Does the thought of tax season make you break out in a sweat? This easy, step-by-step guide will help you prepare your taxes without any worries (or tears.)

Tax season has most people dreading it because of all the paperwork involved with taxes. Preparing your taxes can be a simple process with a little organization and work on the front end.

Gather Your Tax Documents

What forms will you need?

• W-2s
• 1099s
• Mortgage interest statements
• Investment income statements
• Form 8822 (if you moved)
• SS-5 (if you changed your name)
• W-4 (to adjust tax withholdings based on your new household income)

Choose Between the Standard Deduction or Itemizing

You have two choices when you file your taxes: Take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions. Tax deductions lower your taxable income, meaning you will owe less, so this decision is important.

How do you decide? This is where you will need to take time to go through receipts and look into what you can deduct if you work at home or use your vehicle for work, etc. You will add all these deductions together. If they are more than the standard deduction, then itemizing is the way to go. If not, taking the standard deduction will make more sense.

If you do plan on itemizing your deductions, you’ll need to prove that fact. You should have a bookkeeping system that will make itemizing easy. Keep records throughout the year along with receipts. Make sure you have those receipts for everything you deduct. This includes childcare, donations, and home office expenses, to name some.

Pick a Filing Status

If you are single, filing status is easy. Married couples have choices, so the best way to make the best choice for you, try each filing status. These statuses are: Married filing separately, married filing jointly, or head of household. Then you can file whichever status gets you the most back.

File Your Taxes

You can choose to do your own tax preparation. There are several sites with free tax software or advanced software that have a nominal cost. When preparing taxes yourself, you must take care to avoid mistakes. Simple mistakes on your taxes can cost you hundreds. In some cases where you have complicated taxes, you may want to hire a professional. This can be expensive, but it can also lower your taxes dramatically more than you can do on your own and pay for itself.

You can mail in your taxes or choose to file electronically, either method is acceptable, though filing electronically gets you a refund sooner. As with every decision in life, you need to make the one that works best for you.

Prepare for Next Year

Every good tax filing guide should include this step. If you start preparing for your taxes next year, you may even look forward to doing your taxes because you handle it like an expert! Preparation and good bookkeeping are critical to an excellent strategy to handle your taxes next year. Maybe it will have YOU writing guides for others.

Hopefully, these steps will set you at ease when it comes to filing your taxes. Every working adult faces the same dilemmas at tax time. Remember that if you are organized and prepared and make good decisions, it will be easy and uneventful.

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.

In the simplest terms, a Virtual Private Network helps build an encrypted and secure connection. Virtual Private Networks or VPNs permit users to securely enter a private network system and share data through public network systems. The same as a firewall shields the data on a computer, VPNs guards it online. Even though a VPN is theoretically a Wide Area Network (WAN), the front end maintains the same appearance, security, and functionality just as it would be on the private grid system.

For this purpose, VPNs are hugely common with businesses and companies as a means of safeguarding sensitive information when linked to remote data centers. Such networks have become more popular with “torrenters” and among individual users. The reason for this is that VPNs use a mixture of encryption protocols and dedicated connections to create virtual person-to-person networks.

Even if someone did manage to tap off some transmitted data, they would not be able to get their hands on the encryption account. VPNs permit the individuals to trick others regarding their physical location. This is because the VPN provider replaces that individual’s actual IP address. Thus letting them evade content filters.

You may never have heard of VPN services; you should be familiar with its importance in accounting and bookkeeping as a valuable tool. A VPN allows you to protect and secure accounting and bookkeeping transmitted data, web sessions, personal information, and financial transactions online, no matter where they are.

Security experts recommend individuals not to use open Wi-Fi hot spots in public and shared locations. This is due to the risk factor of their connection being hacked. Internet service providers might seize and take over your privacy by retailing the data of your online behaviors to the advertisers. Having a VPN technology will eliminate these vulnerabilities to security.

A VPN will also help you to defend and guard against any such identity theft. A VPN will make it tougher for third parties to follow you, conceals your IP address, bypasses firewalls, and allowing the right of entry to all content without any restrictions.

Security protocols are being created as VPNs. Every one of them is providing different levels of features and security to protect your accounting data. The common ones are:

 

1. IP security (IPSec):

IPSec is mostly used to protect Internet communications so that it can function in two modes. The first mode is called Transport mode, which only encodes the data packet message by itself. The second mode is called Tunneling mode. Tunneling mode encodes the whole data packet. This procedure is also used in tandem along with other practices to escalate their mutual level of security.

2. Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)/IPsec:

The IPsec and L2TP protocols pool together their greatest individual characteristics to produce an extremely secure VPN user. Because L2TP is not able to encrypt, instead, it creates a tunnel. The IPSec protocol is in charge of the data integrity checks, channel security, and encryption to ensure that all the packets have reached, as well as ensuring that the channels have not been compromised.

 

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.

Peek into a lawyer’s office, and all you can see is paperwork and legal documents all around. From invoices to subpoenas, everything is stuffed into labeled folders. Their assistants run back and forth, fetching the legal documents for them, and lawyers often end up getting lost due to the excess paperwork.

An extensive amount of labor that goes into the management of the documents for a single case, let alone the other cases being handled by the firm. The current system of handling documents can wear a lawyer out, as they are generally handling more than one case at a time.

Locating the past files can be an ordeal, so the recommendation is to get a document storage platform that ensures easy management of documents. Like accountants today have shifted their bookkeeping needs online, lawyers are now shifting towards cloud platforms to make sure smooth management of their documents. Imagine how easy it would become if you had access to all your legal documents and files in one place. You wouldn’t have to find and rent large storerooms to store your files, as all your folders can be stored on a single computer. Furthermore, you won’t have to spend most of your time searching for the relevant files. Going paperless will bring you great cost and time savings in the long run!

If you want to make sure smooth management of your files and legal documents, you must invest in getting a smart cloud security storage platform. One of the most significant advantages of investing in such a platform to store and manage your files is that it ensures that lawyers can have easy access to their important documents wherever they are through a web portal.

Read on to know about the ten best cloud security practices law firms and attorneys can use.

1. Access Management Rule

The cloud security platform lets you have each individual user access rights for their clients, contractors, and employees.

2. Multi-Factor Verification

Verification simply by means of username/password. Login authorizations are no longer adequate enough to guarantee safe access by the rightful personnel. You need to ensure and increase the ways of authentication in your cloud security to safeguard the access and protect the data.

3. Log Controlling

Logs are not only required for compliance, but they help detect suspicious events and aids in forensic inquiries.

4. Information Backup and Retrieval

A complete backup and retrieval plan with many redundancies integrated needs to be there so that your data remains safe and secure, even in the case of a physical disaster or cyber-attack.

5. Susceptible Analysis and Decent Hacking

Law firms need to ensure that their cloud security service provider has performed a vulnerability analysis to confirm the system security.

6. Submission to Security Guidelines

Security standards have been evolving fast in cloud security. Law firms need to be sure that the platform abides by the standard practices of the business.

7. Method If A DDoS Attack Takes Place

A Distributed Denial-Of-Service attack can happen to overthrow a cloud service as well as everything that is connected with it. Therefore, inquire with your service provider so you will not be surprised at the end.

8. Information Encryption

The information needs to be encoded if in case, a handover occurs. The information stored encrypted is a way to safeguard and shelter them from the meddling hackers.

9. Browser Safety and Security

Your personnel will have access to the cloud by accessing their web browsers. This is why law firms need to be specific regarding their cloud security and be sure that the browsers are appropriately updated to evade browser abuses.

10. Employee Development and Training

The security measures in a law firm can only be effective if the personnel is obeying the procedures and protocol.

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.

To have success in life, a winning mindset is essential. Following factors mentioned below will help a person achieve that so-called “Billionaire Mindset”:

 

Obsession with Passion:

To achieve success in life, one must be passionate; in fact, one should be obsessed with it. But self-praise is never appreciated. A particular person should never feel the need to explain to people how much passion they have about a subject. It should always come naturally.

 

A winning mindset despite emotions:

Their mindset displays the most significant difference between a successful and another person. Successful people or even want-to-be-successful people have a way of thinking, which is cold and daring. They don’t care about the rules of the ordinary world. They become important enough to put in place new rules of their own.

 

Good Relationships and Trust are essential:

Having a good reputation is crucial to support healthy business relationships. After developing good relations with people, one should help people understand what they produce is legit and can be relied upon. Gaining customer trust is priceless and can prove to be beneficial in the long-term.

 

In Friendships, Quality Over Quantity:

Getting numerous contacts in one’s contact book is not something to be counted on. Handing out business cards is essential, but instead of this, one should focus more on the building of deep and trustworthy relationships with a smaller number of people, as said above, when it comes to relationships, quality beats quantity.

 

Behavior:

The behavior of a person even before being a billionaire is the critical factor. This is as critical as having a developed mindset. Anyone can be successful once they have humility in their behavior. Most importantly, success can last a lifetime if humility lasts for that long. Live a life that would be an example for everyone around. To be respectable requires a respectful personality.

 

Sleeping as much as required:

According to doctors, the more one sleeps, the more they dream, and dreams can give us a vision of success. But, dreaming itself can’t always get the job done. In that case, wouldn’t it be unworldly to sleep an hour before an important meeting to dream about how to deal with it? Such people are too busy dreaming that they often lack the ability to take relevant actions. Having a proper good night’s sleep is important and should never be overlooked.

 

Be the Master-chief:

Always be confident. People who want to be successful in life need to have confidence, along with the ability to bear criticism. One should keep it in mind that they are the one person who knows the goal of every plan and who can work on it in the way it needs to be worked. It means one should always have faith in themselves and their abilities to succeed. Confident people have a higher chance of being successful as compared to those who don’t.

 

Affordability:

Instead of thinking about what a person cannot afford and getting upset, think about possible ways to afford it. Positive thinking promotes positive actions. Stressing over the uncontrollable will lower creativity and self-confidence. 

 

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.

You have searched the internet for the job you want, filled out the application, and submitted your resume and cover letter. The hiring manager has contacted you for an interview for the position of your dreams. The first step to landing the perfect job can be easy because you don’t have to speak to anyone to impress them. Now you have an interview date set, and you want to be prepared. Here are 12 fantastic interview tips that are sure to impress the interviewer and help you land your dream job.

 

1. Be on Time

This tip may seem obvious, but it is the most important. To make a great impression be on time.  Never make the interviewer wait, it will make you look irresponsible, and the rest of the interview, if it is continued, will be difficult.

 

2. Knock Before Entering

Ignoring the most common etiquette may send the wrong message in an interview. Do not enter the room without knocking. If a candidate fails to knock before entering the room, it gives a bad first impression. Enter only when the person on the other side of the door has permitted.

 

3. Research Your Potential Employer

Before going to interview, do a thorough research about that potential workplace (the company you are applying to.) There will often be questions from the interviewer that will be better answered if you have researched the company. Questions like, “Why do you want to work for our company?” or “What do you like about this company?” To answer these questions, if research is done, the interviewer will be impressed with your knowledge and thoughtful answers.

 

4. Dress to Impress

Before going to an interview, research what to wear. Many people will give a negative impression by the way they are dressed for the interview. Even if a company is casual in the dress code, the interview should be approached with business attire. Dressing appropriately will give a great impression and set a positive tone for the rest of the interview.

 

5. Research Job Responsibilities

Through research and the application process, you should be familiar with the responsibilities of the job for which you are interviewing. The knowledge of what is expected will make the interview successful as you can gear your answers about your qualifications towards the specific duties.

6. Have a Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude will always go a long way to getting successful results in an interview. Hiring managers are always going to hire a person that seems to want to be there and is excited about working at their company.  Keeping the tone friendly and positive will set everyone at ease and will facilitate you landing the job.

 

7. Actively Listen

Listen to the interviewer carefully; avoid repeating questions, and actively listen.  This will show that you are interested in the job and care to know more. When the interviewer is speaking, it is crucial that you not interrupt. Let them complete the thought or question before speaking. Actively listening will also help you recognize cues of when it is expected that you speak.

 

8. Turn Off Your Phone

Before entering, the room put your phone on silent. Also, keep it in your bag or pocket and not where the interviewer can see it. When interviewing for the job of your dreams, there is nothing more important than that time you are in the interview.

 

9. Practice the Interview

Even the most confident people can become nervous in an interview. Practicing what you will say will not only have you prepared, it will boost your confidence. There is no way to know exactly what the interviewer will ask or say, but practicing some basic questions and answers that are likely to be asked will make it easier to answer any question that comes your way.

 

10. Ask Questions

Often the interviewer asks a person if they have any questions at the end of the interview. You should have a list of questions to ask. These questions should demonstrate your level of professionalism as well as your knowledge.

 

11. Be Enthusiastic

For the best first impression, you should be enthusiastic when you enter the room. This goes hand in hand with displaying a positive attitude. If an interviewer is choosing between multiple qualified candidates, the one who is positive and enthusiastic will leave a lasting impression.

 

12. Remain Calm

On occasion, an interviewer may ask a provoking or shocking question. If this happens, do not overreact and remain calm. If you become angry or get flustered, it could end the interview and your chances of landing the job. The key is to control nerves and emotions. The question could have been asked to test your reaction, and you can’t go back if you overreact.  If a question is genuinely inappropriate and leaves you feeling uncomfortable, just finish the interview calmly and make decisions on how to handle it after it is over.

 

Many of these interview tips are common sense but are often forgotten. This could be due to nerves or being ill-prepared. If you use these great tips, the interview will be successful, and you will be invited to start your dream job.

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.

Entrepreneurship can be a rewarding yet difficult undertaking. Most would-be entrepreneurs never take the plunge because of fear and perceptions. Even if a person has no fear of going into it, they will often encounter obstacles or others who will try to talk them out of it. There are more reasons given not to become an entrepreneur than there are encouragements.

 

We would like to show the reality versus the perceptions when it comes to entrepreneurship.

 

“Entrepreneurs are born, they are not made”

Reality

An Entrepreneur may have some innate intelligence, but becoming such happens by accumulating skills, know-how, experience, and contacts for a period of more than ten years. At present, business schools are scattered around the world, and self-learning books to achieve success abound in bookstores.

 

“Anyone can start a business “

Reality

In reality, it is not like that, and the majority of people who start the process of starting a new company, fail. The easy part is starting a business, starting it; The challenge is to survive, sustain, and build a company so that afterward, they can reap the rewards.

 

“Entrepreneurs are gamblers”

Reality

Successful entrepreneurs take careful and calculated risks.

 

“Entrepreneurs want everything for them”

Reality

The great and potential Entrepreneurs build a team, an organization, a company, and also 100% of nothing is nothing.

 

“Entrepreneurs are their own bosses and completely independent”

Reality

They must respond to investors, partners, employees, family, etc. although they can freely choose when, to whom, and what to answer.

