Tools for the Solo Business Office

Running your solo business on a day-to-day basis comes down to making lots of small decisions and sometimes having the right tools can make a big difference.

I'm no great fan of MS™ Office, the price tag is part of it. When I want to type a letter or do a spreadsheet, my take is - get 'er done! Maybe you like using MSO because it is graphic friendly, which makes this software I found something you may want to take a look at.

It's called Office Software Suite and it looks a lot like MSO. The nice part about it is the price - going for $47 on sale (even at the regular $59) it should be within the budget of the smallest Solo Entrepreneur!

You'll like that it feels like MSO, but what sets it apart from other clones is that it really will create and read Word, Excel and Power Point files. Take a look at Office Software Suite, I think you'll really like this one for those Oh Damn! Please let this stupid thing work.

Have you decided that it's more work than it's worth with doing your own bookkeeping this year? I suggested hiring a full-charge bookkeeper part time but if your budget is saying 'she has lost her mind, again' then this might help you a bit.

I've recommended QuickBooks in the past for a few solo business owners because their business required invoicing or keeping track of inventory.

However for Solo Entrepreneurs, the requirements for at least the first year or two is a bit different. I'm recommending QuickBooks Simple Start. At $79 the last time I checked, it will fit your needs better until you're ready to move up to something more powerful.

Simple Start is also a great accounting product for small contractors, those starting any kind of consulting or other service business because it allows you to do many things more efficiently that you are probably doing already by hand:
* Pay bills and print checks
* Track sales and expenses
* Create estimates and invoices

If you use a Mac, then you want to take a look at QuickBooks too because there is a package just for Mac Owners!

You have options too - access your solo business numbers anytime, anywhere with the online editions or new for 2007, design your own custom forms using Google Marketing Tools. Don't ask - everywhere you look the Big G shows up!

Anyway you look at it folks, inefficient tools or the wrong ones can influence how you feel about working on your business. If you feel overwhelmed and frustrated because the simple things are taking more time or are overly complicated for you - then it's going to show up in how you treat your customers and vendors. That can spell D-O-O-M for your business - work smarter and enjoy the ride!

That's if for now and I leave you with this:

"Venture nothing, and life is less than it should be." - Malcolm Forbes

Starting A Small Business At Any Age

I read a lot of information from different sources about entrepreneurship, self employment, DIY and came across an interesting article in the February issue of AARP Bulletin.

It highlighted 6 Solo Entrepreneur’s ranging in age from 52, the youngest to 73, the eldest. What struck me was the reasons that each went Solo is the same reason you and I decided to go it alone: Personal freedom and unlimited income opportunity.

Why this struck a chord with me is many times I hear things like ‘too old, not smart enough, it takes money to make money, Black, not rich, Asian, Navajo, Mexican, female, gay, handicapped in some way…every excuse under the sun’ except – scared witless!

Can you even imagine what kinds of fears would come up at 50, 60 or even 70 starting a business for the very first time?! I can only think maybe the same fears we all have at any age – starting with...What If.

What if nobody buys my widget? What if my widget doesn't sell? What if I lose all my money with this widget? Notice I like the word widget!

In most cases, it’s not about your age, race, gender, weight, finances or disability. It’s a game you are playing inside your head and unless you stop with this no win - one sided war you will never get going.

I think the worse feeling is to be at death’s door, bargaining for a little more time to do the things you mind tripped yourself out of doing . By then, it’s too late. Death has a schedule damn it - just like the rest of us!

Get out of your own way, stop with the mind games and get on with living the life you want – whether it’s as an entrepreneur, sky diver, ballerina, town drunk or ugliest hooker on the planet. This is it people! This is the game, play now or shut up and get out of the way!

That’s it for today and I leave you with this:

“Doing Cool Shit. Every Damn Day. Or Die Trying!” Tom Peters

DST & Consulting

No long diatribes today, hopefully.

I'm back on the "Left Coast" and making sure clocks are set for Day Light Saving Time. What I found out was my computer clock on Windows XP didn't like the time changing early...ok, find a patch? Not likely.

So here's a quick, down and dirty fix for both your computer clock and your cell phone. Go to this link:
NIST Gov and download the utility to auto set that sucker! You may have to go into your control panel and manually do this, it didn't work when I tried it - so I have the software from NIST on my desktop.

Also on the same site, you can set your cell phone time or call this number (303) 499-7111 to set your cell. It takes about 5 seconds and automatically hands up so it will save you about .10

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If you do any kind of consulting or coaching in your business, these two little tips I got from Mike Masterson may save your sanity.

1. Give the best advice you can, but don’t get emotionally attached to the outcome. In other words, if your client doesn’t act on your advice - or even seem to appreciate it - don’t sweat it.

2. The best time to give advice is when someone wants it. People usually want advice only when their own ideas have been prove completely and definitely wrong.

Politically Correct Time: I do want to apologize to some of you new Solo Entrepreneurs. The one thing I forgot is that you haven't had enough time to either find out if your business idea is good, bad or just not right for you.

