Dear Sarah,

How do I implement simple SEO? Where do I put all the keywords?  I am not really sure what the title tags and heading tags are exactly……ugh!

Thanks in advance,

Lisa Lehmann Studio Jewel

Dear Lisa,

Again, I am reaching out to my friend Lauren about this…..I find this super fascinating and complicated but she makes it sound so easy!   I especially love the tip about naming your images with keywords to help with SEO. This is what Lauren suggests doing yourself to get better SEO ranking in general.

Figuring out where to put keywords can seem tricky, but it’s actually quite simple and follows three basic rules:

Lauren Fairbanks is partner at Stunt & Gimmick's – a digital marketing firm that specializes in content and SEO.

Dear Sarah,

Lisa    Studio Jewel

"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes"  – Benjamin Franklin

I LOVE SAVING MONEY don't you??  I am always looking for new tax tips and any new loop hole I can poke my head into. 

Ok, so as I see it, we are divided into two main groups.  Those who are super organized and sort their receipts and kinda do "tax-prep" all year long, and those who show up with a shoe box and shopping bag at their CPA every year.  Well which ever one you are…..no matter.  It all gets done in the end!  

I sort of assume (eek) that most everyone uses some kind of accounting program like Quickbooks and I wanted to share some other things that you can use to make things easier on you, or if you are the super organized one already, perhaps you can take advantage of some new technology that is out there.

My friend Andrew over at Money Crashers is really into Shoeboxed and uses it to scan and track everything.  A lot of companies are moving to posting everything in some sort of "Cloud"  type thingy and giving remote access to files to their VA's, Accountants, and other employees that way.  So many cool things happening in our lifetime now – I find it so amazing and e so lucky.

There are so many entreprenette tricks and tips that I called upon my experts to give you some out-of-the-box ideas…..check them out.  There are some really cool ones that might help save you time and money.

1. Tax time-time saver!

My Best Tax Tip: I bought a small expanding file folder that is separated by month and fits in my bottom desk drawer. When I make a purchase, I place the receipt in that months section. This keeps my receipts organized and easily accessible at tax time.

Thanks to: Janet Majoulet-Foust of The Social Media Queen.

2. A Sane and Serene Strategy

My Best Tax Tip: The only way to stay sane during tax-time is to plan ahead-just a little.

You've all heard the standard suggestions. Gather all your paperwork. Keep records up to date ahead of time. What I'm talking about is staying sane whether you've been faithfully organized or not!

Add into your calendar an hour-long 'tackle my taxes' appointment each week starting in early-mid January. This way you can work on catching up your paperwork and records a bit at a time instead of last-minute insanity!

Thanks to: Elise Adams of Adams Organizing.

3. Think Green and Save!

My Best Tax Tip: A tax credit that many homeowners and business owners often over look is available for installation of alternative energy products such as solar electric systems, replacement windows and wind turbines. If you've installed any green or energy-saving products for your home or office over the past year, be sure to ask your CPA about tax credits associated with going green. It can really add up!

Thanks to: Taylor Fontane of Dallas Traffic Ticket Lawyers.

4. Stay Semi Organized

My Best Tax Tip: Keeping up with donation forms, receipts and other business write-offs over the course of a year is one of the last things a business owner wants to do. Make it a point in 2012 to stay semi organized and at least keep a big box full of receipts that can be sorted through at the end of the year. You can even hire a college accounting major over winter break to organize them all for you at the end of the year for a nominal fee. It's a win-win.

Thanks to: Seth Owens of Tucson Roofing Company.

5. Your Not Incorporated??

My Best Tax Tip: Even though you are a small business you should consider becoming an S or LLC corp for tax purposes. Yes, you have to file a second set of tax returns, but your savings could be 10X the cost. I was going to incorporate one of my business once it hit a certain volume, but didn't. Tax guy says, "You should have, it would have cut your tax bill this year by $1,700.00!"

