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Not sure if this is the right place for this or not, but I don't know of a better place. Is there good thread somewhere about time management and productivity? I work by myself and for myself and pretty much get what I need to get done, but I'd like to get a little better about tracking my time and getting more out of that time. I feel like I got more done when I had someone else around-just that little pressure of someone noticing what you're doing helped keep me focused. Part of it is probably that running my own business is more complicated and I'm pulled in more directions than I used to be when I just was focused on production. I'm never sure if at X moment I should be working on a job or doing the books or eating lunch or working on marketing or responding to emails etc etc. I think figuring out how to schedule all that, as well as get better at developing (and following!) schedules for jobs themselves, would help me, but I'm not really sure where to start. Any recommended books/apps/advice aside from 'log off'? I've read 'E-myth revisited' and from developing a business plan have a decent idea of what the financials should look like (and surprisingly, the reality doesn't look hugely different) I'd just like to figure out how to reach those goals more efficiently and not feel so scattered all the time.
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Jun 21, 2020 20:26
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Is there a free or cheaper than quickbooks bookkeeping software? I am tired of QuickBooks everchanging SaaS and just need something to do very basic bookkeeping-make invoices, track expenses, spit out year end profit/loss statements, etc. I don't need anything with integrated payments, inventory management, payroll, or anything complicated like that. Everything goes to my accountant, so if it could get spit out in a common format, so much the better.
Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Jan 4, 2023 |
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Jan 4, 2023 18:48
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Xiahou Dun posted:Is there like a starting a business thread or anything? I'm still on the step of making sure my idea is vaguely feasible, and I'm not 100% sure if I'm even thinking about all the right things to check. I live in a rural area full of pretty mountains a couple hours north of NYC, and I'm thinking of opening something that's partway between a campground and a bed and breakfast : the idea would separate rentable cabins on a mess of land with a more central house where guests can get a home cooked meal. Think rustic resort for people not trying to break the bank. https://www.amazon.com/Write-Business-Plan-Mike-McKeever/dp/1413323197 It will help you think through everything, and was great for helping me think through starting my own business. It walks you though everything-marketing your widgets (renting time in your cabin is still a widget), selling your widgets, pricing your widgets, paying for your widgets. How to figure up all your costs, startup, fixed and variable, walking you through how to estimate those and all the categories you haven't thought about (insurance is always a big one-I know nothing about liability insurance for something like rental cabins but I imagine it is not super simple or cheap, and your insurance company's requirements for your cabins are going to factor hugely into your construction costs). It comes with some really helpful excel spreadsheets to plug all those revenue and cost estimates into to get some rough 'is this feasible' profit guestimates. A by no means exhaustive list of questions you need to answer, that the book will help you think through: Who do you think will come to your campground? How many of those people live within a reasonable distance? You say you're looking at people who aren't trying to break the bank-how much are they willing/able to pay to spend a night at your place? When are they going to come-is this going to be seasonal or year round, and if seasonal can you make enough in your busy seasons to survive the rest of the year? How many people will your property accommodate? Are there other campgrounds or hotels nearby that might be competition? How much are they charging and what amenities or experiences does your place offer that they don't? Do you have any idea how much getting a cabin built will cost? How about a cabin with a life safety plan, sprinklers, and whatever else the fire marshal might require for temporary lodging? To maintain? Are you able to make small repairs yourself, or will they all have to be hired out? Same but for a commercial kitchen in the big house? Do you know anything about bookkeeping or accounting? How good are you at dealing with the insane people who may be your customers? Have you ever worked in the hospitality industry? Where are you gonna get tiny shampoo bottles and soaps? How much do towels cost, how long do they last, how much do they cost to wash, and how much does a washing machine big enough to wash 10 sets of towels and sheets a day cost? What are the relevant regulations around your industry or businesses in general in your area? and taxes? How much personal startup capital do you have? Are you/your spouse employed and could y'all keep doing your current jobs while starting up this new business? Can you/your business partners afford to have zero (or negative) take home pay for two years? Banks are really wary of lending to first-time business owners, because most small businesses fail and you're going to need to have plenty of your own skin in the game, not the bank's. They are much more likely to lend to a first-time business owner if they have quite a lot of prior experience in the relevant industry. Having a business partner can be great or really bad. Don't get in business with someone unless you are prepared to potentially have your relationship with them destroyed forever. Starting a business is a huge financial decision and you need to make sure you have a good support network and that everyone in your family (ESPECIALLY your spouse, if you have one) is fully on board. Much like renovating a house, starting a business has destroyed many, many marriages. Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Nov 16, 2023 |
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Nov 16, 2023 02:21
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I don't see like a small business thread anywhere so I guess I'll ask here. I'm a tiny business owner looking to hire my first very part-time W-2 employee. I've had a buddy help me for years but he was always happy with a 1099 so I've never had to navigate all this stuff. I've got a local payroll company handling all the payroll, I-9/E-Verify/state new hire reporting stuff and have gotten worker's comp coverage (not actually required for me in my state at my small scale, but I definitely need it). I'm in an at-will, very employer-friendly red state. Do I need a written contract with this employee? Or is saying 'I'm paying you $20/hr, fill out this W-4' sufficient? It's been forever since I had a W-2 kind of job and can't remember what's normal. If contract, is any randomly googled 'free employee contract form' fine? It's like 10 hrs a week maybe, no paid benefits/vacation/sick/personal time. It seems like even if no contract is technically required, both of us signing a piece of paper where we agree that he's getting paid x/hr, no benefits, either of us can terminate the employment at any time seems good just to make sure our expectations match.
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Feb 21, 2024 23:59
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What's the deal with fraud protection on debit vs credit cards? With more businesses charging a fee for credit cards, I've been thinking of using my debit card more but I remember reading somewhere that they generally have less fraud protection if your card is lost/stolen or your card info is stolen. Aside from potentially missing out on CC rewards/cashback, are there any other reasons not to use a debit card?
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Apr 29, 2024 16:45
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