Monday, July 27, 2009

Backup 101 : Do It!

It's scary. A disaster waiting to happen. I spend a good share of last week and the week-end helping to recover a clients accounting / payroll records. It would have been a piece of cake had they kept a backup copy of their records.

It only takes a minute or two, can be done on your machine or thru a web based or remote backup service. It is most critical to make backups. Besides having a valid backup can save hundreds of dollars of recover time, stress and perhaps...heart failure.

So, please, if you are reading this post. Take time to make backup copies of critical data on your computer or small network. Doing so will make life a lot easier.

Also, your web site...check with your web master or hosting firm. Do they have timely back up copies?

Monday, July 20, 2009

Client wants to hire an ad salesperson! Do you know one?

I have a client that needs to hire an ad salesman (woman) for a new web based venture. He is stumped at how to start or where to even look for that person (s).

It's a challenge ...it would be on a commission basis, but would have opportunity to build and have great income potential for someone that can figure out how to get the word out about this product and the exposure it would provide for small business owners. (They would get a piece of the action)

So world, how do I tell them where to start and what to look for? Any ideas...if so send an email to whm@onewest.net and we will forward your tips, ideas or resumes ...stay tuned for the results.

Monday, July 13, 2009

2nd Quarter Payroll Tax Reporting

With July about half over many clients I work with are frantically working to complete their payroll 2nd quarter reports done and filed.

While I help some clients with this issue. I am amazed at the stress and frustration for many small business owners or managers. Much of the stress comes from the current financial scene and the tightness of money. The headaches of payroll can be overcome or simplified by developing an organized way to do the reports. Using a hand ledger system or a computer program helps a lot. It's the dread of actually filing the reports. So what's your take on payroll tax reporting. Let us know how you handle it and what might make it easier on your end.

Several clients indicated that just having someone to walk them thru the maze would help. Others indicate having someone review or even do the reports would take a load off their mind and let them get on with the everyday running of the business...like meeting the next payroll.

We would like your comments on the following, "Simplify My Payroll reporting of the 941, SUTA, FUTA and state or local income tax."

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Walk The Plank Tactics

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July in the States and to our Canadian friends a great Canada Day on July 1.

It's great to be with family and friend on holidays. I spent part of the week-end at my mother's taping a landing / stair well. One of my favorite things. While I have done many landings and stairwells it is not one of my favorite experiences. Setting up the drop cloth to cover the stairs is the easy part. It's setting up a ladder or two with a plank and then walking out on that plank to reach to top and outer edges to mud the edges and embed the tape. Height is not something I look forward to either. I did everything right and minimized my risks to get the job done right.

That's how it is in business. We tackle risk and attempt to manage that risk with the tools we each have or can get. Then we move ahead with the job at hand. Hopefully we are successful in what we do. Some times we don't , so we pick up the pieces and try again. Even with taping and drywall, I have on some occasions have to start over or re-work some of my earlier attempts.

Walking the plank...so to speak is not the end of the world as with was in the days of the pirates. We as business owners/managers can regroup and give it another try. That's where success comes from...overcoming challenges, learning new skills and snapping victory from the jaws of defeat.