A major concern of any new startup is securing finances and capital. If you are serious about your restaurant business, consider taking out a loan. Your restaurant will become successful when you can adequatelymanage your business even in low cash flow situations, such as the slow season.
Securing the finances needed to ensure your restaurant business’s success can prove to be a precarious task. Start by creating a business plan in which your funding requirements are recorded and get connected with potential financiers. Avoid letting your business requirements become a restriction. Here are a few financing tips to apply to your restaurant business.
Investors
One of the first steps towards opening a restaurant is securing funding from investors. It is always beneficial to have as much capital as you can before opening your business. Avoid outsourcing until you make a business plan. Having a solid financial plan is crucial, as it will indicate how quickly you plan on returning the borrowed amount to investors. Strive to prepare a perfect timeline that will ensure investors your business is a great candidate for their financial help. In many cases, restaurant startup owners must maintain strict financial discipline. This attitude promotes adhering to your timeline. Do not forget to record the date of your investor’s contract so that you can easily terminate the agreement once the repayment is complete.
SBA loans
Most business owners acquire loans through the American Small Business Association (SBA). Typically, it is good practice to assign a guarantee to your loan in case of default. This added security will make the process of getting approval from the SBA much easier. Understandably, there is great risk involved for banks to lend money to a new restaurant. Therefore, an SBA loan is the best option as additional lenders can participate in it, such as banks, credit, unions, etc., if they wish.
There are a variety of competitive loan options through the SBA. All lenders require you to put some money down up front for loan security. Do some research and select the most suitable deal.
Crowd Funding
Crowdfunding and websites are the best sources for securing finances, such as the platform Foodstart. Web developers have designed this website for food trucks and restaurants. It is, by far, the best community-funding program.
Family, customers, friends, and non-customers can also use their Amazon account to secure capital. This can be a win-win situation since you will get strong support, along with other benefits such as menu ideas, discounts, free food items, etc. It is up to you which perks to select.
Crowdfunding provides you with access to the general public in order to ask for financing. Contributions may be smaller, but they can make a real difference collectively. After all, little drops make a river.
Credit Cards
Sometimes restaurant owners use credit cards to finance their business. When considering this option, you must be sure of the status of your money’s return. Take care to repay the amount with interest rate on time. Always track the dollar’s current value, as this applies to interest rates. You must be fully aware of the financial situation you are getting into by having a complete understanding of the financing terms.
Savings
You need a proper plan to save money for your restaurant’s finances. Another option is to invest your personal savings into the restaurant. In this way, you will never be a financial debtor. But there is some risk involved in this process. It is important to treat your savings as a regular financial transaction and repay the money on time in order to prevent any problems. Additionally, avoid pouring all your savings into your restaurant; set aside some amount as an emergency fund. Having a personal savings fund will keep you from becoming a debtor in the future.
Last Words
Finding financers for your new startup can seem like a daunting task, regardless of what industry you are in. In the restaurant industry, financing is one of many vital tasks. You must have the best and most delicious menu, along with efficient customer service, while still managing your costs. According to CNBC’s research, 60% of restaurant owners do not achieve satisfactory business growth within the first year, and almost 80% leave the restaurant industry within the fifth year.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
When online trading was launched back in 1999, it didn’t catch traders’ attention, and its progress was slow and delayed. The acceptance of the process was also at a snail’s pace. The reason for this wasn’t much far as the markets were still fluctuating, and investors weren’t quite aware of the risks associated with online trading.
Brokers were more concerned about online trading swallowingtraditionaltradeoffline, but a lot has changed since then. The brokers are now more focused on shifting towards online trading as it comes with lots of benefits like ease, scalability, and time-saving. Here’s everything you need to know about becoming an online trader.
What must every online trader understand?
Given below are four important points that every online trader must understand in place of its offlineequivalent. With the change in market trends, the online trading present here is to stay for good.
Online trading is easy and simple
The very first thing that online trading offers is its simplicity and sophistication. It takes off the investor’s burden to walk to the nearest broker’s office to deposit cash, collecting payment, or even need of calling the dealer to make a trade.
With online trading, everything becomes easily manageable from the comfort of an investor’s house. Online trading can be easily accessed from an individual’s laptop or PC, having a stable internet connection. With the era of smartphones, an investor can manage trade while on the move. In this era of technology, everything from the trading account, bank account to a debit account can be handled easily from a single platform. All this is what makes online trading so easy and appropriate.
Online gives greater transparency for trade
Online trading is great due to the transparency it offers. In traditional trading, when an investor gets in contact with his broker and requests to place an order, a waiting period comes in the way after which an investor is unaware of the order. All this hectic is taken away with online trading. An online trader can order the way it seems fit and check it in the order book for updates, get rough information about the transaction from the investor’s online trade book and further analyze the shares and other company actions.
Additionally, with the electronic contract notes, the fuss of physicallynotingdowneverything is saved. An online trader also gets the ease of acquiring capital gains statements online from the trading account.
