Category: Content

Everyone wishes to have a decent job that helps pay the expenses and manage a decent life without having to worry. People spent years wondering and exploring the right profession for themselves; one that helps bring in the bacon and is of interest to them. Who doesn’t love a stable job? After all, half our lifetime is spent studying, whining for grades, and competing with millions of others in the job market, and demands a result in the form of a stable job. Let’s explore the advantages of a stable job!

Management of Expenses

People are always worried about payments and expenses! Some people work two shifts to provide for their families and some are still unable to even though they work tirelessly. A stable job means that one has a clear idea of the monthly earning; therefore, knows the resources available for the month. The employee knows how much can be spent, how much needs to be saved for the next month, how to manage the year-end payments, and more. There is a constant pattern of earnings which allows one to manage the expenses accordingly. If savings and expenses are balanced well, one can effortlessly deal with unexpected situations such as a sudden party!

Lesser Stress, More Fun!

Having a stable job means that one is doing well in fulfilling the basic needs of life, providing for the family, and is satisfied with the work. On the contrary, an unstable job lays pressure on the employee to vigorously look for another job, adds to the frustration, and deteriorates the health of the employee. Several studies have proven that financial constraints lead to anxiety and depression while work stress is known to be the major reason for depression. A stable job allows one to enjoy life, spend time with his family and friends, experience adventures, and live life to the utmost, without worrying about money.

More Employee Benefits

People who add value add to the company with their skills, hard work, and enthusiasm; their worth in the organizations grows exponentially. Employees who enjoy stability in their job are the ones who have positively contributed towards the profitability of the company and are valued in the organization. Such employees are likely to receive more benefits like paid holidays, salary increments, annual bonuses and appraisals at their jobs. Since they have developed a credibility in the organization, they are not micro-managed. The company is lenient towards them just in case they get late to work or don’t show up on one of the days.

Opportunity to Take Investment Risks

A person is able to take risks and explore different opportunities when he is sufficiently meeting the basic needs of life. A stable job interprets that one is doing well with the expenses and needs of life, and is most likely to have some money in the form of savings. Such individuals are able to invest in different short-term and long-term projects to increase the sources of earnings. Some investment opportunities include starting a business of interest like a small café, buying stocks, investing in an on-going project or more. However, one must take calculated risks and carefully invest the hard-earned money!

Opportunities for Professional Growth

Stability in a job is achieved through professional excellence. Employees are stable in a job when they have performed well, have tirelessly worked to deliver their best performance and have added value to the company. Such employees have a competitive edge over others and have more opportunities for professional growth within and outside the company. Their current employer wouldn’t want to let them go while other employers would like to welcome them into their company. This gives employees a leverage to choose from a range of opportunities and diversify their skills by exploring new roles.

A stable job offers peace of mind and provides a stress-free life in terms of finances. It allows one to experiment with different things, take calculated risks, and enjoy life to the utmost without any pressure!

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

If you have time in the market and you still cannot get your business to achieve the success you’ve always dreamed of, it may be because you’re not using the right finance strategies.

There are many factors that can positively or negatively influence this. One of them is the ability to manage money in the right way, getting to be economically independent, but without bankrupting everything that you have fought so hard for.

If you find you have financial issues and you do not know which the best option, stay here and keep reading this post, we will show you some little used but very useful strategies to have the best support of all in your venture.
 

What are the best finance strategies for your venture?

These strategies that we are going to show you below are not used because only companies of great size and status use them, they tend to go unnoticed since there are others that are much easier to carry out. But today we are going to teach you how to execute them so that you can take them your venture to the top.

 

1. Analyze the needs of the company to draw up an action plan

Many of the big players in the market believe that this step is the first and most important in any functional financial strategy, regardless of the time that has been stipulated to achieve them.

Plan step by step everything that must be done to reach a specific goal requires time, knowledge and a lot of patience, these plans must be organized and very well detailed in a personalized way, where you can clarify how to meet the needs and objectives of your enterprise.
 

2. Design the strategies according to the term in which you want to reach a goal

The time frame is one of the main keys in a strategy to make it work, especially if you plan to opt for long-term goals, which are the most recommended because they are the most durable, but for this it is necessary to take into account 3 aspects of importance:

The Investment: must be oriented to increase the value of your company, the tactics can be defensive, offensive, reoriented or survival. Depending on the plans you have made, you can choose between these two types of growth:

Internal growth: that is to expand the business because the demands have increased by a considerable percentage, and the offers are no longer enough to cover them.

