Business Discussions

Hello QuickBooks Community Members! I hope all is well. Today, I want to share the gem with you from our Firms of the Future with tips to generate referrals with minimal time required. Here is what they had to say:   Be worth of referrals.Quality and professionalism can go a long way when it comes to clients. Once customers are happy with your services, in most cases, they will refer you to others. Most importantly, if there is a problem, be quick to address those to deliver awesomeness in the end.   Clarify ideal referralsDo you know which types of clients and services will make an ideal referral for you? Learn to identify those clients and work the room as they say.   Ask for referralsHave you asked your existing clients to refer you? Many people fail to do so. Well, the writer here listed a variety of ways. Verbally when you provide them with their tax return (or other services). Request testimonials for your website or reviews elsewhere. Statement in your email sign

Hello, friends! For today's Business Discussion topic I'd like to share an article I recently read on entrepreneur.com that guides you through building a successful business. Let's dive in...   Getting Started Research your industry. Create a strong branding strategy. Get organized and plan for success. Hire the right people and give them the support they need to succeed.   Market Your Business Create a logo. Develop an effective marketing plan. Build relationships with key players. Promote your business online. Make use of print advertising.   Manage Your Finances and Budgets Review your expenses regularly. Create a budget and stick to it as closely as possible. Get creative with how you save money. Understand your credit score and use it wisely. Make use of insurance policies and other financial protections available to businesses.   Develop a Quality Team of Employees Consider personality fit. Consider skills and experience. Consider cultural fit

Hello, Community fam! How are you guys doing today? Quick question, do you gather feedback from your employees? Studies have shown that getting input from your employees can aid in being a better leader and so forth. But the question you may ask is, how do I ask these questions? Here are five ways to ask your employees:   How could I help you be more productive with work? When managing the team, do you see any areas I can improve? How do you prefer to receive feedback about your job? With working on this current project, do you have any feedback thus far? Do you have any feedback that will assist me in being a better manager?   These are just a few ways you can ask your employees. But knowing this will definitely aid you in developing your leadership style. Bill Gates said it best, "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." Until next time my friends, be safe and take care. Au revoir!

Happy Friday, Everyone! I hope you guys are doing great! Can you ever have too many tips and tricks? I think not. Well, ReadWrite shared seven tips for small business marketing! Here are my top 3 favorite ones:   Email MarketingThis is very cheap and easy to set up a newsletter or email campaign. You can even use this opportunity to highlight products or services to bring awareness to customers. Email Marketing can even assist with targeting certain groups to increase your ROI.   Develop a Detailed Marketing PlanThe author highlights some good marketing strategies to help you achieve your goals, such as: Identifying your target audience. Creating a persona for each persona in your target audience. Determining what types of content will resonate with your audience. Creating an online presence on social media platforms and other websites. Creating a marketing calendar to keep track of when you will post content   Focus on Content MarketingThe more content you create, t

    Hello Community! Are you struggling to find inspiration or simply just looking for more? I know I am and that’s why I wanted to start a conversation about this. I came across an article from freedom.to that goes over some tips on how to go about  reigniting our inspiration.    Here are just a few!   1. Do Something Different 2. Make sure to keep some things consistent 3. Read 4. Write, draw, doodle… 5. Collaborate 6. Listen to music 7. Spend time in nature   All of these tips along with many more mentioned in this article will help you get back on track, so make sure to check it out. The main message here is to always be open to inspiration. I would love to hear from you so please let us know in the comments below how you get inspired in your daily life!

Good afternoon, Community! You've reached the Business Discussion topic board. Today I want to share an article I found on the QuickBooks Firm of the Future site that gives some great pointers on the importance of accurate financial reporting. This is a topic that many can benefit so let's take a more in depth look...First and foremost, accurate reporting allows business owners to make the best operating decisions. To get the best reporting, you can use this 4-step process outlined in the article:    Start by asking your client (or yourself, as the business owner) some questions. What kind of reports are you looking for? What data is most important to view in said reports? Garbage in, garbage out. Take note of your current accounting processes. Is the information therein being entered in timely and accurate matter? If the answer is no, your reports will not be where they should be. Review your software. We like to recommend QuickBooks around here, but you'll want t