 

“Entrepreneurs work longer and harder than managers of large companies”

Reality

There is no specific evidence about this, some work more than others, but current reports indicate that they work less.

 

“Entrepreneurs pay dearly with stress and health”

Reality

Being an entrepreneur is demanding and stressful, but there is no evidence to indicate that more than what other professional roles demand. In favor, they are fully satisfied with their work.

 

“Entrepreneurs must be young and energetic”

Reality

It is not a barrier, while some begin in their 30s, others do in their 60s, relevant is the know-how, experience, and contacts that facilitate the recognition and pursuit of an opportunity.

 

“Entrepreneurs seek control and power over others”

Reality

Successful entrepreneurs are driven by the pursuit of achievements, responsibility, and results rather than power.

 

“Talented entrepreneurs achieve success in one or two years”

Reality

Rarely a stable business is established in less than 3 or 4 years.

 

“Entrepreneurs with good ideas can summon a venture capital”

Reality

Entrepreneurs with good ideas that sought a capital Venture only 1 to 3 out of 100 managed to create a company.

 

“Entrepreneurs are lone wolves, they cannot work as a team”

Reality

The most successful, build great teams, and effective relationships to work with their peers, directors, investors, customers, and suppliers.

 

“Money is the most important thing for them”

Reality

A feeling of personal fulfillment, achievement, control of their own destiny, realize their visions and dreams are their most powerful motivators. Entrepreneurship creates a lot of wealth, but it is distributed unevenly.

 

 

“With enough money for the start-up, you cannot fail”

Reality

The opposite is always true; with too much money at the beginning and lack of discipline and impulsive spending, usually leads to severe problems and failure. The typical start-up only requires around 25 thousand dollars.

 

“Entrepreneurship is expensive and usually ends in failures”

Reality

Businesses fail, but not the Entrepreneur. Failures temper it with the learning experience.

 

“Unless you have a high SAT or GMAT, you will never be a successful Entrepreneur”

Reality

An Entrepreneur’s IQ is a unique combination of creativity, motivation, integrity, leadership, team builder, analytical ability, and the ability to deal with adversity and ambiguity.

 

“Luck is everything for an entrepreneur.”

Reality

Although luck can help, it is not determinative. In reality, more than luck, a good entrepreneur needs the right attitude to capitalize on opportunities.

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.

Creating a budget and staying on it can be difficult. But to keep control of your finances, a budget is necessary. You can also be sure your money is going towards those expenses that are important to you.

It sounds pretty simple, but some find it hard to understand the importance of budgeting in our lives. If we take it step by step, we will realize that budgeting is not that complicated.  

Stage # 1: Compute your monthly income

The first step is simple. Take out your last paycheck to determine your monthly income when all taxes are deducted. The final amount will be what is deposited in your bank account every month.

In the case where you are self-employed or work on commission, consider the past 4 to 6 months to make an accurate estimate.

Stage # 2: Calculate all your fixed expenses

The next step towards making your budgeting plan is to jot down all of your non-negotiable expenses.

In the wise words of a financial expert and writer of Smart Moves to Grow Rich:

“Fixed expenses are those recurring costs that you must pay every month because they’re vital for your well-being or are commitments you’ve already made,” says Laura Adams.

Your fixed assets are your rent, car payments, and utilities. Make sure to take account of contributions for an emergency, as well as retirement fund under this segment. These are expenses that should be taken as an indispensable cost.

Stage # 3: Estimate your variable costs

Once you reach this stage, it is now time to plan your extra expenses. These expenses can include gym memberships, clothes shopping, money spent while going out, or on hair appointments.

Your variable expenses are all those costs that can vary every month or are flexible. The key is to precisely forecast your variable expenses by taking out your past spending records. In case if you were not keeping track, opt for downloading a budgeting app. Once you connect your bank accounts to your app, it will automatically categorize all your past expenses. You will have the entire month of spending information at your fingertips.

 

Now that we have sorted out how to gather the information of your variable expenses, you need to examine your habits. After doing so, you should create an expenditure guideline. Categorize those areas where you are draining the most amount and question yourself if you can reduce those expenses in your budget.

Stage # 4: Assess whatever is left

After you take away your monthly variable and fixed expenditures from your monthly income after-tax, the amount you have remaining is called your discretionary income. The formula will be:

Discretionary income = monthly income – expenses (including fixed and variable)

Those who are familiar with the concept of bookkeeping will have no trouble calculating their budgeting and their discretionary income.

This is your leftover money that ideally should be kept towards long-term plans, such as saving to purchase a property, or keeping some money away for retirement.

It should be your goal to increase your discretionary income as well as make savings of the highest importance over spending. Decide how much you would like to conserve each month and determine where you should cut back.

We all have many wants and needs. In this world, we are all rivals competing for limited resources. Therefore, we need to decide what is the best method we can implement to balance our current expenses and steady our savings needs. This way, we will never spend extra than what we make.

 

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.

Bookkeepers are a part of every operating business worldwide. They play a vital role in collecting and managing the financial records of a business. Without them, it would not be impossible for a business to calculate its tax deductions and keep records of profits or losses that the business faces. In case you are new to bookkeeping, we have gathered the basic roles and duties a bookkeeper has to abide by.   

 

Roles of a bookkeeper

Bookkeepers are responsible for recording the financial transactions of a business. The essential duty of a bookkeeper is to review and record all the financial data. Depending on the requirements of the business, bookkeepers prepare data using spreadsheets, specialized software, and databases. Some bookkeepers are also responsible for tracking purchases, submitting bills for receivables, and handling bank deposits.

Accountants are in charge of the operational part of business funds and are engaged with the beginning periods of the bookkeeping cycle. They assemble bookkeeping information by recording the everyday money related exchanges of a business in the diaries and presenting them on the organization’s general record. Numerous accountants utilize bookkeeping programming, for example, QuickBooks, to help them with their errands.

 

Different obligations of bookkeeping clerks include:

• Generating solicitations to clients
• Collecting installments from clients
• Issuing installments to providers
• Keeping track of procurement orders
• Calculating resource deterioration

 

 

Duties of a bookkeeper

Accuracy and punctuality are the main duties of a bookkeeper as they are vital to the recording of important financial and bookkeeping data. They are responsible for keeping the documents safe from harm and maintain the confidentiality of all the records.

The following are some duties that a bookkeeper has to abide by:

• Preparing journal entries for all the payments, financial transactions, and receipts of a business.
• Filing all the source documents for the recorded journal entries.
• Posting these journal entries to other ledger accounts
• Preparation of trial balances.
• Reconciliations related to banks.
• Preparation of statements related to cash flow
• Preparation of financial reports
• Deposition of the money that is received by the organization
• Issuance of invoices related to money owed by the organization
• Recording and keeping a track of all the paying accounts on behalf of the organization
• Performing all the administration duties given as defined by the organization’s policies
• Filing, recording, and keeping a constant track of all the tax returns
• Performing any duties that are required by the organization.

The bookkeeper is an important position in the business. They are responsible for accurate financial records and alerting the business when there are issues that could affect the bottom line. Bookkeepers have to be diligent, accurate, and dedicated to keeping financial records of the business.

Bookkeepers are a part of every operating business worldwide. They play a vital role in collecting and managing the financial records of a business. Without them, it would not be impossible for a business to calculate its tax deductions and keep records of profits or losses that the business faces. In case you are new to bookkeeping, we have gathered the basic roles and duties a bookkeeper has to abide by.   

 

Roles of a bookkeeper

Bookkeepers are responsible for recording the financial transactions of a business. The essential duty of a bookkeeper is to review and record all the financial data. Depending on the requirements of the business, bookkeepers prepare data using spreadsheets, specialized software, and databases. Some bookkeepers are also responsible for tracking purchases, submitting bills for receivables, and handling bank deposits.

Accountants are in charge of the operational part of business funds and are engaged with the beginning periods of the bookkeeping cycle. They assemble bookkeeping information by recording the everyday money related exchanges of a business in the diaries and presenting them on the organization’s general record. Numerous accountants utilize bookkeeping programming, for example, QuickBooks, to help them with their errands.

 

Different obligations of bookkeeping clerks include:

• Generating solicitations to clients
• Collecting installments from clients
• Issuing installments to providers
• Keeping track of procurement orders
• Calculating resource deterioration

 

Duties of a bookkeeper

Accuracy and punctuality are the main duties of a bookkeeper as they are vital to the recording of important financial and bookkeeping data. They are responsible for keeping the documents safe from harm and maintain the confidentiality of all the records.

The following are some duties that a bookkeeper has to abide by:

• Preparing journal entries for all the payments, financial transactions, and receipts of a business.
• Filing all the source documents for the recorded journal entries.
• Posting these journal entries to other ledger accounts
• Preparation of trial balances.
• Reconciliations related to banks.
• Preparation of statements related to cash flow
• Preparation of financial reports
• Deposition of the money that is received by the organization
• Issuance of invoices related to money owed by the organization
• Recording and keeping a track of all the paying accounts on behalf of the organization
• Performing all the administration duties given as defined by the organization’s policies
• Filing, recording, and keeping a constant track of all the tax returns
• Performing any duties that are required by the organization.

The bookkeeper is an important position in the business. They are responsible for accurate financial records and alerting the business when there are issues that could affect the bottom line. Bookkeepers have to be diligent, accurate, and dedicated to keeping financial records of the business.

 

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

Unlocking the Power of Co-Branding and Marketing Strategies

Co-branding and marketing strategies are collaborative partnerships between brands that combine resources to create shared products, campaigns, or experiences that amplify reach, credibility, and business growth. These strategic alliances leverage each partner’s unique strengths, customer bases, and market positions to achieve results neither could accomplish alone.

As the founder of Complete Controller, I’ve guided businesses through transformative partnerships for over two decades. One client recently doubled their market share within six months by co-branding with a complementary tech provider—proof that strategic collaboration accelerates growth exponentially. This article reveals the frameworks, benefits, and implementation strategies that turn ordinary partnerships into revenue-generating powerhouses, including real-world case studies and actionable steps you can implement immediately.

What are co-branding and marketing strategies, and how do they drive growth?

• Co-branding and marketing strategies unite brands to develop joint offerings or campaigns that leverage shared audiences, resources, and expertise
• They boost brand power by combining equity and trust from multiple established brands
• These partnerships expand audience reach through cross-exposure to each partner’s customer base
• Strategic collaborations drive business growth via innovation, cost efficiency, and shared risk
• For SMBs, co-branding democratizes access to enterprise-level marketing capabilities while preserving capital

Defining Co-Branding and Its Role in Modern Marketing

Co-branding represents a strategic alliance where two or more brands collaborate to create unified products, services, or campaigns that capitalize on their combined market strengths. Unlike traditional single-brand initiatives, these partnerships pool intellectual property, technology, distribution channels, and customer loyalty to generate competitive advantages.

The marketplace validates this approach decisively—71% of consumers enjoy co-branded products, signaling strong receptiveness to brand collaborations. This consumer enthusiasm stems from the perceived value multiplication when trusted brands unite their expertise.

Co-branding vs. co-marketing: Critical distinctions

While often confused, co-branding and co-marketing serve different strategic purposes:

• Co-branding creates new products or services (Doritos Locos Tacos by Taco Bell and Frito-Lay)
• Co-marketing promotes existing offerings through joint campaigns (Pottery Barn and Sherwin-Williams style guides)
• Co-branding builds lasting equity through tangible innovations
• Co-marketing drives short-term promotional synergy without product development
• Both strategies can work simultaneously for maximum impact

The evolution of collaborative brand strategies

Modern co-branding has evolved far beyond simple logo placement. Intel’s groundbreaking “Intel Inside” campaign of the 1990s transformed an invisible component into a household name, establishing the blueprint for trust transfer through association. Today’s collaborations span experiential activations (Airbnb x Spotify travel playlists), technology integrations (Apple Watch Nike+), and sustainability partnerships that address consumer demand for purpose-driven brands.

Strategic Benefits of Co-Branding and Marketing Partnerships

The financial impact of co-branding extends well beyond marketing efficiency—54% of companies attribute over 20% of their revenue to co-branding initiatives. This substantial contribution stems from multiple compounding benefits that traditional marketing cannot replicate.

Enhanced credibility and trust transfer

Partner brands immediately inherit each other’s reputational equity, accelerating market acceptance. Research shows 68% of consumers make purchase decisions after viewing co-branded campaigns without requiring sales representative interaction—a testament to the trust multiplication effect. This reduced friction in the buyer journey translates directly to higher conversion rates and lower customer acquisition costs.

Expanded market access and audience growth

Co-branding partnerships unlock previously inaccessible demographics through instant credibility within partner audiences. Brands gain:

• • Direct access to pre-qualified customer segments
• • Geographic expansion without infrastructure investment
• • Cross-generational appeal through complementary positioning
• • Reduced market entry barriers in competitive sectors

Cost efficiency and resource optimization

Shared marketing budgets, production costs, and distribution networks create economies of scale that benefit all partners. Small businesses particularly benefit from:

• Pooled advertising spend that amplifies reach
• Shared creative development costs
• Combined negotiating power with media outlets
• Risk mitigation through distributed investment

Innovation acceleration through collaboration

Combined R&D capabilities and diverse perspectives fuel breakthrough innovations. Partners bring:

• Complementary technical expertise
• Fresh consumer insights from different markets
• Accelerated product development timelines
• Reduced innovation risk through shared investment

Real-World Co-Branding Success Stories

Examining proven partnerships reveals actionable frameworks for implementation success.

Case study: Taco Bell and Doritos transform fast food

The Doritos Locos Tacos partnership between Taco Bell and Frito-Lay redefined product innovation in quick-service restaurants. Results included:

• 100 million units sold in just 10 weeks
• Taco Bell’s most successful product launch in history
• 50% consumer recognition rate for the co-branded product
• Sustained menu presence driving long-term revenue

This success stemmed from aligning complementary brand identities—Taco Bell’s innovation reputation with Doritos’ bold flavor profile—creating a product that felt inevitable rather than forced.

Case study: Nike and Apple redefine fitness technology

The Apple Watch Nike+ collaboration merged fashion, fitness, and technology into a cohesive ecosystem. Key outcomes:

• 70% increase in Nike+ app users within the first year
• Premium pricing justified by combined brand equity
• Exclusive features creating competitive differentiation
• Sustained partnership spanning multiple product generations

Case study: Uber and Spotify personalize transportation

Uber’s integration with Spotify allowed passengers to control music during rides, demonstrating experiential co-branding. Benefits included:

• 15% increase in Uber user retention
• Expanded utility for Spotify Premium subscriptions
• Enhanced brand perception for both partners
• Minimal development costs with maximum user impact

Synergizing Co-Branding and Co-Marketing for Maximum Impact

Integrating product collaboration with promotional campaigns creates compounded results that exceed individual strategies.

