Tuesday, August 19, 2014

QuickBooks Intro for Small Businesses



This QuickBooks workshop is designed for basic users and small business owners that operate a for-profit business.  

Friday, August 29, 2014 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Volunteer State Community College, Building 300, Room 104
$45, payable at the workshop (cash or check preferred)
 
SPACE IS LIMITED, SO REGISTER SOON
Course Introduction:
This course is an introduction to QuickBooks. Its main objective is to introduce you to the basic features in QuickBooks and give you an opportunity for hands-on practice. You’ll learn about the types of information you need to track in your business, and you’ll see how to enter that information and track it in QuickBooks. By the time you complete the course, you’ll have a good idea of all that QuickBooks offers, you’ll be familiar with the most common tasks, and you’ll know where to find information about more advanced features.

Course Outline:
• Introducing QuickBooks
• All the accounting you need to know
• Working with lists
• Working with bank accounts
• Tracking credit card transactions
• Using sales forms in QuickBooks
• Receiving payments and making deposits
• Entering and paying bills
• Creating and customizing QuickBooks reports

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Think Inside-the-Box

So, now that Lane is 1.5 years old (you quit doing months when you have three kids) he is big enough to play with his older sisters.  And by playing, I mean they rip his shirt off and stuff him in the toy box.  However, the last time they did this, he seemed to be fine in there.  He wasn’t interested in all of the toys outside of the box.  He had a woobm-woobm (that’s car in Lane speak) and he was quite content.

Sometimes entrepreneurs should consider this type of in-the-box mentality.  Why would anyone ever do that? Everyone else has jumped out-of-the-box.  CEO’s demand out-of-the-box thinking and even non-profits, churches, and schools think out-of-the-box

What usually works well is utilizing a different type of strategy than everyone else. That’s why everyone got out-of-the-box in the first place.  So, it may be the time to jump back in-the-box.

Also, the box has gotten huge!  There are all kinds of cool new toys in here.  So before you employ the next hip tool or technique, consider some of the following in-the-box thinking for your business.
  • Before you go app or open source software crazy, look at Office 365 for $5/month.  It’s the same Microsoft Office you have always used and now it’s all online.  You could also use Google Apps for $5/month.  Now that they have gotten into world domination, they are not as hip as they used to be, so in-the-box they go!
  • Before you implement a high end pay-per-click/super referral network/SEO wizard strategy to increase your sales, schedule at least 2 people each week to meet for coffee or lunch.  Do not go under the guise that you will faux listen to them for 10 minutes and then you get to make a sales pitch.  Simply have a genuine chat and find a way to help that person.  And do it, because you will enjoy doing it and because it matters.  The side effect will usually be more business in your direction.
  • Before you look for crowdfunding, i.e. Indegogo, The Lending Club, or Kickstarter, to fund your next venture, consider visiting your local banker.  Lending has picked up, equity in homes is on the rise, and you won’t have to deal with investors.