Today all my companies are incorporated from day one. A side note, the legal protection is also very important.

Thanks to: Harlan Goerger of H. Goerger & Assoc dba AskHG.com.

6. Lower net income = less taxes

My Best Tax Tip: If you have cash in your business at the end of the year or beginning of the year, you can lower your net income by contributing to a SEP-IRA for employees, no matter if you're the only employee. You can generally contribute up to 25% of an employee's gross salary, and can make the contribution up until your tax filing date--March or April of the following year, I believe. Lowering your net income means you'll pay less in taxes--yay!

Thanks to: Greg Miliates of Start My Consulting Business.

7. Find a brilliant accountant

My Best Tax Tip: Personally I hate tax time. I'm a creative so I'd much rather be painting or creating something with my time. So each year when tax time comes around, I found the best way to get the most out of it with as little time out of my day as possible is to have a brilliant accountant (preferably one with a legal studies background) do his creative tax stuff which will take no more than 20 minutes of my time. It's even better if he can do your book-keeping for you too!

Thanks to: Kaja Zu of Precious Arts & Stones.

8. Outsource it!

My Best Tax Tip: Yes, outsource it! I know it is not cool, and hype but that is what saved me a lot of trouble and money. Find a reliable person or firm close to you. The best way by reference from somebody you trust. Do your homework/recon/due diligence on top of that before you meet and contract them.
I have two companies and over the years I built the relationships with my accountants to the level that I can come overseas for 5-6 months and manage my companies from here.

Thanks to: Attila Kovacs of The Solopreneur Mentor.

9. Spend the Money Honey!

My Best Tax Tip: Zero your checkbook balance as close as possible. Invest in something you wanted, pay yourself that bonus, and pay the bills down. These moves lead to a zero balance, shaves profit and that means less taxes paid. This is a tax strategy and if you are looking to look profitable for a business loan then your accountant can adjust your financials to look more appealing for the investors.

Thanks to: BeverlyD Dombroski of BeverlyD Luxe Organic Hair.

10. Cloud tools

My Best Tax Tip: I use a number of cloud-based tools for tax prep and lots of other things, which give me access to my data anywhere, and allow me to stay productive everywhere.

Tools like:
GMail
Google Calendar
Evernote
Dropbox
ToDoist
Google Voice (and Skype, though Google Voice is free)
EchoSign (for digitally signing documents)
FreshBooks (for time tracking, invoicing, accepting payments)
Basecamp (for project management)
GoToMeeting (for online meetings & demos)

Thanks to: Greg Miliates of Start My Consulting Business.

11. Don't wait for 1099s to arrive

My Best Tax Tip: Soon after the new year I start on my taxes. Getting the grueling part of it done BEFORE the 1099s come in. Like many of us, I have loads of work to do to tally numbers, get those property tax figures, get my 1099s out etc... So don't wait for your 1099's to arrive before starting on taxes and come April 15 you can already have your refund!

Thanks to: Corey Bornmann of AffPlaybook.

12. The government rewards you

My Best Tax Tip: The US government likes the idea of business so much that it lets us subtract our expenses from our taxable income. Remember that if you are using items you pay for in your business, you should deduct them. For instance, I constantly use my daily newspaper to prospect, congratulate clients and prospects, write articles based on info I find...and I deduct my subscription cost.

Thanks to: Shel Horowitz of Green And Profitable.

13. Keep it Simple

My Best Tax Tip:
The best change I ever made was having a dedicated business credit card. No more muddling through receipts and transaction lists. Also, I go in once a week to upload the bank info and reconcile the account. That saves lots of time at month end.

As a professional organizer I've seen first hand the dangers of procrastination! Don't wait until the last minute. It won't be any easier, and it will be much more stressful.

Worst case scenario? Move to Dubai where there are no taxes!

Thanks to: Sharon McRill of The Betty Brigade.

