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Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Bookkeeping checklist-What do I need and when? by Danielle Hayden of @KickstartAcct

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by Danielle Hayden | Featured Contributor

Congratulations you are finally running the business of your dreams! As you may have realized by now as a business owner you have to learn how to understand your financials and how to use them. I know you didn’t go to school for accounting and that this can be very confusing for most business owners so we are here to help. We are asked by clients every day what needs to be done? How do I improve my bookkeeping processes?

No matter your stage here is your checklist for you: 

New Business-No Bookkeeper

  • Separate business and personal expenses
  • Ensure you are set up as a business with your state
  • Establish your EIN
  • Open Business checking account
  • Set up Accounting Software
  • Choose the right point of sale system
    • Sync your point of sale (where you are collecting payments) to your accounting software
  • Keep track of your inventory and costs by product-Choose the right system for tracking.
  • Determine your goals for this year and spend your business dollars strategically in order to grow revenue and increase profitability

 

 

You finally hired a bookkeeper so you can focus on your business. Remember you need to communicate with them, what do they need to know?

What do you need to communicate to your bookkeeper?

  • What are your goals for the next quarter and the next year?
  • What information do you need in order to help you determine if you hit your goals? 
  • Do you have any new revenue streams?
  • How will you be accepting payments for any new revenue streams?
  • Example: You are a business coach who offers private coaching, this year you launched a new group coaching program and an online course. Next quarter you will be launching in a live in-person event. Determine how you will be accepting payments, make sure they can be differentiated and communicate this information with your bookkeeper
  • Report any new business credit cards
  • Congratulations on your new funding, this needs to be reported to your bookkeeper to be accurately tracked
  • Did you accidentally use your business credit card for any personal expenses? List those items so that they can be categorized correctly.
  • Do you have any large expenses or deposits that have occurred that are out of the ordinary?
  •  Are you accurately tracking your inventory?
  • Are you ready to calculate your cost of goods sold within your accounting software

 

 

Do you need additional assistance? Consider taking your business to the next level with the following exercises: 

  • Create an annual budget
  • Outsource invoicing and collecting from clients to increase efficiency
  • Improve your cash management
  • Use a weekly cash dashboard

I know accounting can be confusing and overwhelming for most people so please know I am here to help you. Let’s learn from each other and grow together.  

I want to see you succeed and I cannot wait to see what you and your business do as you get a better understanding of your accounting and how that can grow your business.

3 Myths About Outsourcing Payroll by @DeborahSweeney

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3 Myths About Outsourcing Payroll

by Deborah Sweeney | Featured Contributor

“I’m ready to outsource my payroll! Now what?”

If you recently made this statement, congratulations! As USA Today columnist Rhonda Abrams once famously put it, if you have one employee it’s time to get a payroll service. The benefits of outsourcing payroll are seemingly endless — no more bouncing the books around to employees to tackle, worrying that you might forget to file a quarterly report, or wasting time or energy figuring out finances when you could be focusing on growing your business.

However, not everyone is so quick to delegate these duties elsewhere. For as much good as a third-party service can do, there are still certain misconceptions that may make businesses wary about outsourcing this kind of confidential information, even to a trusted provider. Let’s debunk three of the most common ones.

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How I Got My First Book Published by @mayachendke

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by Maya Chendke | Featured Contributor  

As a self-published author, one of the most frequent questions that I get is why I didn’t work with a large, traditional publisher. But I also get asked how much it costs to self-publish, and how fast a writer can expect to be on the New York Times Best-Seller list.

While we’re both waiting for a call from the Times, here is the story of how I got my first book published.

Writing

When I started writing Awake but Dreaming back in 2007, it was truly a labour of love. I was expressing and daydreaming, squeezing out pages on lunch breaks at work or into the wee hours of the night. I wrote relentlessly, feeling driven to share the amazing dramedy I had built up in my imagination.

My 500-page book – note, less is more – took me about a year and a half to write while juggling a full-time job and life’s other commitments. But it was what I could manage, and so it came about in a slow and steady way. Many writers that I’ve met started out this way, too, as it’s a big risk to abandon a salary and dive headfirst into low-paid (or unpaid) writing work.

As I was getting close to completion, I began having conversations with potential agents in the US and Canada, where I live. There was interest, but the book wasn’t quite yet done, and I was overwhelmed by the back-and-forth – and lack of response from many – during the querying process. I made a lot of stupid rookie mistakes, like typos or frankly, total dipshit-sounding query letters. There were times when I wanted to hide under a rock.