External growth: a clear example of this type of growth is to eliminate competitors through various mergers.

Regarding disinvestment, it does not affect, since this strategy is applied only when your objectives are focused on getting ahead.

  

3. Short-term functional strategies

Surely after all the information we gave you before you have doubts about whether it is possible or not to create a short-term financial strategy, and the truth is that if possible, as long as these are focused on the following points:

Work Capital: One of your priorities is to find a stable relationship between risk and performance. For this you must adjust to some kind of strategy, be it conservative, aggressive or intermediate.

Circulating Liability: this is a common financing of any company, large or small, the ideal is to take advantage of the discounts for prompt payment instead of going to financial institutions to make a credit application.

Efficient Cash: a good way to increase the liquidity of your venture is to reduce inventory, delay payments in case of commission and resignation, and seek to make the collections as soon as possible.

 


About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

Controlling the stock of your restaurant today is a must if you do not want to lose money. Can you imagine a textile business that does not know how many garments it has sold? Or what is worse, that not knowing how much it cost them to make them, do they sell them too cheap?

It is unthinkable that these companies work without knowing the manufacturing cost and the value of the products; however, in a restaurant quite often the control of food and beverages does not follow any order.

If you invest too much money but this is not reflected in your profits, you have customers but the accounts still do not leave, you spend more and more time but it seems to be not enough … it’s time to think if you are managing correctly.

I invite you to ask yourself these questions:

• Do you know exactly what products are in your restaurant?
• Is there someone in charge of making and reviewing the inventory?
• Do you control the costs of your restaurant?
• Are there specific dates assigned to take inventory?
• Do you check one by one the products you receive from your suppliers?
• Do you know what your best selling products are? And the least sold?
• Do you know the system “first in first out” (the first to enter is the first to leave)?
• Do you always have the necessary products, preventing them from running out?

If in any of these questions your answer has been NO, you have to know that you must improve in the control of food and beverages.

 

What is stock control and why is it going to help you not lose money in your restaurant? Stock control consists of knowing what foods and beverages we have in our restaurant at a certain time.

To carry out a correct management, we will do what is known as inventory; a detailed list where we will write:

• Items that we have in stock.
• Quantity of each of them.
• Provider
• Detailed description.

The purchase of food and beverages is one of the most important expenses for restaurants, so you must have inventory control policies: specific dates to do so, periodic reviews and why not, surprise inventories to avoid theft.

• How stock control will reduce your expenses in your restaurant.
• You can make smarter decisions to reduce costs .
• Your profitability will increase , since you will avoid losing money.
• You will know what your sales have been and you can create strategies to increase them.
• You will save time that you can invest in other aspects of your restaurant.
• You will decide what and how much to order without accumulating and losing money.
• You will know which are the most profitable items to design the menu that includes them.
• You will know which genre is going to expire soon and you should use it.
• You will see the evolution of prices of products and you can decide on your suppliers.
• You will improve the way you order products.
• You will avoid theft or loss of raw materials due to lack of control.
• You will always have a minimum and a maximum so that nothing runs out.

You can reduce the level of waste.

And of course, you will save a large amount of money.

As you see, just a tool like inventory can save you money and resources, which are sure to be welcome to favor other areas of your business.

If you have decided to improve the management of your restaurant and want to continue increasing your profits. I invite you to review our Restaurant Management Course, because we teach you everything you need to know to make your business profitable, through videos and success stories.

 

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

Before starting a project, the entrepreneur must make a business plan. But what is the best way to do this, especially for those who do not have experience?

The first step is to understand that there are no magic formulas. Employers with little experience should have a business plan as a priority.

 

Making a simple business plan is ideal

To reduce the chances of errors when it comes to making a business plan, according to the specialist, it is necessary to start with a simple, clear and easy to implement plan. Later on, you will have time and find you have the need to perfect it, especially at the beginning you must go out to sell, sell and sell some more.

Minimize mistakes, especially for less experienced entrepreneurs, is the goal. One of these, quite common, is to build the business plan based on assumptions or information only from the environment that surrounds them. Overestimating their own abilities is also a very common mistake, and entrepreneurs must be careful not to fall into that trap.

