Patricia Anderson No Comments

Cool Apps: Google Forms

Do you ever need to collect information from your customers? There are many ways to do it: a form in Microsoft Word®, a fillable PDF, and a Web form are all very common. Less common but slicker than the rest is the option of using Google Forms. Read more

google formsYou’ll need a Google ID, and most people use their gmail account for this. Go to Google Drive from your menu, or you can access it from this URL: https://drive.google.com.

In Google Forms, you can have customers complete a line or paragraph of text, select from multiple choice, check a box, select from a dropdown, rate an item on a linear scale, or enter a date or time. To design the form, decide what questions you want to ask your customers.

Start creating your new form by clicking the button labeled New in the top left corner of the screen and select More, then Google Forms.

Title the form by typing over Untitled Form. Your first question is already formatted for you. Multiple choice is selected, and you can change the question type by clicking the arrow on the right side of the Multiple Choice option. Over on the left, you can type your first question or label. Let’s say you need to know their name, so you would enter “Name” in the field and change the question type to Short Answer.

To add a field, click the plus sign on the vertical menu to the right of the form. Repeat this until you have all your form fields entered. If you need to add instructions, choose the TT option on the vertical menu just below the plus sign. You can also add images, video, and sections to your form using this menu.

Clicking the Send button allows you to email the form, get a link (click the chain icon), or add it to a web page (click the <>).

There are dozens of options and settings for your form. You can change colors (palette icon at top right), preview your form (eye at top right), or modify your settings (gear icon). The three vertical dots at the top right provide more functions. If you need a team member to access the responses or edit the form, you can Add Collaborator from this menu. You can even turn the form into a quiz.

Once people start submitting their answers, you can review them by clicking the Responses tab at the top of the form.

Google Forms are versatile, professional-looking, and best of all, free. Give them a try next time you need to collect information from your clients.

Patricia Anderson No Comments

Is There Really a 4-Hour Workweek?

Tim Ferriss made the 4-hour workweek a popular concept in his 2007 book. But is there such a thing, and more importantly, can business owners like you and me cash in on it? As the last of the Baby Boomers approach retirement, the topic of working less while making the same or more income is popular. Read more

workweekHere are five ideas to help you work fewer hours while making the same or more income.

Active vs. Automatic Revenue

Some business models allow you to generate automatic revenue. Automatic revenue is revenue you can earn and leverage over time by doing something only once and not over and over again. Active revenue is earned while doing something over and over again. Showing up for a teaching job with a live audience is active revenue while producing and selling video recordings of the same teaching is automatic revenue.

A goal of a 4-hour workweek concept is to increase automatic revenue while reducing active revenue. You may have to think out of the box to do this in your industry, but the payoff can be huge.

Delegation and Outsourcing

One traditional way to move to a 4-hour workweek is to have others do the work. Hiring staff frees up your time and allows your business to become scalable. When it runs without you, it’s more salable too.

Time Batching

If you have a lot of distractions in your day, you can easily double your productivity by learning time batching, which is grouping like tasks together in a block or batch of time and getting them done. For example, if an employee interrupts you with questions multiple times a day, train them to come to you only once a day to get all their questions handled at one time. Take your calls one after the other in a group, and then stay off the phone the rest of the day. Do the same with email, social media, running errands, and all of your other tasks.

Automation and Procedures

New apps save an amazing amount of time. List all of your time-consuming chores and then find an app that helps you get them done faster. For example, a scheduling app can reduce countless emails back and forth when setting meetings and appointments. To-do list or project management software can cut down on emails among you and your staff. And apps like Zapier can connect two apps that need to share data, reducing data entry.

Leverage

The key to working less is to embrace the concept of leverage. How can you leverage the business resources around you to save time, increase staff productivity, and improve profits? It takes discipline and change, two difficult goals to accomplish. But when you do, you will be rewarded.

Patricia Anderson No Comments

Signs You Might Be Outgrowing Your Accounting System

If you’re struggling with your accounting system, it might be a sign that you’re ready for something new. Perhaps your company has grown so much that it’s outgrown its older accounting solution. Here are several indications to look for that justify moving to an accounting system with more features and scalability. Read more

accounting systemUser Permissions

Some companies have a need to limit certain functions to certain users. Most systems come with basic functional limitations, such as restricting Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions. But what if you need more granular user permissions such as access to only purchase orders or a certain bank account? Mid-market systems like QuickBooks Enterprise provide those features.

Multiple Companies and Consolidated Financial Statements

Do you have multiple companies that are the “children” of a parent company? You might need consolidated financial statements and the ability to open multiple companies at the same time.

Number of Customers and Vendors    

If your business is growing and the number of customers and vendors you do business with exceeds 14,500, you will have reached a list limit in QuickBooks Premier. Each system has their own list limits, and these limits can get complex quickly, so check with us if you feel you are getting close.

