5 Things People Say That Keep Them in Debt

A person should be willing to do everything it takes to get out of debt. Whether it be spending less money, having less entertainment, or cutting out entertainment altogether, a person should have an optimistic approach. The most important thing for someone to get out of debt is to think about their expenses differently and to change their outlook about spending money. A changing mindset means spending money on needs instead of wants.  Mentality plays a significant role when it comes to spending less and saving more.

 

Along with the mindset, a person needs a proper plan and full motivation. A proper plan means to have a reasonable and necessary schedule where every time an individual spends his or her money, they keep track of it. A lot of people decide to get out of debt but fail to achieve it as they don’t change their habits or mindset. Debt is a stressful thing that needs to be changed or recovered. Why not do something before it hurts to be in debt anymore? Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

If a person doesn’t have a strong mindset that they need to get out of debt, they will keep failing as they will not make plans and strategies and will not get serious about it. The worries and stress of debt will keep hurting them. A lot of times, people say words that are so demotivating for themselves that they don’t even realize.

 

We came up with some phrases that people in debt say that will keep them in debt. If you find yourself saying any of it, then you need to stop to change your mindset:

 

  1. Those Who Live for Luck:

People who say that they will pay their debt when they get a promotion are probably unaware of the fact that life is unpredictable. A lot of people live their lives, hoping someday, luck will be in their favor. Using this mindset to get out of debt will lead to failure and continued debt. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

  1. Those Who Think Paying Interest Will Help:

People who say that paying interest means paying the debt are incorrect. Paying interest only increases debt. If an individual is not paying the whole amount on time, then it only means that the amount of interest is being compounded along with the debt.

 

  1. Those Who Think They Are Not Making Enough Money:

People who say that their salary is the problem need to change this mindset. It’s not the salary that’s the problem but their behavior. They are the ones that are spending outside their means. Setting up a budget is the way to change this way of thinking and get out of debt. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

  1. Those Who Are Not Willing to Sacrifice:

Individuals who are not willing to sacrifice will stay in debt. A lot of people who have a habit of eating out or going to the movies every week are the ones that are not motivated enough to start saving. They are not willing to sacrifice their fun and entertainment. They need to reset their mentality and set goals and make proper plans.

 

  1. They Don’t Make It A Priority:

People who say that there are more important things than paying debt do not understand the impact and longevity of debt. Making debt a priority takes a change of habits. Individuals that keep saying that they will start budgeting next month need to make it a top priority. This will be the path to get out of debt and become stress-free.

 

Those in debt often don’t realize that debt is as mental as financial. If the mindset about debt is changed, battling debt will be easier and become a feasible goal.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Fix & Flip – Accounting for Investors

Accessible and sustainable systems are vital if you want your business to be systematic. As an investor, an accounting system is essential for business. A sound accounting system that keeps track of all the expenses is not as difficult to make as it seems.

Before you start building an accounting system, you need first to figure out how you would want to record and book profits and expenses. To keep up with them, you need to create a simple method to document invoices and receipts. The best way to record them is to use expense-tracking applications and software programs. They allow more streamlined bookkeeping by letting you scan receipts, put in the amount, catalog, and store the information in the cloud. You can also use mileage apps to calculate travel expenses while performing job-related tasks. Accounting software like Quickbooks can also prove to be of immense help. Irrespective of the software you decide to use, the categories of your transactions should include:  

  1. Acquisition costs
  2. Rehabilitation costs
  3. Repair costs
  4. Holding costs
  5. Selling price
  6. Selling costs Complete Controller. America’s Bookkeeping Experts

Separating rehabilitation and repair costs may help you later on if you decide to rent the house instead of selling it.

Kinds of Supporting Documents You Should Keep

You are not required to keep any specific records according to the law, with the exception of a few cases. Keep any receipts related to the purchase and sale of the property and all related HUD-1 statements. Also, keep the tax assessment card of the property and, if applicable, the insurance and appraisal documents. You should also have supporting documents for expenses related to the rehab costs. They should state the total amount of payments made and that they were related to the business. These include:

  • Canceled checks
  • Cash register tapes
  • Account statements
  • Credit card sales slips
  • Invoices
  • Trivial cash slips for minor cash payments Cubicle to Cloud virtual business

Informational Returns

You may be required to inform the IRS about any payments related to your business on informational returns. The payments on the information returns will then be compared with the reported value on the individual’s revenues by the IRS to make sure the income they reported is correct.  You are required to fill out the Form 1099-MISC (Miscellaneous Income) to report selected payments. According to Publication 583, the payments include:

  • Payments of $600 or more for services performed for your business by people not treated as your employees, such as subcontractors, attorneys, accountants, or directors
  • Rent payments of $600 or more, other than rents paid to real estate agents
  • Prizes and awards of $600 or more that are not for services, such as winnings on TV or radio shows
  • Royalty payments of $10 or more
  • Payments to certain crew members by operators of fishing boats

Form W-2, Wage, and Tax Statement is supposed to be filed to report expenses related to your employees, such as wages, Medicare taxes, tips, compensation, social security, and withheld income. Using a software program that has a payroll system integrated can make your bookkeeping much easier if you have W-2 employees. LastPass – Family or Org Password Vault

Accrual vs. Cash Method

You need to decide between the cash and accrual methods of bookkeeping for your business.

The cash method is used when you acknowledge income after the check is collected, and expenses are acknowledged after making the payment. In contrast, the accrual method recognizes expenses and income after they are incurred or earned, not after the payment of the expenses and receiving the check.

If you are wondering how this applies to investors in a fix-and-flip business, here’s the answer:

When you plan to or already flip numerous properties, you will most likely be classified as someone who deals by the IRS. This means that the properties you own will be categorized as inventory, which will require you to utilize the accrual method of bookkeeping by the IRS. That is why it is recommended for investors to start with the accrual method of accounting from the beginning. This means you do not have to go through the hassle of transitioning your system to the accrual method at a later time.

ADP. Payroll – HR – Benefits 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. Download A Free Financial Toolkit

The Grown-Up’s Guide to Filing Taxes

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

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

How VPN Technology Protects Accounting Data

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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: Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

  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.

  1. 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.

 

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

10 Cloud Security Best Practices for Attorneys and Law Firms

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

  1. 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.

  1. Log Controlling

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

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. Employee Development and Training

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


Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Think Like a Billionaire

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

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. 

 

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

12 Tips to Help Land Your Dream Job

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Perception vs. Reality About Entrepreneurship

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” Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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”

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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.

 

  Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

“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.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Mapping your Future: Start Budgeting

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.   Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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.

 

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Beginner Guide for Bookkeepers

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

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 Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

 

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.

 

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers