Author: Jennifer Brazer

The “Accounting and Small Business Software, Software Evaluation Center” continuously researches to provide its customers with up-to-date guidance for their accounting needs.

According to technology evaluation centers, accounting and bookkeeping applications typically support general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, project estimation, and multinational accounting. Small to medium businesses need other functions, such as inventory control and financial reporting.

Businesses looking for financing in new accounting and financial software often list “must have” features long before deciding which software to purchase. Security, performance excellence, customization options, and hosting choices are frequently considered during their decision-making.

Accounting and financial software are computer programs for daily accounting tasks and business bookkeeping functions.

Features of Accounting and Financial Software for Small Businesses

The following are essential accounting and bookkeeping tasks for a small business.

• Inventory management
• Sales tracking
• Contacts management and contact history tracking
• Account to accept credit card payments
• Generating Invoices
• Financial statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheet
• Budget planning
• Payrolls
• Taxation matters

According to a fresh study from the Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC), financial directors want accounting and financial software to go outside accounting dealings and three-monthly reports to help make tactical decisions about the business’s future.

Accounting software features that organizations value the most include the following:

• Accounts receivable: 64 percent of respondents requested
• Web browser access: 41 percent of respondents gave it a top priority
• The ability to be hosted on a Windows server environment: requested by 64% of respondents

Cost

Cost is a concern for most small to medium-sized business owners. Purchasing costly software with highly advanced features will not help a small business if it isn’t the proper software. However, the features mentioned above of web browser access and connection with SQL servers were in high demand from small to medium-sized business owners.

Characteristics of Financial Software Most Frequently Sought by Potential Clients

All organizations purchasing accounting and financial software are looking for features that would support the following:

• General ledger
• Accounts payable (AP)
• Accounts receivable (AR)
• Cash management
• Financial reporting

However, subject to the type of industry, additional features may be reflected, such as the following:

• Fixed assets
• Cost accounting
• Budgeting
• Project accounting
• Multicurrency, multi-entity, and multinational support

Accounting and financial software pursuers have shown concern about the newest technological developments and innovations that have infiltrated the business software market and reduced software solutions as more affordable, user-centric, and elastic.

New Abilities in Accounting and Financial Software Wanted by Organizations

• Vertical industry-focused solutions
• Cloud-based software delivery
• Subscription-based pricing model
• Fully functional access to the software via a variety of mobile devices
• Social media tools accommodation
• Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) principle accommodation

The data mentioned above about the newest choices, preferences, and interests shown by organizations are published in a report that can be obtained below:

According to TEC’s data, more than 47 % of accounting and financial software seekers wanted software that ensured the accounting system was compatible with the Microsoft SQL server database. 29% of the respondents wanted system compatibility with the Oracle database, while 27% appreciated the software compatibility with the Microsoft Access database.

Microsoft Access follows platforms for accounting and financial software markets. It indicates that many organizations seek simple, less costly platforms that should also be compatible with Microsoft SQL or Oracle. SaaS databases were the choice of 14% of accounting and financial software pursuers.

Conclusion

Recent technological changes have also changed choices among organizations for their accounting and financial software options. TEC generated a report based on its research on what organizations want in the accounting and financial software they will purchase. Software developers can get data to work on producing software per their clients’ requirements.

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.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator): measurable values that demonstrate how efficient a corporation is at attaining key business objectives. KPIs are used to evaluate success in attaining targets.

 KPI Must Be

• Well-defined and measurable
• Well communicated to all departments of an organization
• Vital to achieving goals.
• Valid to Line of Business

Financial Metrics

1. Revenue: Revenue is one of the most significant performance indicators to evaluate the organization’s success. Bookkeeping helps you in assessing revenue.
2. Expenditure: Calculate cost-effectiveness to determine the best methods for reducing and managing costs. Good bookkeeping practices determine expenses.
3. LOB profits vs. objective: it is an evaluation of actual profits and projected profits to identify the performance of a department.
4. Expenditure Of supplies Sold: evaluate profit margin by calculating production costs and assess product markup and actual profit margin.
5. Day transaction Outstanding: The better the accounts receivable, the better the organization’s efficiency.
6. Sale by area: analysis of sales area-wide helps make better strategies in areas where sales objectives fail to be achieved.
7. LOB operating expense Vs. Budget: A comparison of forecasted budget and actual overheads helps in creating an adequate budget for the future.