Takeaway: Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Before you decide to set out to find the agent of your dreams, read “mistakes 101” agent-search articles on the internet. There are steps and expectations and you’ll save time and anguish if you know how the process works before you start making calls and firing out letters.

Editing & Producing

Disheartened by the closed-off book publishing industry, I quietly set about finishing the manuscript and then sat on it for a while, futzing over it, editing compulsively. Eventually I came across a self-publishing company and I impulsively set the wheels in motion without fully understanding what I would get in return or where my book would be distributed. After getting halfway through the production process, I realized that their distribution wouldn’t work for me, and I switched to another company. But in doing so, I lost a few thousand dollars and had to re-start production. Fortunately, as a self-publishing author it was only my own money, so I ate the cost and continued on my merry way. And on April 1, 2011, my book went live on Amazon, and it felt like all the stress and heartache was worth it.

Takeaway: Take a beat and understand what you’re getting in to. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of thinking you found “the one,” especially after feeling rattled by the traditional process. But it’s important to read terms and conditions thoroughly, and understand how distribution will fit with the marketing plan. And naturally, you’ll have generated your marketing plan well in advance, right? Right?

Promoting

Some people may be intimidated by the writing of the book, others may be more overwhelmed by the promotion of it, and promoting it is no easy task. It is supremely important to have a marketing plan in place to sustain public interest in your book once it’s released. When it first comes out, all your friends and family will want a copy, but how are you going to get strangers to buy it?

I started out strong with guest blogging, industry parties, and workshops, preaching the sermon of self-publishing. I attacked my grassroots hustle like a boss! But when my time and attention shifted to other areas of my career and personal life, it became next to impossible to sustain the effort. I wanted to sell the book to film, work on sequels, and take up more guest-blogging residences. But I couldn’t do it all, and I had to accept that, life had shifted, for the time being.

The thing is, in my day job, I am passionate about helping small businesses with their marketing. I learned that, as an author, I needed help with my own – because an author is effectively a small business, too.

Takeaway: If in doubt, reach out. Finding people to help you is crucial; you need to build a backend that lets you do more. Once you start publishing, the biggest asset you will create is your following, so invest your time and resources wisely.

Re-starting

Today, in addition to building my entrepreneurial work in marketing and digital, I’m working on two new books – one fiction and one non-fiction. Self-publishing is a lot of work, and I’m not opposed to re-visiting the traditional book-publishing arena, now that I understand exactly how much time, effort, and resources are involved in bringing a book to life. I have a few literary agents on my wish list and may explore that avenue again. But ultimately, the first step is to just write it out.

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Maya Chendke She Owns ItMarketing consultant, entrepreneur, writer and horse mom Maya Chendke is going through a powerful start-up year. Her company, mPath Creative Consulting, works on website, marketing, content and social media projects that flex her signature hybrid style of creative/analytical. She is also part of a virtual anti-agency, Horsefly Group, where she leads clients with clever ideas and her color-coded iCal.

Her entrepreneurship track record includes a couple of start-ups and a self-published novel (Awake but Dreaming). A rogue introvert, you’ll spot her at start-up meetings sporting riding breeches and a messy bun as the Woz to her Jobs-like partners (or the Sandberg to their Zuckerbergs).

Maya has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management where she was a standout presence in the male-dominated business school environment. She has a certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business Summer Institute for General Management and a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University.

She loves to help people make the most of their marketing budget and has an addiction to analytics. She is always on the lookout for great talent and great projects and loves to facilitate introductions.

In her downtime, she’s diligently rehabilitating her rescue horse and reads ~20 books a year. Tweet her @mayachendke

Five Elements to A Killer Invoice by @WhaleyBookkeep

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Getting paid is a pretty important part of owning your a business, so you want to make sure that it is as easy as possible for your clients to pay your invoice.
 Five Elements To

If you are service based, or invoice for products, then these tips will get your invoices into tip top shape!

1.  Branding – Make sure your client knows exactly who this bill is from, and how to contact you if they have questions. This includes the basics of name, location, and contact info. But this also includes Logo and color coding to match your overall brand. The look and feel of your invoices does not have to be boring!

