, those just starting out, and everything in between. Starting a business is a big adventure but can be intimidating. You may find yourself not knowing exactly where to start. Today I’m going to share with you information on how to register your business so you can make it official. :)   First, let’s go over if you need to register your business. If you don’t know yet, there are different business structures and they all operate slightly differently. Brand new businesses should take the following into consideration:   Sole proprietorships: These generally aren't required to be registered, though registering would likely be beneficial to you and your business. DBA: You may need to register your business with your state. This does vary from state to state, so it's best to check with your state's regulations. Partnership: It’s always best to register a partnership with both the IRS and t

Hello, hello! So nice to have you here. On today's episode of the Community Business Discussion board, I'd like to share an article I read earlier this week from fastcompany.com that offered some great insight on what not to say during a job interview. The writer here states there's a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and goes on to provide some alternatives to use instead. Here are a few examples mentioned... HardworkingYes, of course, every employer wants to hire someone who is hardworking. You'd never say you're "unmotivated" during an interview, but simply stating you're a hard worker doesn't really prove it. Instead of just using hardworking as a descriptor, provide some examples to back it up, "...such as a major contribution you’ve made, goal you’ve met or exceeded, or accomplishment you’ve achieved..." Team PlayerYou get along with others and can work well in a group, excellent! But, do you also "compromise when necessary, show respect for others, listen to

Hola, amigos! Nice to have you here in the Community. Have you heard of a service and pricing guide? It's essentially a menu for your small business. I don't about you, but I like to check out the available options before making a new purchase from a business. Here are a few pointers on how to create this guide for new and potential customers so they know exactly what to expect when shopping with you.   Introduction and StoryIt's always a good idea to introduce yourself. Speak a little about yourself, mainly focusing on values and credentials, and offer details about how you started your business.   Signature ServiceExplain your signature service that you're most know for.   DeliverablesClearly describe what your potential client will be receiving, gain, or achieve after choosing to work with you.   Previous WorkDisplay pictures and/or full descriptions of your previous work. However, be sure to only include work that you're still offering and not projects you no lo

      Join our QuickBooks Experts here for an #AMA session all about accepting payments with QuickBooks. They'll be able to answer your questions on: ● Accepting payments from your customers.● Understanding fees and schedules.● Resolving common issues and errors. ...and more!*   To participate:     Press Join the Conversation to log in to the community. Once logged in, press Reply. Write your question as your reply to the post. Don't forget to let us know what product you're using. Press Post to submit. Keep an eye on your notifications for a response from one of our QuickBooks experts.   QuickBooks Experts will be online from 10am - 12pm PT to answer your questions live!   *We will not be able to address payment holds or account closures during this event due to those issues requiring private account information. If you need assistance with a hold or closure, please contact Merchant Services.   Thank you!

Depending on your business, your peak season could be done or you could be gearing up for one. For those of you who add seasonal employees every year, this article is for you! When your business is booking up for the summer (or any other season), it’s great to have extra hands to help. While hiring seasonal workers is pretty straightforward, it’s good to be prepared so the process is as smooth as possible. Take a look at these tips from the QuickBooks Blog.      Determine your seasonal recruitment needsTake some time to look at last season. What were your numbers? Knowing the amount you pulled in can help determine what extra help you’ll need now. Also consider any changes you’re making. Have you added to your services? Are you planning on scaling to increase revenue? Make sure you’re considering everything so you can make a well-informed decision.2.      Plan a season in advanceIdeally, you’re planning and have time to crunch numbers and plan f

Welcome everyone to the QuickBooks Community! Is it me, or did the week fly by, well, the month at that? Before the day ends,  I want to share this gem by Makeuseof about the top 12 Google Tools for Entrepreneurs. Today, I will share my top 5, and I encourage you to review the others. Let's get into it:   Google My BusinessThis is a great FREE tool to help your business to stand out. All you would need to do is list your business so potential clients can find it. You also have the ability to add your store location, contact details, pictures, and so on.   Google Search ConsoleThis measures your site Search traffic, gauges the download speed, and other performances. This will show which aspects of your website need to be fixed to ensure you provide the best version for your business.   Google DriveThis is another free cloud-based storage that allows you to connect to multiple devices. Sign up for Google, and you are already given 15 GB of free space. If you need more

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the Community. We often hear a lot about "bad habits," or even old habits, but not much about developing new or good habits. Today I want to share a few good habits to practice that can help in business or in every day life in general.   Read daily. Analyze your own mistakes and learn from them. Create a plan before doing anything. Always look for something to learn. Prepare and keep an emergency bag handy. Focus on the positives. Think outside the box. Track your finances. Develop a morning routine. Listen before you speak. Think of new ways to do old things. Participate in interesting discussions. Share your knowledge with others. Stay informed about current events. Keep a journal. Pray and/or meditate. Recycle. Play brain exercises or IQ improvement games. Eat healthy. Do self-improvement activities.   There you have it! Just a few simple ideas that maybe you haven't considered before. Practices that you'll look forward to

      Do you have a question about QuickBooks but haven't gotten around to reaching out to us yet? Join us for a Live QuickBooks Community Drop-In Session where QuickBooks Experts will be online to answer your questions live. Topics include, but aren't limited to: Invoicing, Payroll, Account Management, Product Features, and more.   To participate:   Press Join the Conversation to log in to the community. Once logged in, press Reply. Write your question as your reply to the post. Don't forget to let us know what product you're using! Press Post to submit. Keep an eye on your notifications for a response from one of our QuickBooks experts!   We look forward to helping you get the most out of QuickBooks

You may think that to be a business owner, you must be a productive extrovert with great stress management skills. While that’s helpful, if you are an introvert with anxiety, you shouldn’t rule yourself out. Buffer.com highlighted business owner Ashima Sharma, who never thought she'd be a business owner, but shares her tips on what she did once her idea came to her.   Start small to build confidenceIn the article, Ashima explains how hurdles like public speaking became small goals of hers to conquer. She started with Clubhouse, a live podcast of sorts, and built up the courage to speak in one of the rooms within the app. She got positive feedback and new followers that led her to speak up more often. It’s the small wins that can make your confidence swell and prepare you for the future. Whether you’re talking to clients, or strangers about your products/services, trust that you have good ideas that people need to hear.   Build habits to support mental healthIt can b

Hello, beautiful Community! Depending on your work, you may find yourself in your office most of your day. When you spend most of your time in any space, it’s important to make that space as comfortable and functional for you as possible. I’m no interior designer, but today I have some tips on how to make your office an oasis… or as close to one as possible. Let’s get right to it!     PlantsEveryone picked up an interest or hobby during the pandemic… and mine was plants! It started with one pothos gifted to me from a friend, and then boom. About 30 plants later, it’s one of my favorite things about my work space. The splash of green is an instant mood booster and brightens up any area. There are quite a few beginner plants that are easy to take care of: pothos, snake plants, or ZZ plants. I haven’t even mentioned the best part. Do you like clean air? Plants naturally filter the air and release wonderful oxygen. So basically, get plants for your health….both mental and physic

Hey there, friends! Thanks for joining us here in the Business Discussion space. I've had a lot on my plate recently, (don't we all), and have found myself in a creative slump. So when I found this article posted in the QuickBooks Blog I knew I wanted to share it with you all as well. Here are a few ways to rewire your brain to maximize creativity:     Diversify mind inputsIt's been a known fact for a long time now that humans are creatures of habit. But who can blame us? Routines and habits are comfortable and there's no fear in wrenches being thrown in your plans. However, daily habits don't leave much space for creativity. You can break this cycle by diversifying what you put into your mind. "Strike up conversations with random people, learn a new language, start playing new video games, read far and wide, and challenge yourself to do things that you ordinarily would not do. The more the new interactions you make, the more diverse your thinking capacity will be." &nb

  Join our QuickBooks Experts for an #AMA session all about your favorite QuickBooks apps and add-ons. They'll be able to answer your questions on: ● How to connect your small business apps and services. ● What to expect from QuickBooks add-ons like QuickBooks Time. ● How to navigate the QuickBooks app store.   To participate:   Click Join the Conversation to login to the community. Once logged in, click Reply. Write your question as your reply to the post. Don't forget to let us know what product you're using! Click Post to submit. Keep an eye on your notification for a response from one of our QuickBooks experts!   QuickBooks Experts will be online from 8am - 10am PT to answer your questions live!

