Tax Day is just around the corner, hopefully, you're not waiting until the last day to prepare your taxes for filing.

Today's technology offers some really simple ways for us to keep up with our day-to-day business transactions.  However, you should still take time to review everything before you consider it ready for filing.

In this episode, I share my personal checklist for preparing my accounting before filing my taxes.  I consider myself an educated consumer since I've filed my own taxes for the past 20+ years. That's years of experience and wisdom I have gained over time that I want to share with you.   

For those that hire a tax professional, this is a helpful list for you to consider before you hand over your stuff.  Your tax professional may thank you for being SO prepared!

Remember, the better prepared your taxes are, the quicker your tax refund can come in!

• Episode:  BONUS: Get Your Business Accounting in Order
• Link:  QuickBooks Self-Employed:  Self-Employed Guide to Filing Taxes
• Link:  Test Drive before you Buy:  QuickBooks Self-Employed
• Link:  QuickBooks Self-Employed App*
• Transcript of Episode 62

*Note: I'm a proud affiliate of these products and services, and I do receive a small commission from each sale.

As an entrepreneur, I find that it's difficult to make the decision to take a vacation where you're not working or responding to clients when you are out of the office.  Primarily because I have a fear of missing out or I am afraid they might get mad if I'm non-responsive.

However, we bring those fears and expectations to ourselves.  Why? Because we are alone in this endeavor and fear we will miss out on working our business.

Having healthy boundaries with your clients and co-workers is important.  It's also great to communicate well when you will be taking time away from the office. 

Tune into today's episode, where I share some simple things that you can incorporate in your business now that will allow you to enjoy your time away from the office.  

• Transcript for Episode 61

Without getting into all the history of calendars or reasons why we get a Leap Year every 4 years… we should celebrate the fact that we are giving an extra 24 hours to use it however we want.

Being an entrepreneur you are always making decisions, however, they are not always for yourself.  In Episode #59, I shared how you can use Federal and Governmental holidays to plan time to work ON your business.  If you haven't listened to that, go back and listen!

In this week's episode, I share some things that keep me motivated and inspired to continue doing the work that I love… by simply celebrating this extra day for myself!

What are your plans for this year's Leap Year Day?  Share your plan for this year's Leap Year day in the comments here.

• Episode 59:  Benefits for Small Business who work on Federal Holidays
• Transcript for Episode 60

When you decided to get into business for yourself, you were given the authority to make executive decisions for how you want to run your business.  Working for an employer, I was given Federal holidays off. Sometimes paid days off and sometimes not.  

In the world of owning your small business, you may not allow yourself the luxury of taking those days off during the year.  However, it could be a wise move for you to consider.

In this episode, I share a really simple way for you to incorporate these holidays into your business.

President's Day is a Federal Holiday, however, not all companies honor that day off.  What's your thought on small businesses taking a Federal Holiday off? Leave your comment here.

• Link:  Federal Holiday Observed Calendar
• Transcript for Episode 59

It doesn't seem to phase me anymore when I hear on the news that yet another company's data information has been breached.

Why?

I know that I am doing what I can to protect my personal information online by using safer internet practices… and there is no 100% foolproof way of securing yourself all the time.

In honor of Safer Internet Day, I prepared 10 practical tips you can use today to keep your privacy safe online.

Of course, there are several episodes I have done in the past that you may want to take a listen to.    

• Link:  https://www.saferinternetday.org/
• Episode 12: Don't be a Victim of Ransomware
• Episode 15:  Boost Your Productivity With These Chrome Hacks
• Episode 42: Cyber Bully Awareness Month
• Episode 55: Data Privacy: How to Conduct Your Checkup
• Link:  LastPass Password Manager*
• Transcript of Episode 58

*Note: I'm a proud affiliate of these products and services, and I do receive a small commission from each sale.

When I started my business I didn't want to spend lots of money.  Having my own business means I would work to make money, not spend money to make money.  That just seems counter-intuitive to me.

There are lots of ways you can work your business without having to spend money.  Especially when it comes to researching, or making a business plan for finding your next client.  

Have you considered checking out what your Public Library has to offer you and your business?

Of course, libraries offer physical books for doing research, but yet there is more they offer that you may never have thought of.

In this episode, I interview a friend of mine, Claire Gunnels, a Librarian at the Lone Star College in Cyfair.  She shares some valuable resources that business owners have access to using only a library card.

Regardless if you live in the same city or state as me, Public Libraries are a great source of information for small business owners to connect with!

Why not CHECK OUT this episode!

• Link:  Lone Star College-Cyfair Resource Library Guide
• Link:  Harris County Public Library
• Transcript of Episode 57

There is always a question that runs through my mind when I do a Google search for information on the internet.  Many times I click multiple links to find out if the information or videos are currently based on what I want to know.

