Business Discussions

So many different factors can cause us to need to raise our prices: inflation, competition, a supplier's cost increasing, a new marketing strategy... Have you ever had to raise your prices? If so, why did you and what happened?

Here’s a fun peek at this month in business history: October 26, 1825 - Completion of the Erie Canal The Erie Canal was built to create a shipping route that linked Lake Erie with the Hudson River. On October 26, 1825, after 8 years of hard work, the canal opened as the first large-scale man-made waterway in America. October 24, 1861 - A Telegram Is Sent Across the Country In 1861, the first telegram was sent from sea to shining sea. A telegram from the Chief Justice of California was sent from San Francisco to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington D.C. October 21, 1879 - Thomas Edison Keeps a Light On In October of 1879, inventor Thomas Edison kept an electric lamp with carbonized filament on for 13 hours. Soon, he’d patent the lightbulb, bringing light to households around the world. October 1, 1908 - Model Ts are for sale Beep, beep! In October 1908, the Model T, the first car created for everyday people, went on sale. Henry Ford would go on to create more and more popular cars.

 

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 QB Community Manager Shana Niederman Shares Her Numerous Nooks When you work for yourself, you might not have a set definition of “office.” You might do your work in an office collective, atop your sales counter, in your car or on your kitchen table. Your favorite spot might even be your bed! We thought it would be fascinating and fun to find out where you do your best work. Kicking off our series is our very own QB Community Manager, Shana Niederman. I recently relocated from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest. I’ve worked for myself as a writer, media producer and community manager for nearly 20 years, so I needed to create a work space for myself in my new home. My primary “office” is my dining room. I sit right in front of a large picture window overlooking my urban neighborhood. My table is a hand-me-down from a public library that runs the length of the window. Under the table is a sturdy fabric bin, which is crucial for clutter control. When I need my dining room to look lik

  When it comes to getting customers to stick around, Todd Eby knows what it takes. This self-described “anti-consultant” launched SuccessHacker in 2016 on a quest to help small businesses get big results. Now, after nearly a quarter-century in the customer success space, Todd has plenty of practical, effective ideas about capturing and leveraging customer feedback and cultivating repeat business from loyal, happy clients.   Here, Todd shares insights and strategies to help you build strong, trust-based relationships with your customers, no matter whether you’ve been in business for five days or five years.   Retention or acquisition? Both   When you work for yourself, you spend lots (and lot and lots …) of time thinking about getting new customers through the door. That makes sense, but Todd reminds us getting existing clients to stick around is just as important as finding new ones. (It’s more cost-effective, too!) “Retention matters as much, if not more, than a

What ideals do *you* regard most highly as someone who works for themselves?

Name: Crystal-Marie Sealy Business: Successiory Founded: January 2009 Crystal-Marie Sealy wasn’t planning to start working for herself as soon as she graduated with an MBA from business school. But when a recession made it hard for her to find a job, Crystal-Marie decided to forge her own path. Recognizing that plenty of professionals struggle with time-management and making smooth business transitions, Crystal-Marie founded Successiory to help entrepreneurs make the most of the time, experience and expertise. Today, her thriving business not only provides financial security and stability, it also lets Crystal-Marie enjoy a fulfilling, flexible way of life. Crystal-Marie, tell us the story behind your business. I've always wanted to run my own business, although I never thought I’d start as early as I did! My long-term goal was to have a virtual business so that when I become a mother, I wouldn’t have to worry about maternity leave or being made redundant. I'd be able to manage my own

A Material Misstatement!   -- Adam Fenner, QBC member

-- Ian Siegal, CEO ZipRecruiter. What have *you* learned from another business owner?   

  Welcome to Wellness Works! As a nutrition and fitness professional, I’ve created this series to help you achieve a healthful balance between your mind, your body and your fuel. I’ll offer up tips and strategies for mental, physical and nutritional alignment. The way I see it, when those three systems are ready and raring to go, you’ll run your business better than ever! This week’s hot topics: How to calm your mind, ease your back pain and brew delicious, immune-boosting broth. Your mind Want to quiet the incessant “monkey chatter” in your brain? One sure-fire way to combat mental chaos is to get organized with a nightly to-do list. Here’s my trick: When I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I spend a few minutes before bedtime writing down everything I need to do the next day. Then I assign a positive word or phrase next to each appointment, meeting or task. For example, if I’m on tap to “lead a meeting,” I might write down “inspire others” or “teach others” next to that item

    Ever had a moment when you needed cash right away? So much so that you headed to your couch to see what might be hiding in the cushions?   Yeah, we've done that, too.    But here’s some good news. We’ve learned there's always a way to manage expenses better and, as a result, find extra cash when it's needed most. Over time, we’ve figured out how to ditch expenses we can live without. We’ve scrutinized where every dollar is going. We’ve cashed in on money hiding out in long-lost invoices. And that’s just the beginning.   Today, we’re sharing some of our go-to strategies for managing expenses and making the most of our moolah. Best of all? There’s no couch reassembly required. :smileyhappy:   Hack #1: Cut one expense right now (even pens count!)   When cash gets tight, pull out your chopping block.    We guarantee some of your precious pennies are hiding in sneaky places like high credit card interest rates, rent increases and u

  Happy Friday, QB Community! Welcome to our round-up of inspiring and thought-provoking conversations happening in our community this week. Click the links below to see what you may have missed. You just might find the information you’ve been looking for!   In a Song Do you whistle while you work? Check out this week’s playful playlist of songs about great relationships. Tune-In Tuesday: So Happy Together!   Spotlight “When you give a little, you get a little.” Find out how this week’s Featured Member takes this adage to heart -- and uses it get new customers. Nick Leffler Gives Away Valuable Information for Free. Learn Why It's a Strategy He Swears By   Let’s Talk QuickBooks Need more moolah? We’ve got five hacks to help you manage your expenses and generate some additional dough. Find an Extra $500 in Your Business Today   (QuickBooks Connect can help you move your business forward faster.  Here’s what you need to know about next month’s big event.)

