Business Discussions

  In this Ways to Grow episode, Jim, the owner of Lockjaw Garage, shares the lessons he’s learned about resilience as a small business owner.  His answer to one thing you should know before starting your own business?   “Do it," Jim says. "No matter what.”     What do you think? Just starting out? What questions do you have about how to kick-off your awesome business idea?  Share in the space below :-)  

I'm pretty excited about this - if you've been reading my blog for the past year or if you've read some of my comments and discussions in communities (like QBcommunity), you know that I've been changing the way that I'm doing business. Once you've got your small business off the ground, you want to make it better, more productive, more profitable, more powerful - but often we just keep on doing the same things over and over.   Next Friday (November 17th) I have the opportunity to share what I've learned with entrepreneurs, small business owners and freelancers in Dallas (for more details click on the Link to my Website link in my profile). There are four priorities that an excellent business needs to have -according to Horst Schulze, the former CEO of the Ritz-Carlton:1) Keep your current customers  I'll share how this -the most important priority- is also the easiest to achieve since it's the little things that matter. If you care about you

    You might know Leslie Barber as one of the fearless leaders of our QB Community. But in a previous life, she was the equally fearless leader of NutraBella and Bellybar. When Leslie and her cofounder set out to make a nutritious, delicious snack bar fortified with vitamins and minerals for pregnant women, neither anticipated how challenging it would be to find a food manufacturer who would work with them. Nor did they realize how complex it would be to successfully manage the supplier relationship.   By Leslie’s own admission, figuring out the supplier piece of her entrepreneurial puzzle was perhaps the hardest part of running her own business. Here, Leslie tells us what the experience was like, and what she learned along the way.   You needed to find a supplier. How did you start the process?   I knew it was going to be particularly difficult breaking into the food industry. If you’re not one of the leading bar companies, there aren’t a lot of options for

  If your business model involves selling a product of any kind – from homemade soaps and custom gift boxes to baked goods or an entirely original invention – you know how important it is to have a great working relationship with a reliable supplier.   After all, your dealings with the vendors who keep you stocked with packaging (think clear plastic bottles, black matte wrapping paper and gold-flecked ribbon) and raw materials (fragrance for skin care, keys for security solutions, smoked almonds for your specialty box) are really important.   Sure, you need customers to buy what you’re selling. But in order to have a product they can purchase, first you need the right supplier. (Worth noting: you may need a whole lot more from a vendor than labels and stickers. For example, if you’ve built a prototype for a product, you might be looking for everything from design services and custom tooling to manufacturing and shipping, too.)   Here, we take a look at some of the

I just started my business and it’s a bit overwhelming for me. Do you have a mentor? I know that there are specific places out there where you can get mentors for free but I find that sometimes I have a question that can be answered by a mentor, I end up talking to that mentor once and then never contacting them again.

...It feels like a small way I can give back." -- Travis Troyer, Basik Candle Co.   Read more about Travis Troyer here in this QB Community profile:   Travis Troyer Ditched His 9-5 for an Entirely Different Ball of Wax: Hand-Crafted, Luxury Candles   How do *you* give back? 

More on invoicing and how to speed up the process of getting paid can be found in these great articles:  The Mighty Invoice: How to Put this Powerful Tool to Work Make Every Invoice Work Faster and Better Than Ever Before  

"Do you consult?" the potential client asks me on the phone this morning. Of course, I do, that's part of the service I offer, but I'm thinking about helping a business figure out what kind of photography and videos they need and then working closely together with them to create the visual content. "No - can you teach me how to light my products so I can photograph them myself," says the voice on the phone.  What do you do, if someone asks you to teach them how to do the job that they would typically hire you for. And if you do how much do you charge for that?

    What do kids’ clothing, silver earrings, coconut-oil candles, vintage lamps and high-tech building blocks have in common? Two things. First, these are all products you’ll find for sale at the QuickBooks Connect Bazaar (November 15-17). Happy shopping, everyone! Second, all these products exist thanks to some highly creative and very determined entrepreneurs. Like so many of you in our QB Community, these folks figured out how to turn a simple idea into a bona fide business. Want to learn more about what it takes to turn your inspiration into a product? Read on! Carly Patterson Built an Eco-Conscious Clothing Line for Kids, One Stitch at a Time April Hall’s Handcrafted Jewelry Is Gorgeous, and Generous, By Design Travis Troyer Ditched His 9-5 for an Entirely Different Ball of Wax: Hand-Crafted, Luxury Candles Luke Hobbs Lights Up the World with His Handcrafted, Industrial-Style Vintage Lamps Joe Seymour’s Light Bulb Moment? Building Blocks That Teach Kids About Electroni

Just in case people still needed a gift idea and wanted to help our recovering economy - December is upon us!   A friend of mine (Mirit Cohen) is an awesome chef based in the Bay Area who put together this guide "How to Buy Wine From Fire-Impacted Wineries : F&B Businesses" (attached to post). It provides a plethora of information including names of affected businesses, the extent their businesses were affected by the fire, statements about the disaster, and their plans for rebuilding.    @BillJohnston asked about recovery efforts a few weeks ago (Recovering From a Disaster). Hoping this can in some small way start connecting folks directly.    As a native from the area, I'm really thankful Mirit put so much effort into this. I've been trying to buy products from the region as much as possible to help the local economy as it begins to rebuild. Now I can contribute and have something to bring my family for Thanksgiving.   Hope the best for any and

Hi my name is Steve Chase and I am just starting my bookkeeping practice. I'd like to hear from other bookkeepers on how you plan on billing your next client. Forget about the past, if I came to you today and was needing you to do my QBO bank reconciliations and show me my P&L each month how would propose your fees to me? "Growing Your Business"... is the purpose of this discussion. Lets create a healthy debate on the merits of hourly billing vs value based billing.

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    We’ve already shared some tips and strategies for super-charging your invoices to help you get paid faster, strengthen your brand presence and keep you top of mind when clients need to get a job done. Today we’re taking an even closer look at how you create, send and follow-up on every invoice. Do it right, and you’ll realize your humble invoice is, in fact, one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.   Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)   Clean, clear and consistent. Your invoices should be clearly organized and thoughtfully designed with easy-to-read fonts and colors. Your contact information and payment terms (more on this below), as well as your logo or business name should be obvious, even at a glance.   If you’re not already creating invoices using an automated template, consider switching to one, pronto. (Good news is almost every financial management platform offers a variety of templates to choose from.) The more p

Mentor? Spouse? Friend? Accountant? Yourself? 

Mia Kaplan is a painter and sculptor working near New Orleans, LA. In this “OWN IT. Every day.” series from QuickBooks, she opens up about her inspiring small business and self-employed story. Watch all five episodes to learn how Mia got her start as a teenager, how she’s made it through tough times, how she gives back to her community and more. Mia started painting because it was her passion. But after selling her first painting at 14, it became clear she could turn it into a career. At times, Mia’s had to get a little scrappy to keep a steady income. But diligent organization can help her predict how sales might ebb and flow. Rather than cut into precious family time, Mia wakes up early to start work and works late into the night if she has to. Mia gives back to her community by offering free art classes to local kids. Getting started as a freelancer was hard for Mia. But looking at patterns and tactics that had worked before made it a whole lot easier. You can learn more about M

  Being a business consultant, requires a lot of patience which at times can be somewhat difficult. We all have different “ah-ha” moments along our journey and I wanted to share one of mine that still helps me find that extra bit of patience when I need it most.   A couple years back, I found myself working in the staffing industry, helping to place accounting professionals with local companies. Not only did the experience introduce me to my business partner Mike Snelson, it also introduced me to many of the local bookkeepers who were still deciding if the freelance life was really what they wanted or not. Each week I met with 8-12 accounting professionals (even more unprofessional ones) and listened as they shared their success and failures and then proceeded to question them about their abilities with different accounting platforms, and most importantly with excel.  I will never forget asking the 'candidates" if they were familiar with Pivot Tables, VLO

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! Your mind Whether you work from your kitchen, a nearby cafe or in an actual office, staying focused on the project at hand can be challenging. Something more interesting than, say, invoicing, is always just a click, tap or swipe away. Then there’s your friendly neighbor who loves to chat, the quick errand you need to run or the dog who would love a walk … Here are a few books designed to help build your focus -- both in your professional life and your personal life. 100% Focused: 25 Great Ways To Improve Your Focus And Concentration (How To Be 100%) Staying Focused In A Hyper World: Book 1; Natural Solutions For ADH

Hello, I am a creative and founded a kids socks company and I really would love to find a partner to handle the “business and operations” side of things. So far my network has failed me, and no one wants to be a partner only a paid employee position. Any advice on how to network better? Thanks!!!