 

Learn 3 tips to build the business plan

To avoid making mistakes when making a business plan, it is worth paying attention to some points. Learn below three tips to consider and avoid future headaches.

 

1. Be realistic

Especially if you have experience as an employee in a large company, you can have the expectation that things happen fast.

It is necessary to have peace of mind and patience, especially in what can be done with the available finances.

 

2. Investigate the market in its entirety

References such as the size of the market, the expectation of growth of the sector, how to gain space in that market, among others, should be in the plan. Therefore, the entrepreneur has to investigate everything about the sector he intends to enter. Other external factors, such as the place of installation and acceptance rate among the public in the region, also need to be considered.

 

3. Prepare to take risks

No matter how bright an idea or more promising the market is, every entrepreneur will take risks when starting a venture, because there is no guarantee that future achievements will compensate the expenses, money and time invested.

Therefore, the business plan should not avoid them, but consider the best way to handle them.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

Many self-employed workers and entrepreneurs are now incorporating family members who, due to current circumstances, do not have access to the labor market. What at first might seem like a good idea, can become a serious problem because it is difficult to separate family and work; not to mention that when there is a lot of trust between people who work together, decisions can be made in less professional and more emotional ways. That’s why we recommend that you take into account the following tips when managing a company of this type:

 

• When selecting or promoting someone close to the family business, it is better to do so with the help of an external technician who provides independence as well as objectivity. Thus the choice will be more in line with the professional needs of the family business, which will avoid problems and duplication of personnel in the future.
• In the cases in which a couple establishes a family business, one must be careful because a possible separation may also end with the business, so it is advisable to anticipate possible disputes through a family protocol or an agreement. The protocol of a family business addresses not only what to do in cases of divorce, but also what to do in succession processes or incorporation of family members to the company, being able to complement the protocol with marriage agreements that establish what happens with the matrimonial property in cases of divorce.
• For cases of rivalries between siblings within the family business, we must act with caution because it is one of the most common causes of disappearance in the family business, so it is best to prevent bad health competition clearly delimiting the functions and responsibilities of every brother in the family business. Sometimes the eagerness to lead the family business will force to create several branches. Thus a climate of constructive complementary will be given, instead of one of destructive competition. Even so, it is normal that in all family business there are conflicts between brothers. That is why it is best to establish a code of conduct that sets the procedures for resolving differences.
• Firefighting is always a difficult act, but in the family business it is much more difficult, because after the process there may be hatred and resentment. Sometimes the economic situation forces the business to have to make that type of decisions, although in rare occasions it is due to the abuse of trust within the family business. Relying on the trust and the emotional bond of the family is the key to face the process with the maximum guarantees but that bitter swallow in the family business should not be delegated to external managers, it should be the responsibility of the family. In the event that the dismissal is motivated by conflicting relatives, the opportunity must be given to correct their behavior or to be relocated to another post where it may be more useful.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

Although there is no test that can give you an accurate answer, there are certain essential questions that will help you determine if you meet the requirements to be successful in this new project.

 

1. How committed are you?

One thing is certain: successful entrepreneurs have a great commitment to their business. It is something simple to understand, but difficult to put into practice. If you are one of those who passes from one hobby to another without being really focused on something or easily distracted, maybe it is not your moment. Entrepreneurs are persistent, even when things get tough.

 

 

2. Do you have patience?

Although not all optimists start a business, most entrepreneurs think positively. From those who own a single location, to the founders of the most important companies, they all have in common the ability to turn challenges into opportunities. Without this essential characteristic it is difficult to motivate employees and succeed in the midst of a crisis.

 

 

3. Do you like to make decisions?

This implies assuming a commitment. And when decisions are not adequate, the consequences can be fatal. Especially when you start a project with limited capital and resources. Is it better to install the office at home or rent a space? How to fix the price of your products or services? What will be your target audience? … In short, there are many questions that you must answer. And the difference between a hobby and a business is that decisions have financial implications. Can you enjoy it equally?

 

 

4. Do you have capital?

Once you have a business plan and you know that your hobby can be a profitable business, the next step is to finance it. The recommendation in these cases is not to give up your work. Getting a loan is not easy and requires many sacrifices. So, if you keep a salary and things do not work as you planned, at least you will have to endure a crisis, without having to lose your business.