14. Write On! Saving Your Receipts

My Best Tax Tip: As you accumulate receipts for your expenses throughout the year, make sure to document in ink the date, amount, and reason for the expense. You will find that years later, the ink will fade on certain ones and you will not remember what or when the expense occurred, or why, rendering the receipt useless at a time when you may need it most.

Thanks to: Cora Parks of Tax Today.

15. Scan and Toss - Go Paperless

My Best Tax Tip: The IRS is encouraging taxpayers to scan their documents and receipts and save them to an external hard drive, mail them to a relative, or write to a CD.
The hurricanes in the South destroyed thousands of tax records that can never be recovered. Why not use the current technology and go paperless?
Use a scanner to save receipts, contracts, and other documents in one place to avoid that "Oh, my Gosh" (or whatever expletive) moment.

Thanks to: Denise Marinacci of Flaunt Inc..

16. Don't Forget Tax Deductions!

My Best Tax Tip: For my small business, I have three major categories: job-related expenses, unreimbursed medical expenses, and home-based business write-offs. Knowing these on the front end will help you categorize your receipts as they come in throughout the year, which will streamline the process of paying taxes. Remember that deductible job-related expenses are things like dry cleaning bills and travel costs, while deductible home-based business expenses involve hardware such as personal computer expenses.

Thanks to: Andrew Schrage of Money Crashers Tax Deductions.

17. Get a Big Tax Break For Saving

My Best Tax Tip: As we near the end of 2011, now is the time to be thinking about opening up and contributing to a tax friendly retirement plan now or before April 16, 2012 (April 15th is a Sunday). The cheapest option is to open a Solo 401(K) Plan granted you don't have any employees other than your spouse. You can personally contribute up to the lesser of $16,500 or your earnings plus 20% of your net self employment income for a total of $49,000 and if you’re older than 50, your limit is $54,000.

Thanks to: Ryan Himmel of BIDaWIZ.

18. Tax Time Secret: Be Organized!

My Best Tax Tip: One year, I decided to file my own taxes using Turbo Tax. I learned a lot about various business deductions that could apply to my business that my CPA at the time never told me about! So since then I've created a spreadsheet of all the possible business deductions that apply to my specific business and record my expenses monthly by category. Being organized saves me valuable time and makes it easy for me to send my tax files to my CPA.

Thanks to: Rekha Krishnamurthi of Divine.

19. QuickBooks' Insides

My Best Tax Tip: Press F2 or Cntl-1 within QuickBooks to bring up a window with all sorts of information about the inner workings of your QB file. This window will tell you the location of the file on your computer (if you want to copy or send the file), the total number of accounts, names, vendors, and employees, the size of the file, your latest release version, and your license and product number.

Thanks to: Sheila Rickard of Loggins & Associates, PC CPAs.

20. Automatic Pilot Cash Receipts

My Best Tax Tip: Mobile warriors have a lot of cash receipts. To save time, in my car have a mini-plastic file labeled with receipt categories such as food, tolls, advertising, facilitation, etc. Cash receipts are immediately filed. Each quarter, I tally them, enter dollars into accounting system and file them away. During the last 10 years, I have saved hundreds of hours in sorting and organizing not to mention saved accounting fees. Once the habit is established, automatic pilot takes over.

Thanks to: Leanne Hoagland-Smith of ADVANCED SYSTEMS.

21. Make the Most of Credit Cards

My Best Tax Tip: If you use a credit card in your business, make sure you record the expenses when you make the purchase, not when you pay your credit card bill. This will help make sure you get all the tax deductions you are entitled to for the current year. The best way to do this would be to set up a credit card account in QuickBooks. If you go to your Chart of Accounts, and click on "Account" and then "New", choose "Credit Card" as your account type, and QB will lead you through creating the account.

Thanks to: Kim Fourman of Loggins & Associates, PC CPAs.

