Awareness. It all begins with YOU!

Awareness.  This word has been on my mind for some time now. As I go through my day I see runners sprinting across the street without a glance, business owners obliviously spending their profit each month, wanna be entrepreneurs launching with no plan in sight.

Where’s the awareness of their world? Hit by a car, missed opportunities, and money down the drain all could be avoided with a sliver of attention.

And what is awareness really? Here’s some of what I found.

Self Awareness: an awareness of one's OWN personality or individuality. The first known use of this term was in 1880. Surprising, isn’t it?

But awareness goes back further to Aware: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge.

Hmmm, aware of what….my surroundings, my place in business and in my business,  with my family and friends?  Doesn’t it go deeper than that?  What about  Awareness of how my actions and  the affect they have on  my family, my friends and colleagues, and most especially my clients.

So I was researching again…how does being aware show up in life. EMPATHY! Awareness and empathy go hand in hand…kind of like, well, like a margarita and salt.

During one of my sessions with Treysii Zamorano she mentioned we only bring ALL of ourselves with us into business....doubts, low confidence, and our inner struggles.   Now that’s a juicy bit that I can use to help my clients. Where there’s awareness and empathy there can be growth.

For me,  clients now learn No Fear Business and Bookkeeping.  This translates into confidently calculating their sales every day, knowing their bank balance before paying bills, looking for ways to increase their bottom line.  And no more sleepless nights!

How does this translate with your and your business?

5 Fashion & Function QuickBooks Tips

Working in QuickBooks can be boring...confusing numbers, dull desktop colors, and perplexing navigation....so jazz it up with our tips.

1.  Personalize Desktop View 

Under the Edit tab, scroll down to Preferences & choose Desktop View. 

Make Navigation easier when you click Multiple Windows box. 

 Next scroll down to the Color Scheme, find the one

that fits your personality.

 Sure, you're still working in QuickBooksTM but now you're snazzier.

2.  Use Enter  between fields.

Move down the list to General.  There are lots of choices here but the number one time-saver is "Pressing Enter moves between fields".  

We are all  used to using the Enter key it's   a no-brainer to activate in QB's.

3. Customize the Icon Bar.   

QuickBooksTM sets up a general Icon Bar during installation so customizing it gives you the control     for the way you work.

Add the Calculator, Delete Estimates, Edit the layout...move the content around anyway you want....you're in charge and that's a good thing.

4. To Do Lists

As we get busier and busier, having up to date lists gets critical.  Open the To Do List when you open QuickBooksTM for a glance at what's important today. 

Add a reminder, mark as done, or print out the list to keep on your desk...that's smart.

5. Business Reminders  

To keep on top of everyday transactions use Reminders.  You'll never lose track of Bills to Pay or Invoices to send, and more importantly, those that are overdue.

Just another way to work smarter.

+1 Bonus:

IntuitTM  adds extra value every year to help entrepreneurs use QuickBooks to grow their businesses.  Now you can create newsletters, invitations or special notifications using      your customer contact list in QuickBooksTM. 

Your Business needs a Bank

Often when you're starting up a new business it       doesn't seem practical or necessary to open a new bank account especially if you're not making much money and are using your own cash building the business.

But if you are serious and want the IRS to be serious too, you'll want to open a separate business account.  The Internal Revenue Service recognizes a business as a business rather than a hobby if you have a separate business bank account, business cards, and a well-maintained set of business records.

The IRS is very tough about showing that your business is actually a business and not a hobby.  Basically, you have to show a profit on your IRS Schedule C three years out of every five.  If you have losses that you deduct from your income three consecutive years, then the IRS may decide you are conducting a "hobby business" which would impact the deductions you took on your personal tax return too.  You may owe more taxes after your income is restated...worse than a bad hair day!

But there are many businesses like Amazon, that started in 1994, and didn't turn a profit until 2001 and, because the intention was always there, were not a target for an IRS audit. So don't stress losses as long as you back them up and you have the receipts and bills to back up your expenses.

 Of course, you'll want to appear professional.  It's much classier to have your clients and customers write a check made out to your business instead of you....no eye rolls or weird looks,  then either.   Serious business owners have all the tools they need and a bank account is a must-have for your toolkit.

Bank regulations now require State and/or Federal licenses and registrations, 
especially if you are an C or S corporation, to open an account.  Before you
head off to bank, make copies of your documents and you'll feel so proud
leaving with your brand new bank account....now you're legit.

What do Skills have to do with Your Success?

Starting and running a business is exciting and most of the time a little (or a lot) scary.  Every day there's work to be done...some tasks are in our comfort zone and some aren't.  It's only natural that we avoid the work we don't understand or is more challenging to us.

Preparation is key whether you're just launching your business or ramping up to the next level.  Take some time to analyze your skill set...what do you need for your craft and what do you need for the business side of your business.

No doubt you are accomplished at your craft whether you're a graphic artist, web designer, or plumber.  You feel confident reviewing the scope of work to land your dream client, and jump starting your creative juices to finish in time, and your attention to details keep clients coming back for more.

But back to the Business of Business....I see very accomplished business women struggle when it comes to their business skills.

At a minimum business owners need these skills:

Sales - We're all selling something

Marketing - How customers find us

Bookkeeping - Tracking the in & out of money

Customer Service - Creating a tribe of evangelists

Master these skills even if you will end up hiring or outsourcing some of these tasks...a smart entrepreneur can do everything.  And when you build a firm foundation you'll confidently and skillfully maneuver your business in a new direction, drop products that aren't profitable, or improve your sales.

"Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft.  Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave  you eager but floundering.  Combining the two is the essence of the creative life."  The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp