Business Discussions

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

Hey there! It's great to have you back, and if this is your first visit to the Business Discussion board - I'd like to extend a warm welcome. You may have previously seen that we share different small business articles from the QuickBooks Resource Center here on the Talk About Your Business page. Today I wanted to switch it up a little and take it a step further by sharing some of the actual tools that are available to you in the Resource Center. Let's take a look! There is a(n):     Paycheck Calculator, for determining quick and accurate wages for both hourly and salary paid employees. Sales Tax Calculator, to easily view the sales tax rate in your state. Invoice Generator, which will allow you to create and use an invoice on the go, even if you haven't decided to use QuickBooks yet. Invoice Templates, to download and switch up the look of your current forms. Guide to setup payroll, just in case you need a helping hand. Employee Cost Calculator, to show

Welcome back to the Business Discussion Board! I hope this work week hasn't been too stressful. However, if you have been stressing about building stronger client relationships, I've got just the article for you! I came across this post on forbes.com that covers different strategies for building deeper, more meaningful relationships with your clients. Here are a few that were mentioned...   Listen More Than You TalkMy husband likes to semi-jokingly tell our kids there's a reason why they were given one mouth and two ears. Turns out this can apply to business relationships as well. When client's are given the opportunity to be heard, they speak more freely about the things they need. This in turn makes them feel valued, which is what every business owner wants to do for their customers.   Exchange Life and Business StoriesCommunication is a major building block of trust. When you exchange stories with your client, you're opening a window for them to see the real you

Hello, Community! Are you an entrepreneur just starting out? Have you found yourself wondering what you'll need to do to get ready to file taxes for the first time as a business owner? If so, look no further. Here are few points of tax prep to get your started in the right direction.       BasicsYou'll need to start with the basics. This information includes your business structure; whether it be a sole proprietorship, corporation, single-member LLC, etc. Additionally, you'll need to know your business tax ID number (EIN). It's also not a bad idea to have a list of assets and equipment.   Get OrganizedWhen tax time rolls around you'll want to be sure all of your related documents are in one place, such as any 1099 forms. That way you're not scrambling around looking for this or that. One way to do this is to create a folder specific for taxes, and then a sub-folder for receipts. Another, even more effective option would be to use QuickBooks! Each business expense a

Hey, Community! You know we share all things small business here in this space. I have another article for you today that came from the QuickBooks Blog. It talks about learning financial lessons. That's always a good thing to learn more about so let's take a closer look: Realize how to use debt wisely. It has been drilled in our brains that debt is bad. And that for that most part is true if you're not careful. However, you can also work debt to your advantage. For example, professionals in the real estate investing industry will make a purchase, go into debt, work a few projects to sell the property, and ultimately make their money back and then some. Leverage is key. Resist the temptation to go overboard with spending. This point is pretty straightforward. As mentioned in the article, Will Smith once said, "We spend money that we do not have, on things we do not need, to impress people who do not care.” Make your budget and stick to it like glue. Find (or create) oppor

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you guys are having a great day! Before you leave today, I want to share this gem by Entrepreneur highlighting five things successful people have in common. Here is what they had to say:   Embrace failureOof! This can be a tuff pill to swallow because no one wants to fail. But know that every experience is a learning opportunity to do better and progress more. The author shared something that struck a chord. He said that hearing no shouldn't hold you back because something even better could be waiting around the corner.   Excel at relationship buildingThe writer mentioned that you want to have a genuine and authentic presence when meeting people or calling them. The goal is to communicate with others and leave them feeling good about you and would want to work with you all the time.   Are comfortable being uncomfortableIt is always good to step out of your comfort zone sometimes because you may miss out on good opportunities, or it may enli

Hello Community! Hope your week is going well so far. Many businesses are making the decision to return to the office but after so many months, it’s hard to know what to expect (or what the transition will be like). So, as usual, I’m going to try my best to give you some tips! Let’s get right to it:Create a new routineIt will take time to get back into the groove of getting up, getting dressed and getting out the door. As someone who spent half their day in pajamas before getting dressed around noon, it was hard to have so many things to do right in the morning again. Give yourself some slack and some extra time in the morning to make sure you have everything you need.ReconnectIf you’ve been used to not seeing anyone during your work day, it can be a bit odd to suddenly be around people. Though for some it may be invigorating to be social again, know that it’s ok to be overwhelmed. Everyone has been through a rough time, so there may be a lot of emotions surrounding returning to the of

Hello Community! Here we are, making moves into a new month. Of course you’ve heard about our Resource Center (and if you haven’t check, it out here). It’s filled with helpful information about running your business, QuickBooks, and everything in between. Today I want to talk about invoices and the not-so-great situation where they haven’t been paid by your customer (yet). There are an array of reasons why a customer would let their invoice go unpaid, but as a business owner you want to do everything in your power to limit this occurrence. Let’s start with some basics.     Before you give the invoice, know these two things:   Who should get the invoice? Sometimes it’s the client themselves, sometimes it’s the accounting department, or both. Make sure you know the procedure to expedite smoother, faster payment.   How do they prefer to pay? Offering your customers more payment options, such as credit card, eCheck, or direct ACH bank transfer, ensures

We took a bit of a break, but we are back with our monthly Community Chatter.  Per a recent look at social media useage, as of 2021 there were over 4.48 billion people using some form of social media worldwide.  So, for this month we wanted to take a peek at what the team's favorite social media accounts to follow are.      From Morgan: Hello, friends! I follow a variety of accounts on several different social media platforms. My top fave TikTok account is @nowitsclean. This gal shares every cleaning tip, hack, and tool you could ever want! Her videos are so satisfying to watch and actually motivate me to clean up around the house. My second favorite TikTok account is @calvingrindz. This is purely for entertainment purposes and his prank videos keep me laughing out loud. Instagram is probably my most favorite social media platform. The list is long so I'll just share my newest favorite accounts. First up is @woven__together. She is a polymer clay artist w

Good afternoon, Community friends. It was about 63 degrees in my area yesterday and it just made me even more excited for spring! So while you're checking out the Business Discussion, check out this article I saw on forbes.com that also put me in mind of spring. It covers a few tips for spring cleaning your business to set you up for the best fiscal year yet. Let's take a look...   Test The Efficacy Of Automated ProcessesThe first quarter of the year is the best time to evaluate what has been working and what hasn't. Among things to evaluate are any and all automated processes. This includes marketing automation, sales, operational, and more. Anything that isn't working the most efficiently is ultimately wasting time and resources.   Set Up Your Accounting CategoriesReviewing business accounting categories is a sure way to determine which cost and profict centers coordinate and drive the most margin. Early in the year is a good time to make sure any new service line

Good afternoon, Community! Spring is in the air! This time of year is perfect for revamping certain areas of both life and business. With that being said, do you have a website for your business? If so, what do you include on the site? And if not, here are a few ideas to get you started...   Clear LanguageThere's nothing much more frustrating than finding something you'd like to purchase but no info regarding price, or how to pay and complete the transaction. This is one I've personally experienced, and honestly if I have to dig for this info I start looking for similar products elsewhere. When building your website be sure to use clear, informative language that tells your customers exactly what to do to make a purchase.   PhotosPictures on your business's website are a must. Pictures of you, of your product, of just the product, and of other people wearing or using your product. All of the above. Photos show your audience you, the face behind the name, and the others show h