22. Make Two Appointments

My Best Tax Tip: Make two appointments with your accountant or tax preparer — we all have the usual one some time after the first of the year to get your taxes done, but I also make an appointment early in December to run my numbers by my CPA and see if there are any last minute steps I can take to improve my tax situation, such as investing money in a retirement account, before the end of the year.

Thanks to: Thursday Bram of Hyper Modern Consulting.

23. Taxes on Cloud Nine

My Best Tax Tip: The whole world is moving to the cloud, why should your taxes be any different? Instead of collecting all of your financials in various folders and desk drawers all year and then panicking in early April, scan your receipts, bills, and invoices into the cloud over the course of the year. Then, around tax time, shoot that digital data to your favorite online tax prep service and you're done! Plus your scanned data will be saved in the cloud in case of audit, which could occur up to 7 years after.

Thanks to: Jake Brereton of Shoeboxed.com.

24. Tax time saving tip

My Best Tax Tip: Outsource your bookkeeping and taxes. Plain and simple.

Thanks to: Shane Fischer of Shane E. Fischer, P.A..

25. Bookkeeping Made Easy

My Best Tax Tip: My two favorite tools to prepare for tax season are Freshbooks and Outright. I use Freshbooks for invoicing and collecting payments from clients and managing my expenses. Then Outright integrates with Freshbooks and other accounts like my bank, Paypal, and credit cards to import and categorize all of my transactions automatically. Best of all, Outright always shows my gross income and the estimated amount of taxes I will need to pay so I won’t be caught off guard when tax season comes around.

Thanks to: Alba Figueroa of Savvy Studios.

26. Organize a Filing System

My Best Tax Tip: You can make tax time super easy by putting together a filing system. Using a tool like Dropbox, all you need to do is simply scan and "file" away all your tax-related paperwork into a folder titled, "Tax". Then, when the time comes you don't need to hunt for anything. Just open the folder and print away. You can do the same using a traditional filing cabinet. However, remember to schedule time to review it. A weekly date with your filing cabinet will ensure a happier, stress-free tax season.

Thanks to: Prerna Malik of Social Media Direct.

27. The Secret Is Neat Receipts

My Best Tax Tip: The best tax tip we have for any entrepreneur is to always have meticulous records of your receipts. For me, I make sure that I scan any important receipts or documents so I will have multiple copies (physical and computer files). With so many items paid for in a single year, you need to keep everything in order when you are either doing your own taxes or handing the paperwork over to an accountant. Keep it organized and you won't have a problem.

Thanks to: Ian Aronovich of GovernmentAuctions.org.

28. When In Doubt, Save It!

My Best Tax Tip: Most Entrepreneurs eat, sleep and breath their business. In many cases there are so many possible deductions and business expenses that suddenly become 'mundane' and are easy to let slip on the expense sheets and the daily tax filing. What I've found works best, is to literally keep every single receipt even, those that are 'personal' and later take the time to go through the receipts (both printed and digital), it's amazing how many business expenses would have otherwise been overlooked!

Thanks to: JP Jones of Collipsis Web Solutions.

29. Tax Start-Up Exps..Must Knows!

My Best Tax Tip: If you started a business, how you treat your initial expenses can make a big difference in your tax bill. You can not write off any of your expenses until you have your first customer. Then you can elect to write off $5,000 of start-up expenses once your business begins and the rest is deducted over 180 months beginning with the month the business starts. Careful tax planning is needed as it may be better (or not) to save your expenses. Remember, it is not now or never...it is now or later.

Thanks to: Gail Rosen of Gail Rosen, CPA, PC.

I have been working on my calendar for next year and I wanted to share a few tips and tricks that I find really helpful to keep your business running more efficiently and hopefully, with less forgotten details. 