Customer Metrics

1. Client Lifetime Value (CLV): CLV helps determine the value received from a long-term client of the organization. This is useful in keeping the best customers.
2. Client Acquisition Cost (CAC): it helps evaluate a marketing campaign’s cost-effectiveness.
3. Client Satisfaction & custody: by making customers happy and satisfied, you encourage them to become permanent customers.
4. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Make a quarterly survey and evaluate the company’s growth over long periods.
5. Several clients: this is a simple KPI like Profit. The number of customers gained or lost determines whether customers’ needs are met.

Process Metrics

1. Client Support Tickets: Analysis of CPT helps create a successful customer service department.
2. Percentage Of manufactured goods defects: The lesser the number, the better it is performed.
3. LOB effectiveness evaluates: Efficiency is measured by the number of products manufactured in specific periods.

People Metrics

1. Employee Turnover Rate (ETR): high ETR requires investigation and evaluation of packages and organization culture.
2. Percentage of Response to Open Positions: many applicants indicate that the organization is doing well and that people want to work with you.
3. Employee Satisfaction: the larger the number of happy employees, the healthier the organization.
4. Retirement Rate: This is important for developing strategic workforce plans.
5. Knowledge Achieved with Training determines the value of employee training and knowledge enhancement.
6. Internal Promotions vs. External Hires: this metric is valuable for deciding the organization’s succession planning.
7. Salary Competitiveness Ratio (SCR): used to assess the competitiveness of compensation options.

Customer Metrics

1. Customer Churn Rate: determines the percentage of customers who stop purchasing or availing of the service.
2. Contact Volume by Channel determines the number of customer requests and the method adopted by the customer for communication, i.e., email, phone, or other.
3. Percentage Of Customers Who Are “Very” Or “Extremely” Satisfied: Determines the opportunity to survey customers’ expectations.
4. Several New Vs. Repeat Site Visits provide differentiation of prospective clients and website traffic.

Financial Metrics

1. Cash Flow from Financing Activities: demonstrates financial strength.
2. Average Annual Expenses to Serve One Customer: the average sum required to serve one customer.
3. EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, & Amortization): Formula: (Revenue) – (Expenses Excluding Interest, Tax, Depreciation & Amortization) = (EBITDA).
4. Innovation Spending: The higher the spending figure, the more value innovation has in an organization.
5. (Customer Lifetime Value) / (Customer Acquisition Cost): this value should exceed one.

Conclusion

Periodic evaluation of KPIs helps create a better entrepreneurship strategy. It also guides the adjustments necessary for growth and expansion.

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.

Cannabis: A Journey from Ancient Rituals to Modern Science

Cannabis, a plant that has been both celebrated and vilified throughout history, embarks on a fascinating journey that dates back thousands of years. Its story begins in ancient civilizations, where it was revered for its medicinal and ritualistic properties. Fast forward to the present day, and cannabis stands at the forefront of groundbreaking scientific research, promising a myriad of health benefits and giving rise to innovative extraction methods that cater to a diverse array of products. Let’s delve into the intriguing history of cannabis, uncover the science behind its benefits, and explore the diverse cannabis extraction methods that are revolutionizing the industry.

The Ancient Roots of Cannabis

The history of cannabis use goes back to ancient times, with evidence suggesting its use in rituals and as a medicinal herb across various cultures, including the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Indians. It was highly valued for its psychoactive and therapeutic properties. The Vedas, sacred Hindu texts, referred to it as one of five sacred plants. In medieval times, it spread across the Arab world and Europe, and it was used for pain relief and its soothing effects. However, the journey of cannabis was not without controversy, facing periods of strict prohibition in many parts of the world. It wasn’t until the late 20th and early 21st centuries that perceptions began to shift, leading to legalization efforts and renewed interest in its potential benefits.

The Science Behind Cannabis

At the heart of cannabis’s therapeutic effects are compounds known as cannabinoids. The most well-known of these are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the primary psychoactive compound that gives users the “high” sensation. At the same time, CBD is non-psychoactive and has been studied for its potential to relieve pain, reduce anxiety and depression, and even alleviate some symptoms of neurological disorders. The human body contains an endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is crucial in regulating various physiological processes, including pain, mood, appetite, and memory. Cannabinoids interact with the ECS, showing promise in treating a variety of conditions.

Diverse Cannabis Extraction Methods

As the cannabis industry evolves, so do the methods used to extract its valuable compounds. Each technique offers a unique approach tailored to different needs and preferences.

• Solvent-based extraction

This method uses solvents like ethanol, butane, or CO2 to strip cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. CO2 extraction, in particular, has gained popularity for its ability to produce a pure, potent product while being environmentally friendly. The process involves subjecting CO2 to high pressure and low temperature, turning it into a supercritical fluid that effectively extracts the desired compounds.

• Solventless extraction

For those seeking a more natural approach, solventless methods such as dry sifting, rosin press, and water hash are appealing. These methods rely on physical means to separate trichomes (the resin glands containing cannabinoids and terpenes) from the plant. Rosin press, for example, uses heat and pressure to extract a resinous sap from the cannabis flower or hash, resulting in a solvent-free concentrate.

• Distillation

This technique is used to refine cannabis oil further, separating compounds based on their boiling points. Short-path distillation is a common method that produces high-purity cannabinoids, particularly THC and CBD. It involves heating the cannabis extract to vaporize the desired compound, which is then condensed into a separate container, resulting in a potent and clean product.

The Road Ahead

The cannabis industry continues to innovate, with ongoing research shedding light on the plant’s potential health benefits and the development of more advanced extraction methods. As legalization expands globally, the stigma surrounding cannabis is gradually diminishing, opening doors to new possibilities for medical treatment and recreational use. The future of cannabis looks promising, with the potential to revolutionize healthcare and provide individuals with natural, effective alternatives for pain management, mental health, and beyond.

Summary

In conclusion, the journey of cannabis from ancient rituals to modern science is a testament to its enduring allure and potential. With the advancement of diverse extraction methods, consumers now have access to a wide array of cannabis products tailored to their specific needs. As we continue to explore the science behind its benefits, cannabis stands poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of medicine and wellness.

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.

One of the most important aspects of every business is allocating costs. Cost accounting has increasingly become the key focus where IT infrastructures are being constructed. For example, considering budget limitations, funds allocated to computers, networking, and communication hardware make up almost one-third of the IT budget. 

It is usual for infrastructure costs to be determined by the number of units a business has and how they are placed in the cost allocation plan (CAP). All assets are used according to the roles of the business units, so a simplified cost allocation plan is implemented in which servers and networking infrastructures are allotted accordingly. The latest technology enables user-based cost accounting using enterprise software, leading to pricing bliss.

Simple Ideas to Determine Usage-Based Cost Allocation Keys

IT infrastructures, especially enterprise software architecture, are designed to use multi-tier client-server applications. With such a vital and complex need for essential software, the determination of allocating costs becomes perplexing. Once assets are inducted into a business unit, hardware and software costs are dedicated and preserved as direct costs. Using the asset in a shared environment per resource capability has been seen through business today. Among many are DCHP, ISA, databases, applications, email, hosting, and cloud servers. In such environments, the cost driver is determined by the workload produced by clientele and the consumption of resources in IT infrastructure for cost accounting.

For instance, an application server can host dozens of applications. Still, in other scenarios, the same server would host two or three applications according to its function, like email servers. As servers are part of a solution, not a standalone product, they are a layer of a more extensive IT system.

Usually, all such software and hardware come within tiers; one is needed to run the other within the IT infrastructure. A cost accounting method would diminish significant problems and obstacles while providing other assets with more resources. For instance, 3-tier database applications consist of three servers, i.e., web, application, and database servers, which can all be shared to perform various duties for different applications. This brings up concerns, such as application owners having to handle most of the direct costs while other users are utilizing them as well. Therefore, a usage-based model would be advantageous to implement as costs can be allocated to owners or users to produce more transparency. It may even determine consumption-based cost accounting keys for allocating any IT infrastructure.

