Author: Jennifer Brazer

There may come a time in life for the financially responsible adult where you need to increase your income. You may need more income to make a large purchase, save for emergencies or retirement, or due to unforeseen financial hardships, making it challenging to make ends meet. Whatever the reason, you may be contemplating asking for a raise to increase your income. For some, asking for a raise is easy, and it is difficult for others to do it for others. Here are five tips to help make asking for a raise easy so you can increase your income without having to get a second job.

Protocol Awareness

The first thing you need to be aware of is the company protocol on asking for a raise. Some companies may not have a specific protocol, while others may have salary increase procedures to follow if you are looking for a raise. In the past, employees would set a meeting with the boss and ask for a raise and lay out the reasons for a simple verbal presentation. In today’s corporate world, some offices have channels that are gone through to gain approval and increase income. Make sure you are aware of the protocol before you approach anyone about a raise.

Timing is Everything

Figuring out the right time to ask is similar to protocol awareness. In some companies, they only consider increases in salary during yearly evaluations. They consider it for all employees and will award increases according to job performance and employee evaluation. You may not have to wait for a specific time of year at other companies and can set the time to when it makes the most sense to you. If you can choose when to ask for a raise, make sure you set the appointment with the decision-maker when it is right for them, and with plenty of notice. This attention to the timing can make a difference between getting the raise or having it rejected.

Be Realistic

While you should be aware of your worth and how that translates into being paid what you are worth, you also have to consider that asking for a raise is a business transaction. Suppose you ask for too much of an increase in your income that either the company can’t afford or is out of proportion to your progression, instead of the company negotiating. In that case, they may reject it altogether. At the same time, it is not unrealistic to ask for a little more than you want to give some negotiation space.

Be Prepared

Asking for a raise in some smaller businesses may be as simple as walking up to your boss and asking, requiring no preparation. However, in most companies, when asking for a salary increase, you have to be prepared to make a presentation as to why you deserve the raise. You should be able to show your value, what you bring to the table, and why this value deserves an increase in your income. If you are a hard worker, often the decision-maker knows your value. However, in some cases, your hard work is taken for granted, so if you are prepared with well thought out arguments of why you should get what you are asking for, your chances of securing a raise are increased.

Amount

Some may argue that you should ask for the exact amount you would like to make when asking for a salary increase. In some cases, this direct and specific approach will be successful. However, it is suggested that you give the decision maker a range of amounts. Some may believe this means the company would probably offer the lowest amount of salary in your provided range. First, if you make the lower end, what you are willing to take, or if it is an amount you were hoping for, you will increase your chances of getting the raise you want. Second, you could get more than you wanted if you give them this range of choices. Another strategy is to ask for a percentage or range of percentages of your current income increase.

Conclusion

Asking for a raise can be challenging unless it is built into your company’s performance reviews done yearly. Even though asking for a raise might make you nervous, the truth is, 100% of employees that don’t ask for a raise don’t get one. However, studies show that 70% of those employees ask for a raise to get one if a person uses these tips.

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.

Savings and investments are essential for an individual to grow their net worth. Though many have difficulty or even fear when it comes to investing and saving, being educated on types of investments can help drive away from the anxiety and promote healthy saving and investing habits. Here are stable financial investments that every financially responsible adult should be aware of to help them make educated decisions on where and how to invest.

Stock Funds

Stock funds are great long-term investments that are mutual funds and perfect for investors who do not have time to study individual stocks. Stock funds feature diversification that pulls in various company’s not necessarily in the same industry. This pulling from different industries protects most of the funds if one of the industries is experiencing a downturn. Stock funds are lower risk than from other types of stocks because they are a diversified mutual fund. They are not totally without risks, but they are extremely low. 

Growth Stocks

Growth stocks are investments in companies that show potential for large or high growth. This growth also offers high investment returns. These stocks were specifically developed with the idea that the dividends would be invested back in the company rather than directly paid out to investors. Investors still receive dividends but not as often as other stocks. Dividends generally come once the growth starts to slow down, so if you are in for the long-term and have patience, this type of stock can pay off big over time. Growth stocks have continually been the best stock performers overall because of long-term growth.

These stocks are considered high-risk because they can be vulnerable to market fluctuations. However, if you hold on to the stock’s long-term and ride out the storms, this stock is what a savvy investor needs to do to get a long-term pay-out on their investment.