It's Friday!!!! Is anyone looking forward to the weekend? I know I am. Before you lock up shop today, I wanted to share this article from CNBC. It is about a 28-year-old lady who used her side hustle and made over $100,000 in passive income in one day. She shared five books that helped her get started and boosted her mindset. Here is what she recommended:   Dot Com Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online With Sales Funnels.The entrepreneur explained that this book's strategies help her generate lead techniques and sales funnels that aid in her selling online courses without extra work and generate passive income.   How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome LifeShe said that this book helped her recognize her self-limiting beliefs and assisted her in breaking those walls down and building up her confidence to run this business.   Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business SuccessThis book

Hello QuickBooks Community! Our goal here at Intuit is to support you no matter what products you use or how you run your business. Not every business owner uses a payroll software, but it’s still important to keep track of your information. That’s why the QuickBooks Blog has an article all about using a payroll ledger! Not only does it have great information on how to use one, but templates for you as well.     Let’s start by explaining what a payroll ledger is. “A payroll ledger is a system for keeping track of payment information for each employee or contractor who receives payments from the payroll department of a firm. Payroll ledgers can be physical paper spreadsheets or digital spreadsheets. Payroll ledgers allow business owners to quickly see how much money they’ve paid out, whom they’ve paid, and when. In addition to being essential for payroll records, these ledgers may also serve as important documentation for tax purposes and other recordkeeping needs.” &nb

  Do you have a question about QuickBooks but haven't gotten around to reaching out to us yet? Join us for a Live QuickBooks Community Drop-In Session where QuickBooks Experts will be online to answer your questions live. Topics include, but aren't limited to: Invoicing, Payroll, Account Management, Product Features, and more.   To participate:   Press Join the Conversation to log in to the community. Once logged in, press Reply. Write your question as your reply to the post. Don't forget to let us know what product you're using! Press Post to submit. Keep an eye on your notifications for a response from one of our QuickBooks experts!   We look forward to helping you get the most out of QuickBooks

    Are you thinking about converting from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online? Wondering if this is right for your business?    More than anything, we want folks to find the right accounting software that fulfils their specific needs. The QuickBooks Guide to Converting QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online is a full-service hand-book for anyone converting from QuickBooks Desktop (Pro or Premier) to QuickBooks Online. If you're still deciding and just need a quick reference, download our Quick Conversion Reference (attached to this article) and use this lean version of the guide to help you decide if converting is right for you (or your client).   The Quick Conversion Reference briefly outlines the features and benefits available for the QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop product lines. Identify which tasks and features you need for your business from the left-hand column and see whether it can be done i

Good day QuickBooks Community! Can you believe it is Friday already? The week really felt like it flew by. Anyway, I wanted to share with you this article by U.S. Chambers about creating an emergency preparedness plan. You never know when interruptions may happen, but what you can do to get ahead of the game is to be prepared as much as you can. Here are the seven ways to do so:     Assess the risk that threatens your businessBusinesses would need to assess the most significant threat and the long-term effect of this. You can create different situations and develop a plan for them. The authors listed some potential conditions such as: An environmental emergency, like a flood. A global event, like the COVID-19 pandemic. A physical problem, like a break-in. A digital emergency, like a cybersecurity breach.   Complete a hazard vulnerability assessmentFor companies that have a physical location, the author urges to do a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment to highlight any ri

Hey there, Community friends! We’re cruising right through the week, and heading towards a lovely weekend. Have you been working on any projects this week? Maybe if you're like me, you've been know to start a few projects and then sadly leave them in a corner, collecting dust, while you move onto the next one. If that sounds like you, then you'll want to keep reading. Here are a few pointers on how to finish what you start:   Be selectiveDon’t just start on anything and everything. Spend your time and resources wisely. If you don’t really care about what you’re doing, you’ll likely get burnt out and leave the project unfinished.   EstimateSpeaking of time and resources - estimate what you’ll need to complete the task at hand. Once you've got idea of what you'll need to see the task through, you’ll know what to expect with little to no surprises or delays.   Quit being a perfectionistI have to remind myself of this a lot. Whatever it is you’re worrying over generally does

Hello Community friends! Are you a business owner? As a business owner, have you ever found a few inventory items that have been on the shelf for a while? These items in this particular situation are usually referred to as "dead stock." I read an article posted in the QuickBooks Resource Center that provided some great info about how to turn dead stock into sales. Here's what the writer had to say...     Dead stock, or dead inventory or excess inventory, is any product that hasn’t sold within a certain period and is no longer expected to sell. Some examples include seasonal items, defective goods, or any product that has become obsolete.   Why your business wants to avoid dead stock- Loss in revenue: Dead stock represents loss in revenue which would be the most obvious reason as to why you'd want to avoid it. Each piece of inventory is intended to generate profit, "But with dead stock, that profit is not realized and instead results in a direct loss of revenue. When a p

Hello Community! Hope you’ve had a productive week and have taken some time to relax and recharge. The world is constantly changing and so are businesses! Many moons ago you could put an ad in a newspaper, and now you see people selling out their inventory because of Tik Tok. Don’t worry, I’m not about to teach you a Tik Tok dance to get views… but I will say there are so many ways to show off and bring attention to your company. Let’s talk about marketing and photography!   According to PetaPixel, “Photography is back in business post-pandemic, and we’ve seen rapid changes in marketing strategies this year. New clients are at your fingertips with opportunities to advertise in new and surprisingly, easier ways.” So let’s talk about ways to work this into your business. Create Short Video ContentThis is the new practice that won't only be fun but be a good tool to get those views. Short form videos are all the rage and a quick way to share your

Hello, my Community family! And how are you doing today! Every once in a while, we could use a Pick Me Up. It could be something like a cup of coffee, a little mini-vacation to relax, a jam-out session with friends, and the list goes on. Today, I want to share some encouraging quotes that help me press on and, hopefully, you as well! Here are a few of my favorites:   "It always seems impossible until it's done"- Nelson Mandela.   "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream"-C.S. Lewis.   "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. -Henry Ford.   "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. "– Robert Louis Stevenson.   "Sucess is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchhill.   "If everything were perfect, you would never learn, and you would never grow."-Beyoncé K

Hello fellow Community business owners! While an educational background in business isn't required, many people would advocate that it’s a great asset for anyone looking to start and grow their own business. Why? Running your own business requires so many skillsets, from decision making to financial. What’s great about higher education today is that there are more options for every lifestyle so that you’re not sitting in a classroom five days a week. Let’s take a look at an article from our QuickBooks Blog and see why modern business courses and programs are something you need in your life.AffordabilityOn average, a 4-year college is tens of thousands of dollars on the low end. There’s always scholarships and loans, but the best perk of business courses is that they are way less expensive. On top of that, it’s faster to complete them and can work for business owners or upskilling your employees.ConvenienceThere are people who have

Did someone say Friday? Welcome to the start of the weekend!  How are you guys doing? I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. Anyway, I just wanted to share this article by Sfweekly about valuable strategies to improve your business revenue for our Business Discussions. There were a few key points that stood out to me and found useful to survive in this competitive market.     Add Complimentary Services/Products:Adding this complimentary service or product enhances the value of the item through the customer's perspective. If you can not afford to give away the service or products freely, you could offer a special discount. Although this could be a quick way to increase your profit margins, it can also help maintain customers and lure potential buyers. If you are not sure where to start, research prominent companies' tactics and make adjustments that will fit your business needs. I will share a recent example of this, my friend and I went to a lovely restaurant f

Hello Community! Today is National Take a Walk in the Park Day! Side note: who comes up with these? Anyway, sometimes there’s no better way to boost your mood than a nice walk. I know that being bogged down with your to-do lists can push enjoyment down the list of priorities but today is your reminder to get outside. Does a walk sound boring to you? Well, here are some things you can do while enjoying the outdoors.Catch up with a friend or family memberWe all get so busy that it can be weeks (or months) since you’ve talked to a good friend or family member. Get that phone and connect with someone you haven’t heard from. Often, it feels like no time has passed at all and it’s a great way to spend your time.ExploreIf you haven’t been around kids in a while, they are experts at finding wonder in the mundane. Take in nature by checking out the birds, looking for cool rocks or just having some quiet time. Connecting with nature improves stress, your attention, and overall well-being. When’s