"Success is not a linear trajectory, and it’s important to remember that.”  -- Dan Schmitt, ceramicist  Read more from Dan here in this great QB Community profile: How Ceramicist Dan Schmitt Finds the Balance between Fine Art and Wholesale Success Will you tell us about your trajectory? What's gone well? Where have you hit snags? What would help you right now?  That's what the disucssion space is all about. Leave your comments below!

      Having never touched clay before he took an introductory class in college, Dan Schmitt soon found that he had a natural talent for creating beautiful pieces of tableware and functional pottery. From then on, he knew he wanted to start his own ceramics company, selling minimalist and Japanese-influenced works.    Almost 20 years later, Dan’s creations have appeared in prestigious galleries across the country and are also featured regularly in wholesale stores and at craft shows.    We spoke to the veteran potter about finding support in a shared community of artists, the encouragement provided by early success and how he's learned to manage his business expectations.    Name: Dan Schmitt  Business: Dan Schmitt Pottery  Started: June 1999    How did you create your awesome job?    I went into college planning to pursue a career in sports medicine, but after my first semester I realized that I wasn’t

Are there any other Home Care or Home Health companies out there?  I have been struggling with finding good quality caregivers who want to work. I'll have people apply and not show up for interviews. I'll hire them they don't show up or they come up with some excuse and quit on me with no 2 weeks notice. I'm just wondering if there other companies having the same issue? I'm also wondering where people have been find quality caregivers? I tried Facebook, KSL, Indeed, Ziprecruiter. 

Name: Celeste Ruberti Business: Mane Island Truth Serum To be revealed … Founded: Ongoing since August 2015 The last time we heard from Celeste Ruberti, our frizz-fighting entrepreneur was up to her elbows in natural ingredients. What was Celeste cooking up? A proprietary formula for all those gals (and guys!) who like their curls and waves air-dried, not blow-dried. When we left off, Celeste was feeling rejuvenated after taking a much-needed break from creating a new hair-care product (don’t forget, she’s a full-time hair stylist, too). She was refreshed, organized and ready to tackle logo design, branding, a new website and marketing – all while refining her secret recipe. So where is Celeste today? Let’s find out! Celeste, since we last spoke in June, you’ve probably spent a lot of time just sitting around and eating bonbons. True? Well … I did just take a day off from the salon to catch up on some product-related business. I’ve been creating a huge new blog post: the definitive gu

Deciding who to hire as your first employee can be a tough decision. Don't go into it without hearing what some other small-business and self-employed folks have to say! Watch and learn from this pair of QuickBooks "Ways to Grow" videos!     Josh, the owner of LA’s The Last Bookstore, tells us how he discovers new employees in this episode of "Ways to Grow." It’s easier to find your first employee if you know where to look, says Josh.      In this "Ways to Grow" episode, NOLA BOARDS owners Mandy and Daren share their insights on what qualities to look for when you’re ready to bring someone on.    What can you share about hiring your first employee? QB Community members want to hear about it! Leave your thoughts in the reply section below.    Before you go... Here's more about employees and first-time hiring:  Employees on Your Mind? Some Hints Before You Hire Advice on Hiring First Employee    

I work a lot of time at the computer, and I have pain in my back. Maybe I need new desk and computer chair?

About 10 years ago I started teaching yoga which grew into a business.  After 8 years I decided to leave my other job to be a full-time business owner.  At the same time, 3 of the instructors teaching at my studio left to open their own spaces.  One of the studios is less than 1 mile from my studio.  They solicited practitioners and continue to do so, sneakily.  They email and offer free classes to the people who practice at my studio.  Our town has only 30,000 residents.  Every consistent practitioner I can get makes a difference.  I need suggestions on how to get and keep people coming in.