Bond Funds

Bond funds are when a company or the government issues a bond. The government or company then pays the bondholder a fixed amount of interest each year. At the end of the term for the bond, the bond issuer’s initial principal investment is paid back. These funds are an excellent long-term investment due to their diversity and relatively low risk. While an excellent long-term investment has a lower pay off, if you are looking for higher return rates, they may not be where you want to place all your investment dollars.

Dividend stocks

A dividend stock is a stock that has a regular cash pay-out. These are popular stocks because dividend stocks produce a steady income. Dividend stocks also are the best stocks to grow dividends over time. Like all stocks, they are at higher risk because they are not diversified and are vulnerable to market fluctuations. However, these stocks are a great source of passive income when they are doing well as the dividends are paid quarterly. 

Real Estate Investments

Real estate can be a highly rewarding investment due to the passive income over time as a rental property or a fix and flip. Real estate is a great long-term and short-term financial investment because of the control as the property can be sold at any time. Real estate investments can be highly rewarding and, in some cases, a more significant risk than the investor can tolerate. 

Small-cap Stocks

Small-cap stocks are like growth stocks, the difference being that the companies are small. Small-cap stocks have a payoff that can be significant if the company you bought stock in grows substantially, and you are patient for the long-term. 

IRA CD

An IRA CD is a good option if you are risk-averse and want a guaranteed income without any chance of loss. Like the name says, this investment is just a CD inside an IRA. And inside a tax-friendly IRA, you will avoid taxes on the interest you accrue if you stick to the plan’s rules.

Conclusion

Wherever you decide to invest, you must do so and have savings to grow your net worth. The above investments carry varying degrees of risk and reward. Still, if researched and done through a professional investment planner, these investments will offer the investor great options to have money for a strong financial future.

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.

Whether a business is large or small, it will need hiring employees at some point unless it is and always will be a sole proprietorship business. With the advancement of technology and the high use of social media and other online platforms, businesses need to shift their focus to their online presence and its impact on positive recruitment for their business. You need to know the following things as a business owner trying to seek out and hire quality employees.

Social Media Presence

In today’s world of advanced technology and constant use, many businesses, large and small, are utilizing multiple types of social recruiting to find qualified and hirable employees. Using your online presence and social media is done by employee referrals and using different social network platforms. There are several advantages that social recruitment gives to small businesses. Some of these advantages are defined in understanding a candidate’s personality, employee engagement, and brand promotion.

Business recruitment is entirely dependent on how the business engages with existing and potential employees and well-established social media strategy. Your business needs to post multiple high-quality and engaging updates regularly with ongoing interaction, specifically with the focus of interacting with your social media followers. It is shown that employees in today’s world will not take their well-developed skills and abilities to a company that doesn’t have a strong online presence.

Social media platforms can be used by current employees to help your company attract potential strong candidates among their followers and friends. Incentivizing the usage of their social media platforms such as paying referral bonuses for employees hired through their efforts and retained for a certain length of time can help encourage employees to bring quality employees to your door.

Job Description and the Recruit

An excellent and detailed job description is essential, no matter what platform you use to promote your job opportunity. Ensure the business objectives are clear and make concise but strong bullet points that layout the job description and requirements. It is proven that those businesses that use detailed job descriptions, whether a large corporation or small business, have attracted more qualified potential candidates because they were clear on the job, and they connected to it.

Those who will be involved in the company’s hiring process need to be involved in developing the job description.

Selection

Social media can also be used to screen applicants in addition to is advertising the company’s vacancy. Whenever assessing an application, the company’s hiring manager must review the applicant’s skills, personal qualities, and previous job experience. This approach will require social media to assess behavioral values and make social media a valuable hiring tool. Many employers have hiring employees that specifically review a potential candidate’s public profiles on social media, including Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. This social media review will help your business know more about the candidate to ensure you are hiring a person with integrity and other positive qualities need within your company. 

A Larger Talent Pool

This use of social media opens up your business to a world of potential candidates by expanding your talent pool. This expansion of the talent pool is incredibly helpful to the small business that cannot afford a large recruiting budget. A strong social media presence doesn’t have a high cost, and it is not dependent on the business size and budget. Any business can attract or find great candidates and have a larger talent pool from which to select. Most small businesses cannot attract high-quality candidates without great expense to compete with larger businesses, so social media levels the playing field.

Conclusion

Small businesses should be able to hire the best candidates regardless of their size. To be competitive with larger businesses for the best employees without astronomical costs, small businesses must use social media recruitment. These tips will help your small business thrive with top talent staff to support it.