Practices

Identification of costs is an organizational practice that distributes cost allocation. This focuses on making IT costs identifiable and ensuring proper assignment to accounting objects, such as IT services. It also makes assessment and evaluation easier. Forecasting and decision-making are also somewhat straightforward and simplified. Also, it helps with cost recovery, which is setting IT service prices and charging the units using them. One objective is determining incentives, for instance, to regulate supply, cost-conscious behavior, and IT services demand.

Resources Profiles for Cost Accounting in IT infrastructures

From the customer’s point of view (business units, users), the complex software and hardware integration is sometimes not truly understood. They view it as a box that uses GUI software to provide services. Categories used can include transaction execution, such as stock or order, and information access, like retrieval and storage details. There could be several selections of one or more such services, and some services consist of several applications, resulting in similar resource consumption in an IT infrastructure. 

Resource Estimation

Existing tools for profiling resources in a heterogeneous environment have drawbacks for significant cost accounting purposes. Firstly, performance diagnostic problems and technology and vendor-specific tools do not cover all resources. The service profiler tool is a load generator that uses standard monitoring tools of UNIX, Linux, and Microsoft Windows. These OS Tools help in detailed monitoring. Several other tools used for resource profiling help prepare an overview of resource consumption expectations for various user behavior patterns.

Evaluating Queuing Network Theory

For cost accounting allocation keys using resource profiles, profiles must be independent of the workload or services being utilized in the system. Resource profiles are excellent tools for validating assumptions. By accurately predicting resource utilization, it is safe to assume that estimates are accurate and independent of system workload.

Other Vital Work

Cost accounting well substantiates service-level resource profile needs. Funke, Scheeg, Nagaprabhanjan, and Apte have published individual works in cost accounting and IT Controlling.

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.

You can use two kinds of payroll software in your business – standard and certified. Certified Payroll Software is used when government-funded contractors and public work construction projects are paid.

A request for Certified Payroll Software may seem problematic and confusing to any client. However, here is a short guide describing what you need to know.

Certified Payroll Software: What is it?

Certified payroll software is usually needed to maintain the payroll for workers on public work projects. In publicly funded projects, contractors are required to pay their workers a prevailing wage. The contractors must also make a proper payroll report showing each worker’s exact wages. 

Certified payroll software makes making such reports easy. An excellent example of accredited payroll software is QuickBooks Certified Payroll. Certified software works as a substitute for the WH-347 Federal Form. They will also work as a substitute for WH-348. WH-348 is the Statement of Compliance, which is required after submitting WH-347.

The following information is required on the WH-347 form:

• A description of the project and the company
• Name of the employee
• Employee’s Social Security Number’s last four digits
• The job classification of the employee
• Employees’ work
• The employee pay rate in addition to any deductions and the net pay.

Most of this information is already stored in payroll software. This is why creating a payroll report with certified payroll software is easier.

After the report is created, it needs to be printed and signed to certify accuracy. This is known as the Statement of Compliance. Completing these steps marks the successful creation of a certified payroll report.

Certain misconceptions about reporting certified payroll include the fact that many believe they require certification to become a payroll professional before being able to file a payroll report. However, that is not true.

Another misconception is that the standards and filing procedures for certified payroll are the same across the United States.

Regardless, you can easily use certified payroll software to make and submit payroll reports.

QuickBooks and Intuit Online Payroll

QuickBooks Certified Payroll and Intuit Online Payroll are the best options for making Certified Payroll Reports.

Intuit Online Payroll allows you to have all the information relevant to creating a certified payroll report in one place. Intuit has a lot more to offer. Once you create the weekly payroll and timesheets, the software’s time tracking can be used to pay employees and workers.

Once you need a report, go to the “Reports” menu and click on the “More Payroll Reports in Excel” option under “Employees and Payroll.” You will see a button labeled “Certified Payroll Report.” From there onward, you must follow the on-screen instructions to get your report.

