business tips | Out of Debt Again

How I Solved The Yearly Hassle of W2s and 1099s

By Mrs. Accountability on January 25th, 2010

I found a nifty little template that will allow me to print to the IRS approved pre-printed W2s and 1099-MISCs (there were a couple of hitches which I’ll detail below).

I have been keeping the books for a small company owned by an elderly couple for going on five years. One of my year end tasks is to type up two W2 forms and my own 1099. Now with Mr. A … click here to continue reading How I Solved The Yearly Hassle of W2s and 1099s

Custom Stamps

By Mrs. Accountability on July 3rd, 2009

Cathy from Chief Family Officer commented to my Thank You Notes and Dollar Stores post and suggested that the most economical solution would be to make my own thank you notes.

Of course, that is brilliant! I love doing creative type things, and even though I don’t have lots of time to spend on artsy-craftsy stuff, I could put together fifty or so at one time and not have to worry … click here to continue reading Custom Stamps

Thank You Notes and Dollar Stores

By Mrs. Accountability on June 25th, 2009

One of the things I’ve been striving to do is to send thank you notes to Mr. A’s customers. I try to watch for them on clearance at the store, and as long as they are blank inside I’ll buy just about any design. Well, within reason. I can’t buy anything too feminine looking for a man to send out as a thank you to customers.

I haven’t found … click here to continue reading Thank You Notes and Dollar Stores

Business Ethics – Cash Under The Table?

By Mrs. Accountability on May 18th, 2009

How do you feel about cash sales? If you were a self-proprietor, would you find it easy to “cheat” just a little (or a lot) and not report the cash collected from your customers?

I have strong personal feelings about doing that sort of thing. Not only is it not ethical, but there is no such thing as cheating just a little bit. It’s like saying, “I’m a little bit pregnant.” … click here to continue reading Business Ethics – Cash Under The Table?

Go For It, Collette!

By Mrs. Accountability on May 9th, 2009

Collette submitted a question to my Q&A post, wondering how I made the decision to not be self-employed. I responded to that part of the question here, but I felt the other part of her question was going to be too long for the Q&A post and I promised I’d continue it in a new post in the next few days. I did encourage her to GO FOR IT!!

To refresh … click here to continue reading Go For It, Collette!

One Way to Lose Business

By Mrs. Accountability on April 23rd, 2009

I’ll be preaching to the choir since anyone reading my blog is online and knows the scoop. But you might let your not-so-Internet-savvy friends and relatives know that if they are going to have a business website then they need to get back with folks that contact them via their website.

I’m looking for an accountant. One of my readers suggested that I needed one, and to be honest I have … click here to continue reading One Way to Lose Business

Business Checks Ordered

By Mrs. Accountability on April 16th, 2009

Darn it! I thought I’d get that great package deal for $34.95 (plus shipping and handling) but as it turns out the catalog I was viewing was two years old!

One of my friends told me she has not bothered to order checks as she uses the BillPay feature provided by this credit union. I contemplated trying to go without checks, but I prefer being able to write checks if necessary. … click here to continue reading Business Checks Ordered

Would You Choose Self-Employment?

By Mrs. Accountability on April 14th, 2009

I have never wanted to be self-employed. I don’t mind working “for the man”. I have worked out of my home before, when my children were very young and it felt like the work was always there, always waiting to be done. I like the structure of my work days. Mr. A, on the other hand, has always preferred self-employment, and it was only in the last couple of years … click here to continue reading Would You Choose Self-Employment?

Ordering Business Checks

By Mrs. Accountability on April 10th, 2009

I think we’re going to order checks for Mr. A’s business checking accounts from the company recommended by the credit union. The brochure they gave me says the company is named Clarke American, but the website says they are now Harland Clarke.

I love looking through these little brochures, I know, I’m weird like that. I finally found the ones that I think we’ll order. I checked a couple of online … click here to continue reading Ordering Business Checks

Mr. A’s New Checking Accounts

By Mrs. Accountability on April 6th, 2009

When we opened Mr. A’s checking account for his business, he didn’t really have a “business” at the time. He was doing some remodeling work for his sister, and we just wanted to keep the money in a separate account. Then as time went by, Mr. A decided to take the leap and start his own business. We’ve continued to use the same account. Occasionally a client would make the … click here to continue reading Mr. A’s New Checking Accounts