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.

A business logo is a mixture of text and visual images that serves two purposes. First, it carries your company’s name to potential customers, and secondly, it creates a visual symbol that signifies your business. Choosing the perfect business logo is essential, as logos are proven to be a vital marketing tool.

When you have your brand, you usually want to represent your image in a certain way or communicate positive energy and a particular ideal. Whether widely known or associated with a small business, every brand should have a logo as it is a great marketing tool in itself. Even if some brands have similar value proposals, the public’s image can be completely different. Therefore, this aspect of branding is crucial to your business and promotes the products or services you offer.

The Influence of The Logo

When you understand that your logo plays a significant role, your logo may have little to do with people’s accurate assessment of the nature of the business you provide and the experience that individuals have with the brand. But it does have a significant influence on consumer’s first impressions. This impact is easily overlooked. That’s because the inspiration for visual design plays at the next and more profound level; it’s something that customers unconsciously and immediately course when they see your brand. This way, it has a more significant influence on your first impression.

With your logo, you can immediately show the public what type of brand you are. Luxury brands practice using specific letter fonts and sizes, a particular look and feel to attract customers. They usually have minimalistic yet artistic, professional, and constricted looking logos.

A lesser-known brand with lower pricing or smaller business can benefit from using a logo too by designing and utilizing a basic logo that is not too artistic or over the top. These are all things that consumers immediately notice when they see a logo, and therefore this is a great tool to help your brand represent itself well to the people. Your business logo is also a useful marketing tool and can draw business and enhance recognition, and your business grows.

The Benefits of a Business Logo Design

Hiring a professional logo designer is worth the investment. Particularly when it comes to using the basic logo as the centerpiece of your overall graphic design, it gives consumers a clear image of what kind of brand you are. It can carry a good business image or message that says something about your brand’s philosophy.

The business logo design is often the first thing customers experience when they come to your business or find your business online. A logo is much more than just a text with a graphic or picture; it portrays your business image and is a short introduction to what you are and what you offer. A well-designed logo is an easy way to get potential customers to notice you and bring their dollars to your business.

Conclusion

Depending on your business, your logo is not only your brand identification, but it can also be used on business cards, wearables, merchandise, and products. When getting it designed, it is important that it is striking and tells a story.

Businesses, both large and small, have to be mindful of marketing and how the public and potential future customers receive their business. While having an online presence, social media, and advertising are essential for any business to be successful, having a well-designed business logo can go a long way in brand recognition. In some cases, this logo can drive traffic to your business as studies have shown brand loyalty is boosted if the business logo is striking and easily recognized. This is the reason your business logo should be well-thought-out and executed.

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.

Becoming independent and starting a freelance business can be a scary endeavor. However, it can also be one of the most rewarding things a person can do. Though you will have clients who dictate their terms and needs, you are your boss, and you can pick and choose the clients and jobs you take. Starting a freelance business has become more common in this economy, requiring people to have a primary job and some side gigs to help them make ends meet. Here are six things any freelance needs to know to start their freelance business.

Who is Your Client

Knowing the client, you will serve extremely important to the freelancer. This will determine how you conduct your business and how you market it. Marketing will be wholly focused on your pre-determined target audience, and this is why you need to be familiar with who your client is. Some freelancers have skills in multiple areas; however, they will need to determine each client type separately and focus ads and marketing individually to get business.

Your Niche

While as a freelancer, you can do multiple types of work, be careful not to try to do anything and everything, and try to focus the bulk of your freelance career on one niche. When you focus on only one or a few freelancing types, you can build your business to success. There is still a place for the multi-talented freelancer. While you don’t want to divide your focus, you need to balance it with what will provide you with the steadiest income. So it is highly recommended you stick to one niche for the most significant results.

Services

Determining what services you offer is dependent on deciding your niche. The services you offer are essentially sub-categories of your main niche. If you are unsure of what type of services you may have, find freelancers in the same niche and see what services they offer. Also, base them on your skills and experience.

Keep Your Main Job

While freelancing can be gratifying due to the freedom it gives you in the work you take and the hours you work, it is also sporadic in the income you earn. Unless you can take the loss of income, it is suggested that you keep your primary source of income until your freelance income covers at least 50 to 75% of your primary job income. Once you get to that level, when you quit your job and have more time to dedicate to your freelance work you will quickly make up the last percentage.