1. Enter all delivery/shipping times for the seasons you sell. For example, most accessories and clothing for Fall ships on or around July 30^th every year.
2. Back out when you need to have samples ready for your photo shoot and creating catalogs. * Don’t forget to schedule the photo shoot and book any graphic designers you need to use if any.
3. Now back-out when you need to start your production to make those delivery dates and mark that down.
4. Back up again and note when you need to order your raw materials to start production on time. * Don’t forget to check your inventory of hangtags & labels.
5. Back up again and note when you need to begin your design process. Everyone is different so be sure to give yourself the time you require.
6. Special note: If you need to attend fabric shows, gem shows and the likes, be sure to calendar those as well.

Ok so who doesn't get a bit nervous walking into a room when you don't know very many people, or even worse, not a soul?  I know I do!  Networking events can get a bad wrap just thinking about them right?  I love meeting new people, but do admit that I find it a lot easier (and less nerve wracking) at a dinner party when a seasoned host is a master at mixing and mingling the right guests.  And of course, a cocktail usually helps loosen up the crowd!  I like to think I am fairly practiced at walking up to strangers, and yes, I do sometimes practice in the mirror to polish a few new ice breakers of my own! 

I find that the most boring approach is asking someone what they do……OY already right?  Depending on the event and my purpose for being there, I try to come up with some questions that feel appropriate and will help me attain my goal.  My goals vary from event to event and I might be looking for different outcomes like meeting new friends, scoping out potential JV partners, learning some new techy trick, just gathering business cards, and sometimes just meeting people who can refer a client down the line.  I like to make friends and get to know people to see what happens down the line.

I reached out to my Entreprenette Experts for their tips on awesome Ice Breakers so read on……they have great tips!

Dear Sarah,

I've recently launched my home-based business, and my sales are inconsistent. Until I can get a steady income flow, what are some ways that I can save money in my everyday life?

Thanks,

Sandi Hochman  Lucky Puppy

Dear Sandi,

Thanks for a great question!  I reached out to my friend Andrew of Money Crashers as he has awesome ideas about how to save money and get ahead!

 Starting a home-based business is a huge challenge, and in the beginning, times can be tough. However, there is no reason to despair as there are a variety of ways to save money everyday to make running your business more manageable.

1. Spend Less on Groceries Many people leave a lot of money on the table when it comes to grocery shopping. The best way to impact this expense is by using coupons and learning how to extreme coupon. Pick up a Sunday paper, scan through the ads for the items that you buy the most, and capitalize on all discounts. Many national grocers will "stack" or "double" coupons, and shopping at multiple grocers will allow you to save even more. Additionally, see if you have a farmers market near your home. They offer the same fresh produce that your favorite grocer has at lower prices.

2. Lower Your Rent/Mortgage If you rent, contact your landlord to negotiate a lower rental price. You can offer up services around the property (e.g. home repair) or you can capitalize on the fact that you have been a loyal tenant. It never hurts to ask. If you own a home, on the other hand, consider refinancing your home mortgage. I have refinanced my mortgage several times over the years to save money, and there are a lot of options at your disposal regarding different mortgage plans. And if you're upside down on your mortgage (i.e. you owe more than your house is worth), see if you qualify to refinance under one of the Making Home Affordable government programs.

3. Adjust Your Discretionary Spending If you are intent on building and establishing your home-based business, temporarily cut back on discretionary spending to free up more capital for your business. Yes, going without your morning latte or favorite cable channels can be annoying for a while, but it's only temporary and the extra cash flow could give your business just what it needs to take off. Once you get established with a more steady income flow, you can resume normal spending activities.

4. Save on the Business Itself There are many ways to save on the business itself. Consider used furniture and computer equipment to outfit your office in the beginning, and investigate all free forms of marketing. Also, make sure you are aware of and take advantage of any tax breaks and write-offs related to your home-based business.

5. Put Investing On Hold I never like to recommend not investing for retirement, but if you need to free up capital to maintain your business, considering scaling back your retirement investment expenditures. If you can get your home-based business to the level that it will generate significant income, you can resume and increase retirement investing. But if you want to tap retirement accounts for business capital and are younger than 59 1/2, be careful! Most of the time you'll be hit with steep penalties. It's best to first consult with a financial planner if you want to withdraw from a previous employer's retirement plan or your traditional IRA.