Good afternoon, Community friends! I hope this day is treating you well. I know many of you here are small business owners. Business owners wear many hats and the title owner can be exchanged with "CEO", "boss", and even "leader." Today I want to talk about a few qualities that make a good leader.   HonestYour business and your employees are a reflection of you. Making honest and ethical decisions will overflow to your team.   Good CommunicatorGood communication is key to any and all relationships in life. A good leader will communicate with their team, keeping them in the loop, so nothing's missed.   ConfidentSimilar to intuition, having the right amount of confidence in yourself is also an important trait. Your employees will see how much you believe in the work you're all doing.   CreativeNot all of your decisions or tasks will be strictly black and white. Times will arise when you need to be creative to ultimately reach your end goal.   CommittedA good lead

      Hello QuickBooks Community! I have a question for you. What does personal branding mean to you? Well, according to this article in Firm of the Future, personal branding is described as the “intentional efforts to define and promote what you stand for as a person”. When you view it this way, personal branding becomes an exploration and expression of how you view yourself, your work, and your profession. I’m here to share a roadmap that can show accountants and tax professionals how to focus on personal branding to help scale their firm quickly.These are the steps:   Step 1: Identify your audienceStep 2: Articulate your unique perspectiveStep 3: Pick a theme to championStep 4: Spread your ideas, one channel at a time   The key takeaway is to start small and grow later. The important focus here, according to this article, is working towards building a brand that reflects your personality and beliefs. Make sure to check out the full article wi

Im planning to make a software that helps learning any language from movies. Fairly simple to make. It will allow to watch a movie and enable/disable/change either subtitles and language and re-watch specific trunks easily. Design and creation is not a problem at all, what im not sure about is how to monetize the the whole thing. I already thought about Freemium, subscription plan, software fee, ADS, but none of those i think will work i suppose.Any idea how i can monetize my idea?

It's Friday!! Welcome everyone to the Talk About Your Business page. Are you excited about the weekend? I know I am.  I can't wait to catch up on some shows I missed and be lazy for a few hours. Anyway, before you get ready to sign off for the day, I wanted to share this gem from Entrepreneur about maximizing team results by managing the whole employee. This was undoubtedly an interesting read. Here are some points they shared:   Individualized managementPersonality-wise for someone who is an introvert when potentially getting a management position, they would have to come out of their shell more to lead the team. In another sense, if you are an extrovert, they may be moments where you have to tone it down a bit when communicating with others. Each person is unique. It is essential as leaders to take note of these things to understand your employees more. That way, you are better able to cater to their needs. The writer mentioned she video calls her staff individually to che

  Welcome to Connect with QuickBooks! This thread is your opportunity to ask your questions about features, updates, and bug fixes to the QuickBooks Tier 3 Support Team.    This team includes senior support specialists and engineers with an advanced level of QuickBooks knowledge and insight into the product roadmap. They are the perfect team to answer your questions about if a certain feature is in the works, if a bug is on track to be fixed, or if there is a workaround for something you’re struggling to accomplish.   The team will be available on 9/22 from 11am - 2pm PT. Simply post your question as a response to this post and you'll receive an answer as soon as possible. If you're new to the community, here's how 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. Press Post to submit. Keep an eye on your notifications for a response from one of our QuickB

Hello Community! Today I wanted to chat about a topic that has come up at a Content Symposium that I’ve been attending all week. The Content Design leader for the Mailchimp team went over how they go about finding the right tone when it comes to creating content for their brand, so I thought I’d share! Here are the 3 broad questions they ask themselves when creating their brand’s tone:   1. Who are you talking to? 2. What state of mind are they in? 3. What does this writing do?   I found these to be simple, yet useful when thinking about voice and tone! What are your tips and techniques when it comes to this? I’d love to hear what you have to say so please feel free to let us know in the comments below.  

Hello, friends! Thanks for joining us here on the Business Discussion board. We know loyal customers are vital to small business, but I believe it's safe to say employees are a close second. The QuickBooks Resource Center recently featured an article that details what employees are looking for from their employers. Let's take a look... Flexible work hoursA healthy work/life balance can be hard to come by. Flexible hours are a huge help in that aspect. As an employer you may also consider the opportunity for your employees to work remotely. Personalized recognitionPeople enjoy hearing they're doing a good job. Personalized recognition for a job well done can come in many forms, and can differ depending on the work being done. A couple of ideas may include a small gift card and a thank you note showing your appreciation, or maybe an extra 30 minutes added to their lunch break. A focus on diversity, equity, and inclusionAlso referred to as DEI in the business world, di

