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October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). We all know protecting our business data and systems needs to be a year-round priority, especially given the unsettling reality that security incidents and data breaches are on the rise globally. You may not be able to fend off technically savvy and extremely determined hackers, but you can certainly take small but meaningful steps to batten down all your cyber security hatches. Here are four best practices for protecting your data brought to you by the crack security team at Intuit. Lock it when you leave it. Prevent unwanted (and unwarranted) data exposure by locking your computer or mobile phone any time you leave it unattended Be alert – and suspicious. Fraudsters are more sophisticated than ever. Be extremely wary about anyone who is trying to convince you to give up potentially compromising information. When in doubt, don’t do it. Stay secure when you work remotely. Don’t get lax when you’re out in the field or wo
when a company sells to other states, how does it need to report sales tax?
Hello,Question: Can we claim any of the precription medicne?if so what category we put under when using Self employed ?do you put under Health insurance premium? thanks
HelloI searched on this topic didn't see anything. I have a new client who's business just sold off a big part of it, so I'm taking over the remaining bit, and they are leaving a brick & mortar location for a virtual world. Question - is there a recommended way to handling A/P for this remote company with an approval loop built in? Currently they have a A/P email account, but still get paper bills as well. The owners will be handling paper billing at this early juncture. I don't see them using scanner for all those bills. Obviously the ones we can convert to internet payment can go to the email. The owner wants to handle manning that account and then forward payments to my email as approved. One stone age solution would be to give them USPS envelopes and they send paper bills to me on a weekly basis or something. While it would cost few bucks I'm OK with that. Recommended process for dealing with a clients A/P who is remote to
During the crazy holiday season, it’s easy to prioritize your business over well, everything. We’re here to remind you that losing sleep, eating poorly, staying Superglued to a screen or otherwise connected to your work 24/7 is not in your best interest. Remember, when your mental, physical and emotional health suffers, so, too, does your business. To keep every aspect of your life humming, here are some tips and strategies from folks in the QB Community to help you and your business not just survive, but thrive, during the holiday crush. Resist the Red Dot Syndrome The dot in “Red Dot Syndrome” refers to the notification icon alerting us that someone or something needs our attention. QB Community member and licensed therapist Nani Waddoups (@PDXGardinista) points out our addiction to instantly responding to anything and everything is disruptive, to say the least. To combat Red Dot Syndrome, Nani believes we all need to create (and protect) uninterruptible time to be tech-free or othe
Welcome to Community Conversations! In this ongoing series, host Leslie Barber sits down with small business owners to talk about what’s great and what’s tough about working for yourself. You’ll hear loads of ideas, insights and inspiration. We invite you to sit back, listen and learn! Here’s what you’ll find in this episode of Community Conversations ... Caroline McAbee, the owner of Faith Financial Consulting, says building trust with clients is critical for her business success – and everyone else’s. Caroline shares why she loves working with passionate entrepreneurs who aren’t afraid to ask for help. Julie Gordon White is an award-winning entrepreneur, business coach and host of QB Community’s Momentum to $1 Million group. She explains how she talks about money with her kids and why she’s a fan of “matching” what they contribute to a purchase. Spoiler alert: Julie says it’s never too early to start nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit!  
Welcome to Community Conversations! In this ongoing series, host Leslie Barber sits down with small business owners to talk about what’s great and what’s tough about working for yourself. You’ll hear loads of ideas, insights and inspiration. We invite you to sit back, listen and learn! Here’s what you’ll find in this episode of Community Conversations ... Adam Wegener, founder of Trash Amps, built a business around the portable Mason-jar amps he started making back in college. Adam talks about getting Trash Amps off the ground thanks to financial investments from friends and family. He recalls spending long nights in his mom’s garage building one amp at a time – an experience that shaped the way he scales his business today. Romy Taormina is CEO of Psi Health Solutions, Inc. who turned drab wristbands into fashionable accessories that help relieve nausea. Romy admits she didn’t set out to revolutionize the industry, but telling the story of her bran
A business plan is your big idea put down on paper. It’s the roadmap for how to start and run your business, and it’s the document you’ll share with potential investors or funders. Presenting a clear, well-thought out, comprehensive business plan is an excellent first step for any new business owner. Another bonus of writing one? As you complete each of the nine sections of the plan, inevitably you’ll further clarify your vision for your business and hone in even more on your ideas and strategies. So, where do you start? Open a blank document and paste in the nine section categories below. Next, ask yourself a series of key questions to help you explain and describe your endeavor in detail. Last? Share your awesome business plan around and get yourself some investors! (If you want to take a stab at writing your first business plan but prefer a faster approach for now, Julie Gordon White’s 10-Minute Business Planner is a great way to start.) The nine sectio
a family member wants to enter into a salaried partnership with a silent investor, where he would receive both a salary as well as a percentage of the profits. Is this a good arrangement? Are there any likely problems that would pop up down the line?
As a small business owner, cash flow is critical to your success, so understanding how to quickly deal with payment holds and how to avoid them is important. In this article, we will guide you through specific scenarios and provide best practices to avoid payment holds. In order to have the best possible experience, we encourage you to read through this entire article. If you are short on time and need some quick guidance, you can also click on the individual links below to jump to the areas that interest you the most. ContentsHow to Challenge a Chargeback Good to Know - The Chargeback Process Best Practices - How to Avoid/Reduce Chargebacks When Should You Call Merchant Services? How to Challenge a Chargeback Recall from our last article, that a chargeback is a transaction that has been disputed by the cardholder or card issuer. If you wish to challenge a chargeback, you must do so in a timely fashion because there is a brief window of opportunity.
What’s not to love about a national observance dedicated to making someone else feel good? It doesn’t take much to show your appreciation for another person, whether it’s a friend, a family member, a fellow entrepreneur or even a stranger. This is a perfect day to do something nice for your community, too. Below are just a few ideas for getting your generosity juices flowing. Check out our list, and then add to it with your great ideas! Bring coffee and pastries to your favorite small business Pick up trash while you stroll in your ‘hood Pay it forward (literally) by putting extra time on a parking meter Bring some fresh-cut flowers to someone you do business with – the UPS store, your accountant, your dog walker … At the tollbooth, cover the charge for the car behind you Take a day away from business and volunteer in your community garden, at a local school or in the public library Treat your team to lunch or take everyone out for ice cream! Offer a flash “Do Something Nice Day” sal
In September we got inside your head! We explored how entrepreneurs, small business owners and freelance workers approach all things business, from creatively solving problems and staying motivated 24/7 to turning an epiphany into action and an idea into a product. Read on -- and be prepared to be impressed. Researching the Brain of an Entrepreneur The Mindset of an Entrepreneur: Driven, Creative, Logical, Fierce! Our fearless leader, @LeslieBarber, kicked off the month by writing about her own entrepreneurial mindset. She reminds us, “You know better than anyone that being your own boss is an exciting, exhausting and rewarding journey.” 6 Key Findings From Intuit’s Work/Life Balance Survey of Self-Employed Workers (With Graphs!) Intuit conducted a survey of 1,000 self-employed people on the topic of work/life balance to find out if the benefits of entrepreneurship outweigh the drawbacks, and uncovered some surprising trends. You Said It: What QB Community Members Have to Say
Hey there QB Community! I'm hoping to pick the hive-brain here. I'm budgeting for a nonprofit client and developing some budget policies for their board. If you're familiar with nonprofit budgeting, a couple policy questions:1) When a board approved budget requires adjustment (where several line items change), what threshold do you recommend/see Board of Directors require approval of the newly adjusted budget? A dollar value? A percentage of revenue or expenses?2) Same question as above, but for expenditures above budgeted amounts for particular line items. Thanks in advance!!:)
The leaves may be just starting to turn golden, but Halloween costumes, candy and decorations have been front and center on shelves and in storefronts for weeks now. It won’t be long before Thanksgiving décor is added to the seasonal display. With the holiday season racing our way, let’s find out how some entrepreneurs are prepping today for their busiest time of year. (By the way, all of these business owners will be selling their wares at QB Connect 2018 in San Jose (November 5-7th). If you’re there, be sure to stop by and say howdy! (Want to attend QB Connect but haven’t registered yet? Click here.) “We are making fresh batches of soaps, candles and all of our other products to have a big stock for the holiday rush. We are booking holiday markets and shows to sell at, and planning our own craft show at our retail store in Los Angeles.” – Sandee Ferman and Callie Milner, the mom and daughter team behind No Tox Life “We're growing our handwriting artist community like crazy right now
Launching and running your own business requires continuous self-education, as rising challenges demand creative solutions that may bump up against the limits of your knowledge and expertise. What's one new thing you've learned recently that has helped you solve a thorny problem or take your business to the next level?
Yep, National Get Organized Week really is a thing. If you’re feeling scattered, distracted or just tired of frantically juggling a million different tasks, maybe this is the perfect week to up your organizational game. If you’re looking for ideas or inspiration, this post has a roundup of some of the organizational apps and strategies members of this community rely on. Looking for some low-tech options for better time-management? You’ll find those right here. In the meantime, here are some organizational tips to ponder (and, perhaps, deploy) right now: “Even though I try to devote entire days to single projects, it doesn’t always happen like that. There’s always something pressing that needs to be done. When I’ve got a lot going on, I get organized by writing down the top three things I need to get done that day and I try not to get distracted. I’m not the most organized person, but creative people are supposed to be messily organized, right?! Having deadlines and small targets keep
For many of us, 'tis the season to start thinking about holiday retail. And for others, 'tis the season to hire seasonal workers (or make more permanent hires before the holiday crazy), wrap up loose ends on projects (before the holiday crazy), or get busy making plans for workflow/inventory/purchasing/sales & promotions/customer and client appreciation...before the holiday crazy. Am I sensing a theme here? What's your one - or two! - word theme for October?
