Business Discussions

    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. Today, we’re chatting with QB Community member Adam Wegener.   Adam started his company Trash Amps because he wanted to create a DIY kit so makers could build their own affordable, portable music amplifiers from everyday objects like soda cans or Mason jars. But getting this economical product to market came at a high price, which is why he decided to get by with a little help from his friends (and family).   Asking those closest to you for start-up cash can come with a whole set of issues. It’s awkward. Stressful. What if you can’t pay them back? What if the transaction sours your relationship?   Adam, who was a featured vendor at QB Connect 2017, realized these potential pitfalls were actually opportunities in disguise. Not only did he pay his family and friend

     Now almost 30 years into his career as a small business owner running his own design studio in New York City, Scott Santoro has learned a ton about how to find new clients and what it takes to run a business with all the right pieces in place.   We asked Scott to share his top tips for identifying the right people who can help you succeed and why he loves using LinkedIn ProFinder to get new project leads.   Name: Scott Santoro    Business: Worksight Design Studio   Started: October 1988   How did you get started as a graphic designer?   I formally studied graphic design at the Pratt Institute. After school, I worked for about five years and then went back to school to get my graduate degree at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The chair of my department asked what I planned to do after graduation and I said, ”I think I’ll freelance.” Luckily, she suggested that I not use the word freelance, but instead set up my own small c

Once, while on a business trip, I decided to thank my biggest advertiser with a baker’s dozen from my fave San Francisco cookie shop. I had to fly the gift box home with me in my carry-on luggage, which was a big deal – I only had room for ONE box! (Oh, the things we do for love.) So tell us…   How do you show your customers how much you love and appreciate their business? What are some creative ways your customers have returned the favor?

    Name: Jennie Nigrosh QB Community member name: @Jennie Business: The Green Garmento Founded: 2008 When Jennie Nigrosh first conceived of her company, The Green Garmento, she had no idea she’d wind up in the laundry business. Before launching her reusable dry-cleaning bag company in 2008, Jennie worked at a Los Angeles record label. She spent her days meeting famous people, enjoying “two-hour prosecco lunches” and dashing off to the Cannes Film Festival with her husband (and, now, Green Garmento co-founder) Rick. Turns out Jennie was far more passionate about plastic than prosecco. Today, The Green Garmento is used in over 1000 dry-cleaning chains and by hoteliers across 25 countries. Jennie and her products have been featured in the New York Times, The Today Show and on Shark Tank, and have won awards from the hospitality and housewares industries. Most impressively, thanks to her reusable dry-cleaning bag that doubles as a duffle, Jenn

 Name: Lee WeinsteinBusinesses: Intentional Life Planning, LLC  and Weinstein PR Founded: Weinstein PR in 2007 and ILP in November 2017 One morning about ten years ago, Lee Weinstein was standing in front of his bathroom mirror, shaving. He asked his reflection a question: Do you want to keep working for someone else? To his surprise, the man in the mirror answered with a resounding, “Hell no!” Lee listened, and, after 15 years happily working as a public relations executive at Nike, he opened his own PR firm in Portland, OR. In 2017, he wrote a book called  Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook, which details  his goal-setting methods. He and his wife, Melinda, offer companion workshops to help individuals plan out their life’s goals. Since there is no better time than the start of a new year to take stock of life’s goals and to set new intentions, we asked Lee to share his own story, and offer tips for getting what you want out of lif

Hello, first time here. Does anyone have any types for growing a daycare/childcare service?

Here's another fun installment of our QuickBooks Ways to Grow series. Lyon Porter, owner of Brookly's Urban Cowboy B&B, shares his thoughts on why being a small business owner is so rewarding. "Our whole thing is: Arrive as strangers, leave as friends." Do you connect with your customers in a way that lasts beyond the first transaction? How important are customer relationships to your business?

It's a new year, a new you and a new era for *your* business. What's it going to be this go around the sun? Are you looking to expand your market, increase supply, hire your first employee, bring in brand-new clients or take over the world? If the answer to any of the above mentioned possibilites is "YES!", we've got some great reading for you. Check out these recent QB Community articles: Getting Customers: Four Marketing Tactics to Help Your Customer Base Soar Working with Suppliers: We Share Answers to Three Burning Questions Employees on Your Mind? Some Hints Before You Hire Freelance Illustrator Sarah Clement on Tracking Her Time and Learning to say YES!    Do some future tripping with us right here in the QB Community! Tell us what you see for your 2018 in the comments below :-)

  When you own a business, time is money. As such, you're probably willing to do whatever it takes to scale things to the point that they're more efficient for everyone involved – from headquarters to employees and even your customers. In the past, your only help here came from video conferencing, but even it wasn't very helpful. It was actually quite costly because of the special equipment it required. Today, you have another option in the form of web conferencing.With web conferencing you get to host or attend business meetings via your computer and Internet. This is how many companies are conducting their internal business meetings today. Some companies are also using web conferencing to speak with their prospects and clients as well. This is because it doesn't need any special equipment. As long as both parties have a computer with an Internet connection, you can enjoy the many great benefits web conferencing has to offer. These benefits are worthy of a closer look because th

Everyday tasks like doing dishes, school pick-up and never-ending laundry can take a huge chunk out of the working day.   Hiring someone to work in your home (think nanny or house cleaner) definitely frees up some time, but it also means you are now considered a Household Employer by the IRS and will need to comply with certain requirements.   Have you hired a household employee or are you planning to? How do you handle payment and IRS reporting for them?

Hello everyone!   There are only a couple real reasons that an accountant receives a new client: They opened their business and need a bookkeeper They realized the benefit of someone else doing the books Their bookkeeper is retiring soon They do not have any books  They found out they currently have a bad bookkeeper The one I want to focus on is the last one, when they are changing from one company to another. It is bound to happen to us all, I am certain we have not been the best fit for all our clients, but I am interested to know what other accountants do when they are taking over a company file from another local bookkeeper?   As a growing firm in a smaller beach community, we have good relationships with a lot of our fellow accountants and bookkeepers and we want to keep it that way, so what is the best way to request the clients old existing data without offending?   Has anyone created a checklist of information to request such as company file and prior

If someone wants to grab coffee to learn about your business, do you usually take the offer even if you're not interested in the product they're offering? If no, what would be a polite thing to say? A guy I met at the local Chamber told me that he wanted to learn more about my business and see how his "product" can help me. I'm not really interested in his product but I think my services can help him as his website is ancient (I develop and update WordPress websites). Do you think that meeting up with him would be a good idea? If I do meet up with him, what can I expect?

Any one out there have proseries in the cloud?  I have heard some customers have without any problems,  but some have had issues.  My understanding Proseries does not recommend.  Any thoughts out there

Hey All, So yes, a lot of people in here are very much ahead of the times and already all equipped to do all their year end stuff without a shred of paper (ha!) in sight. But some of us don't have that many employees or 1099s to do.  And some of us aren't really into not having paper copies to give out.  And some of us are just old school, picking and choosing what we can cloud as we go. So if you find yourself here, in December, with the January deadlines beginning to grumble in the back of your mind about getting w2 and 1099 forms, and how much they cost, and what a pain it is --- STOP. Do your future self a favor and order some FREE (that's right, FREE) forms direct from the IRS.  No shipping charge.  No paper charge.  And obviously IRS compliant!  Need that crazy 1099 form that deals with forgiven debt?  Check.Need the one for interest paid in almost any amount to any person?  Check.And if you really want to set your

… said no freelancer ever.

A friend of mine has been paying their nanny through her new small business.  She now knows this is not allowed and going forward will not pay her from the business.  But how does she handle this for 2017?  Should she issue the nanny a 1099 from the business? 

Take a quick minute to let us know how the end-of-year went for you and your business.