Lower cost on operating meaning lower broker charges
The reason behind lower brokerage rates in the past few years is the cost-saving on online trading. Online trading is a one-time investment for any broker, which ultimately results in lower costs on operations and maintenance, which is much lower than functioning with an army of employees. Such lower costs are transferred to the consumers, which is fruitful for any investor.
Quotes all the security risks associated with trading
Security risks aren’t discussed properly when an individual goes through offline trading. However, an individual is still required to sign the Debit Instruction Slips and sign a check to proceed with the trading process. In comparison, the concept is a lot opposite in online trading. In online trading, a lot of focus is towards making the system safe and secure, and onlinesecurityenhancement should be the number one priority for any online trader.
An online trading individual works on his account’ssecurity to make it less accessible by others, which can be done by upgrading hardware and software daily and keeping anti-malware and anti-virus software up to date. Another way to keep the online trading account safe is by limiting the account’s access from unsecured Wi-Fi networks and cyber cafes.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Essential Marketing Strategies for Business Growth
Essential marketing strategies for business growth come down to six disciplined moves: deeply understanding your target customer, clarifying your brand positioning and value proposition, building a focused marketing plan, executing a digital marketing strategy for growth across SEO, content, email, and social, optimizing customer acquisition and retention, and continually measuring and improving marketing ROI. Done together, these strategies turn scattered effort into predictable revenue, sharper lead quality, and the kind of compounding growth that doesn’t depend on luck or a single channel.
Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: after more than 20 years building Complete Controller from a one-woman shop into a national cloud bookkeeping firm, I can tell you that most small businesses don’t have a marketing problem—they have a focus problem. I’ve sat across from thousands of founders across nearly every industry, and the ones who grow steadily aren’t the loudest marketers; they’re the most disciplined ones. In this article, I’ll walk you through the fundamentals, the plan, the digital playbook, the acquisition tactics small teams can actually run, and the ROI framework I wish someone had handed me on day one—so you can grow with confidence and protect your cash flow while you do it.
What are the essential marketing strategies for business growth?
Understand your customer, clarify positioning, build a focused marketing plan, run a digital marketing strategy for growth, optimize acquisition and retention, and measure ROI relentlessly.
Customer insight first: Use research, segmentation, and personas to define who you serve and what they value.
Strategy before tactics: Document a marketing plan with goals, budgets, and channels tied to revenue.
Digital as the engine: Prioritize SEO, content, email, and social where buyers actually spend time.
Measure and iterate: Track CAC, LTV, and ROI monthly, and shift dollars toward what works.
The Non-Negotiable Fundamentals Behind Growth Marketing
Effective marketing strategies to drive business growth always start with fundamentals—market understanding, positioning, goals, and measurement—not channel hopping. When founders skip this work, they end up paying for traffic that never converts and chasing trends that don’t fit their business.
Business growth strategies start with knowing your customer
Growth strategies fail when they aren’t rooted in clear customer insight. Before you spend a dollar on ads or hire a content team, pressure-test your assumptions with real data.
Market research, not guesswork: Use surveys, interviews, and search trend tools. The SBA’s market research guide is a solid free starting point.
Segmentation and personas: Build 2–3 lean personas based on behavior, needs, and value.
Demand validation: Run small experiments—landing pages, pilot offers, micro ad tests—before scaling spend.
Brand positioning: The foundation of every marketing plan
Strong brand positioning drives pricing power, lead quality, and referrals. Define your unique value proposition (what you do, for whom, and why you’re different), pair emotional and rational benefits, and back it with proof—case studies, testimonials, and credentials that remove perceived risk.
Setting measurable goals in your marketing plan
Tie every marketing goal to revenue. A goal like “Increase marketing-generated revenue by 25% in 12 months while keeping CAC under $400″ beats “get more leads” every time. Track MQLs, conversion rate, CAC, LTV, and payback period—and budget against ROI targets, not gut feel.
Designing a Marketing Plan That Actually Drives Growth
A real marketing plan is a decision tool. It tells you what you’ll do, what you won’t, and how marketing supports your business growth strategies over the next 12–24 months.
Mapping the full funnel: From awareness to retention
Think in stages: awareness, consideration, conversion, onboarding, retention, and advocacy. Each stage needs its own assets—SEO and social for awareness, case studies and webinars for consideration, clean offers for conversion, and email nurturing for retention.
Prioritizing channels for small businesses
Small businesses win by picking 2–4 core channels and going deep, not by being everywhere. My recommended starting stack:
Website and SEO as your home base—fast, mobile-friendly, with one clear CTA.
Email marketing for nurture and retention.
One social platform where your buyers actually live (LinkedIn for B2B, Instagram for many B2C).
Partnerships and referrals with complementary providers like CPAs, attorneys, or consultants.
Marketing drives growth. Financial clarity helps you scale it. See how Complete Controller supports both.
