Keep What You Earn

In case no one's told you lately, building a small business and intentionally choosing to stay small is actually a really good strategy. I think that we can get really caught up in expectations that are put on us and the types of pressures to grow and to scale and to do better, more and more and more. Sometimes, it really comes down to simplifying and really understanding your goals and what you w...

When you start a business, you may think your taxes will get very complicated or that you'll need to find a new accountant to handle your taxes. That may not be the case! When you're a sole proprietor of single-member LLC, your taxes tend to be pretty simple (as long as you've kept up with the books). You don't even need to file a separate tax return for your business. You'll be adding a Schedule...

If you have an S Corp or Multi-Member LLC, the tax filing deadline for your business is March 15th. You're basically reporting how well you did last year; your expenses, income, profit, and distributions. If you need to extend, you can, up to September 15th but you may not want to. Why? You and other partners in your business need a page from that return called the K-1. So if you extend the March...

You may be tempted to think that Twitter is not the greatest place to monetize your brand, or the greatest place to show up right now. But we're going to be talking about that in today's episode and how you as a business owner can actually monetize your Twitter, use it a little bit more thoughtfully and actually create a strategy that is built around Twitter if it is a preferred platform for you....

These are the fundamental building blocks of any business, whether it's online, brick-and-mortar, service-based, or product-based. It's your job to create systems and structure that allow your business to thrive, you are the nurturer and sustainer! You need to decide whether you'll operate as a sole proprietor or not, if you opt not to, you'll need a business entity. Then you need a payment proces...

When it comes to Facebook ads, I feel like it's the Wild Wild West. I get super confused by how to strategize with them! It almost feels like trying to win a game at the casino; it feels like the house always wins or that you're trying to somehow fight this uphill battle. This is why I've brought Daria Kotenko on. Daria is a Facebook and Instagram Ads Strategist and the founder of Yellow Iris Mark...

You would not believe how often I get this question. It's often hard or unclear how you should end things with a service provider, but especially a finance pro! Ideally, your accountant has an engagement letter or contract that lays out the terms of your agreement, that you can reference when you're ready to move on. But many accountants don't, they opt to have an implicit renewal instead. In this...

This one is for the business owner who thinks that their accountant may be a little too old school or too hesitant when it comes to approaching new tax strategies and deductions. Many accountants and tax professionals are actually extremely conservative and I think that doesn't really come as a surprise. You cannot expect your tax pro to grant every wish and accept every strategy you bring to the...

It's hard to not get the real estate investing bug at some point, it feels like everyone is investing in property and short term rentals. There's just an overall buzz around real estate right now as an investment! I think as more people are wondering what's going on with the economy, interest will pique even further. Maybe you're looking for places to put your wealth and real estate is on your rad...

What you may not realize as an online business owner, is that you're being weighed down every day by this thing called overhead. So what is overhead? It's all of your indirect costs: the cost to keep the lights on, the cost to operate. They're required for you to stay in business but not necessarily directly related to the thing that you sell.   If you have a physical location, it's probably rent,...

When I started my business, I honestly didn't even know what copywriting was. I immediately jumped to the context of the legal jargon, trademarks, etc. Then I realized that copywriting is the fundamental art and science behind the way everything is worded. Nothing is really by accident when we're talking about a successful business owner and how they're deploying copywriting on their websites, the...

So many accountants have a love hate relationship with QuickBooks! You'd think they'd love it; it's so common, it's widely utilized, and it makes bookkeeping easier, right? Sort of...   There always seem to be hiccups and things that can slow us down along the way but it all depends on how your account is set up!   What do you need to see on a regular basis in terms of metrics and measurements? I...

It can be so challenging to change your offers. I know because I've been through it! If you change your offerings and you're trying to sell the new offer while you've still got clients utilizing your old one, it can feel like you're in a very messy middle ground.   If you change your offer and find yourself in an "upgrade or get out" type of situation, will your clients stay? Unfortunately, I don'...

In the last few years, a lot more people are exploring the idea of a side hustle. It's only going to become more obvious that folks need to supplement their income if corporations are not going to increase wages or reduce hours. I think folks are going to explore more side hustles and that we're going to see a much bigger side hustle economy evolve. Nick Loper helps people earn money outside of th...

Nobody is talking about this right now, and they should be! It's not a tax strategy, it's a series of questions that can help you avoid costly mistakes when it comes to your taxes. Avoid all kinds of headaches, mistakes, and fallouts by doing these things with your tax pro, ideally before hiring them.   First, you want to check your engagement letter, it's the contract outlining which things are y...

In this day and age, we have coaches for nearly everything. Since coaching has become such a vague term, I wanted to take a couple of episodes to help you learn a little more about what coaching is, how you can get better at it, and how you can thrive in the coaching industry if that is what you're pursuing.   Chris Goodman joins me today as we converse about the coaching industry, what it takes t...

If you're anything like me, you're fatigued by emails. Maybe you're feeling more like an inbox manager than a CEO. If you don't have to read it, you aren't going to. So how do you stand out in other people's inboxes? How do you get your ideal customer to open, click, and engage? We have Jeff Felten on the show today to answer those questions!   Jeff is an email marketing strategist and copywriter...

Effective goal setting is crucial for the growth and success of any business or personal endeavor. However, many people struggle with setting impactful goals that are both manageable and measurable. One strategy for achieving this is to break down larger goals into smaller, achievable milestones. By focusing on these smaller steps, you can stay on track and make steady progress toward your ultimat...

When it comes to websites, we get a lot of conflicting advice. When should I develop my website? Is it absolutely essential? It can be really overwhelming at any stage of business!   We've got Ari Krzyzek on the show today, CEO and Head of Strategy at Chykalophia (read: see-ka-lo-fia). She helps FemTech, DTC, and women-led brands transform their website into a platform that unlocks business opport...

With travel so expensive at the moment, it's natural to wonder how you could make that upcoming trip deductible. The best thing you can do is plan ahead and get in touch with your accountant to discuss your goals.   The entire point of a business trip must be business if you want to deduct it all. If your primary reason for going to the destination is business but you extend your stay for vacation...

I don't think anyone would argue if I said that short-form video is really the vehicle for attention right now. It's a great way to get seen and heard a lot faster because everyone is consuming this type of content now! We're talking about how to leverage short-form video as a personal brand and as a business to get in front of your ideal customer or client.   Hilary Billings is a popular viral vi...

It's not your CFO or tax professional, so who do you think it is?   You may be surprised to find that I believe your bookkeeper has the most financial control in your business. Your bookkeeper determines how your financial data is logged and shared. They hold a lot of power in the decisions they make.   If they don't have a basic understanding of what is deductible, you could be missing out on ton...

As a new business owner, you may feel like you need to understand what each line and item number on your financial reports is for but I believe the key is to understand what question each statement answers for you.   I'm unpacking the profit and loss sheet, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Think about it in terms of a weight loss goal; if your profit and loss are like a food and exercise lo...

Shannon is joined on the show by AJ Vaden to dive deep into the world of personal branding for entrepreneurs. As a business owner, your personal brand is crucial for your success, and we're here to show you how to cultivate the personal brand you want and stand out in your industry.   AJ Vaden, the founder of Brand Builders Group, a personal branding strategy firm for experts, shares her backgroun...

All too often, I come across business owners who have their S Corp set up but they don't understand why or how to actually use it to their advantage. It's super common for accountants to file the paperwork without explaining your new responsibilities or the new strategies that come with being an S Corp owner.   The main way that the S Corporation saves you money is by decreasing the amount of self...