2.  Clear Definition of Charges – Make sure that your list of charges are clear so your client knows what they are paying for. This means itemizing stuff, if there are multiple elements to your charges. If you use more flat rate billing make sure you have good descriptions for what the product or service is so clients are not having to ask questions about their invoice and delaying payment while you go back and forth.

3. Terms/ Due Date – You want an invoice that clearly states when you expect payment. You’ll often hear terms like Net 10 or 30 thrown around describing terms, and those can be listed or you can simply put the date payment is due. Part of a good working relationship with anyone includes clear expectations and timeliness of payment should be a big part of that. There are accounting systems now that can send automatic reminders if payment is late. Use these tools to your advantage so payments aren’t delayed.

4. Payment Button – Make it easy to get paid! If you use a system like Wave, Freshbooks, or PayPal they are able to integrate credit card payments right onto the invoice. Features like this allow you to get paid much faster than waiting for a check in the mail.  If you aren’t using this type of system yet, then at minimum list out how clients can pay (Credit card, check, bank transfer, etc.) and if they need to go to some other place to do it, then make that as easy as possible.

5. Send It – This may sound silly, but you won’t get paid if your invoice isn’t sent. Most invoicing softwares let you send invoices via email so they get to your customer fast. However not all situations are right for emailing invoices.  Make sure you know how your client processes and pays their bills. Some services like FreshBooks will even send invoices via snail mail for you for a small fee.

Still not sure if your invoice is up to par?

Here is a sample from my own invoicing software, Wave Accounting:

WaveInvoice
When I send an invoice through my software this is what my clients see when they click the link.
I have my logo at the top left, a clear due date, A description to my item, and integrated payment. And of course if a client is looking at this, that means I hit sent.

What are you using to send invoices? Comment Below or Tweet Me!

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Melissa WhaelyHello there, I’m Melissa Whaley, owner of Whaley Bookkeeping.  I specialize in virtual bookkeeping and tax preparation for entrepreneurs. It excites me to help people understand and take control of their finances, especially in their businesses. I believe that anyone is capable of success if their passions are accompanied with the right tools. I love working with new business owners to help them set-up systems that will take the stress out their finances.

I am a licensed tax preparer in the state of California and have been helping small business owners since 2009. I am a Wave Accounting Pro, Quickbooks Online ProAdvisor, and Freshbooks Bookkeeper.

You will often find me drinking a cup of coffee while hanging out in  Facebook Groups, or on my YouTube channel making videos to help Etsy sellers with their bookkeeping. In my personal life I am married to a wonderful husband, have a 6 year old daughter and a 1 year old son.

Facebook|Twitter|Youtube

6 Tax Mistakes to Avoid! @MyOfficeBooks

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Six Tax Mistakes to Avoid

by Amanda Hoffmann | Featured Contributor

There are six common tax mistakes I see as a bookkeeper on a regular basis.

They are easy to implement and will have your finances in top shape for tax time!

1. Poor Record Keeping Practices

  • Ensure you have a clearly labelled filing system
  • Do not mix your personal expenses with your business
  • Save all of your receipts and invoices
  • Use online tools like Dropbox, Receipt-Bank or evernote to scan and save all your documents.

2. Pay for an Accountant you do not need

  • Can the tax help center in your country assist you for FREE?
  • Pick up the phone and call around for a quote
  • Ask a bookkeeper who  they use

3. Fail to use Cloud Accounting

  • Ditch the clunky desktop software that requires manual data entry
  • Use online software program options like Quickbooks, Xero or Freshbooks
  • Authorise your bank feeds to save data entry
  • Pay a qualified and registered bookkeepre to set it up for you
  • Pay for training so that you can do your own bookkeeping

4. Claim tax on all expenses

  • Depending on your country, these rules will be different so check their webpage for details
  • Be aware that foreign companies may not pay tax (Google & facebook advertising)
  • Car registration, utilities and other expenses may vary in tax amounts

5. Fail to claim ALL business expenses

  • Keep a diary of all business events / meetings
  • Photograph fuel, parking and other loose receipts
  • Ensure you file all business receipts in one spot
  • Use your phone and apps to save expenses

6. Forget to pay on time

  • Forward date your online payments
  • Keep a electronic or paper diary
  • Create a reminder on your phone when bills are due
  • Organize a filing system that you refer to at the start of each day
  • Find what works for you and do it every time!

There is no fixed rule on keeping your business records on hand and available.

However, the six points listed above will certainly put you on the right track and save you an incredible amount of stress, should you get a tax audit.

Six Tax Mistakes to Avoid
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Amanda Hoffmann – Sensational Entrepreneur, Bookkeeper Extraordinaire and loves Social Media

Amanda HoffmannHi, I’m Amanda Hoffmann and live in Brisbane, Australia. I am passionate about business and social media. I currently juggle being a mother of four school-aged children and run three businesses in completely different fields. While challenging, I believe they keep me thinking outside of the box. I have always loved being busy and I believe it is a mixture of my “can do” attitude and loving life that allows me to accomplish so much. Oh, not liking to sleep much certainly does help!

I started managing my first business over 18 years ago but sold it when I decided to start a family. I was unable to envision at the time how I could run a business and still be a dedicated mother. Since I now run three businesses and have a large family, I have found being organised and prioritising is the secret to success.

What are my businesses you might ask? My Office Books Virtual Bookkeeping, Kidd House Accommodation specialising in fully furnished accommodation for both students and professionals and Co-Founder of a new Social Media start-up called The Likeability Company helping SME’s get the most out of using social media and building communities.

I would like to share my experience in small business and answer any questions you might have regarding office organisation, cloud technology and share my experience in property investment.

I personally am fascinated by social media, particularly the fast pace of twitter and exploring the world of blogging. I invite you share my journey and get to know each other.

Twitter – Blog – Pinterest – Facebook – Google+

Expense Reimbursement for Small Business Owners Made Easy by @smartstep

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Photo Credit: liquene via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: liquene via Compfight cc

by Andrea Travillian | Featured Contributor

I have worked with owners of growing businesses that are showing profit, but are still struggling to pay their personal bills.

How does that happen?

One reason that hurts both them and the business is that they pay for the business expenses out of their personal funds.

They may be traveling, they may be waiting for a payment to come in, or maybe they just did not have the right card with them.  No matter what the cause, they end up using their own funds to cover company bills and then never get that money back from the company.

In order for you to stay financially healthy you need to ensure that the money you are spending from your personal accounts for your business is being accounted for and that you get paid back.

The following will help ensure you get your money back.

Separate Accounts

This is the easy step, because it should already be done!  Make sure that you have company banking accounts that are separate from your personal accounts.   Have a separate checking account, and separate debit/credit cards.

Having the right accounts will ensure that you are able to pay for your business expenses with business money.

Cash Expenses

Sometimes expenses can only be covered with cash.  When this happens you need to have a process in place to ensure you get the funds back.

In order to do this you will want to file an employee expense report – just like you would if you worked for another company.  An Excel expense reimbursement worksheet should be enough for most of your expenses.  You can download these for free on the internet; just type in expense reimbursement sheet.  I personally like the free templates available at Vertex42.

When you have expenses that you cover with your personal money simply fill out the form, specifically the date, what the expense was, how much it was, and then attach the receipt.   Then when it is time for you or your bookkeeper to do the books you can add this in as an expense and cut a check to reimburse you the money.

Business is Short on Cash

There are times in a growing business that you just don’t have the cash flow to pay the business bills.  If this is the case you will want to transfer personal funds into the business account and use the money from the business account.  With this transfer you will also create an entry into your records to show the business owes you money.

This can be done as a payable to you as an employee, or as an equity contribution or as a loan.  When the business is doing better you can then begin to take this money back out.

The exact structure of this entry in your books will depend on your company set-up.  Talk with your bookkeeper or CPA about the right way to record transfers in for your business.

Time & Process Management

Finally you need to make sure all of this record keeping is actually happening.   There is no point in having a system to mange this if you are not going to use the system.

You will want to set up a dedicated time each week to do your bookkeeping.  You will also want a dedicated place to put receipts so that you can fill out the necessary paperwork.

By taking these steps you will ensure your business financials are accurate and that your personal funds don’t all end up in the business.  Without accurate records for you business it is hard to manage your business and make educated decisions about revenues, expenses and profits.  At the same time, you will ensure your personal money can come back out of the business and be used for your needs.

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Andrea TravillianAndrea Travillian is a personal finance author, speaker and coach who specializes in helping business owners take control of their income. She has her MBA and undergraduate in finance and enjoys playing with retirement numbers! she writes at takeasmartstep.com

You can connect with me on most of the social media channels including Twitter and Facebook and at my website Take A Smart Step.

Business Filing – Become Organised! by @MyOfficeBooks

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by Amanda Hoffmann | Featured Contributor

When you own and work in a business, you often find yourself so absorbed with working “in” your business that you forget to work “on” it.

The one area I continually see business owners getting behind with, is their bookkeeping.

Small business and tax

I am going to introduce to you a simple way to do both your record keeping and bookkeeping by making a PACT to begin immediately:

P – Plan

A – Act

C – Commit

T – Turnkey ( ready to use solution time and again every financial year)

Let’s start with P for Plan.

Plan to set aside some time each and every day, starting with organising the contents of your draw or box.

FILING : Purchase the following

  • One easy file and store container OR a filing cabinet
  • Box of suspension files (Pack of 50)
  • Box of manila folders (Box of 100)
  • Nikko pen.

Label the suspension files with the heading of your

  • Bank statements / Credit Cards / Paypal
  • Vehicle costs
  • Stationary/printing / postage
  • Utilities / Rent
  • Customer names
  • Bills to be paid

ACT

Set aside 15 – 30 minutes every day and pop all your paperwork and receipts  into the suspension folder where they belong.

Keep a folder in the car, ensure that when ever you purchase an item the receipt is placed into it.

Develop the habit upon returning home that you file those receipts.

You will be surprised how simple and easy it is to become more organised and develop this good habit.

No more last minute stress at tax time!

COMMIT

Open a separate bank account and/or credit account to operate your business from.

Keep all your business transactions within these accounts and transfer a lump sum amount to your personal account for you private expenses.

Mixing both your personal and business transactions will :

  • Increase your accountancy bill
  • Cause you to miss out on legitimate business deductions
  • Gives the appearance of a hobby, not a serious business commitment

Once you have filed all your receipts and gotten into the habit of doing so, it’s time to commit to an online option for your accounting.

There are many affordable options on hand, some even have an “app” for your phone that will allow you to login and photograph your receipts.

Xero is available in the United States and in Australia, it is an excellent online accountancy programme with many features.

TURNKEY

Repeat the process for the new financial year.

Not only will be ensure that you are claiming each and every expense, you will find yourself empowered by knowing where all your paperwork is.

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Amanda Hoffmann – Sensational Entrepreneur, Bookkeeper Extraordinaire and loves Social Media

Amanda HoffmannHi, I’m Amanda Hoffmann and live in Brisbane, Australia. I am passionate about business and social media. I currently juggle being a mother of four school-aged children and run three businesses in completely different fields. While challenging, I believe they keep me thinking outside of the box. I have always loved being busy and I believe it is a mixture of my “can do” attitude and loving life that allows me to accomplish so much. Oh, not liking to sleep much certainly does help!

I started managing my first business over 18 years ago but sold it when I decided to start a family. I was unable to envision at the time how I could run a business and still be a dedicated mother. Since I now run three businesses and have a large family, I have found being organised and prioritising is the secret to success.

What are my businesses you might ask? My Office Books Virtual Bookkeeping, Kidd House Accommodation specialising in fully furnished accommodation for both students and professionals and Co-Founder of a new Social Media start-up called The Likeability Company helping SME’s get the most out of using social media and building communities.

I would like to share my experience in small business and answer any questions you might have regarding office organisation, cloud technology and share my experience in property investment.

I personally am fascinated by social media, particularly the fast pace of twitter and exploring the world of blogging. I invite you share my journey and get to know each other.

Twitter – Blog – Pinterest – Facebook – Google+

 

The 3 B’s You Need to Start Your Business the Right Way by @RachRodgersEsq

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Woman in her workspaceby Rachel Rodgers | Featured Contributor

So its been a year or two (or three) since you started your business but you still haven’t done some of the key housekeeping required to give your company a solid foundation from which to grow, have you?

I know, I know. Its scary, confusing and you’ve been doing okay ignoring it, right? How long do you think that’s gonna work out for ya? Not long, my friend!

The fact of the matter is that “most women-owned businesses are not able to grow their businesses past $50,000 in annual gross revenue.” The main reasons for this are that women often do not have access to financing and that women business owners see themselves as “chief multi-tasker” instead of Chief Executive Officer.

Setting your business up the right way is the first step (of many) in creating a highly profitable enterprise that enables you to obtain financing (should you ever need it) and simplify managing the business so you can focus on growing.