Keep Up Your Skills

Continuing to build your skills can give you a significant advantage in the competitive freelance world. Also, the higher your skill levels are, the higher the pay. You can take on small and quick tasks that gain your skills even though they don’t pay as much. This skill gain will pay off and make up the difference in your earnings in the long-term.

Pricing

Many freelancers have difficulty pricing their work, and websites that help freelancers attract clients generally take a fee from your payout. Hence, you have to compensate by charging more considerable fees. When setting prices for your work, you should consider skill level, experience, abilities, and the market. Also, it would help if you built your business and reputation before raising your rates. You can’t be just starting and charging high rates. You have to develop it over time. How much time depends on how much work you take on and how quickly you build your skills and reputation.

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.

Whether a business is just starting or well-established, it should have a business website and an online presence. A business website is a great marketing tool and can offer information on your business hours, location, products, and services. It is often the first glimpse a potential customer has of your business. If your website is not engaging and eye-catching, it can turn that potential customer into someone else’s actual customer.

While your website needs to capture your potential customer’s attention, it also needs to be simple and easy to navigate. If a website is too busy, it can make it challenging to gain information and go elsewhere. It is not only critical that you have a website, but it also needs to serve the purpose of informing and gaining customers quickly. Here are four reasons a website is essential to your business.

Marketing

A website works as your online presence and presents your brand in a way that appeals to the target audience. You may say it’s one of the essential marketing tools you could have because it gives the audience an insight into what your business is about and the services or products available. Even though using social media marketing is essential and useful, it can negatively impact your marketing strategy if you don’t have a business website.

Your website should be the center of your marketing strategy, and when planning it with your web designer, marketing should be kept in mind. The focus should be on using SEO (search engine optimization) and keywords when building your site from a marketing standpoint.

Sales

Without sales, your business cannot continue operating. Fortunately, there is an easy way to improve sales, and that is by improving your website. Although it may not seem like a critical factor to many, in reality, the condition of your website can either enhance or reduce your discernibility. Because a business’s primary focus is profit, sales should be seriously considered when designing your website. If you use your website to confirm sales, you will need to implement e-commerce tools.

Credibility

In this modern world, where the internet is easily reachable, and browsing on a daily basis, not having a website can become a problem. Without a website, consumers have no way of knowing if your brand is reputable and dependable. A website that looks specialized and neat generates an identity for your brand and delivers valuable insight into your products or any services you offer. Often potential customers will not even consider using a business that doesn’t have a business website. It gives credibility to the business and helps the customer explore the products and services before deciding to give their business to your company.

Accessibility

The internet has taken the world of advertising by storm, giving businesses benefits and avenues to reach possible customers worldwide. Since users can be in different time zones, having a website permits your brand to be available anywhere and anywhere in the world. This means that you can produce sales even after business hours. Your site will always be accessible; that way, consumers can get information on your brand and make purchases no matter where they are. To truly expand your business, your website’s accessibility is crucial because even if you have a brick and mortar business with certain business hours, customers from across the globe can order products from your site even after hours.

Conclusion

A website is a highly valuable tool for modern businesses all over the world. It may seem as if every company has a site, but you would be surprised at how many businesses have gone without having a website or an online presence. Whether you’re a well-known brand or a small business, having a presence online can make a huge difference in your sales.

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.

Financial independence, two words that every responsible adult wants to hear, but what is financial independence? It is the financial goal you achieve when you have zero debt, savings for emergencies and retirement, and aren’t living paycheck to paycheck. It can also include some great major purchases like a house, car, or boat. To be financially independent should be everyone’s goal, with no exceptions.

Most people give up on the dream of financial independence, thinking it is difficult to achieve. Still, the truth is there are steps you take that are immediately actionable and can greatly impact your financial status. Here are three easy steps that will get you to financial freedom that you can apply today!

Get Control of Your Money

Often, a person cannot get out of debt or have financial independence due to the loss of control over their money. This loss of control can happen when debt is taken on that is hard to overcome. These debts include high interest or payday loans, maxed out credit cards, or other loans or credit lines that have you in a hole you can’t climb out of even with making payments.

Suppose you can’t afford a financial planner or credit fixer, which is often the case when deep in debt. You can take control without professional help. First, work at consolidating your debt if you can. Find the lowest interest loan or obtain a low-interest loan if possible to cover all your debt and use it to pay off all your cards and higher-interest loans. This action will consolidate all your debt into one payment with a lower interest rate. If you cannot obtain a loan or don’t have room on a lower interest credit card to charge off higher interest debts, start by paying off two things right away. First, any high-interest loans or credit cards, and second the smallest debt you have. Doing these two things will help you gain control of your finances quickly.