 

 

5. Do you like sales?

When you are an entrepreneur, your job is to sell, be it products, a business vision and even yourself. And you will have to do it every day, several times. Do not worry, if you really have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, you will enjoy it.

If you answered yes to most of the questions, then you are ready to transform your hobby into a real business. If your answers were negative and you still feel the desire to be an entrepreneur, it is best to find a partner that supports you to make your dream come true. Remember that even if you really enjoy your hobbies, think about whether you will be willing to let them become a way of life with financial implications.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. With flat rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost effective expert accounting solution for business, family office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

A carbon footprint, what is it and what is it for?

The carbon footprint is a tool that calculates all of a company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Thanks to the results obtained, the company’s managers can get an idea of the carbon footprint of their activity on the environment, especially with regard to global warming. The establishment of a carbon footprint is not mandatory for companies. Only those with more than 500 employees are required to account for their emissions through a “regulatory GHG report.”

In concrete terms, the carbon footprint has two main uses and allows companies to:

• Know their level of greenhouse gas emissions and then establish a plan of action to reduce them.
• Anticipate fluctuations in fossil fuel prices and emancipate them at least partially.

Carbon footprint: operating principle

First, you need to know that anyone cannot do the carbon footprint. The company carrying out its carbon audit must call on a service provider certified by EPA or have a project manager trained in this method. 
Then the process breaks down into several distinct stages:

Sensitization

The company in charge of the mission begins by giving an overview of the carbon balance method to the company’s managers, as well as the stakes of the approach. At the end of the first discussions, a priority interlocutor will be appointed within the “client” company.

Identification

This phase allows the team responsible for carrying out the carbon assessment to define upstream the entire greenhouse gas emitting activities. Using the data provided by the company, this step leads to a precise and exhaustive mapping of the generating flows of CO².

Harvest

According to the information provided by the company’s managers, the service provider’s team in charge of carrying out the carbon assessment, are responsible for collecting all the necessary data and performs the various calculations that make it possible to determine the quantity of greenhouse gases. 

Analysis

Once the results are obtained, it is possible to identify the most polluting elements in the company and to put in place economic projections in case of decrease or increase of certain activities. An action plan can then be developed to reduce the company’s emissions.

Carbon balance: the benefits for the company

Beyond its primary purpose, the carbon footprint can bring many benefits to a company if it uses it well:

• By showing that it has taken initiatives to measure its emissions and eventually takes measures to limit them, the company will have an additional advantage to be argued during calls for tenders, for example. A greener brand image that shows that the company is committed to sustainable development is indeed seen by a growing number of companies.
• The carbon footprint also allows companies to more effectively anticipate future regulatory obligations in terms of pollution and not to find themselves at the bottom of the wall when they are implemented.
• Making a carbon footprint is also effective in reducing the company’s energy costs, which allows it to store or re-inject the money earned in this way elsewhere. By being aware of its main emission factors, the company can also make sure to reduce them to avoid having to pay too much carbon tax.
• One of the main obstacles to the achievement of the carbon footprint for the company is the sometimes high cost generated by the service. Yet subsidy of EPA support between 50 and 70% of the costs of the operation depending on the company size. So, it’s an initiative that is not as expensive as it seems.

The limits of the carbon footprint

Although this is a very relevant tool, the carbon footprint has a number of limitations. They must be taken into account before starting:

• It is not uncommon for the harvest phase to be extremely long, which in some companies may be problematic.
• The carbon footprint only deals with greenhouse gas emissions. It is thus largely insufficient to have a global vision of the ecological footprint that a company can have: soil pollution, particle rejection and many other factors are not taken into account at all in the establishment of a carbon footprint.
• The budget needed to carry out some action plans sometimes very high. If on certain points, there is no problem, the “heavy” investments can be very demanding in money for companies having only little liquidity: renovation, change of material, insulation, installation of solar panels…).

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

Before starting a business, an entrepreneur must know which legalities and formalities to take care of, to be trouble-free in the future. Unlike popular belief, the requirements are easier to find and with some research, the entrepreneur will know what is required to start the business of his choice. For example, running an eatery may require approval from the local food authorities. Entrepreneurs, however, worry about the legalities and wonder if an attorney needs to be hired. But, they also want to save costs and think of hiring one later, if needed. This article helps entrepreneurs in identifying whether they require a lawyer to start a business or they can manage without one!