So here are the 3 essential tasks you need to implement right away:

The first B is for Business Entity. Whether or not you’ve formally formed a business entity, you do have one. Sole proprietorships spring into being, without filing any legal documents, the moment you start selling something. General partnerships also spring into being when one or more persons begin working on a business together. There are a myriad of pluses and minuses attached to each business entity which may include: increased or lowered taxes, shielding of your personal assets from creditors and even your partner’s ability to acquire debt in your name. This is not something that a quick visit to a legal document prep website can fix. You need to consult with your attorney and accountant to determine which entity is the best fit for you and your business. (What’s that you say? You don’t have an attorney, yet? Well, now is the time to get one, sister! Call up your entrepreneur friends a get a referral stat!)

Even if you formed a business entity back when you started your company, such as an LLC or S-Corp, if you have hired employees, seen a significant increase in revenue or experienced other major changes in your business since then, it’s time to reconsider your business structure. Having the wrong business entity can mean paying more taxes and having less protection for your personal assets.

The second B is for Bookkeeping. This one is a hard lesson I had to learn. I used an excel spreadsheet to track my business expenses and income for most of the first year. I dabbled with one or two software systems, none of which seemed to really work for me.

Eventually, I broke down and implemented Outright accounting software in my business. This is something I definitely wish I had done from day 1. Of course, on day 1, I thought it would be a while before I obtained more clients than I could comfortably manage in my spreadsheet but it happened sooner than I expected. I want to spare you the hell I experienced when I had to enter an entire year’s worth of expenses and income into my accounting software. That is not what you want to spend your weekend doing!

Spend the few bucks it takes to get good accounting software now — there are many options such as Less Accounting, Xero and Wave. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Or even better? Hire a bookkeeper to manage your books — it can be very cost effective. There are virtual bookkeepers who can manage the books of a low volume business for under $100 per month.

Peter Drucker said, “What gets measured, gets managed” and its so true. When you are paying attention to where your money is coming from and going to, you can manage your business better and make sure the money continues to flow.

Plus, you know what’s more expensive than accounting? Forensic accounting.

And from a legal perspective, keeping good records is essential to protecting yourself from vendors, clients, the IRS and others with whom legal issues may arise.

The third B is for Business Bank Accounts. Bookkeeping becomes much harder when you don’t have a business account and you’re commingling funds from personal accounts into the business.

You need to set up an account solely for business income and expenses. This is not only good for managing business finances and bookkeeping but from a legal perspective, commingling funds between a personal account and a business account is a surefire way to lose the liability protection from any business entity you have created. This is often referred to as piercing the corporate veil.

Piercing the corporate veil happens when courts find that a business entity and its owner are not actually two separate entities but one in the same because of the way the business is managed. This means that business creditors can come after your personal assets. Not good. That defeats the whole purpose of having a business entity such as an LLC or S-Corp.

So whether you’re just getting started with your business or have decided that 2014 is the year you get your bases covered, these 3 B’s are where to begin.

Disclaimer: This article is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. No information in this article creates an attorney-client relationship between the reader and the author.

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Rachel Rodgers – Intellectual Property Strategy & Legal Counsel for Digital Entrepreneurs

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers is the intellectual property and business lawyer for digital entrepreneurs. Her one-of-a-kind practice, Rachel Rodgers Law Office, is run entirely online making her services accessible and convenient for tech startups, online-based businesses and thought leaders. Her secure online law office was one of the first of its kind and has filled a void among entrepreneurs in need of savvy legal counsel without breaking the bank or compromising excellent customer service. Rachel and her practice have been featured in Fast Company, MSNBC, The Washington Post, Forbes and various other media outlets and publications.

Rachel co-wrote the most entertaining business law guide for entrepreneurs called Small Business Bodyguard: Cover Your Bases, Cover Your Assets, Cover Your Ass. It has been called “fun and engaging” by New York Times bestselling author Chris Brogan.

Prior to forming her law practice, Rachel served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable James A. Farber in New Jersey Superior Court. Before law school, Rachel worked for non-profits in New York, at a premier lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. and on Capitol Hill in the Senate office of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

At home, Rachel can be found baking in the kitchen, running after her two-year-old daughter, feeding her infant son (because who knew such a small person could eat so much?!), hanging out with her hubby, or planning her next trip to France, her absolute favorite place on the face of the planet.

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