Once you gain control, it is vital that you get rid of credit cards and don’t take on any new loans. Once you get control and get out of debt, don’t allow yourself to get there again.

Cut Spending

Besides getting out of debt, trimming the fat in your spending is an immediately actionable way to get to financial independence. First, you have to look at your finances and truly analyze it. You don’t have to do away with every luxury you spend on. Luxuries are anything outside of necessities. Luxuries can include everything from big-ticket items like a new TV to something small like impulse buys when you go grocery shopping. Cutting spending or trimming fat can be much like a diet. If you are not keeping track of what you are eating, how much you’re eating, or the quality of the food you’re eating, you will not be successful with your diet. In a budget, you need to write down everything you spend your money on and prioritize it.

 

If you are single and have no other people on your budget, it can be fairly easy to determine spending. However, if you are working on a family budget, you will need to ensure all the family members account for their spending and participate in the decision on what to cut. This participation and buy-in is essential to help everyone participate in cutting spending.

Increase Your Income

In today’s gig economy, it is much easier to get a side hustle going. In the past, the only side gigs were selling make-up or housewares in a pyramid marketing venture. Today, there are hundreds of ways to earn extra income on the side with little to no upfront costs to you. You can make food, grocery, or package deliveries as a contractor, which gives you a great deal of flexibility in schedule and income. You can also do various freelance jobs on the side using your skills and talents to gain you more income.

Another way to increase your income is to obtain a second job. Often you can get jobs that are seasonal if you only need the second income for a limited time to pay down debt or build savings. Unlike the gig or freelance type job, this would be a regular job schedule and income. You can also ask for a raise or go for a promotion. These extra boosts in your income can help you work through debt more quickly or build a great savings that can be used for emergencies, large purchases or down payments, or retirement.

Conclusion

Financial independence should be a goal for every financially responsible adult. Many think it is hard to achieve, and either don’t try or give up if they do try. There are many ways to gain financial independence, but these three easy steps are quick ways you can get on the road to financial independence today!

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.

Every responsible adult and partner should have a family budget. Managing the household finances is often put on the shoulders of one partner of the family rather than both. While this is generally not an issue, it can become one when the partner not involved in the household finances needs to take over. This need to get involved can be because of illness, time, and other issues that draw the need for involvement.

While it is strongly suggested that both partners be equally involved in the household finances from the beginning, that is not always how it goes, and now one partner will need to be caught up to financial speed. You need to address five issues with your partner before handing over the household finances’ responsibility.

Financial Communication

Communication with your partner is key overall with any relationship. However, even if one partner is taking on most of the household finances’ responsibility, financial communication needs to occur. If this has not been done throughout the partners’ joining, it will need to be the first conversation you have, leading to the shifting of responsibility. Both partners need to be keenly aware of the current state of household finances.

Shared Goals

If you have not already done so, now is the time to sit down and figure out your financial goals as a couple. What do you want to accomplish financially, including short-term and long-term goals? These goals could include significant purchases such as vehicles and a home. It could also include luxury items such as a boat or an expensive vacation and retirement, nest egg, savings, and future investment goals. The most crucial thing in this part of the discussion is that all the shared goals are agreed upon before moving on to transfer power.

Household Budget

At this point, the household budget should be a well-oiled machine and no surprise to any household member if it is being followed. But for transition purposes, you should select any past budget to inform your partner of the budget’s fine details. These are the essential points of the budget that need to be discussed and understood.

• Savings goals
• Investments
• Monthly bills
• Monthly Income

This budget meeting is another way to discuss money-related problems and make any changes to the household budget concerning both partners.

Spending rules

In most partnerships, one partner spends more than the other. There are some cases where both partners are big spenders or thrifty, but this is rare. If spending rules have not already been established, this would be an excellent time to develop them together. If both partners create the household’s agreed-upon spending rules, it is more likely to stick to the rules. There are no hard and fast rules except for two. Don’t spend more than you earn and keep credit card usage to a minimum. Outside of those two rules, you and your partner can decide what is best for the household.

Debts

It is not uncommon in a partnership for one or both of the partners to hide personal debt. Most people find debt embarrassing or worry it will anger their partner and cause problems in the relationship. This transitioning of responsibility is a great time to lay all debts out on the table and plan together how to overcome it. The important thing is not to be judgmental but rather to be kind and merciful. You are partners and in this together for better or worse.

Shift a Few Responsibilities

If one of the partners has not been involved in the household finances, it may be in their best interest to only shift one or two financial responsibilities to them until they can take on more. The best idea is to both remain involved in the household finances for the duration of the relationship. But if this shared responsibility is not possible, and the transition does not need to be completed immediately, make the transition slower to make the shift seamless.

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.

Whether business or individual taxes, every working person has to prepare and pay taxes. Doing your taxes is not impossible and, in some cases, is not even challenging. However, as a business grows or a person grows in their career and diversifies their income and investments, tax preparation can become complicated. Once you reach this point as a business owner or individual, you will need to consider hiring a tax professional heavily. Before you throw in the towel and hire a tax professional, consider the following advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

Doing taxes can be incredibly time-consuming

According to the IRS, an average person spends around 11+ hours dealing with tax preparation, including obtaining the correct forms, figuring deductions, and checking for mistakes. This amount of time could easily triple for individuals who have extra forms to include and business owners. If you were to calculate the time spent, you are not earning income or are away from your family, which could be costly. Having a tax professional prepare them may not only save time but money.

Tax preparation fees are deductible

Tax professionals are up on all the ever-changing Federal Tax Codes. They are also aware of deductions and the confusing business of itemizing. If you have very few write-offs and plan to take the standard deduction, you don’t need a tax professional. However, you may not know of deductions that you can take that add up to greater than the standard deduction. Therefore hiring a tax professional is almost always in your best interest, and your tax preparation fee is deductible, so that’s a bonus!

Audit assistance

In the case of an audit, only a tax professional, a CPA, Tax Attorney, or an enrolled agent can help a person with the paperwork and organization, along with handling the IRS to ensure that their client gets a fair shot by making sure they are fairly represented. A tax professional will ensure you are well represented when facing the IRS, proving to be extremely beneficial during an audit. Though facing an audit is rare, having a professional tax handling your case can make a difference in a positive outcome.

Avoiding mistakes

It doesn’t matter how self-assured a person is on their abilities regarding tax preparation; they are likely to make mistakes. That’s why most tax professionals use professional tools such as tax preparation software to make sure the numbers are 100% accurate. This accuracy attempt doesn’t mean a tax professional won’t make a mistake, but it is far less likely. Mistakes when it comes to taxes can be extremely costly and follow a person for years to come.

Disadvantages:

Cost

One of the biggest reasons most individuals don’t hire a tax professional is their fee. Depending on the complexity of your situation, these tax professionals can cost a lot. An average tax professional can cost around $100 for a routine tax return. They charge more if your tax return has a lot of itemizing or require extra forms attached to the 1040, such as the schedules A and D, which are the forms for loss and gain calculations. Some tax professionals charge an additional hourly fee on top of the fixed fees for various services. Other tax professionals opt to charge a percentage of the refund expected, which is an incentive for them to get you the most money back possible.

Tax preparation software

Though tax preparation software is not a disadvantage to using a tax professional, the fact that you can use tax preparation software to effectively and accurately do your taxes, therefore, it is a disadvantage to hiring a tax professional as the cost of the software is far less than hiring a professional only one time. Your software can be used for years to come.

Planning Ahead

Spring is the time of the year when the majority of tax professionals are extremely busy. Keeping that in mind, finding a tax professional who is willing to work with a new client takes a lot if not done in advance. It is almost impossible to find a reliable tax professional in the late tax season that has time to add a client. Because of this, if not prepared by planning ahead, you could be left in need of a tax professional. It is better to prepare for the upcoming tax season in advance and keep in touch with a reliable tax professional ahead of it.

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.

By: Jennifer Brazer

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.

Fact Checked By: Brittany McMillen

Social Media Recruitment: 6 Strategies That Actually Work

Have you ever scrolled through your feed and thought, “Wow, I’d love to work there”? That moment—the spark, the intrigue, the instant connection—is exactly what great social media recruitment is built on. And trust me, I’ve seen countless companies go from ghost towns in applicants to a flood of perfect-fit candidates simply by tweaking how they show up online.

In today’s hiring landscape, social media isn’t just another channel—it’s essential. Research shows that 82% of job seekers now use social media to find jobs, making these platforms the new front door to your company. Whether you’re a startup founder wearing ten hats or a seasoned HR pro, I’m here to show you how to turn social media into your most powerful recruiting tool—without gimmicks, without fluff. Just actionable, human-centered strategies that actually work.