  Watch this Ways to Grow episode featuring Demo Diva!   Owner Simone Bruni talks about her passion for people and her New Orleans community. Find out why he she believes she's not really in the demoliton business, but rather the business of being trusted. And lots more!     How does trust enter into the equation for your business? Is it an important element of the work you do? 

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. Today we hear from Sherrie Bainer, Head of Sales for GRACEDBYGRIT a multimillion-dollar women’s athletic apparel company with a dedication for giving back to women and the community. Two years ago, Sherrie ditched her well-paying, stable corporate job to join a small, fiesty startup. She tells us how her decision to make this giant leap began with a deep passion for the company’s mission -- and for a rockin’ pair of booty shorts. What first attracted you to GRACEDBYGRIT? I'm huge into CrossFit. I was GRACEDBYGRIT’s very first online customer and at their very first trunk show. I remember I bought a pair of booty shorts. I loved the product so much I came back a few days later and bought them in every single color! And I really loved the mission behind the company. How did that

One of the most important factors to winning over clients is by making a good first impression. First Impression rarely change. A good first impression sometimes lasts a lifetime.This applies to all business ventures. Right from Movie making to Computers etc etc.But many of us make a mistake of thinking that people interact in the same way with other people. The first impression we make on each other can often change when it comes to repeated social interactions.  

If “get organized” is one of your resolutions for 2018, we say, bravo!   What organizational apps do you use to help you stay on track? Tell us – and then click below to find out which apps our members swear by!   Stay Organized: Here are a Few of Your Favorite Apps   How about apps you love for your business? Add your thoughts to this conversation!   What's your favorite app for business?

Hi everyone,   As the New Year begins, some of us will be thinking about back pay owed or awaited. Some of the things to remember on this account are: Back pay is the difference between what has been paid to an Employee against what she or he was owed.   How does this apply to wages? Let's say a shift is for 8 hours a day @$7.25 per hour. This minimum wage will differ from state to state. Extra time is applicable when an employee works for more than 40 hours a week, but exceptions apply.   A shift starts from the time, day and date on which you start your work and has nothing to do with when your shift ends (even if it ends the next day, month or year).   Also please refer to the following - https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/backpay and https://www.dol.gov/whd/

Can anyone tell me if wages earned in 2017 but not paid until 2018 are subject to the 2018 minimum wage increase?  All wages were earned in Florida, if so is there any either State of Federal document that I can use to prove my position?

    One of our favorite things about being part of a community of people who work for themselves is fundamentally, we just kind of get each other. Even though we're at different stages of creating, building and growing a business, it's safe to say we all started out at roughly the same place -- with a great idea and a boatload of passion, determination and perseverance.   Something else we all share? We know (or have come to realize!) the critical importance of having well-defined professional goals. When you have a clear, and clearly articulated, three-year vision of success, we say, congratulations. You've nailed your Main Goal.   Like so many things in business (and in life), the more sharply focused your Main Goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. With this guiding principle in mind, let's dive in to help you create your Main Goal. (After that, we'll share some of the awesome insights we've learned from having

Name: Jessica Bruno Business: Organic Bread of Heaven Founded: July 2014 Jessica Bruno and her extended family know all about running a family business. In fact, the Bruno’s Organic Bread of Heaven bakery, based in Gary, IN, takes the concept of “family business” to a whole new level. In 2014, Jessica’s dad started the organic, vegan, Kosher, nut- and soy-free bakery with one goal in mind. He wanted to build an economically sound business to provide jobs for Jessica and her nine siblings, plus all their spouses and children – and help support their local ministry. Today, Jessica’s dad can put a big check mark next to that goal. Organic Bread of Heaven’s home-baked goods are available in nearly 80 stores in and around Chicago and are even sold on Etsy. Jess and her sisters bring their bread, cookies, pies, muffins, granola and more to multiple weekly farmer’s markets and other events. Jessica, who serves as the family accountant and is an active member of the QB Community, tells us ab