Digital Marketing Strategy for Growth: Where Most of Your ROI Lives
A digital marketing strategy for growth is the most measurable, scalable engine you have. It’s where smart SMBs find compounding returns.
SEO and content as always-on customer acquisition
Search is a compounding asset—unlike paid channels you “rent.” Write content that matches search intent: educational blogs at the top of the funnel, comparison pages in the middle, and case studies near the bottom. The Search Engine Journal SEO guide is a great primer if you’re starting fresh.
Case in point: HubSpot scaled by leaning into inbound marketing—content, SEO, and educational resources—instead of cold outbound. By 2010, that strategy had built them to roughly 8,000 customers and about $15 million in revenue, per a Harvard Business School case study. Inbound works because it earns trust before asking for the sale.
Email marketing: The highest-ROI channel most SMBs underuse
Email is still the quiet champion. Litmus’s 2022 State of Email ROI report found email marketing delivered $36 for every $1 spent—a 3,600% ROI. Build core flows (welcome series, post-consult nurture, re-engagement), segment your list by industry or service line, and watch revenue per subscriber climb.
Social media and thought leadership
Stop posting everywhere. Pick one or two platforms, build content pillars (education, proof, behind-the-scenes, founder perspective), and let social proof do the heavy lifting.
Customer Acquisition Tactics for Growing a Business
Most founders are drowning in abstract strategy. Here are concrete customer acquisition tactics for growing a business that a small team can actually run.
Three always-on lead engines
SEO + Lead Magnet + Email Nurture: A blog post drives traffic to a checklist or template, which kicks off a 5-email sequence ending in a consult booking.
Quarterly Partner Webinars: Co-host with complementary providers; split the audience and the leads.
Review and Referral Flywheel: Ask for reviews and referrals at peak satisfaction moments, every time.
Turning buyers into repeat customers and advocates
Retention beats acquisition on pure math. According to Harvard Business Review’s foundational research by Reichheld and Sasser, acquiring a new customer can cost 5 to 25 times more than retaining one, and a 5% increase in retention can raise profits by 25% to 95%. Build structured onboarding, schedule quarterly business reviews for B2B clients, and trigger referral asks at the moments customers feel most successful.
How to Improve Marketing ROI for Business Growth
Without measurement, even the best essential marketing strategies for business growth become guesswork. Treat your marketing like an investment portfolio you actively manage.
Pull data from your website analytics, CRM (or a spreadsheet), and finance system. Review weekly, do a deep dive monthly. Run A/B tests on copy, offers, and landing pages. Kill underperformers. Double down on winners. One small optimization per week transforms results over a year. A strong financial foundation makes this discipline possible—our team’s perspective on efficient business finance managementexplains why.
Conclusion: Turning Strategy Into Compounding Growth
The essential marketing strategies for business growth aren’t about doing everything—they’re about doing the right things with focus. Clarify your customer and positioning. Build one full funnel across 2–3 digital channels. Track CAC, LTV, and ROI every month, and shift dollars toward what works.
When I look back at Complete Controller’s growth, the breakthroughs didn’t come from one big campaign. They came from steady, measurable improvements compounding over years—and from refusing to depend on any single channel. You can do the same. If you’d like help building the financial visibility that makes confident marketing investment possible, visit Complete Controller and let our team show you what’s possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Essential Marketing Strategies for Business Growth
What is the most important marketing strategy for small business growth?
Customer clarity. Before tactics, define exactly who you serve, what they value, and why they should choose you. Every channel decision flows from there.
How much should a small business spend on marketing?
A common benchmark is 5–10% of revenue for established businesses and 10–20% for growth-stage companies—but zero-based budgeting tied to ROI targets is smarter than any rule of thumb.
Which digital marketing channel has the best ROI?
Email marketing consistently leads, with Litmus reporting $36 return per $1 spent. SEO is the strongest long-term compounding channel for service businesses.
How long before marketing strategies show results?
Paid channels can show results in days; SEO and content marketing typically take 3–6 months to build momentum and 9–12 months to compound. Retention improvements show up almost immediately in repeat revenue.
Should I focus on customer acquisition or retention?
Both, but retention usually wins the math. A 5% retention lift can raise profits 25–95%, while acquiring a new customer costs 5–25x more than keeping one.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Jennifer BrazerFounder/CEO
Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.
Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.
4 Essential Business Statements Every Business Needs
Business statements every business needs come down to four core reports: the Income Statement (P&L), Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Owner’s/Shareholders’ Equity. Together, these four statements tell you if you’re profitable, solvent, generating real cash, and actually building owner value over time. Skip any one of them, and you’re flying blind on a critical dimension of your business health.
After more than 20 years building Complete Controller and reviewing thousands of sets of books across nearly every industry you can name, I can tell you this with confidence: businesses rarely fail from a lack of data. They fail from a lack of clarity. In this article, I’ll walk you through each of the four essential statements, how they connect, and how to turn them into a monthly habit that sharpens every decision you make. You’ll leave with a practical framework, real-world examples, and a clear next step to get your books working for you.
What are the 4 essential business statements every business needs and why do they matter?
Every business needs an Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Owner’s/Shareholders’ Equity to measure profitability, financial position, cash health, and owner value.
The Income Statement shows whether your core operations are making or losing money over a period.
The Balance Sheet is a snapshot of what you own, what you owe, and what’s left for owners on a specific date.
The Cash Flow Statement reveals how cash actually moves through your business—beyond paper profit.
The Statement of Owner’s Equity tracks how much value you’re retaining or distributing over time.
The 4 Essential Business Statements Every Business Needs (and How They Connect)
The four core financial statements recognized by banks, investors, and regulators are the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Owner’s/Shareholders’ Equity. According to the Financial Accounting Standards Board, a complete set of financial statements includes all four. This isn’t a “best practice”—it’s the standard financial reporting package in the United States.
Here’s how they integrate into one coherent story:
The Income Statement produces net income, which flows into your equity statement as retained earnings.
The Equity Statement updates ending equity, which then appears on the Balance Sheet.
The Cash Flow Statement reconciles your beginning and ending cash, explaining changes in your bank balance.
The Balance Sheet ties it all together, showing your full financial position at a specific date.
When I work with new clients at Complete Controller, the first thing we build is this rhythm—because no single statement tells the whole truth. You need the full set, working together, to make smart calls.
Income Statement: Are You Really Making Money?
The Income Statement—also called the Profit & Loss or P&L—shows revenue, expenses, and net profit (or loss) over a defined period. It answers the most basic question every owner needs to ask: Are we profitable, and from what?
Reading your P&L like an on-page SEO audit
Just as best practices for on-page SEO optimization rely on clean structure and clear hierarchy, a useful Income Statement separates operating revenue, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and other income so you can scan it quickly. Focus on three margin metrics—gross, operating, and net—as your primary indicators of profitability.
I’ve watched owners celebrate record sales while their gross margin quietly eroded for six months. A monthly P&L review catches that drift early, the same way Google Analytics warns you when traffic dips before revenue does.
Balance Sheet: The Truth About What You Own and Owe
The Balance Sheet shows your assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time. It tells you whether you could survive a shock—a slow quarter, a lost client, a sudden expense.
A technical SEO mindset for your Balance Sheet
Think of your Balance Sheet as your technical SEO foundation. If the structure is broken, nothing built on top of it matters. Run a regular financial audit checklist:
Are short-term liabilities covered by current assets?
Is debt growing faster than equity?
Are old, uncollectible receivables inflating your asset side?
The cautionary tale here is Toys “R” Us. Their 2017 bankruptcy filing detailed how heavy debt and cash obligations crushed their ability to invest in stores and compete—even with billions in revenue. The Balance Sheet was screaming long before the doors closed.
Turn financial reports into smarter business decisions. See how Complete Controller can help.
Cash Flow Statement: Why Profit Isn’t Enough
The Cash Flow Statement tracks actual cash moving in and out across three categories: operating, investing, and financing activities. It answers the question that keeps owners up at night: If we’re profitable, why is there no money in the bank?
This statement matters enormously. The U.S. Small Business Administration warns that cash flow problems are a leading reason small businesses fail. Profit on paper does not pay payroll.
Treat cash flow like local SEO
Managing cash is much like how to optimize a website for local search—it’s about visibility now, when it matters most. Consistent invoicing, disciplined follow-up, and tight payment terms are your “local signals.” I’ve seen profitable companies close their doors because they treated the P&L as the only scoreboard. The Cash Flow Statement tells you whether your business can stay alive long enough to enjoy its own profits.
Statement of Owner’s Equity: Are You Building Real Value?
The Statement of Owner’s/Shareholders’ Equity shows changes in owners’ capital over a period—starting equity, contributions, withdrawals or dividends, and retained earnings. It answers a question many owners forget to ask: Is this business actually increasing my net worth?
Equity growth works like backlink building
Each year’s retained profit is like a high-quality backlink—it compounds your financial authority. Excessive withdrawals are like toxic backlinks—they weaken your equity relative to debt and damage how lenders see you.
Many owners measure success by distribution checks alone. I encourage every client to review this statement annually. Watching retained earnings climb is often the first time they truly see they’re building something with transferable value.
Building a Complete Strategy Around These Four Statements
Used together, these statements form a complete SEO strategy for growing businesses—except the “search engines” you’re optimizing for are your bank, investors, team, and the marketplace itself.
Balance Sheet = your domain authority (strength versus competitors)
Income Statement = your content performance (what’s working)
Cash Flow Statement = your site infrastructure (does it run smoothly?)
Equity Statement = your long-term authority score (compounding or burning?)
Case study: How four statements saved a $3M service firm
A professional services firm I worked with had “good sales, bad cash.” After implementing disciplined monthly reporting across all four statements, the team discovered that revenue growth was masking eroding margins and ballooning receivables. Profits existed on paper but never in the bank.
The fix included tightening billing terms, focusing on higher-margin work, and setting a target equity-to-debt ratio. Within 18 months, operating cash flow turned consistently positive and owner’s equity improved materially. It wasn’t better software that saved them—it was the discipline of reading and acting on all four statements together. For more practical reporting tips, see our guide to small business bookkeeping.
Build a Monthly Review Routine That Actually Sticks
Most online content tells you what these statements are. Almost no one shows you how to build a working monthly habit around them.
Borrow the mindset you’d use with Google Search Console or analytics platforms like Ahrefs and SEMrush:
Run the close on a calendar. Pick a date—say, the 15th of every month—and stick to it.
Compare multiple periods. One month tells you almost nothing; three months reveal trends.
Watch for red flags. Rising receivables, flat equity with rising debt, shrinking margins.
Act on what you see. Reporting without decisions is just paperwork.
A standardized chart of accounts acts like Schema.org for your books—it lets every tool and report categorize your data correctly. And consistent reconciliations are your Lighthouse audit, catching broken links between your bank and your books.
Final Thoughts: Use These Four Statements to Build a Business Worth Owning
When a business owner sits down with me, I don’t ask for last year’s tax return—I ask for their four core statements for the last 12 months. From there, the story is clear: where you’re leaking, where you’re strong, and what to change first.
Commit to producing and reviewing an Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Owner’s Equity every single month. You’ll make sharper decisions, sleep better, and build a business someone would actually want to buy one day. If you’re not sure your current books can produce reliable versions of these statements, visit Complete Controller and let our team help you build financials you can actually trust.
Frequently Asked Questions About Business Statements Every Business Needs
What are the 4 main business financial statements?
The four main statements are the Income Statement (P&L), Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Owner’s/Shareholders’ Equity. Together, they cover profitability, financial position, cash health, and owner value.
Which financial statement is most important for small businesses?
All four matter, but most advisors emphasize the Income Statement for profitability and the Cash Flow Statement for survival—since positive operating cash flow is critical to keep a small business alive.
How often should I prepare these business statements?
Best practice is monthly preparation, with deeper comparisons quarterly and annually. Monthly cadence catches problems early, before they become emergencies.
What’s the difference between the Income Statement and the Cash Flow Statement?
The Income Statement shows revenues and expenses based on accounting rules (which can include non-cash items like depreciation), while the Cash Flow Statement shows actual cash moving in and out across operating, investing, and financing activities.
Do I really need a Statement of Owner’s Equity for a small business?
Yes. This statement shows how much value is retained or withdrawn over time—which matters for lenders, future investors, and your own long-term wealth, even in a small operation.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Jennifer BrazerFounder/CEO
Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.
Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.
Making money is a very difficult task for many, but some people have mastered the art of making money from anything. These people are not magicians; they are using their skills to their fullest. No matter what job a person does, there is always room to make more money.
In reality, there are no particular skills required to make money. One can literally earn money from whatever he is good at, so anyone can utilize their skills to earn extraincome. Hobbies are the best way to make revenue because a person does not typically get bored with it.
Consistency and belief are two important ingredients that are required to earn some extra cash. Many people fail to make extra income only because they were not persistent and gave up too soon.
Sales skills are highly necessary to make moneyirrespective of the person’s field. To make money, an individual is selling either a product or service. For the former, skills and knowledge are required to convince the customers, and for the latter, a person should know how to sell himself.
Other skills that would be needed are honesty, hard work, enthusiasm, and courage to take risks.
Here are some money-making skills that can double the monthly income of a person in a lesser time.
Freelancing:
Any work that is done for the client without committing to it for the long run is called freelancing. Freelancers are self-employed because they can flexibly select their working hours. Many websites allow the freelancer to work with ease from their home. One can start freelancing in their freetime or on the weekends.
A freelancer usually provides his mind and skills. There are freelance writers, designers, web developers, photographers, and the list goes on.
Tutoring:
A graduate person could use the time to educate others. Working as a private tutor or joining an institute as a special subject teacher can help a person utilize their skills and subject matter knowledge to earn money.
Painting:
One does not need to be a full-time artist to earn money from painting. An individual could paint everything from portraits to houses or face paint at events.
Take Online Surveys:
An individual can also sit and fill out marketing surveys. Often, these surveys give rewards either through monetarycompensation or gift cards.
Peer to Peer Lending:
Some people are in urgent need of money and want it instantly, so a person could join a lending club and earn interest on the loaned money. The earning could be as high as 25%, but usually turnover is between 3-8%.
Affiliate Marketing:
Affiliates are the owner of the website, and their web-content is usually about the company they are advertising. Affiliate marketing pays you money when you refer others to the company for a particular service or product.
Repair Electronics:
A person who is a repair tech could also earn money from their skills, and a typical repair shop is not always necessary. The customer could contact a repairer by just hearing about the services. From computers to juicer blenders, one could be able to repair anything.
Online Selling:
Buy some small things at wholesale rates and sell them on the websites that allow the users to open their shop online. The products are sent to the customers using different courier services within 2-5 business days. That means one could have enough time to pack and send the product. These websites take a small percent of whatever is sold, and creating an account is low cost.
Sell Photographs:
Buy a good camera and sell what is captured. There are websites that allow photographers to upload their photos and earn from them whenever a person downloads them. These websites provide percentage-share to the uploader.
YouTube Video Making:
YouTube lets their accountholder earn from their videos. When people watch the video, the person who has uploaded it gets the profit from the company.
E-Book Writing:
Any person could become a book writer – thanks to the internet. Now, there is no need to have fundstopublish the written work. From a cookbook to the first aid booklet, one could write and publish just about anything. Many e-book sites allow users to earn from their e-books.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
Freelancers, or contractors, often work on different projects at a single time, which can make it difficult for them to keep track of time. Therefore, they are always in search of a way to manage their time and deadlines effectively. Handling and tracking time effectively enhances the productivity of the freelancer and increases their efficiency. Back in 1500 BC, Egyptians used a device similar to the sundial which used to help them in tracking time. We still need to time track; however, the methods have evolved with time.
On several occasions, businesses need a time tracking system to reduce the effort of maintainingrecords on their own. You will find several methods on the internet that can help you manage and track your time. If you are a contractor, it is recommended that you utilize software to keep track of time to increaseyourworkproductivity. Below are some methods which you can use.
The Paper Method: This method requires you to have access to a pen, paper, and a stopwatch, which can be found on most smartphones. You can use a stopwatch on your phone to keep track of time by writing down the time it takes to finish a particular activity. This method is easy to use. However, you can easily lose the paper which you used to keep track of everything.
The Honor System: This system requires you to estimate the time it would require you to complete a task and report it to your project manager. They estimate the amount you should get paid considering the hourly rate you state, so while this method is easy, inaccuracy is always an issue. You may under or overstate the time you require to finish a task, negatively affecting your compensation later if you cannot provide proof.
The Spreadsheet Method: In the spreadsheet method, you use a template and add the commencement time and the project’s finishing time. You can use the template provided in Excel and add the columns as you require. This helps you send the report to the manager easily, and it is easier to document than the honor system. However, it is time-consuming as a person needs to manually type the data whenever the work is completed.
Mobile Phone: Mobile time tracking was considered a luxury a few years ago. In this decade, it has become necessary for people and businesses to keep track of time and bills through mobile timesheets. You can download an app or make use of time-related, built-in applications to recordtime.
Google Chrome: It is usually helpful and preferred to record time without signing into an application. Google Chrome (or any other browser) offers a user to record time of any activity or the time spent on a website without the need to sign in.
Biometric System: Retina and fingerprint scanning may sound futuristic, but many organizations are now using them to record time. Biometric time tracking allows an organization to keep track of the check-ins and check-outs of the employees. This is more convenient than manual time tracking.
Cloud Software or app: With the help of advancement in technology, people can now use Cloud software to trackandrecord time and all the necessary information related to it. They can even share it with as many people as they want. Cloud software helps an individual to save time by keeping all the data updated, and the data entered is automated.
In short, there are many methods that both businesses and individuals can use to manage and record time according to the nature of their work. Technology has greatly impacted businesses, freelancers, and contractors, by reducing the efforts it requires to manage and record all the time and data manually.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
When starting a business, there are many things to consider. The first thing you must figure out is how you are going to finance your business. In some cases, a new business owner will fund the business independently; in other cases, a new entrepreneur will need either partial or full funding. You can finance your business multiple ways, but to determine financing possibilities, you will need to assess the business and financingpotential. The first suggestion is that you create a business plan that will include the business’s financial needs. Here are seven ways you can fund your business outside of using your savings.
Friends or Family
While often, when we are starting our own business, it can be met with mixed reactions. Most of your friends and family will be supportive, but you may also encounter some naysayers among them. Just because a friend or family may support your business venture doesn’t mean that they will also finance it, but if you give a compelling presentation and have the funds, some friends or family may be willing to invest in your business.
Outside Investors
Soliciting outside investors can be a great way to fund your business. Outside investors can be easier to solicit than friends or family because they will be looking at the businessplan, earning potential, and impression of you. They won’t have preconceived notions of you that your friends and family may have. Outside investors are looking for investments that will earn them income, and if your company has great potential, you can attract great investors.
Bank Loans
Bank loans are the traditional option that many businesses use to finance. It is less preferred as an option because of the interest and requirements you may not meet, especially as a startup. If you have great personal credit, you can generally get some funding for your business when coupled with a great business plan. However, banks are often hesitant to back a new business regardless of personal credit due to the risks missed by your business.