Key Takeaways

• Build a distinctive employer brand by highlighting culture and values on platforms like Instagram and TikTok
• Select social media platforms strategically based on your industry (94% of recruiters now use platforms like LinkedIn)
• Use paid social campaigns to target candidates by location, industry, and interest
• Share short-form videos to boost engagement and convey company culture authentically
• Integrate social media seamlessly with your hiring process for faster candidate connections
• Leverage employee advocacy to expand your reach with credible, real-world voices

Develop a Strong Employer Brand Where It Counts

Your employer brand isn’t just a logo slapped on a job ad—it’s the heartbeat of your company culture, shared in real time. Want to attract candidates who actually vibe with your values? Then ditch the cookie-cutter posts and start showing what makes your team tick. Follow best practices for social media recruiting to avoid common pitfalls while building your brand.

Here’s how I’ve helped companies build magnetic employer brands:

• Post behind-the-scenes moments—team-building events, casual Fridays, or remote work setups
• Highlight employee journeys: promotions, anniversaries, or success stories
• Stay consistent with tone, color, and messaging across platforms

When done right, employer branding on social media makes people say, “I want to be part of that.” According to workforce engagement data, companies with strong cultures see 33% higher retention. And that reaction? That’s half the recruiting battle won.

A perfect example comes from LinkedIn’s own playbook. Their “Future of Work” report shows that the platform’s emphasis on showcasing company culture and career progression has led to a significant increase in new hires announcing their career advancements online. This approach has become a model many companies now follow—and for good reason. It works.

Choose the Right Platforms for Your People

Not all platforms are built the same—and not all candidates are trolling every app. If you want to meet the right people, you’ve got to be in the right room. An impressive 94% of recruiters now use platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to source candidates, making platform selection crucial to your success.

Here’s my cheat sheet based on years of helping companies find their social recruiting sweet spots:

• 🔹 Instagram & TikTok → Great for creatives, hospitality, retail, and entry-level roles. Use playful videos, lifestyle content, team shoutouts.
• 🔹 LinkedIn → Ideal for professional, corporate, or executive hiring. Share thought leadership, open roles, career pathing.
• 🔹 Facebook Groups → Fantastic for local hiring or niche opportunities. Tap into community trust.

Platforms like TikTok are increasingly important for younger job seekers. Staff Management research confirms that engagement content highlighting company culture drives significantly higher application rates among Gen Z applicants.

Quick Tip: Don’t just post and ghost. Comment, answer questions, and engage—it signals that your company is active, responsive, and worth considering. Understanding leveraging social platforms for recruitment can help you develop a more strategic approach to online talent acquisition trends.

Use Paid Social Campaigns to Target Like a Sniper, Not a Shotgun

If organic reach is planting seeds, then paid campaigns are pouring water exactly where it’s needed. Paid social media recruitment lets you dial in to audiences by age, skills, geography, job title, and even interests.

Tried-and-true methods I’ve used with clients:

• Promote open roles with carousel or video ads
• Retarget past visitors to your careers page
• Use A/B split testing to find the best-performing creatives or CTAs

Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook have powerful targeting tools. With the right setup, you can reach qualified candidates who didn’t even know they were looking—until your ad found them. These social recruiting strategies allow for precision targeting that simply wasn’t possible with traditional job boards.

Recent data from Recruit CRM shows that targeted social campaigns can increase qualified applications by up to 50% compared to general postings. I’ve seen this firsthand when helping companies transition from scattered job posts to laser-focused campaigns.

Say it With a Video (Because That’s What They’re Already Watching)

Let me put it plainly: If you’re not using video content to aid your recruiting efforts, you’re missing out.

Short-form videos (15-60 seconds) are your best friend. These snippets can:

• Deliver “day-in-the-life” views of roles
• Feature real employees sharing why they love working there
• Walk through office culture or remote setup in under a minute

TikTok, Reels, and LinkedIn video posts get more engagement than static posts—especially when they’re casual and human. Don’t overproduce. Just grab a phone, keep it real, and let your people speak.

I recently helped a tech startup create a series of quick “meet the team” videos that boosted their application rate by 35%. Why? Because candidates could actually envision themselves working alongside these people. That’s powerful.

