Business Discussions

“Running your own business is a lifestyle choice, and it’s easy to feel as though you’re on your own.”    -- Karla McNeil-Rueda, owner Cru Chocolate   If you’re like Karla McNeil-Rueda, the QuickBooks Community is a place for you to connect, share, learn, grow and support one another with the lifestyle choice we’ve all made.   Making Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Connects Karla McNeil-Rueda to Home

A good way to figure out if you’re ready to bring on an employee is to answer some probing questions. Rhonda suggests you sit down and have a heart-to-heart chat with yourself to find answers to the following:   1. Identify the professional skills you don't have.   2. What would my business look like if I had those skills?   3. How much faster would those skills helps me grow my business?   4. What am I willing to spend to do the things I can’t do alone?   Hungry for more information on the subject of hiring and employee relationships? We’ve got you covered! Check out the following article:   Relationships 101: Employees on Your Mind? Some Hints Before You Hire

There are so many factors that go into owning your own business, and your fellow members are here to help! *Stronger together*  

"Trust your instinct. You should always listen to what other people have to say, but at the end of the day, you have to trust your gut."   -- Travis Toyer, Basik Candle Co.   Check out Travis's profile here!   Travis Toyer Ditched his 9-5 for an Entirely Different Ball of Wax: Hand-Crafted Luxury Candles

  While providing the catering for local classrooms and her husband’s yoga students, Gina D’Orazio was bombarded by people encouraging her to take her products to market. After a whirlwind experience at her first farmer’s market, she could tell that her local, organic and completely vegetarian soups were going to be a total hit. With help from her family and friends, she decided to take the leap and start building a soup empire.   We caught up with Gina to hear more about what her day-to-day is like in the kitchen and what she's hoping to learn next from *you* as she tackles the task of growing her business in 2017.                       Name: Gina D’Orazio Business: Gina Cucina Started: January 2014   What inspired you to create your business?    In 2005 I started cooking for my husband’s yoga retreats. We had just moved to Colorado and we couldn’t find a caterer who could provide completel

      When it comes to making smart decisions about money, Dawn Fotopulos is one of our all-time favorite folks to turn to for answers. Dawn, the CEO of DF Consulting, Inc. and author of Accounting for the Numberphobic: A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners, is one of the most popular speakers at QuickBooks Connect. Why? Because she’s incredibly smart, supportive, funny and direct. Most of all, she’s deeply passionate about helping small businesses succeed.   No surprise, then, that we turn to Dawn for the straight skinny on money matters (because we all know money really, really matters). Today's topic? How to track your cash -- and keep it flowing.    Count every dollar (or pound, euro, dinero, yen, renminbi, rupee … )   Here’s a startling statistic: Dawn says that 75% of small businesses in the United States only have enough cash on hand to operate for 30 days, max. According to JP Morgan Foundation, one-quarter are just two weeks (or one pay

-- Richard Branson   What have *you* learned by doing, and by falling over?

  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: the power of sharing, five-minute moves and mmmm… muffins. Your mind In the past two months, our country has faced a heart-wrenching series of natural and manmade tragedies. At times like these, it’s okay to let yourself feel vulnerable. In fact, it’s important for your mental, emotional and even physical health to share your feelings, anxieties and fears with trusted friends or family. Even though it might be uncomfortable, it’s also totally okay to ask for, and accept, help from others. On a personal note, I grew up in Napa County and live in Sonoma County, so staying positive during

We love giving our team their birthday's off - it's a little treat that we can do as a small business. What other ways are you giving love to your work family?

Money Matters: Boost Your Cash Flow In Three Simple Steps.   Sounds great, right?   Meet Dawn Fotopulos, one woman on a mission. Dawn earns her living advising small business owners on how they can achieve financial success and admits she views her work as less of a job and more as a crusade.   “Over 50% of small businesses fail in their first four years of operation. That’s outrageous,” Dawn explains. She says there’s a way to change that dreadful statistic: show entrepreneurs exactly how to manage their money.   Want to know how? Click below to read the full story!   Money Matters: Boost Your Cash Flow In Three Simple Steps   Hungry for more?   Here are some more helpful articles about money matters, from Dawn and other QB Community experts:   How to Track Your Cash – and Keep It Flowing Why Your Balance Sheet Is a Truth Serum For How You Run Your Business Find an Extra $500 in Your Business Today Let’s Do the Math: Know Your Target Number &nb

How do you keep your relationship with suppliers humming along? During normal, all-the-time operations? How about during crazy holiday crunch time?   Share your tips and tricks in the reply area below!

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I always do my fun work first, which means the less-interesting tasks can pile up. Like organizing receipts, replacing materials or equipment and the like. I've never figured out a way to keep up on that stuff as I go along.   Wondering if anyone here has tips for me!

Sherlock Holmes or your accountant? Your accountant, she makes more deductions! :smileyvery-happy: Do you have a good accounting joke? Share it!

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