File Size and Performance

There may also be file size limits that you need to watch, especially if you have a high volume of transactions or multiple years of history in one file.

You could also have performance issues. If you have a new PC and your accounting system is still running slowly, we can help you improve your performance by condensing your file or setting preferences differently before you have to switch.

Inventory Features

A mid-market system like QuickBooks Enterprise provides advanced features, such as tracking inventory in multiple locations, using the FIFO method, and managing lots or serial numbers. If you need these features, it may be worth it to switch.

Enhanced Customization  

Most mid-market accounting systems provide better customization such as additional custom fields, better reporting, and improved form design.

Number of Simultaneous Users

The final reason to switch to a larger accounting system is if you need more simultaneous users. QuickBooks Pro allows for up to three simultaneous users, QuickBooks Premier handles up to five, and QuickBooks Enterprise makes room for up to 30 simultaneous users. QuickBooks Online allows up to 25 simultaneous users.  Check with us if you are curious about your system’s license limits.

Did any of these reasons resonate with you? If so, let us know so we can discuss your needs.

Patricia Anderson No Comments

A Quick Primer on Crowdfunding

An interesting way to fund your dream project, whether you are a startup or a more established business, is to consider crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is when many people provide the money in small amounts for a project. Read more

crowdfundingAlthough crowdfunding is not new, it became much more popular when organizations like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, RocketHub, and GoFundMe created web platforms to enable this method of raising funds. The 2015 crowdfunding market is estimated at $34 billion and is growing exponentially.

How it Works

In crowdfunding, the person who initiates the project receives the money that the people contribute. A percentage of what is raised goes to the web platform that supports the project. It varies as to what the people who contribute to the project receive in return. It can be the payback of a loan with interest, shares of stock, rewards, or a possible tax write-off in the case of a donation.

You probably hear about companies that get funded overnight, making it look easy to create a successful crowdfunding campaign. There is a lot that goes into the launch of a successful campaign. Here are some steps:

  1. Design your project and research how much money you need
  2. Choose your platform (Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.). This requires careful research about which platform is best for your type of project as well as a complete understanding of the rules and limitations of that platform. For example, on Kickstarter, if you don’t reach your goal, you don’t get any money, including what you have partially raised.
  3. Create a video that tells your story and makes the pitch. You must not only grab attention but appeal to both the rational and emotional sides of your followers. You must also provide an enticing reward for your followers.
  4. Count your followers. Do you have enough to raise the capital you need? If not, create the marketing you need to build your followers and make your numbers.
  5. Gain some big name backers if you possibly can.
  6. Develop a carefully orchestrated launch using multiple marketing channels, including social media and press.

With the explosive growth in crowdfunding, it’s here to stay. Consider how it may help your business grow.

Patricia Anderson No Comments

Beyond Saving Trees: New Trends in Receipt Management

Accounting automation has come a long way in the last few years, and the process of handling invoices and receipts is included in those changes. As a result of automated accounting, no longer is there a mountain of paperwork to deal with. In this article, we’ll explain some of the changes in this area. Read more

Accounting automationVendor Invoices

Most invoices are now sent electronically, often through email or from accounting system to accounting system. In addition, some accounting systems allow the invoice document, usually in PDF, to be attached to the transaction. This feature makes it easy for vendor support questions as well as any audit that may come up.

Some systems are smart enough to “read” the invoice and prepare a check with little or no data entry. Others are able to automate three-way matching – this is when you match a purchase order, packing slip, and invoice together – so that time is saved in the accounts payable function.

Receipts

Today’s systems allow you or your bookkeeper to scan in or take cell phone photos of receipts – whether cash or credit card – and then “read” them and record the transaction. As a result, this type of system cuts way down on data entry and allows the accountants to focus on more consultative work rather than administrative work.

Some vendors will email you receipts so all you have to do is use a special email address where your accountant is copied or forward the receipt as you receive it.

The biggest challenge for business owners is getting into the habit of photographing the receipt and sending it to the accountant. The days of shoebox receipts are not completely over, but cloud-savvy business owners are definitely enjoying the alternative options of today’s paperless world.

Approvals

Some systems automate bill approval. This is especially handy for nonprofits or companies with a multi-person approval process. Accordingly, it cuts down on approval time and the time it takes to pay the bill.

New Systems

Here is a short list of new systems that automate a part of the vendor payment or receipt management system. There are a lot more, in addition to your core accounting system, and all of them have different features, platforms, software requirements, integration options, and pricing.

      1. Bill. com
      2. Hubdoc
      3. Receipt Bank
      4. Expensify
      5. SmartVault
      6. Doc.it
      7. Tallie
      8. Concur
      9. LedgerSync
      10. ShoeBoxed
      11. ShareFile
      12. DropBox

Interested in finding out more about automating your accounts payable invoices or receipts? Please reach out to us at anytime.