Tag: stay at home business

Software that Will Propel Your Business to New Heights!

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Okay, so I admit it! I am a software junkie! One of my favorite pastimes is looking at the App Store on my computer.

But software can be very expensive, especially professional programs.

What software do you really need to have to propel your business to new heights and how can you obtain it without costing an arm and a leg?

Well, let me tell you a few ideas I’ve gathered through experience as a software junkie!

Here is one you absolutely must have!

Financial software

I know this is obvious, but it may not be as obvious as you think. After all, some people are still operating in the stone age of ledgers done by hand. I know my husband’s boss does this! Every year, we wait while he prepares the W-2s by hand!

When I first worked for The Navigators as a graphic designer, I was amazed that all the records were kept the old fashioned way! It was one of my first big projects–to create a financial system for our internal ad agency!

These days, there are many options available. The industry standard is Quickbooks. Peachtree or Sage is another outstanding product. AccountEdge is an excellent program made for Macs. Excel or Numbers is extremely helpful for business expenses and income. I love how they have templates so it’s easy to create what I need!

If you are a freelance artist or a contractor, you will want software that includes estimates or quotes. A built in database of your customers is very important, too.

There is also software for keeping track of cash flow. This is very important, both in your business and personal life. Many of these software programs help you keep track of cash flow, as well as help you keep and maintain a budget.

You can also get apps for your smart phone or tablet. This is very handy to have, especially if your business is mobile. You just need to make sure you are disciplined enough to use it!

The best software is one that you will use on a consistent basis. You want to set up a system so that keeping up with your books is automatic.

I like to keep it simple, and for that reason I use iBank. It directly correlates my business expenses with the tax code. It also has an app for my iPhone so I can make entries on the fly and then sync it with my desktop. I try to download entries from my online banking service at least once a week.

This is tedious work, so often I will watch Netflix while I catch up with my banking!

Robust reporting is extremely important. I have mine set up where every quarter I can press a few buttons and presto–I am ready to create my sales tax returns!

Plus, I love that I can attach receipts to each transaction. My goal is to be completely paperless so I don’t have to worry about stacks of paper being buried on my desk!

But where do you get this software? It can be as simple as going to OfficeDepot. The Internet is full of accounting software that you can directly download. Or if you want to get an older version to save money, you can always find something on eBay or Craigslist. But be careful! You don’t want to end up with a pirated copy!

If you use a bookkeeper or tax accountant, these programs make it very easy to share your numbers so returns can be produced.

Every year, I print out a summary of our income and expenses and we give it to our CPA. I put the receipts and statements and pertinent tax information in an expandable, portable file, labeled by category. That way, if he has any questions, I can just pull a receipt out.

If you have employees, you may want to consider hiring a staffing administrative services company. I can’t imagine the complications of having to keep the books in that scenario!

The Bible says to “know well the conditions of your herd.” I think in today’s terms, that means we need to know what we’re spending and where our income is coming from. It means we need to keep accurate records of our inventory.

After all, we as business owners are stewards. Be faithful in a little, and you will be given responsibility for more! If you are not faithful in this area, could it be that is why you are experiencing roadblocks to your success?

Financial accounting is not something I am naturally good at. Learning how to use financial software has helped me grow in this area tremendously. It’s something I strive to get better at every day!

Because I want my brand to sizzle and my future to dazzle! How about you?

For more information on how to create a wildly successful business, take my free mini course!

© Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos

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Why You Should Never Quit and the Secret to Being Wildly Successful Instead!

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It seems like in today’s world, we are all looking for that magic pill.

That one program that will make us automatically rich at the touch of a button. Or that diet that will easily make us super-model thin. Or the exercise video that will give us rock-hard abs in only minutes a day. Or that curriculum that will easily make our children advance two grade levels.

The problem is, these are delusions.

I know, we all want to avoid the pain. We all want it to be effortless.

But anything worth having is worth fighting for. It’s worth the pain. In fact, without going through the pain, we will not truly come to appreciate our successes!

Believe me, I’ve wanted to quit time after time. Perceived failures led me to want to throw in the towel sometimes and just walk away.

Some days I have cried in agony and could only sit before my Heavenly Father, soaking up His presence.

But then, a little sunshine breaks through and I get a fresh perspective. God keeps encouraging me onward and upward!

I heard it said once that, “It took me 10 years to be an overnight success.”

Everyday my job is to plant seeds and trust that God is going to bring the harvest in His time. It really is as simple as living out what He has called me to do on a daily basis.

It’s a journey of faith. You see, even last fall I was not confident enough to call myself an entrepreneur. I didn’t think that I was worthy of the title. How could God use me? After all, I’m just a homeschooling mother!

But something changed inside me. I began to cast aside the lies that were holding me back. I began to step out in faith like never before. I embraced God’s calling on my life, to be an entrepreneur. I have something of value to share with the world and what I do can make a real difference in the lives of thousands of families. I am invigorated by that vision!

And I discovered that what God’s really after is a change of my heart before He will change my pocketbook!

But how did I keep this mindset amidst what seemed like fruitless effort at the time?

I always keep my “why” before me. This is the secret to great success as an entrepreneur!

And it’s not just to make money. Yes, that certainly is a goal, but there’s a reason WHY I want to make the money!

To have economic freedom! To be completely independent. Able to do what we need to do for our family.

Especially when it comes to our Asperger son. He is my “why.” I can’t just “go out and get a job.” I am my son’s teacher and primary caregiver! He is counting on me to be at home teaching him. Besides, there’s very few jobs to find anyway!

Failure is not an option! I realized a few years ago it’s either be wildly successful or file for bankruptcy and give up our house and send our son to school. That is how serious things had gotten for us. I will not go there!

Because so often it is the fear of loss that motivates us rather than the hope of gain. We want to stay in our comfort zones where it’s safe. We are willing to just survive because it seems far more safe than risking it all in order to thrive.

But anything worth having is worth the risk!

So I keep pushing, I keep praying, I keep learning, and I keep getting my name out there, my brand, over and over again. Maybe people are sick of hearing about me, but I’ve got to get my brand out even more! To do that, I have to make a plan to get it out and I have to build a team!

A few years ago, I made a plan and I set an intention, a desire–to be a wildly successful entrepreneur. God has assured me every step of the way, mostly through a daily reading of the Psalms. It truly is a journey of faith as He reminds me that He is going to do it, not me, and that everything is going to work out. I can be confident in Him and that as my CEO, He is going to prove trustworthy.

He reminded me the other day that I am beautifully, fearfully, and wonderfully made. I need to step into His plan for my life and not look back!

What about you?

Think about Thomas Edison. He failed time and time again to get the light bulb working. But he never quit and think how he changed the world!

As I saw on one of my friend’s Facebook status awhile back, “Failure is simply feedback. Notice, learn and try again.”

It reminds me of my experience last fall. I had tried an online writing program for my son, thinking it would free up some of my time. But it actually took more of my time and my son was so frustrated he couldn’t even get past the first assignment. I told him that he was not a failure, we just needed to try something different. So I stepped up and did what I knew I needed to do all along–create a writing exercise based on visual learning using magnets and my freezer! The lesson went so much better and I can see that this method is going to be successful!

Never quit! Allow these times of frustration to be times where you build perseverance into your soul. Cultivate patience. I think we as the microwave generation could use a whole lot more of it!

If you have this attitude, then your brand will sizzle and your future will dazzle! And you WILL be wildly successful!

Do you want to create a wildly successful business? Sign up for my free 5-day ecourse and discover how you can build a lasting business and be freed from economic hardship.

Photo by Sam Beasley