Things that Do Not Require a Lawyer

An entrepreneur must avoid spending money on things that can be done otherwise. Therefore, knowing tasks that can be handled without a lawyer is important. Listed below are activities that an entrepreneur can do himself!

• Finding an Available Business Name

As a general rule, two businesses cannot have the same name! And why would an entrepreneur want to confuse his customers by keeping a business name that is already occupied? Therefore, a startup needs to check whether the desired name is available for use or not. However, it does not require a lawyer to do the research. Most states have an easy-to-use database on their websites which includes all the registered business names. It also includes instructions for different businesses and industries to help register one’s business name. Once decided, the name needs to be verified with Trademark Electronic Business Center to ensure that the name is not reserved. It would be smart to check if a relevant domain is available for the company’s website.

• Getting an Employer Identification Number

Entrepreneurs are often worried about getting an Employment Identification Number, however, it is one of the simplest tasks. The number is issued by the Internal Revenue Service and is used by all businesses including a sole proprietorship, non-profit organizations, partnerships, corporations, and others. The website for IRS provides all the details of getting an Employee Identification Number. The process is simple and requires online submission of some documents that the entrepreneur is likely to have if the business is ready to operate. Therefore, a lawyer is not required. However, it is important to know that an Employee Identification Number is not required for sole proprietorship’s with no excise taxes and pension plans. 

When You Must Hire a Lawyer

Some issues can be taken care of without a lawyer, but some must be tacked by a lawyer. As an entrepreneur, one must know when and when not to hire a lawyer. Here are some of the things need professional help!

• Registering a Partnership or a Corporation

Businesses differ from one another, therefore, their requirements too. A partnership is required to register with the state with formal documentation. One of the documents that are necessary for a partnership is the LLC Operating Agreement. It is mandatory for corporations to register with the state and develop proper bylaws. Therefore, an attorney is a must! An S-Corporation is registered with the Internal Revenue and starting one requires help from an attorney. Although the state facilitates entrepreneurs through online registration, an attorney will make life easier for you. Hiring an attorney will make sure that all documents are complete and submitted to the state.

• Preparing Contracts

Preparing business contracts are tricky and require assistance from a lawyer to allow a profitable contract for both the parties. A business undergoes different contracts such as contracts between partners, with suppliers, stakeholders, customers, and more. Other businesses can exploit your business with a tricky contract that you may not have an understanding of. For example, a supplier can trick a business into paying for supplies that were damaged during the delivery, although the supplier was responsible for the freight. Before the business gets a grip on the legal matters, let the attorney do the job.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.

Discover how to take care of your money during vacations

It does not matter if you want to go to a city or beach, if it is for a few days or weeks, by bus or car, with family or friends. This summer vacation, before packing your bags, think about how to take care of your savings, so that you do not “burn” through the money that you will need later.

Your best allies in this vacation period have to be budget and planning. Therefore, we guide you so that you know how much money you can spend and what you should consider before choosing your destination, means of transportation, lodging, among others.

How much can I spend?

The first thing you should do is a monthly budget (if you do not usually do one, the time has come), with this you will know your total payment capacity. Once you have defined that amount, identify how much you can spend for this vacation. This is necessary to have a clear idea of ​​what kind of vacation you can pay and for how long. In addition, sticking to a set amount will help you not to make unnecessary disbursements during the same. It is necessary that within the money that you already destined for your vacations, you set aside between 10 and 15% for any unforeseen events.

How to choose?

You already know how much you can spend on this vacation, now it’s time to look for the plan that best suits your tastes and economic capacity.

Compare

According to the places and activities that you want to perform, look for different options. Compare destinations (cities, beaches, mountains, countryside, etc.), transportation (bus, car, plane, etc.), and lodging (hotel, hostel, etc.).

Destination. Take into account that the most demanded are usually the most expensive, as usually happens with known beaches. One option is to visit traditional cities, mountainous areas, or not-so-popular beaches, where prices will surely be more accessible. 