You can get Intuit Online Payroll at three different prices. The price is the sum of a base rate and per-employee charge. The three packages are:

• Basic: This is the cheapest Intuit Online Payroll plan. It offers the paycheck generation feature but does not include the payroll tax submission feature, and it does not allow you to file a W-2 electronically. The base rate is $20 and $2 per employee per month.
• Enhanced: This plan is one of the most used. It includes all the basic plan features plus other features, including electronic W-2 forms and payroll tax form submissions. The most popular plan of Intuit Online Payroll has a base rate of $31.20 plus a per-employee rate of $2.
• Full service: This is one of the most innovative plans offered by Intuit. It provides an actual Intuit employee to handle your payroll-related tasks. This plan also guarantees against any tax penalties that, if incurred, Intuit would pay for. The plan is priced at the base rate of $79 plus a per-employee rate of $2.

Other Certified Payroll Software is also available, such as:

• Certified payroll solution- This is an add-on for QuickBooks.
• Construction partner- This bookkeeping alternative to QuickBooks costs a hefty $6,000 and is particularly meant for large construction firms.

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.

Partnering with outsourced services to acquire the highest quality planning and strategy for a fraction of the cost is pivotal to success. Small or big businesses no longer prefer hiring in-house teams to manage certain tasks that can be outsourced to third-party service providers. The reason is obvious: they desire to seek specialized expertise from the gems of the industry.

Moreover, start-ups and small businesses usually have scarce resources: time, labor, and money, which restricts them from hiring in-house accounting and bookkeeping professionals. It’s safe to say that time and cost-effectiveness are the major driving forces behind the motivation to hire business accounting and bookkeeping consultancy services for start-ups in today’s time.

The Evolving Needs of Start-ups and Small Businesses

From a small business to a large company, every business establishment needs someone to promptly and effectively manage their financial accounts, pay bills, send out invoices, reconcile bank statements, and manage debtors. Maintaining separate finance departments to tackle financial matters is a hassle and a huge expense. That is why most businesses outsource their financial matters.

Looking at the bigger picture, most start-ups lack the wisdom to tackle difficult bookkeeping and accounting-related issues, so they cannot look after their books and finances independently. For them, hiring the professional expertise of an accountant and bookkeeper is more of a need than a desire.

Business Accounting Consultancy Services for Start-ups

Many success stories directly result from hard work, toiling, commitment, and sincerity that guarantee a secure future. An experienced and qualified accountant or bookkeeper can serve the right needs of a business with creative wisdom like no other, all the while making better financial decisions. Beating your competitors with numbers is quite a different story, which means you need to employ the right accounting tools and strategies to get ahead of others. Business accounting and bookkeeping consultancy services are the need of the hour as they provide you with valuable insights to help you improve your business’s financial health.

Whether you are starting a new business venture or acquiring an established business, the need for professional accountants and bookkeepers never dies. Many start-ups or established businesses used to feel reluctant to hire professional accounting or bookkeeping services, for example, because they feared the integrity of vital data that is highly prioritized by the business would be compromised. Other concerns would be qualification or experience dilemmas that a client is unsatisfied with.

What Business Accounting Consultancy Services Do On Your Behalf?

Most start-ups lack ideal cash management skills, so they fail to make their mark and successfully manage their business operations. This kicks them out of the competitive race, which creates room and gives others a chance to capitalize on the vacant space. Therefore, businesses try to fill this vacuum and acquire the services of professional accounting consultants to help them understand various financial aspects for better decision-making. 

Accounting and bookkeeping professionals can help you in many of the following ways.

• Financial forecasting and planning
• Analyze financial statements on your behalf and recommend ways to overcome cash flow issues
• Determine the profitability of your business
• Monitor influx and outflow of cash and help you achieve the right strategic fit
• Expand your business with critical financial insights and knowledge
• Save a lot of time and money and help you focus on the core of the business
• Tax reductions, debt repayments, and more

Putting the Right Business Accounting Consultancy Services and Practices in Place

Accounting and bookkeeping professionals certainly have better understanding and knowledge than most. They know the tricks of the trade and are masters of the game, as they can solely change the entire fate of a company with better financial decision-making. When you task them with authority, they are expected to live up to expectations and carry out their duties in the best possible way to the best of their abilities.

Thus, if you expect to grow your business in a competitive environment, you must have the best possible business accounting and bookkeeping consultancy services and practices in place to equip and enable your business for success.

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.

Small businesses must develop innovative marketing strategies to stay ahead of competitors. Although conventional ways of marketing a product or service are still relevant, try using new ideas to reach your target market. Below are 18 of the best marketing strategies for small businesses.

Get Out of the Store

Establishing an online presence is critical, even if you have a physical store. Create an interactive, regularly updated site or blog and build informative yet informal profiles on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Share Your Expertise Freely

Let the public know what you are an expert in and use that to boost your reliability and value. Publish tips, share your expertise through public speaking, and even try pitching to the media. Make it easy for people to associate you and your business with excellence and expertise in your field.

Never Stop Growing Your Network

Expand your network of contacts and potential clients. Ask your best, most potent, and most influential friends or business associates to introduce you to five people they think you should meet to expand your business.

Twitter Giveaways

Give away your product or promotional item on Twitter.

Network your Networks

Network with friends, who then network with their friends. There’s power in numbers. Of course, do not spam, but utilize your network to get the word out to your people who know people who know people.

Maintain Relationships with Clients

The difference between a successful and mediocre company often boils down to an owner’s commitment to building (and sustaining) relationships with clients and prospects.

Listen. Listen Again.

Identify your ideal clients and find them on Twitter. Then start following them! Spend weeks listening to them; you will be amazed at what they tell you about their concerns, ideal products, and current frustrations with their vendors. It is a great way to get open and honest market research.

Leverage Linked-in

Join as many LinkedIn groups as possible related to what you sell and post a question or tips regularly.

Facebook it!

Your Facebook friends can be your greatest free marketing tools, so enlist their help! Use the NOTES application on Facebook to create a unique, limited-time “friends and family” promotion.

Tweet it!

Twitter is a great place to share photos, host contests, shout out to loyal customers, have scavenger hunts, and promote events.

Blog Tour

Blog tours are like book tours but without all the flying, cheap hotels, and fast-food temptations. They are a great way to get seen and discovered outside your usual niche, all from the comfort of your office or home.

Inspire Customers to Call You

Do something different. Send a monthly postcard instead of a hard copy newsletter.

Be Generous

To keep customers loyal to you, instead of a frequent buyer program, send your customers small “surprise” gifts.

Low Hanging Fruit

Turn to those in your field for the low-hanging fruit. Find larger companies or older, more experienced businesses and invite them to lunch. Ask them to consider referring their smaller cases or businesses they do not have time to handle to you.

Feed Them, and They Will Come

Anything involving food gets attention. Partner with local neighborhood businesses and a restaurant (or other service providers in a complimentary but non-competing industry if that is your gig) to throw a special event.

Help Other Employees

Offer employee incentives to various big businesses or smaller businesses in your hometown.

Online-Map Listings

Online map listings are essential for businesses with brick-and-mortar locations. They are the first thing people see on search engines.

Small Groups

It only takes one person to start a movement, so do not hesitate to create an informal group that can add value to the market in which you specialize.

 Conclusion

These marketing ideas will help you promote your products or services among your target consumers. You must devote time and money to reap the benefits of these strategies.

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.

In today’s modern world, an accountant needs more than simply a brick-and-mortar office. Accountants must constantly expand their knowledge while keeping up with the latest, most modern industry insight. They should also be able to share this knowledge with those looking for financial advice. The same stands true for start-ups as well. To help your business expand financially, you should constantly keep up with the best accounting practices.

The following seven websites for small business owners offer the best accounting advice for those new to the market.

Accounting Coach

This website was initiated in 2003 to allow students, small businesses, and bookkeepers to learn new accounting skills and increase their present knowledge. This website aims to make educational material available without the expense of books, tuition, and all the other costs of formal education. The single requirement is a working internet connection. Furthermore, the Accounting Coach offers a professional program version that features interactive tests and visual tutorials.

Sleeter

The Sleeter Group was created in 1994 in Pleasanton, California. Sleeter’s goal is to offer various educational resources to accountants and small business owners. Sleeter has also assembled a group of more than seven hundred accounting professionals who will serve as consultants for the members of the group and will also offer implementation services. Sleeter organizes annual conferences and trade shows highlighting the most modern accounting services and software programs. Those who are members of the Sleeter group have access to webinars, reference guides, and twenty-five QuickBooks assessments. The members will also have access to the annual conference.  

Skoda Minotti Blog

Founded in 1980, Skoda Minotti has the vision of offering a comprehensive accounting service that helps their users grow and prosper. They recently expanded their services to provide their client with litigation services, business valuation, strategic marketing services, and financial services. The blog has a gamut of information on each of these topics. Significant changes were made to the accounting industry by permitting non-CPA ownership and investments in the CPA Firms.

The Blunt Bean Counter

The author of this blog that offers income tax advice is Mark Goodfield. This blog is not just for small businesses or start-ups. Any individual can benefit from the blog. Nevertheless, most of the lectures available on the blog are relevant to those who own private companies with a high net worth. Goodfield has more than 25 years of experience in accounting and finance and is a chartered accountant by profession.

The Economist 

The accounting arena is a dynamic facet of the business world, but it is only one aspect of the huge field of economics. The Economist accounting blog took this brilliant idea and made numerous entries covering the world of politics, finance, business, and also culture to help facilitate its users.  

Evergreen Small Business

Evergreen Small Business is a blog site that offers advice for those who own small businesses. A section of the blog has been dedicated to answering questions regarding management, financial planning, and tax accounting for small business owners. Examples of their expertise can be discovered in recent posts, which include “Using the Delphi Method for Small Business Problem Solving and Index Funds and Asset Allocation Even Better for the Wealthy?” Founded by Steve Nelson, who has thirty years of experience and specializes in accounting, the blog is dedicated to helping small business owners flourish. 

Dear Drebit

Accounting professionals now have an active forum that they can use to discuss and get answers to several different accounting and financial issues. Dear Drebit, It allows all site visitors to submit numerous questions concerning accounting as it applies to business evaluation, healthcare improvement, and other financial topics. Rea and Associates, an Ohio-certified communal accounting firm, produced Dear Drebit. They have been in existence since 1938 and currently have more than eleven offices across the state of Ohio.

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.

Effective budgeting refers to the optimum allocation of resources to operate several functions of an office in a well-organized manner. It is easy to see why this would be important information for a business owner. In contrast, bookkeeping refers to the record-keeping of all transactions which take place in a workplace. As illustrated by the abovementioned definitions, the two can be related in a simultaneous order. Budgeting requires the allocation of resources, while bookkeeping requires the record-keeping of the transactions from the allocation of funds from scratch to the finishing line. 

Both terms belong to the genre of accounting, where auditing comes under the perspective of bookkeeping. Effective budgeting leads to the promotion of an efficient business that conclusively provides maximum returns at minimum cost. Bookkeeping helps carry out effective budgeting tasks and aids in identifying weaknesses, strengths, limitations, and savings of a business. Following are certain wonders of effective budgeting.

The Utmost Expenses of a Business can be Planned Through Effective Budgeting

James LeMay, the director of Daigle and Associates with an accounting firm in Boston, stated,” This helps you to be honest about what is coming so you can plan for it beforehand.” Budgeting plays a significant role in planning the transactions that will most likely take place in an enterprise to plan the company’s expenses systematically. However, the technique is beneficial as it allows the allotment of resources while keeping the budget and estimated expenses in mind.

Enlists Accurate Documentation of the Deposits Made in a Business

The technique can be applied through various accounting software, easily downloaded through online accounting websites such as Gnu Cash or QuickBooks. This software helps accountants record all transactions easily. Remember that wrong entries can lead to incorrect results, ultimately affecting a business’s whole accounting scenario. This allows for keeping accurate business records to avoid inaccuracy in budgeting.

Ensures the Welfare of an Office

Optimal budgeting and proper allocation of all resources and funds available in a particular business ensure the well-being of a workplace so that management can say that their resources are being used for the proper welfare of their business. Moreover, budgeting helps review a business’s profits, which can be explored through the resources left out of the ones allotted for running a business. These resources usually come from the profits earned by a business association.