SBA Loans or Business Grants
The Small Business Administration is a great way to get financing for your business, but it is also one of the most difficult ways. There is a lot of paperwork and strict requirements to get a loan or grant through the SBA. But if you can do it, the rates are great, and grants do not require payback. Even though it is a long shot to get an SBA loan or grant, it is worth the time and effort because the payoff is great.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are an option to finance your business or purchase the business’s needs, but it is the least preferred. Credit cards generally have higher interest rates, and if you max them out, you can have difficulty getting out from under the debt it will create. A credit card should only be used for business purchases if you have no other option. They can also make smaller purchases for business needs as long as you make every effort to quickly pay the balance. It is also suggested that you obtain the credit card you will use for business under its name.
Purchase Order Funding
Purchase order funding is fairly new to business financing but is gaining popularity. This type of financing works by the investor paying your suppliers directly for the goods and materials you need to start selling. You will pay the investor much like you do if they fund your business directly, through the profits you make as a business.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding has become an extremelypopular way to finance a business or project. If successful in getting crowdfunding to start your business, the crowd invested in you will be paid back when your business becomes profitable. Crowdfunding is largely dependent on you selling your businessidea and yourself. Often investors on crowdfunding sites invest from their hearts.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
One common source of income comes from a professional or registered job or business. Earning a lifetime profit on a one-time investment is called earning a passive income. It also refers to the income generated from passionate efforts. Most people earn this by utilizing their natural skills. Suppose you have an interest in app development or cooking. In this case, you will first visit multiple websites and channels on the internet. You will start learningtips and tricks and learn how to exercise your talents practically to further develop your interest. It is human nature to be curious and explore subjects that interest you.
Our hobbies and interests encourage us to learn something new. Multiple platforms exist on the internet where we can become a solo entrepreneur and generate passive income. The journey from initially learning to creating a self-made business is the path to earning a passiveincome.
This income is the best source to balance your financialcircumstances. According to CNN Money, around 44 million US adults desire to make more money than their regular jobs, and nearly 36% of Americans become successful in making 500 extra dollars monthly.
The public’s interest in making passive money is increasing, and its scope is rapidly broadening every year. However, many Americans remain ignorant of this potential. They even believe “having a side hustle” is a useless practice and a wastage of time. That is why you must be smart when spreading awareness about passiveincome and earning money.
Your passive income depends on your capacitytowork. There is the guarantee of a refund at the initial level but, with time, your talent will develop. For example, you are a newbie in the blog or article writing field and do not handle clients. You write your first blog and send it to the customer. Your article may be initially sent back because you could not meet the client’s requirements. You will then learn and find solutions. In the end, you will use this lesson to progress and take on more clients and earn more income, or you will abandon the field and eliminate your chancesofsucceeding.
There are multiple strategies and ways by which you can make passive income that is relative to your income standards.
One option is to use your spare bedroom or floor as a space to rent out to travelers or housemates. This will allow you to earn long-term passive income. This is done by leaving one portion of the house for yourself and renting the other portion out. You must have your tenant sign a legal agreement and decide a specific amount for rent. Here, this one-time investment also means you do not need to purchase a separate property but can use the home you already live in.
Another option is the peer-to-peer lending process. Various companies, such as Lending Club and Prosper, provide investors with different productive offers to realize the best passive income earning source. According to Financial Samurai, investors get 10% of the returns on investment within a year, generating passive income from companies. Additionally, the competitive rates offered are what attract consumers.
Do you have an interest in photography? Consider selling stock photos as a way to earn passive income. Photography is a hobby that allows us to preserve infinite memories. Additionally, it is a way to tell a story without using words. People love to have photos of their choice displayed in their house. This interest can help you earn a profit if you have a talent for it. The high scope of demand makes this domain of stock photography a big market.
Passive income is not an illegitimate way of earning money; it is done through passionateefforts. Consider using your skills, talents, and interest to earn supplementary income for you and your family.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
There are many fields of work that can carry over into freelancing. Freelance means to do work on a job to job basis for a multitude of clients rather than to work in a career field for one employer. Freelancing can be profitable but a little more unstable as you may or may not get work regularly. The income is sporadic rather than the steady paycheck that working for a single employer would provide. But the inclusion of the word “free” is a good indication of the underlying advantage to being a freelancer, you are free to take as much or as little work as you would like, and you have freedom in every aspect of the business you do.
Becoming a freelance bookkeeper can be easy if you have the skills. In many cases, your education level won’t matter to your clients because you are a freelancer. If you have the skills, the client will not care about your education. However, having a degree in accountingor bookkeeping would always be a plus for a freelancer looking to get the maximum pay for the work.
If you decide to throw your hat in the ring of freelance bookkeeping, you will need to generate clients. In many cases, once the business gets started, if you are good, you will get endless work by word of mouth. However, sometimes in the freelance world, the competition can be steep. Therefore you need to be proactive in drumming up business. Here are three things you need to do to build your freelance bookkeeping business.
Use Social Media Platforms
Everyone knows that social media is a huge asset when it comes to buildingrelationships and your business. Most people concentrate on Facebook and LinkedIn when it comes to business-related marketing, but all social media platforms can be used to build your business.
Facebook: It is perhaps the more used for business purposes as you can start a business page for free and invite all your friends to like the page, share it, and get the latest news of your business through updates on the page. You can also use your Facebook timeline to let people know what you do and your availability. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends to get the word out about you.
LinkedIn: This platform was specifically created to help employees find employers, employers to find potential employees, and business owners to build their businesses. LinkedIn connects people for business purposes and creates leads for jobs based on your businessprofile input.
Instagram: While it is not generally thought of as a business platform, it is definitely where people can build their brand. Through hashtags, you can build an audience from people you don’t know personally fairly easily. Brand-building is important when it comes to having a freelance bookkeeping business or any business for that matter
Look for New Businesses
Looking for new business may seem like a no-brainer, but many people don’t seek business out. Most freelancers put themselves out there and wait for the clients to come to them, which is exactly what you should do. However, you are only tapping into half of your client grabbing potential. Because every business has to implement a bookkeeping strategy, you can get business by contacting new or start-up businesses and offering your services. Most new, small businesses have difficulty with the financial aspect of the business. Though some feel uncomfortable cold-calling on businesses, the truth is, if the worst thing they can do is say no, you have nothing to lose. There are thousands of new small businesses or even established ones. Move on from the no until you find yeses.
Run Ads EVERYwhere
You should always run ads everywhere you can afford. Many places are free or very low in cost. The most important thing to remember is that if you are creative or know someone else, you can keep advertising costs so low that they are almost imperceptible.
Craigslist is a great platform. There is a small fee to run ads there, however, the payoff can be great, and will pay for the fee easily. You can also use freelance work sites such as Fiverr, keep in mind that they allow you to post your job for free but take 20% of your payment and don’t pay you for the work until 14 days after completion of the work. It is a great site to gain your customers and buildyourreputation and is still recommended despite the financial drawbacks.
Conclusion
Starting and maintaining a successfulfreelancebookkeeping business is fairly easy as long as you have the skills. If you use these three ideas, you can do so within a short time and have your business overflowing quickly.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
When it comes to budgeting and investing, finding a good plan to manage the money can become a very difficult task. It can become a challenging mission for many men and women when they sit back and try to manage their financial errands. However, it is observed that women often confront more difficulties in comparison to men. The reason behind this difficulty is that women around the world face different types of concerns, and they affect the handling of accounts.
For different women to address their concerns head-on, some online financial planning tools can offer immense help.
Here are some best and easy-to-use financial planning tools, also known as financial calculators, that can enable any woman to comprehend and take control of her funds:
Retirement Calculator
Created by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Retirement Calculator is an excellent tool that helps people start reassessing their retirement. By entering some fundamental data, for example, age, current reserve funds, expected retirement age, pay, and conjugal status, this calculator can help a woman determine if her current investmentfunds are satisfactory or not for her eventual retirement plans.
401k Savings Calculator
Particularly when your financial obligations are restricted to a small budget, it is sensible to use the 401k savings calculator. This amazing tool can enable a woman to make sense of how much savings she must collect and update her budget accordingly.
Lifetime Income Calculator
Like the aforementioned calculators, the U.S. made Lifetime Income Calculator is available to help a young lady determine her basicsavings. This Lifetime Income Calculator comes with a couple of its own highlights that make it one of a kind financial planning tool.
This unique tool enables you to calculate the month-to-month lifetime wage streams. It is used to consider both the member’s present record balance and the anticipated estimation of the recordbalanceatretirement. This calculator helps you create two-level lifetime installmentsandplans. The two levels mean one for the life of the member and the second for the joint existence of the member. It also helps to adjust the life partner investment with a half survivor’s advantage for the companion’s lifetime.
Social Security Quick Calculator
For the women out there, who are worried about their social security plan, Social Security Quick Calculator is your answer! You can utilize this calculator to evaluateanddetermine what to expect regarding social safety salary depending upon when you retire.
Cost of Senior Care Calculator
Obviously, the trouble in long-term saving and avoiding and obstacles is unpredictable. However, if you perceive and calculate where you are and plan for later, you can build up a nice nest egg and enjoy a better future. As such, utilizing the Cost of Senior Care Calculator can be your perfect option. This calculator helps you compare the cost of senior care with the expenses of your incurring.
Cost of Raising a Child Calculator
If a woman is expecting to have a child in the near future or is currently raising children, then the Cost of Raising a Child Calculator is the best financial planning tool for her. It is a tool developed by the U.S. Bureau of Agriculture department for nourishment strategy promotion. This amazing tool enables many mothers across the country to evaluate the expenses related to child-raising obligations.
Commute Cost Calculator
Last but not least, the Commute Cost Calculator can help a busy working woman determine her current transportation cost. The cost of a commute can be a major factor of any financialplan, particularly for women working one or more jobs. The Commute Cost Calculator can enable these working ladies to manage their traveling budget and help them spend their hard-earned money efficiently.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