That's right...a new month is upon us. Let's start it off on the right foot together!

    We love sharing financial advice from Dawn Fotopulos, CEO of DF Consulting, Inc. and author of Accounting for the Numberphobic: A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners. With more than 20 years of experience helping people who work for themselves not just succeed but thrive, Dawn loves educating entrepreneurs about all money matters. In this post, we turn to Dawn to find out how to boost your cash flow in three simple steps.   Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Dawn Fotopulos earns her living advising small business owners how to achieve financial success, but she sees her work as less of a job and more as a crusade. “I’m on a mission,” admits Dawn. “Over 50% of small businesses fail in their first four years of operation. That’s outrageous!” The best way to change that dreadful statistic? Show entrepreneurs exactly how to manage their money.   Step one: Invoice, invoice, invoice   Dawn can’t say enough about the power of an invoice. If you need to

  Name: Nick Leffler Business: Exprance Founded: 2014 Nick Leffler is no stranger to the side-gig. Whether he was in school studying web design or employed full-time at companies offering Internet communications and digital marketing services, for years Nick dug deeper into those fields by working for himself, too. In 2014, Nick decided he was ready to focus on helping small businesses reach new customers in the digital age. Today, Nick is dedicated to building his own dream, not someone else’s. Here, the self-declared “online presence coordinator” and founder of Exprance explains why he recommends giving away priceless information for free and why, when it comes to some clients, sometimes it pays to just say no. Nick, tell us about your business and how it came to be. I’ve always worked in the field of Internet technology in some way, whether it was web design, online marketing or digital communications. There are plenty of companies offering websites and other marketing tools,

  Welcome to Tune-In Tuesday, our musical tribute to some aspect of your busy entrepreneurial life! This week, we’re sharing songs in the key of relationships. Specifically, we’re talking (well, singing) about your myriad and important relationships at work. We hope you’ll groove to some of our favorite tunes capturing the spirit of keeping relationships -- with customers, suppliers, employees and more -- on a high note. “Respect” — Aretha Franklin “Making Our Dreams Come True” — Cyndi Grecco (Laverne and Shirley Theme Song) “9 to 5” — Dolly Parton "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" — Gary Portnoy (Cheers Theme Song) "Everywhere You Look" — Jesse Frederick (Full House Theme Song) “Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)" — Kelly Clarkson “Here for You” — Kygo, Ella Henderson “Team” — Lorde “Whistle While You Work” — Louis Armstrong "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “You’ve Got What It Takes” — Marvin Gaye & Tammi Te

What’s on your mind right now? We know folks who work for themselves have plenty to say about the business of doing business. That’s why we want to share your insights, ideas and best practices (confession: we might just ask you about your biggest “uh-oh” moments, too!). Today, we’re spending a few minutes with Steve Chase, a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and founder of Sequentia Solutions. Steve is an active and supportive member in our QuickBooks Community. His super power? Getting -- and keeping -- clients. Steve tells us how he approaches customer acquisition and retention -- a topic we can’t get enough of here in our QB Community. Steve, what’s you favorite way to turn a one-time customer into a repeat client? A magic lasso? A sticky web? Or something else? Something else! Your first sale is always the hardest. I recommend offering a low-priced product that gives customers tremendous value and helps solve an immediate problem or address a pain-point. Once a client makes the first

Leadership matters. But being a good leader has its challenges, and being good at doing business isn't the same as doing well with leading.   According to Steve Chase, a QB Community member and QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor:   “The key to the success of any organization is the leadership and the people. If you get the leadership part right (you) then good people will be naturally attracted to you.”   Leadership is also about building a legacy so that our businesses outlast us, and can move forward without us.    Tell us about how leadership influences your work environment? How are you working to become a better leader? Who are the business leaders that inspire you?

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Name: Keith Engelhardt Business: NeuroYoga Zone Founded: December 2016 For much of his career in Dayton, OH, Keith Engelhardt worked for various corporations exploring cutting-edge technology related to robotics, lasers and more. He honed his skills as an innovative web developer and designer, too. But Keith, a self-professed introvert who admits he’s highly sensitive and unusually intuitive, was miserable. He felt stressed, unhealthy and fundamentally out of whack. Weighing his career options, Keith decided to commit full-time to a decades-long side passion: teaching yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Keith decided his best bet for making NeuroYoga Zone successful – and scalable – was to combine his beloved ancient practices with the technology of today. What was the tipping point that inspired you to turn your “side passion” into a full-time business? For years, I’ve helped people overcome the “tyranny of stress” and live happier, more healthful lives through yoga, meditation and mi

Less traffic on their way to work!   -- Adam Fenner, QBC member   What's *your* favorite accounting joke?

Share your experiences in the comments below! :smileyhappy:

Or does your Accounting Professional balance your books? :)

Do you agree? Disagree? Share *your* thoughts in the comments below!