Conveyance. You must think about: the one that you will use to go to your holiday destination and the one necessary to transport you once at your destination. Everything depends on the place and the people that go with you. For example, if you go with four members of your family, it may be convenient to travel by car and pay for gasoline, booths, and maintenance, but maybe, if there are two people, it would be better to travel by bus. Also, assess the transport you will use there, for example, if it is a city, it may be better to use local public transport, than your private car.

Lodging. Defining where you are going to stay will also be reflected in your portfolio. Consider the use that you will give to the place where you stay, many times it is only used to sleep and bathe, in those cases the option of a hostel is viable, also renting a room can be cheaper if it has a kitchenette in the which can prepare food. Evaluate all these aspects within your planning.

Take into account the time.

A very common mistake is that when the last day of vacation arrives, a large part of the money is over. So that this does not happen to you do a program in which you distribute your vacation expense between the number of days that you are going to be there and respect this plan. Think about the activities to be done per day, transportation, food, tips and maybe a souvenir that you can buy.

Before packing, keep these tips in mind:

• Advance reservations are usually cheaper.
• In both buses and airplanes, there are cheaper tickets if booked during the first or last hours of the day, in addition, during the week they usually cost less.
• If you travel by bus, take into account discounts for students and seniors.
• Check with your mechanic that your car is in a position to travel on the road.
• Check the coverage and expiration of your auto insurance.
• Consider your cash needs for the trip.
• Record phone calls from your bank for any unforeseen events.
• Find ATMs in your bank’s network to make withdrawals, and avoid using the network ATMs for the commission charged.
• If you pay with your credit or debit card, do not lose sight of it and keep the receipts for any further clarification.
• Do not give the “card”, remember that you are committing money that you will later have to pay with interest.
• Always verify that the amount you are going to sign is correct.
• There are credit cards that offer traveler insurance, ask your bank if your plastic has this service. Some have loyalty programs or points for discounts on hotels and airline tickets.
• Before opting for a vacation package on credit, make an account of what you end up paying at the end, as it may end up costing much more than expected.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

There are many types of entrepreneurs, but they all have these 5 characteristics in common. Describing an entrepreneur may not be an easy task since there are all kinds of them. From the man who started his business with a pallet cart and now has an ice cream shop, to the young man interested in the technology that managed to raise the necessary capital to through a crowdfunding platform to launch its startup based on an application for smartphones. No matter how you started your business or how long you have been in it, all entrepreneurs share 5 essential characteristics:

 

1. A Great Entrepreneur Mixes Vision with Execution

When we think of successful entrepreneurs, we think of visionaries. This will be true in some cases, but in reality the best are those who manage to combine their vision with the ability to make things happen. In fact, good advice for those who want to start a business is to spend less time developing ideas and more time carrying them out.

 

2. They have the Ability to Find Unusual Solutions

A good entrepreneur often has excellent problem solving skills; but they also attack these problems with creativity.  They don’t do this because they are eccentric or unconventional, but because they simply have a different way of looking at things. These types of people know what resources they have and how to make the most of them using different angles, they tend to find unusual solutions or exits where other people do not see them.

 

3. Are Willing to Work More than the Account

The task of creating a successful business is long and heavy. The hours are intense and the success rate is relatively low. It takes a long time to generate momentum and the amount of work it requires is unquantifiable for those who have not tried yet. A successful entrepreneur is one who has spent tireless hours working on his dream, who has had to choose to go to work instead of resting for a weekend or holiday, this is part of the beginning of a successful company.

 

4. They can Reduce Complicated Information in Actions

In general, any problem related to a company or business can be reduced to two or three main components. A good entrepreneur can identify these factors and make key decisions for the business.

 

5. They are Very Effective with their Team

An entrepreneur is one who knows how to interact effectively with all kinds of people and gets the best of each. Growing a business means increasing the number of people working in it, so a good entrepreneur will know how to choose his team and find the best way to get good results from the activities or responsibilities of each of them.

As you can see, all entrepreneurs meet these characteristics because facing the task of creating a business from nothing is not easy. It requires excellent organizational skills, communication, management and leadership to achieve what is sought.

Another of the most admired skills in an entrepreneur is knowing when to use technology in their favor, as in the case of electronic invoicing. By implementing an electronic billing scheme in your business or company, you will reduce costs, save time and be able to use resources that you previously targeted for billing processes in other areas of the business. All this will help you grow more effectively.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services 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 US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. 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.