There are many tools that you are going to need as a business owner depending on your field of specialty. As a photographer, I need cameras, lenses, lights, TONS of batteries and SD cards just to name a few of the things sitting on my desk right now. But there are things that you don’t know you need till you KNOW you need them. For example advice! Many days you are walking around with questions in your head to what amass to Fort Knocks in many cases. But where do you go?
Then you have questions on finances, and contracts, and money and accounting questions like whats better Quickbooks, Freshbooks, Square. Oh I know you are getting a headache just thinking about it all.Don’t Fret, its ok I am here to tell you its ok to not have all of the answers. Give yourself permission to try it all and not like it. Know what you want for your business. I don’t like things that have too much of a learning curve so when I started out I tried and I tried HARD to understand Quickbooks and Freshbooks. Quickbooks was too hard. I felt like any program that I needed to hire someone to help me understand was not something I wanted or needed in my business. Freshbooks didn’t import my banking information so I was only able to see half the picture. I am not running a half business so no that was not an option for me. Square, I loved. I could send invoices, schedule my clients, sell my work in an online market place sync my google calendar. I was in love. Now don’t get me wrong there are some things that it can’t do but not enough that I would cause me to divorce them.
I also learned that as small business owners we don’t really need an accountants, we may just need BOOKKEEPERS( Defined as: the work or skill of keeping account books or systematic records of money transactions! Dictionary.com ) I would recommend finding someone who is certified so that they know what debit and profit margin are but if you small and comfortable doing your taxes do it. Hire a financial planner and get your money goals on track. You are not working for the Man any more you need to plan your retirement yourself and a good FA will help you with this and many other money goals as well.