Andrew Schrage is owner of the personal finance site and business, Money Crashers.

Who wants more media coverage, more website page views, bigger mailing list, more Facebook Fans and more Twitter followers?  I know I do and assume you do too!  If you had a chance to listen to my interview a few weeks ago with Megan from Blogger Black Book, you might already be on the blog review bandwagon….. looking for those lucky reviewers who get to sample your products and write a review for you.   Finding the "right" reviewers for your line can be a tedious job but if you google blogs and take the time to go down the rabbit holes and see who they like and so on…….you can build yourself a mighty fine and valuable list. 

I reached out to my Entreprenette Experts and asked them to give us some of their favorite blog that do reviews so you can check them out an add them to your list.

Some of my top favs that weren't mentioned below are:

http://www.stylecaster.com
http://mommyandmegiveaways.com
http://coolmompicks.com/
http://www.purseblog.com/

http://www.refinery29.com/

Love to know your favs too!

In case you haven't noticed yet, I am all about helping you avoid the legal boo boo's that I made (and there were TONS) while starting and running my first business…….OY were there tons.  I made every mistake under the sun when it came to legal docs, working with investors, and protecting my own personal interests and not only those of the company. There is no reason for you to repeat any of the mistakes I made!  I asked my friend Linda Wang to chat with me about ways you can protect yourself as a start-up and she gives some great advice in this short interview.  Linda works with entrepreneurs to make sure they have the legal side covered and will generously offer advice if you give her a ring!

Check out Linda's packages to help you avoid any boo boo's and be sure to mention Entreprenette to receive 20% off.
If you are not sure exactly what you need, be sure to email Linda for a free 15 minute consult.

DISCLAIMER:The information in this interview is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered.  It is presented with the understanding that neither Cambrian Law nor Entreprenette is engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services.   If legal advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

I saw a video the other day with my good friend and mentor Mike Michalowcz and it got me thinking…….

How can bootstrapping really make you a better business woman?

A lot of us dream of a big investor coming in (our knight in shinning gold coins) and solving all our problems, bringing a lot of savvy to the table, helping the business run more smoothly, and giving us that long awaited salary……right? Hey, I have been there with you……several times……in fact, I did bring on investors, and did hope they'd do all those things I mentioned above.  But did they?

Not really.  I did get a salary for a short while, and that was fabulous and all, but my business was still in it's terrible state of being mismanaged.  All the money really did was give me a longer leash to keep doing more of the wrong things the wrong way.

If I'd never gotten the money, I know I'd still be in business today!  

Bootstrapping really does keep you thinking on your toes (all the time), and in a different way than you would if the sand wasn't pouring out of the hourglass.  Being honest with yourself, and your bank account, is one, if not the most, important thing about your business.

Bootstrapping doesn't mean you can't grow.  It just means you grow more slowly, which believe me, is usually better.  Being "forced" to be more creative with your money, usually results in you becoming more innovative. Perhaps you are inspired to contact old friends with influence, approach the famous person you see at the drugstore, reach out to the unreachable, take that leap of faith your family thinks you are nuts for doing.

In order to find the things that will work for your company, you must be committed to trying everything.

As a true bootstrapper you will:

Only use the money you have in the bank today
Brainstorm creative sales strategies
Call buyers more than once
Present incentives that a buyer cannot turn down
Create more interesting press releases
Print and package everything yourself
Reexamine your production costs more often
Call the people you can ask for free advice (even if they never offered)
Drive the extra mile to save on your bottom line
Work late into the night
And pay yourself at least 10% of every dollar you make

What are your Bootstrapping tips?

If you want to check out the video with Mike…….It's worth the 3 minutes.