Which means that the worst time for you to act on any advice is Right Now - those of you who have been with me for a while know that the advice is going to come in handy down the road. New Solo's don't know that yet, so an apology was in order.

But don't think I will stop giving tips and advice, rants and raves here - you paid your nickel to get here, deal with it!


That's it and I leave you with this

If the going is real easy, beware, you may be headed down hill. - Anonymous

Taking Care of Your Business Ass-ets

Who's Your Daddy?
If you are a tax preparer, lawyer or accountant - Stop laughing: They didn't know this!

The first shock newly self employed Solo's find out is that they still have to pay Social Security and Medicare.

Quick heads-up and kicker: The amount to set aside from whatever you earned in your business to cover the SE tax is: 15.3%. If you are in that 28% tax bracket (like someone else I know, single, no dependents, and pets are not tax deductible) then this can really add up.

What you will ultimately pay as a solo entrepreneur and self-employed small business owner will be determined at tax time, the total legal deductions you take and so on. Talk to your tax preparer or accountant to get a handle on this for 2007.

What's Love Got To Do With It! Tina Turner Had This One Right.
Are you in a loving relationship? Is this the first relationship you've ever had?

Reality Check: How willing are you to give half your business to someone you kiss 'good night'? Unless you have something in writing, you are putting everything you are working for at risk.

Married: Your non-working spouse will be entitled to some form of compensation in a divorce and your business assets could be sold off to satisfy the gleam in your ex's eye. My suggestion: Do your best to not piss him or her off!

Your business attorney should be able to recommend someone who can keep you from leaving the courthouse in your drawers with a sign on the back reading – Lost In Love. Kick Me!

Single: You are definitely NOT safe! Palimony laws did not stop at California's borders nor is Common Law Marriage off the books in some states. In the US, your idea of who can get part of your hard earned business income can be a walking nightmare. Check this site and read what it says about “Common Law Marriage” and here for Palimony.

The best suggestion about protecting yourself and your business from tramps (deadbeats or sue happy customers) and thieves (family and former friends) is to speak with a lawyer about having some agreements drawn up. Not very romantic but the time to do this is before you need it.

Why did I tell my former colleagues to stop laughing - because we would see this at least once every few years: An otherwise intelligent small business owner turning into jell-o because an ex-friend, ex-lover or jealous neighbor turned on them.

This person's entire life is turned upside down and the accountants are there helping the opposition attorney (bet your ass they have one) clean out the business accounts! It's not a pretty picture. Cynic? You betcha!

That's it for now. Promise, I'll be in a better mood next time and I'll leave you with this

A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle - Kahlil Gibran

You, Social Networking & Squidoo

I'm always looking at how to use the internet for new ideas to market and grow my offline business. Some things are pretty good for working online but suck offline, then there are those things that just need a little tweaking and work great offline. Oh, you thought the internet was all I do???....remember, I'm the person that drinks too much coffee and always talk about one-trick-ponies!

If you're anything like me, you do the same thing. As solos, its easier for us because we can change on a dime if need be and hunker down with what works while everyone else chases the next great turnip or something equally as useless. Besides, I believe even the village idiot can have a good idea once in a while!

While looking around today for some ideas to build my mailing list, I decided to take a closer look at this social networking thing. Of course a lot of it was about trying to trick the moderators at the new 'pedophile network' - MySpace.

Before the owners of MySpace get their drawers in an uproar over that pedophile remark - consider how a parent is going to look at your site: anywhere that children from 5 on up are encouraged to put their friends contact information and add their personal details is asking to be raked over the coals.

Besides, anyplace that is for teens who haven't got it that every word they use - our parents used better when you pissed them off, is not for serious business builders like us.

Ok, my little rant is over. Let's get back to this Squidoo thing.

Tiffany Dow is a member of the Warrior Forum I told you about and she offered a free report on using Squidoo for business owners. I did get the report because (1) I read a lot of information with "business" in the title and (2) It was a freebie.

I got it, read it and rushed off to setup my account and then became that deer caught in the headlights of a Mack truck - all dressed up and not a damn clue what to do next.

Have you ever heard a little education can be a dangerous thing? Yeah well, in this case it was true. I had just enough education to get me stuck.

So I made the investment for Tiffany's video and ebook. Those missing pieces made this social networking thing make sense.

The price at the time I bought it was $47, which for Social Networking on Squidoo was a pleasant surprise because it really is a product with meat to it.

While it works for how I use it - to bring traffic to my blogs where people can subscribe, call me on Skype if they want to find out about me as a coach or just get some encouragement for going it alone, your uses for it may be entirely different. Remember, take what you can use and leave the rest.

This post is short because I'm getting over the flu or something equally as weird. So it's off to bed with 3 fingers of warm Baileys Irish Cream...sweat it out don't think!

I'll leave you with this

Tada Ima: A Japanese term for only now. Focus
only on the moment, the immediate task at hand. - Jason Cain