Just like a journalist is seeking the difference between a "reliable" and "unreliable" source for information… blogs and videos about "how-to" technology are the same.

In this episode, I share some of the resources that I use today when it comes to finding the answers I need for my technology.

Some of these resources include…

• Becoming more proficient with your smartphone
• Keeping up with all the Social Media Updates and Features
• Professional Online Training site you can access for Free!
• And more!

Be sure to tune in for my next episode where I will have a special guest that will be sharing more resources available to small business owners.

Want to get notified when a new episode becomes available?  Join my Email Club!

All email subscribers receive special offers on technology, giveaways for my coaching or training that I don't share with anyone else… plus you get a free gift just for signing up! 

• Link:  Houston Public Library Lynda.com Access
• Link to Online Course:  Unleash the Power of Cloud with Your Smartphone
• Transcript for Episode 56

Let's be honest for a second… who read all those "Terms and Conditions" or "Privacy Policies" you get when you create a new online account?

The reason they are SO long... is because they are legal documents.  You are essentially agreeing to what data you are allowing them to collect from you.

Those Free Apps you have installed on your smartphone may not cost you anything to install and or use, but they are collecting your data in exchange for you using their app.

In honor of National Data Privacy Day, I've created a checklist of things you should be aware of when it comes to protecting your data online.

Since there are millions of apps available to install on your devices to consider, you should be leery of what you are agreeing to when you do create an online account for the first time.

What are some of the things you are doing to protect your privacy?  Leave your comment here.

• Link:   Google Privacy Checkup
• Link:  Apple Privacy Control Information
• Link:  Microsoft Privacy Information
• Transcript for Episode 55

A vacation is defined as…

An extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling.

So, vacations in my book are meant for us to escape our normal life.  Giving us time to break from the day to day activities that we are used to doing.

Sometimes a vacation can be a Staycation… which is defined as…

A vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

In other words, you stay home for your time off.  However, you don't do the normal routine that you typically do for your normal week.

Today I share one of my favorite places to take a vacation and how I plan that out.  I require at least an outline of an agenda for my vacation because I want to ensure I can see and do all the things that I want while I am vacationing… and I also want to have some structure so that I don't feel like I have nothing to do, cause then I will be bored.

Vacations that have agenda's don't have to be chiseled in stone… like the 10 commandments that Moses brought down from the mountain, but a way to provide you a guide to what you really want to see and do.

You may want to go out to a museum, but there may be some other local historical sites that you can sub out instead of going to the museum.

I want to hear from you… Do you plan your vacation with or without an agenda?

Are you using your smartphone to plan or organize your vacation?

I want to know how you made your vacation feel like a success by leaving your comments here.

• Link to Online Course:  Unleash the Power of Cloud with Your Smartphone
• Transcript for Episode 54

It's time to start your New Year off right!

Whether it's cleaning out your closet or your black hole of a junk drawer; it's time to purge the old and merge into the new.

In today's episode, I share 5 simple things that I do EVERY January.  These annual tasks make me more productive, organized and give me a fresh start to the new year.

This is my time to reset what I had in my old queue and task list and start a fresh one.

Get yourself a new journal and a pen to take some notes while you listen.  These are some easy tips to get you on the right track to organize your own life.

• Link:  Free Annual Credit Report site
• Link:  Episode 4:  Digital Inventory: Why You Need One, Like Right Now
• Download PDF:  Digital Inventory Checklist
• Link:  Bonus 1:  Get Your Business Accounting in Order
• Special Pricing Link: Get Started with QuickBooks Self-Employed* 
• Link:  Episode 3:  Quick … What's That Password?
• 1 Month Free Trial:  LastPass Password Manager App* 
• Link:  Episode 6:  Quick Tips to Organize your Contacts—and Keep Them That Way
• Link:  Episode 28: CRM 101:  Managing and Organizing your Contacts Part 1
• Link:  Episode 29: CRM 101: Managing and Organizing your Contacts Part 2 
• Transcript for Episode 53

*Note: I'm a proud affiliate of these products and services, and I do receive a small commission from each sale.

Marketing has drastically changed over the past 10 years.   We have seen the rise of social media and the need for every business to have a website.  

It's hard to know exactly what you need to get started.

I interviewed my friend Joni Buck with Driven Marketing Solutions.  Joni is a degreed Business Marketing extraordinaire and has some really simple tips for you to just get started on your marketing.

In this episode, you will learn…

• Why it's important to connect with your audience
• Understand how to get your business online
• How email lists can become the golden nugget
• And much more!

Tune in for some great tips that you can start using today!

• Link:  Learn more about Joni Buck, Driven Marketing Solutions
• Link:  Episode 25: Leveraging Technology to Market Your Business  
• Link:  Google Domains
• Link:  Google my Business
• Transcript for Episode 52