My LLC is Formed!
December 29, 2008
It is with great excitement that I announce I have taken my bookkeeping service to the next level and have formed an LLC. Woo Hoo! This is part of my many plans brewing for 2009 as I welcome 2 more new clients in to the new year. We are poised and ready for what this year may bring. Oh, and not to mention my husband is relieved to have that personal asset protection of the LLC.
The coolest news of all is that I was able to process my LLC at MyCorporation by Intuit. Of course as a bookkeeper, I am a huge QuickBooks fan, so I was thrilled to hear that their maker, Intuit, is currently offering Incorporation and LLC processing free of their $149 fee. I feel relieved to have some help preparing and processing those required documents; and free makes me want to share their promotion with everyone. What plans do YOU have for the new year? If your changing your business structure, checkout MyCorporation before their F*R*E*E promotion ends on December 31!
QuickBooks Like A Garage?
December 20, 2008
I just got such a kick out of reading a post by Kelly Totten of Cracker Jack Coaching entitled “5 Ways QuickBooks Is Like A Garage.” Here’s what she says (and I so agree):
- There are some great tools in there … if you can find them.
- Having the tools in there doesn’t mean you know how to use them.
- Every once in a while, you have to clean it up.
- You don’t want to be embarrassed when someone looks inside.
- Some people shouldn’t be allowed in there.
Seriously, if you feel this relates to you and bookkeeping is a painful albeit necessary evil, you may just need a little help from someone who actually enjoys it!
QuickBooks 2009 Online Banking Update
December 13, 2008
Here is a nice short video of the four features affected by the QuickBooks 2009 update to Online Banking. While I didn’t see much difference in using the 2008 version over 2007, I do plan to upgrade to 2009 with their many useful improvements.
[Video removed]
The New QuickBooks 2009
December 5, 2008
As I’m wrapping up my client books for the year, I am gearing up for my upgrade to the new QuickBooks 2009 Premier version. A colleague and I were recently chatting about the cool improvements to the Bank Reconciliation process and the new data sorting capabilities. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to unmark everything and searching for an odd dollar amount I missed. Who knows what I’m talking about here? Well now with the click of a button, we’ll be able to sort by dollar amount and other column headings . That is worth it’s weight in gold right there! I’ll save myself some frustration not to mention a chunk of my client’s time. Here’s a quick video of some of the improvements Intuit has made.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RRy5npbv3I]
Dual Monitors, Oh Yea!
October 14, 2008
Recently there were discussions on several VA forums about using dual monitors. What a concept! I had never seriously considered this until my fellow VAs were raving about this setup. At one point, someone mentioned to try it “if you happen to have an extra monitor around”. I chuckled and thought, sure, who has a monitor just sitting around and then I saw it! I had an unused monitor at my archaic desktop machine in the playroom corner. I was thrilled, to say the least, and set about hooking it up.
Now as a bookkeeper, having multiple windows open at all times is an absolute must. There are statement pdf files, emails of transactions and instructions, online project collaboration notes, my time keeper, not to mention the QuickBooks software program. Even though I love my widescreen HP laptop, there just isn’t enough screen real estate to work with everything I need. I have spent a lot of effort zooming in and out, going back and forth between the windows. With my fabulous new setup, I am now able to drag the windows back and forth between monitors, keeping things in 100% view. What a boost to my productivity! I challenge you to dust off those ole’ monitors and try it out, then let me know what YOU think.
Developing a Strong Focus
September 24, 2008
It was over 1 1/2 years ago when I began planning for my virtual assistant business. At that time, I wasn’t sure about the technology to make the “virtual” happen or what skills I would be most comfortable marketing; it all seemed overwhelming. Since then, I’ve scoured the internet, learned to network, and have also taken quite a few courses to expand my knowledge. I LOVE learning new and exciting things. Now, I’ve comfortably settled into bookkeeping as my niche and enjoy working as a subcontractor on several virtual teams. I was very lucky, and thankful, for my past proposal preparation skills as they helped me successfully answer several RFPs.
I confess, I’ve been dragging my feet in preparing to market work for myself. When summertime ends, I naturally feel the need to increase my business focus … it’s sort-of like the new year, for me. It’s always important to put those “resolutions” in writing so here are my goals to develop a consistent part-time bookkeeping support business:
- Redesign my website
- Become a QuickBooks Pro Advisor in 2009
- Take Andrea Kalli’s Social Marketing Success in Under 30 Minutes a Day elearning course, so I can:
- Join the Twitter buzz
- Update my LinkedIn profile
- Create a Facebook profile and jump in
- Blog actively
My list of things to do goes on, but I don’t want to become overwhelmed before I get started (did I SEE my list yet?). Oh, and maybe I’ll figure out how to open a Yahoo! Store someday.
Back to School and Back to Business
September 17, 2008
What a relief summer has passed! This was a hectic one and I’m happy to be refocusing on my business. We’re getting into the groove of school drop-off and pick-up, and facing the fact that my precious 3 year old boy has started preschool. Shoot, I even decided to take another accounting course locally, ONLINE, as I work towards my bookkeeping certificate. You gotta love the convenience of that! I’ve decided to reinforce my bookkeeping foundation because as a QuickBooks user, you really need to build on the accounting essentials when the computer software does so much for you. This is my first step in strategizing the expansion of my business in the coming months.
Looking back over this first strong year in business, I realize I’ve been working diligently in support of a handful of clients. But with my nose to the grindstone, I’ve neglected to keep myself active in a variety of networking forums and blogging here. With a fresh new fall on the way, I’m ready to get back to business!