Creating unified brand messages across campaigns

Successful integration requires careful message alignment:

• Develop shared brand guidelines preserving individual identities
• Create co-branded content hubs hosting collaborative assets
• Synchronize launch timing across all partner channels
• Maintain consistent visual language while respecting brand distinctiveness

Balancing product development and promotional efforts

Strategic coordination maximizes both immediate and long-term value:

• Align product roadmaps with campaign calendars
• Leverage co-marketing to amplify co-branded product launches
• Use promotional partnerships to test market receptiveness
• Build sustained engagement beyond initial launch excitement

Measuring combined impact and ROI

Track success through integrated metrics:

• Co-acquired customers: Use unique tracking codes for attribution
• Brand sentiment lift: Monitor social listening across both audiences
• Revenue contribution: Isolate co-branded product/campaign performance
• Cost per acquisition: Compare to standalone initiatives
• Market share growth: Measure category expansion

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Co-Branding Campaigns

Step 1: Strategic partner selection

Identify partners through systematic evaluation:

• Value alignment: Ensure brand missions complement without competing
• Audience overlap: Target 30-50% shared demographics for optimal reach
• Resource compatibility: Verify operational capacity for collaboration
• Market position: Select partners with complementary strengths

Step 2: Defining objectives and expectations

Establish clear parameters before engagement:

• Set quantifiable goals (units sold, revenue targets, market expansion)
• Define resource commitments (budget, personnel, intellectual property)
• Create governance structures for decision-making
• Establish exit strategies protecting both parties

Step 3: Collaborative development process

Execute partnership through structured phases:

• Discovery phase: Share consumer insights and market data
• Ideation workshops: Generate concepts leveraging combined strengths
• Prototype development: Test minimum viable collaborations
• Market validation: Conduct limited releases before full launch

Step 4: Launch coordination and amplification

Maximize impact through synchronized execution:

• Coordinate PR across all partner channels
• Create exclusive launch experiences for key audiences
• Leverage employee advocacy from both organizations
• Monitor real-time performance for rapid optimization

Step 5: Continuous optimization and evolution

Sustain momentum beyond initial launch:

• Regular performance reviews against objectives
• Iterative improvements based on market feedback
• Exploration of partnership expansion opportunities
• Documentation of learnings for future collaborations

The Future of Brand Collaborations

Emerging trends reshape co-branding possibilities:

Sustainability-driven partnerships

Consumers increasingly demand purpose-driven collaborations addressing environmental and social challenges. Brands combining expertise in sustainable materials, circular economy principles, and social impact create differentiated value propositions.

Technology-enabled collaborations

AI and data analytics enable hyper-personalized co-branded experiences. Predictive modeling identifies optimal partner matches while automation streamlines collaboration workflows.

Experiential co-branding beyond products

Future partnerships emphasize shared experiences over physical products. Virtual reality collaborations, co-created digital ecosystems, and integrated service platforms represent the next frontier.

Conclusion

Strategic co-branding and marketing partnerships have evolved from nice-to-have experiments into essential growth drivers. The data proves their impact—from 71% consumer approval to 20%+ revenue contribution for successful practitioners. Having witnessed countless transformations through Complete Controller, I can definitively state that well-executed partnerships accelerate growth beyond what any single brand achieves alone.

The frameworks and strategies outlined here provide your roadmap to partnership success. Start with clear objectives, select aligned partners, and execute with disciplined coordination. Most importantly, view co-branding not as a one-time campaign but as a sustainable growth strategy requiring continuous innovation and optimization.

Ready to explore how strategic partnerships can transform your business trajectory? The experts at Complete Controller specialize in structuring collaborative ventures for maximum financial impact. Contact us to discover how our expertise in business strategy and financial management can elevate your next partnership initiative.

Frequently Asked Questions About Co-Branding and Marketing

What is the difference between co-branding and co-marketing?

Co-branding involves creating new products or services jointly (like Doritos Locos Tacos), while co-marketing focuses on promotional campaigns for existing offerings without product development.

How do I measure the ROI of co-branding initiatives?

Track metrics including sales lift, new customer acquisition rates, brand sentiment changes, social media engagement, and cost per acquisition compared to solo campaigns.

What are the biggest risks in co-branding partnerships?

Primary risks include brand dilution, misaligned values damaging reputation, unequal resource contribution, and intellectual property disputes. Mitigate through thorough due diligence and clear contracts.

Can small businesses successfully implement co-branding strategies?

Absolutely. Small businesses often benefit most from co-branding by accessing larger markets, sharing costs, and leveraging partner credibility to compete with bigger competitors.

How long should a co-branding partnership last?

Duration varies by objective—product collaborations may span years while promotional campaigns last weeks. Start with defined pilot periods before committing to long-term arrangements.

Sources

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• Ahrefs. “Content Outline Steps.” 2025. www.ahrefs.com/content-outline
• Apple Newsroom. “Apple and Nike Launch Apple Watch Nike+.” 2022. www.apple.com/newsroom
• B2BRocket. “Co-Branding Statistics and Trends.” 2025. www.b2brocket.com/co-branding-statistics
• Breezy.io. “Strategic Partnership Statistics.” PartnerPath. 2020. www.breezy.io/blog/strategic-partnership-stats
• Business Insider. “Doritos Locos Tacos Set Sales Record for Taco Bell.” Luna, Nancy. June 4, 2012. www.businessinsider.com/doritos-locos-tacos-set-sales-record-for-taco-bell-2012-6
• Clutch.co. “Consumer Attitudes Toward Co-Branding.” 2025. www.clutch.co/co-branding-research
• CSNews. “Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos Breaks Sales Record.” Luna, N. June 7, 2012. www.csnews.com/taco-bells-doritos-locos-tacos-breaks-sales-record
• Forbes. “How to Create Successful Co-Branding Partnerships.” Forbes Communications Council. July 25, 2018. www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/07/25/how-to-create-successful-co-branding-partnerships
• HubSpot. “Benefits of Co-Branding.” 2025. www.hubspot.com/co-branding-benefits
• Indeed. “Defining Co-Branding and Marketing Strategies.” 2025. www.indeed.com/career-advice/co-branding
• Intel Corporation. “Ingredient Branding: Intel Inside Campaign.” 2025. www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/history/virtual-vault/articles/end-user-marketing-intel-inside.html
• PR Newswire. “71% of Consumers Enjoy Co-Branding Partnerships.” Visual Objects. Aug 24, 2021. www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/71-of-consumers-enjoy-co-branding-partnerships-encouraging-more-companies-to-market-products-together-301361260.html
• SBA.gov. “Business Guide: Plan Your Business.” U.S. Small Business Administration. 2025. www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business
• SmashBrand. “What Is Co-Branding? Everything You Need To Know.” 2025. www.smashbrand.com/articles/what-is-co-branding
• SproutSocial. “Co-Branding vs. Co-Marketing: Understanding the Difference.” 2025. www.sproutsocial.com/co-branding-vs-co-marketing
• Wikipedia. “Co-Branding.” Wikimedia Foundation. 2025. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-branding
• ZINFI. “Benefits of Co-Marketing.” 2025. www.zinfi.com/co-marketing-benefits
• ZINFI. “How to Implement Co-Branding.” 2025. www.zinfi.com/implement-co-branding

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.

Being financially independent is a blessing both later in life and in the earlier years. Financial independence means that one can meet his needs and wants without taking financial help from his parents, guardians, or loans. But, being financially independent is not easy while growing up because one wants to spend on luxuries such as traveling, shopping, dining, gadgets, and more. But, some changes in lifestyle can help one become financially independent in no time! This article explores different ideas that one can change to become financially independent and to support independence over time.

1. Downsizing the Expenses

Everyone loves spending money, but if the expenses are not controlled then becoming financially independent will stay a wish. Before starting the day, list down all the goods and services that will need spending such as buying groceries, paying utility bills, going for lunch, refilling the car, and others. Once the expenses have been listed, remove at least one expense from the list. Make sure that the expense you exclude is removed forever and not merely delayed. The idea here is not to save yourself from spending today but save yourself from making that unnecessary expense.

2. Feed the Piggy Bank

As old school as it may sound, piggy banks are one of the greatest ways to save money. At the end of the day, take out your wallet and empty your pockets and feed some money to the piggy bank. Since credit cards and debit cards have become common, people have stopped carrying cash unless necessary. If you have some money left from the last cash withdrawal, give it to the piggy bank. This way the money will either be on the card or in the piggy bank, leaving nothing to spend on unnecessary items. Also, stop thinking about how much money is in the piggy bank. The more you think, the more you would want to take the money out. Instead, save it for a trip later.

3. Record Your Spending

Tracking the expenses and spending of the month gives an idea of where the money is going. This will help in understanding the patterns of spending. For example, managing a spreadsheet will help an individual know where most of the money is going, which expenses could be avoided, which investments proved to be profitable, which expenses are essential and cannot be avoided, and more. Also, it will help in tracking the money as sometimes people don’t know where the money was going. Managing a spreadsheet will also help the individual make payments on time, avoiding penalties for late payments. Applications have now made it easier to record the day’s expenses and warn you when the budget is getting out of control!

4. Invest the Money

The way to keep the money rolling is to invest it in profitable assets. An individual may invest his money in real estate, stocks, shares, and other financial assets. These investments help manage the expenses when the usual source of earning money is not working. For example, if an employee loses his job, his income stops. But, if he has invested his money, he can sell the asset or use its profits until he finds another job.

Becoming financially independent is difficult, but, with some changes in day-to-day spending, one can achieve it. The key to financial independence is to manage expenses and spend wisely. In the earlier stages of life, you need to spend less and save more, although the urge to spend is strong. Even if some money is used to buy unnecessary luxuries, start fresh! Persistence and patience will get you there!

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.