Integrate Social into Your Recruitment Funnel

Don’t treat social like an add-on—it should live at the core of your recruitment process. That means:

• Posting job openings across all relevant platforms
• Responding quickly to DMs or questions from candidates
• Embedding social media content in job descriptions and careers pages

If you want to level up, consider social media recruitment tools like Buffer, Sprout Social, or HubSpot to help schedule, analyze, and streamline your content output.

And here’s the kicker: When candidates see that your team is lively, responsive, and honest online, it builds trust before they ever hit “Apply.” In my experience helping companies revamp their hiring processes, this integration creates a seamless candidate experience that significantly reduces time-to-hire.

Add Rocket Fuel with Employee Advocacy

Your employees are your best marketers. Encourage them to share their genuine work experiences and insights through online talent acquisition. Believe me, authentic peer-to-peer content outperforms branded posts every time.

What works:

• Incentivize social shares through gamified leaderboards
• Create ready-to-share content like image quotes or testimonials
• Celebrate employee spotlights that are made to be shared

Buffer, a social media management tool, offers a perfect case study here. They’ve successfully leveraged employee advocacy by encouraging team members to share authentic work experiences. This approach has measurably boosted trust and reach for their brand.

On LinkedIn especially, current employees sharing roles or moments from work adds credibility and scale to your messaging. I’ve implemented employee advocacy programs that doubled application rates in just three months.

Conclusion: You’re Closer Than You Think

You don’t need an army of recruiters or an endless ad budget. Just a smart, human, social-first approach. From building a magnetic employer brand to showing up on the right platforms with the right content—these six strategies will help you attract standout talent and leave a lasting impression.

Ready to recruit smarter, faster, and more authentically? The data and case studies all point to the same conclusion: social media is no longer optional for effective recruiting. Companies that master these strategies gain a significant competitive advantage in the talent marketplace.

Start your transformation today and watch how quickly the right candidates begin to notice. Need support with financial management while you focus on growing your team? Visit Complete Controller for bookkeeping, controller, and financial management services that free you to focus on what matters most—building a team that will take your business to the next level.

FAQ

What exactly is social media recruitment?

Social media recruitment means using platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to find, engage, and hire talent. It goes beyond just posting job openings—it’s about creating connections, showcasing your culture, and building relationships with potential candidates through social networks.

Which social media platforms are best for recruiting?

The best platforms depend on your industry and target candidates. LinkedIn works well for professional roles, Instagram and TikTok for creative positions and younger audiences, and Facebook for local hiring. Use platforms where your ideal candidates already spend time.

How do I measure the success of social media recruiting efforts?

Track metrics like application rates from social sources, quality of candidates, time-to-hire for social recruits, engagement on recruiting posts, and cost-per-hire compared to other channels. Many applicant tracking systems can help attribute applications to their original social media source.

Is it worth investing in paid social media ads for recruitment?

Yes, especially for hard-to-fill positions or when you need to hire quickly. Paid ads allow precise targeting by location, skills, experience level, and interests. They typically deliver faster results than organic posts, and you can test different messages to see what resonates best with your target candidates.

How can small businesses compete with larger companies on social media recruitment?

Small businesses actually have advantages—they can be more authentic, responsive, and personal. Focus on your unique culture, flexibility, and growth opportunities. Use employee advocates to expand reach, create genuine content that shows your workplace reality, and engage directly with candidates to build relationships that larger companies often can’t match.

Sources

• Buffer. Internal Practices and Case Studies.
• Folks RH. (2025, March 27). 45+ Recruitment Statistics You Need to Know in 2025. https://folksrh.com/en/blog/recruitment-statistics/
• Gallup. Employee Engagement Drives Growth. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236441/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx
• LinkedIn. (2025). Future of Work Report.
• Pew Research Center. (2015, November 19). Searching for Work in the Digital Era. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/11/19/searching-for-work-in-the-digital-era/
• Qureos. 15+ Social Media Recruitment Statistics You Have to Know. https://www.qureos.com/hiring-guide/social-media-recruitment-statistics
• Recruit CRM. Stay ahead in 2025 with these 60+ must-know recruiting statistics. https://recruitcrm.io/blogs/recruiting-statistics/
• SHRM. How to Use Social Media for Recruiting. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/how-to-use-social-media-for-recruiting.aspx
• Smith, A. (2020). Digital Revolutions: From Internet to Social Media. Digital Journal.
• Staff Management. (2025, January 15). Leveraging Social Media for Recruitment: Essential Statistics for 2025. https://staffmg.com/leveraging-social-media-for-recruitment-essential-statistics-for-2025/

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.\