I’m Leslie Barber, QB Community Leader and host of Community Conversations! In this ongoing series, I sit down with small business owners to talk about what’s great and what’s tough about working for yourself. You’ll hear loads of ideas, insights and inspiration. We invite you to sit back, listen and learn! Here’s what you’ll find in this episode of Community Conversations ... Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, talks about creating workplaces that are welcoming, balanced and equitable – and why he’s convinced that fairness in the workplace is critical for a healthy business ROI. Media personality, business coach and motivational speaker Maxie McCoy shares some of her ideas around the particular challenges facing women in business. Spoiler alert: The biggest obstacle may be right between your ears! Want more from Michael and Maxie? You’ll find it right here in QB Community: 8 Tips for Taking Care of Your Employees from Michael Bush, CEO of A Great
Sometimes we think we should rename QB Community “Epiphanies R Us!” As countless community members have told us, you just never know when an idea will pop into your head and BOOM! A seed of an idea grows and blossoms into a successful business. Of course, that flash of inspiration is just the first tiny step on any entrepreneurial journey – but without it, you might not be taking a journey at all. Here are just a few tales from QB Community about epiphanies, ah-ha moments and lightning bolts of inspiration. After you read them, please share yours! Romy Taormina, founder of Psi Solutions, suffered such terrible morning sickness during her pregnancies she created fashion-forward Psi Bands for nausea relief. Heidi Withers, co-founder of Heidi’s Salsa, won a salsa-making contest using her family recipe! Sandee Ferman, founder of No Tox Life, never forgot the angry welts that appeared on her skin as a child when she tried a new lotion. Sharon Coleman, founder of Lemon and Honey
You'd think that with this beautiful boardwalk just minutes from my home office I'd have no trouble hauling myself outside every once in a while. Annnnnd … you'd be wrong. Here are the top five reasons why I rarely let myself go out for a stroll during my typical workday. (Spoiler alert: These might be on your list, too.) 1. I'm too busy. Are you an air traffic controller landing a jetliner? A heart surgeon? The color commentator covering the second overtime at game seven of the AFC playoffs? No? Me neither. Then we both have 15 minutes to get up outta’ that seat. 2. I just need to finish this one thing. Get real: You're self-employed, which means you will never be "finished." There is always another task to complete. Set a timer on your phone. When you hear the ding, get up and go (outside, that is). 3. The phone/email/everything won't stop ringing/pinging/dinging. Embrace the power of technology by letting the world know you are "out of offi
My company has been on a ongoing up/down spiral for three years. I have to work contracts myself and work as the administrator, coordinator, recruiter, plus boss and have to work assignments. I'm at a love hate relationship with my business. I would just like a few pointers on what I'm doing wrong and how I can make it work.
We hear all the time in this community about the mindset that helps entrepreneurs succeed in business. One thing is clear: Working for yourself means thinking differently about every aspect of, well, “work” – what it means to you (everything), when you do it (always), when you put it aside (rarely). Below are some of the insights you’ve shared. Do you recognize yourself in any of these hard-working entrepreneurs? Of course, you do! “People who work traditional jobs go home when the workday is over. They can take vacations and have weekends off. Entrepreneurs have to work whenever it’s necessary, which might mean no regular days off for four years or longer. As an entrepreneur, you have to be able to get things don e– not half done and not when someone else is ready to do it for you. You have to be willing to do what it takes to get it done.” – Sandee Ferman, founder of No Tox Life “I work all the time now, even when I watch a movie or walk my dog or
Hi,I am looking to find an accountant in the Pennsylvania area to help me run my nexus correctly. My business is based out of Wisconsin, but I also have a nexus in Pennsylvania. My accountant in Wisconsin doesn't know Pennsylvania law. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank you!
As a small business owner, you’ve worked hard to build a recognizable brand based on your unique product or your special service. Whether you sell a tangible product (kid-sized furniture or a healthful granola, perhaps) or offer a valuable service like being a motivational speaker or creating and sending custom greeting cards, it might be wise to protect your idea from competitors or copycats. There are three options for protecting your intellectual property: patents, copyrights and trademarks. The latter two are often confused, so this post will help you understand which one best applies to your business. Let’s talk copyrights A copyright protects original literary and artistic work such as books, reports, videos and audio recordings, as well as things like poems, sculpture or a piece of music. Technically speaking, copyright applies to works or creations that are “fixed in a tangible medium of expression.” A copyright gives you the exclusive
We asked four numbers-minded entrepreneurs in the QB Community how and why they started up their own accounting and consulting firms. Here’s what they told us… Andrew Berg, co-founder of Berg Partners, accounting & consulting: “My partner and I decided when we started the business that we didn’t want to work a million hours during tax season to provide our clients with one piece of paper, then walk away and not talk to them again for an entire year. So, our focus shifted to business management and consulting.” “We help our clients with financial decisions, marketing decisions, HR decisions, strategic decisions, budget, planning — literally anything you can think of that you don't know the answer to. If you want good advice based on your unique financial situation, we’re the people to talk to.” Read Andrew’s full story: "The Numbers Should Tell the Whole Story." Andrew Berg Shares His Tips for Picking the Right Account