Good afternoon ladies and gents! I hope you all have had a fabulous week so far. I'm stopping by to share an article with you that I found on legalzoom.com. It offers a complete guide to creating a secure website for your business. Let's take a look...   Vet Your Web Developer and IT SupportYour site will become the face of your brand, where you interact with customers, and where they will often make purchases. With that being said. hiring a good web developer should be a top priority. Here are a few ways to check them out before giving them the job:   Check their portfolio Review references Ask them about their implementation of legal must-haves Request a quote Determine if they can meet deadlines   Install an SSL CertificateSSL stands for secure sockets layer, which is a minuscule data file stored on a web server to protect your company website. Without an SSL, your website can be more vulnerable to hackers. The more protection the better!   Select a Secure

      Do you ever wake up and automatically start spiraling over all the things you must accomplish for the day? If so, then you're not alone! As I was feeling overwhelmed the other day with my never-ending to-do list, I came across another post from Headspace on LinkedIn on the topic of gratitude. This post focused on the ways you can make gratitude a part of your daily routine. I love what they shared, so I wanted to share it with the QuickBooks Community as well! These are the tips:   ✍️  Start your day by spending five or more minutes journaling about what you're grateful for.   ✍️  Have gratitude check-ins during the more challenging parts of your day.   ✍️  Reflect on the positives at the end of the day.I found these tips to be simple, yet effective, and I have started implementing them into my morning routine. How do you implement gratitude into your daily life? We want to hear from you so please let us know in the comments belo

Welcome to the Quickbooks Community! Today, I want to share this exciting piece about e-commerce trends small businesses should know from our Resource Center. Let's go ahead and dive in: Increase use of voice assistantsThis includes assistance such as Alexa, Ok Google, and Siri. Voice assistance has now become a part of the online shopping experiences, especially for users that may be visually impaired. This structure can help you keep ahead of competitors and set you apart for you as business owners!   Strengthened consumer privacy preferenceAdd zero-party data so customers can customize what information they would like to share with you. This way, you provide a personalized experience based on their permission and feedback.   ChatBotsAccording to researchers, in 2022, 85% of businesses used chatbox to interact with customers, and 53% of users prefer this method to call a customer service representative. Famous companies such as Amazon, Sephora, and Loreal participate in th

Good afternoon, thanks for tuning in for another topic on the Business Discussion board! Today I want to talk about emails. Emails are an important part of business life and sometimes they can be a little tricky. Here are a few pointers on wording your emails...like a boss.     Taking a while to respond: Instead of, "Sorry for the delay." maybe try, "Thanks for your patience."Your schedule matters: Instead of saying, "What works best for you?" you could say, "Can you do 4:00?"You're welcome: "No worries" may sound better as "Always happy to help!"Help with understanding: "Hopefully that makes sense." doesn't sound very confident, but "Let me know if you have any questions!" does.Build even more confidence: Instead of "I think we should..." you could say "It's best if we..."You made an error: "Ahh my bad!" could be better said "Nice catch! Thank you for letting me know. I've attached the updated file."Lastly, if you just can't find the words: *tries to re-word

Are you a small business owner that has struggled to hire skilled workers this past year? According to 2022 QuickBooks Data, 50% of these business owners are having more difficulty with this! Today I want to touch on an article in the QuickBooks Blog, that talks about the steps small businesses can take to leverage low-cost employee benefits and hire/retain top candidates. Here are the top things that employees are looking for in a job:   1. Flexible work hours 2. Personalized recognition 3. A focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) 4. A sense of purpose 5. Community support 6. Career growth opportunities  It may seem difficult to compete with larger companies, but small businesses do have what it takes to be successful if they really focus on offering what employees really want. I found this article to be super insightful in seeing the data behind these findings and I hope you do too. Make sure to check out the full article here. See you next time!

Happy Friday, and I hope you guys are having a fantastic day! Today, I want to take a step back from our "business-focused" Friday posts. I found this gem from Travel Awaits, about five things this 97-year-old does daily to maintain his health. And I believe we can take a page from his chapter and apply it in our life. Just a little back story Wilbur Hudson grew up on a little farm and served in WW2, Vietnam, and the Korean wars. He became an engineer later on in life and retired with many patents to his name.   Firstly, he keeps a schedule. The saying goes, "the early bird gets the early worm," and this is what he lives by. He gets up early to get a head start for the day's activities. He explained that it puts you in control. And even by the end of the day, he has a schedule of when it is time to wind down and go to sleep.   Secondly, he shares physical courage! As we get older,  our knees and so forth may not be at 100% despite staying active and exercising. What