Helps in Increasing the Efficiency of Employees

A certain amount of budget available can be appointed for highly productive employees. This drives them to accomplish a company’s targets on time. A highly qualified and experienced team of accountants must be appointed to perform budgeting tasks to enhance the effective working of a business corporation. Its employees must be treated with great care regarding high bonuses for those who have proven their work.

Advancements in Accounting

With the advancement of technology since the Industrial Revolution, people have moved towards the making of tools as well as software to make their lives more accessible from all perspectives. The field of accounting and finance has also progressed optimistically to make businesses run smoothly and efficiently. Budgeting and bookkeeping are two important terminologies used to maintain the order of balance in a company’s accounting department. The two terms are interrelated and useful in the cloud of accounting and finance. Budgeting proves to be a wonderful aid in the promotion of a smooth and successful business.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, effective budgeting and meticulous bookkeeping are indispensable for running a successful business. By allocating resources wisely and maintaining accurate records, companies can optimize their operations and ensure financial stability. As technology advances, these practices become even more crucial, contributing to modern enterprises’ overall efficiency and success.

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.

Beginnings are tough for start-ups, especially for start-ups trying to make their presence felt on social media platforms. While it is a fact that social marketing can help fast-track the growth of your start-up, damaging your online reputation is easy if you do not do it correctly. If you are trying to get your start-up company off the ground, you need to invest your time and money into, apart from developing an excellent service or product, marketing.

If you plan to use social media to take your start-up to new heights, here are ten mistakes that you should avoid at all costs.

• Not having a plan

Social marketing is not about getting online and posting all you can about yourself and your start-up. Before you make your attendance felt online, it is imperious for you to have a social media strategic plan in place. Your social media efforts need to have a solid foundation and a strategic plan that outlines your objectives and details your services. Get in touch with your lead sales and marketing members and identify your target audience.

• Not being devoted to the plan

If you are not dedicated to your social marketing plan, your social media accounts will be inactive, which will, in turn, create a bad impression. Your social marketing plan is not a sprint; think of it as a marathon. If the results make you impatient, tweak your performance by analyzing metrics, adapting to audience behaviors, and tracking competition.

• Selecting random platforms

Given the rise in the number of social media platforms, you might think it necessary to market your brand everywhere. Though, all social media platforms have a different purpose and a different sets of users. Consequently, you will have to have a different social media marketing plan in place for each platform. The key to marketing effectively on social media platforms is outlining your target customers.

• Being all over the place

As mentioned, all social media platforms have a different purpose and, as such, require different marketing plans. You might not have the time and energy to develop appealing content for several platforms. Furthermore, you do not need to post on platforms that will not get your desired results.

• Posting at inappropriate times

Simply knowing your target customers is not enough; you also need to know what time zones they live in and at what time they are most active.

• Posting too often

While not posting constantly can be bad for your business, posting too frequently can also be a deal-breaker. Get the balance right: posting something once or twice a month can cause your brand to become invisible, and sharing a dozen posts a day is way too much. Find out what works for your brand and stick to it.

• Boring your audience

It is possible to bore your target audience without even knowing it, so be cautious of what you are constantly posting. Talk with your spectators and get them engaged in a conversation, attract eyeballs, use humor, ask genuine questions and give intelligent answers.

• Self-promoting

If you only talk about yourself and your company, people will unfollow you. Instead of putting your start-up in the spotlight, focus on your target audience. Talk about things that interest your end-users, and you will engage them in exciting conversations.

• Giving users a reason to laugh

The worst thing you can do for your brand is to give your target audience a reason to laugh at you. Avoid blunders by thinking about your posts and taking the time to analyze probable outcomes.

• Not understanding your marketplace

Before you even spend your first dollar on creating an ad, you need first to understand your marketplace. Thoroughly analyze your customer demographics or buyer persona’s psychographics.

Conclusion

Social marketing mistakes have the potential to put a company out of business. As a start-up owner, you can never be too cautious about what you post online. So, put adequate thought into your social marketing plans and ensure you do not make the mistakes mentioned above.

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.