Women’s Independent Press

When checking out prospective accountants, find out what kinds of services are offered such as bookkeeping, management consulting, investment management and estate planning.

When I started my business, one of the first people I missed was the corporate accountant who worked at my old job. No more handing off receipts to get reimbursed for expenses or telling someone to create an invoice. I suddenly had to figure out what the best format for my business should be (corporation or LLC), how to pay employee taxes, and what expenses are deductible.

You’re probably already using an accounting program like QuickBooks or Sage to create invoices and track sales and expenses. A good accountant can show you how to use those programs to do more for your business than just the basics. He or she can show you how to look for warning signs, manage late payments and run reports to show you who your best and worst customers are.
Do you really have time to have to keep up with new tax laws, the ins and outs of business structures and shareholder decisions? Of course not. That’s what an accountant is for.
If you ever want to retire or pass the business on to your family, a good accountant can advise you on the best way to make that happen.
So how do you find a good accountant? Start by getting recommendations from other small business owners in your area and/or industry. It’s best if the accountant is familiar with your specific business issues. Local review sites like Yelp and Local.com can help you search in your area.
When checking out prospective accountants, find out what kinds of services are offered such as bookkeeping, management consulting, investment management and estate planning. Will the accountant also help you with small business loan documents or managing employee retirement plans?
Finally, make sure you understand how you’ll be billed. Many accountants charge by the hour, but you might be able to pay a monthly retainer fee so you can ask questions anytime you need help.

Rieva Lesonsky, headshotRieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email Rieva@rieva@smallbizdaily.com , follow her on Google+ and Twitter.com/Rieva and visit her website, www.SmallBizDaily.com , to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva’s free TrendCast reports.

by Tameka Montgomery, SBA Official

Did you know that one in four individuals between the ages of 44 to 70 are interested in becoming entrepreneurs? In fact, entrepreneurs over the age of 50, also known as encore entrepreneurs, are one of the fastest-growing groups of entrepreneurs in the United States.

If you are one of the 63 percent of Americans planning to work during retirement, then small business ownership may be a good option for you to use your experience and knowledge gained during your career toward starting a new business.

Each year, the SBA helps more than one million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to start, grow and succeed. If you are thinking about starting a business, the SBA and our resource partners can provide you with the tools to help. During the month of April, SBA and AARP are teaming up to host National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month to provide a range of resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners over the age of 50. The events will help connect encore entrepreneurs with mentors such as those from SBA’s network of Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and SCORE chapters that can help throughout the life cycle of an entrepreneur’s business.

Events will include speed mentoring, which allows mentors with small business experience and entrepreneurs to share information during one-on-one counseling sessions, and workshops for entrepreneurs to get advice and assistance from successful business owners and community leaders. You can find local events taking place around the country to learn more about how to become an entrepreneur or how you can grow your existing small business.

Now is a great time to explore your options. SBA has free online courses targeted at helping encore entrepreneurs to get started. Go online to access SBA’s online small business learning center that offers free courses on how to start your own business and a course designed for women entrepreneurs over the age of 50.

SBA and AARP are also hosting free webinars on related topics that you can easily access, Are You Ready to Start Your Small Business? and Steps to Starting Your Business: Encore Entrepreneurship Webinar Series.

You can find more encore entrepreneurship information at www.sba.gov/encore and www.aarp.org/workresources

We look forward to seeing you at a Mentor Month event and encourage you to visit with our mentors and counselors, as well as explore SBA’s online tools to help you to build your own small business.

Spring is the time of rebirth and renewal, a time to replace the old and quiet energy with new, vibrant energy. With rebirth and renewal comes change. Allow yourself to experience positive changes in your home with help from a few Feng Shui tips:

• Throw out those items you no longer need that could benefit another person, including clothes in your closet, knickknacks in your drawers, and books on your shelves. Items that you no longer need only prevent you from moving forward to new ventures. Plus, giving those items to people in need will get you started on a positive path.

• Consider the metaphorical and literal meanings of the word, “open.” Open your windows, your doors, your closets, and your mind. Replace stale air and stagnant ideas with fresh possibilities. Watch the beauty of spring unfold in front of you.

• Being outside breathing in the crisp air is often the number one goal during the springtime. But when you have to be inside your home, bring a bit of the outdoors and the earth elements inside, including fresh cut flowers, branches, natural crystals, and stones. Consider a new coat of paint for your rooms using natural earth colors, such as light yellow, light brown, or sandy.

• Rearrange the position of your furniture and/or your bed for a new direction and flow of energy.

Most importantly, your re-energized home space awakens your mind to the potential of a fresh start, allowing you to consider the future rather than dwell on the past. What have you always wanted to do but didn’t? What are your hopes and dreams? Let your home represent the revitalized YOU.

Yvonne Philllips FSII
Feng Shui Business Educator
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