Hello QuickBooks Community! I hope you’re doing well! Today I want to start a conversation on the topic of setting boundaries in the workplace. I came across this topic on my LinkedIn feed the other day from Headspace, and I wanted to expand more on it. Some of the main points that were discussed in the thread were how implementing boundaries for yourself at work can benefit you in the following ways:   Work-life balance Collaboration Confidence Ability to receive feedback   I found this to be a good reminder for myself to be intentional with my own boundaries and aware of the role they play in my success and well-being while working. Having boundaries of respect, for example, enables people to be confident and share their ideas, speak up, and make creative suggestions without the fear of being judged.   Now that I’ve rambled on for a bit, I want to hear from you! How do you set boundaries within the workplace? Let us know in the comments below!

E-commerce businesses, aka online shopping, are more popular than ever these days. Even if you have a brick and mortar store-front, chances are you have a website as well to make purchasing even easier for your customers. If that's true for you, I found an article posted on the QuickBooks Resource Center page that I believe you'll find interesting. Here are a few e-commerce trends for 2022...     Increased use of voice assistantsSiri and Alexa have become helpful friends in our homes, but they can also help out in the business realm. One big pro to using voice assistants is the ability to reach visually impaired customers. "Integrating voice search strategies, like voice-assisted bots, into your business structure can help you modernize your efforts and stay ahead of your competitors."   Added personalization to products and marketingMost consumers want to feel seen, heard, and understood. As a business, your way to do that is to personalize your customer's ex

Good afternoon! Thanks for joining us here in the Business Discussion area of the Community. As a business owner often times you may also find yourself in a mentorship role as well. If this is new to you and maybe you're not sure where to even start, I've got the article for you. This post was shared on Harvard Business Review (hbr.org) and offers five questions every mentor should be asking. Let's take a closer look...     What is it that you really want to be and do?Defining aspiration and purpose. This is where you'll learn the reason why someone is doing what they're doing. This question is also used to learn the business goals and broader aspirations of the individual.   What are you doing really well that is helping you get there?Asking this question will allow the person you're mentoring to recognize skills that they excel at. What ability do they have that they are doing better than the average person that is helping them reach their goals and dreams?   Wha

Could you use a quick pep talk? I got you! I know being an entrepreneur can be challenging and sometimes very intimidating. Well, here are some thoughts to boost your spirits a little. Every once in a while, bad days will come. This is not something to fret over, but having those days are okay. We are not perfect in any way, and at times, we need to take it easy on ourselves. In moments like this, take the time to step back and smell the coffee, listen to your favorite songs, or call your family members. You can be confident that tomorrow is a new day and a chance to change things.     Have you ever heard the phrase "Put your blinders on"? This phrase is usually associated with horses as they have blinders to keep them focused during a race. How does this translate to us, though? Well, don't look at who is next to you but focus on yourself and try not to compare yourself to others. I know this is very hard because I find myself doing that, but once I snap out of it, I have t

Are you looking for another sale channel to sell your products? Well, you are in luck! Hi, there, and welcome back to our Discussion page! Today, I will be sharing this article from our QuickBooks Blog about popular indirect sales channels. Let's see what they had to say:   Online MarketplacesAmazon, eBay, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, and similar platforms are examples of online marketplaces. Two benefits of this are that you have a bigger pool of customers to reach, and this can assist with reducing marketing costs.   DistributorsAlthough they are mainly a wholesale business, distributors can save you money on hiring and training costs. Also, you could have the ability to reinvest in your business because there is no need to maintain a retail location.   Foreign DistributorsThis gives your company the ability to access a new customer base. Also, foreign distributors focus more on custom formalities and paperwork, which allows you to focus on other operations.   Outs

Hello again, friends! Thanks for joining us here in the Community for business discussion. Hiring new employees is exciting because it means your business is growing and you need some help! Today I want to share an article from entrepreneur.com that cover how to efficiently onboard and train your new hires. "Great onboarding starts with excellent planning. You really can't wing it when it comes to training your new hires. Having planned training and processes for dealing with new employees is important. Before hiring any new employees, plan out what they need to know and how you deliver it."   Once you have your onboarding period prepared, here are a few ways to communicate it and make sure everything gets done:   Set up a dedicated onboarding calendarCalendar apps come in really handy here. You have the ability to create multiple calendars, for all sorts of purposes, and one of those can be specifically designated for onboarding. This will allow your new team memb