Early Out Programs Are Keys to Success in Healthcare Industry

Health Care Organizations recognize the benefits from Early Out Programs. A successful Early Out Program will identify clients that are able and willing to pay, avoiding unnecessary collections efforts while providing increased revenue. As hospitals and physicians staffs are reduced in cost cutting efforts, the need to outsource early out programs continues to grow.

A successful early out program requires a multi-step plan that assures that the patient or responsible party is contacted early. They are informed that they are responsible to provide insurance information or they will need to make arrangements to pay the bill.

Pros in the debt collection business will tell you they are successful because they identify those that are able to pay early and then provide that person the opportunity to make payment in various ways. Understanding that some people will never pay is important. Finding those that can and will pay is the key to success.

There are a number of ways to receive payment and a well planned early out program will maximize the return on your effort.

First, send a timely letter to the responsible party or patient explaining the services that were provided including dates of service and amounts. Explain that payment can be made directly for the services or that insurance information can be provided and that you will bill the insurance company. If the insurance company does not pay, then they will be expected to make payment.

Time is of the essence! If you do not receive a response within 30 days, then a telephone call is the most effective way to make a contact. Sending multiple letters, may have some positive effect, but most will ignore the follow on letters, as they did the first. The key is to identify the right party, get commitment to provide insurance, payment, or knowledge of their intent to make payment. If no contact is made after a telephone call and a message left, then a second letter often is appropriate.

Contact them early and often! Once a letter has been sent, many employ a predictive dialer system to make personal contact or leave an automated message providing a return phone number. Most people have voice message systems, so leaving a message is an effective way to prompt them to make contact with you. In early out programs, most are not as aggressive in their calling efforts as they might be with traditional collections, but the goal is to make contact and let them no your expectations for payment. Making a second call 10 days hence is appropriate and effective.

Provide them many ways to pay you! Many people like to pay their bills with credit cards. Although there is a cost to taking credit cards, it is less costly than having an employee interact with the person that owes you money. Your letter should include that payment can be made on your web site, by an automated phone system, or by sending check or credit card information in the mail. Most people would rather make payments without talking to anyone. That is easy with today's technology which includes Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Voice Messaging (VM), Predictive Dialing, Pay by Phone, Automated email, Automated ACH, and pay via a web portal. Automation makes it easy to pay, verification of account information is done immediately, and payment authorization is provided within seconds. That means you get your money more often and more timely.

What else do you need to know? Check out HIPAA and FDCPA regulations. Many companies can act on behalf of the service provider which makes it easier to comply within the established rules of client contact.

You need to manage your accounts! Managing the results of your actions on your accounts is critical. A good collections software system provides the ability to organize your activities including what accounts to mail and call and when. Measuring and reporting your results internally and to your clients is most important. Good reports will measure your effectiveness and help you adjust your treatment of accounts according to those results. The latest software features the ability to select accounts by any field and then treat those accounts that need follow up. For example, you can select all accounts that are on payment plans with a balance of $500 or greater and are past due on their latest payment by more than 10 days and generate a calling campaign. This can be done with little effort and can generate immediate revenue.

Final words of wisdom! Be consistent in working your early out accounts, use technology as an advantage, measure your results, then you will get good results, new customers, and continued success.

Rodney MacKenzie is VP of Sales & Marketing for CollectTech Solutions. Their flagship software product is Wincollect.

http://EzineArticles.com/6498757

Tips for Outsourcing Your Business' Payroll Accounting

Does your business have their finances in flawless order? Very few companies are able to obtain this flawless financial state, but it is something that they strive to achieve. An action that can be taken to achieve that financial flawless stage is having a payroll service. Now this is probably leaving you with the question, what is payroll service? It is simple; it is a service that allows an employer to manage all the dues that are owed to the employee. The dues can be anything from; wages, compensation, mediclaim, social security, to any other that may apply that the company my have to owe the employee. Once everything is calculated up as a whole, it is then generated into a check or direct deposit to the employee.

Do you want your company to handle its work more efficiently? The answer to the question is simple; a payroll service can help you do just that. With this service it allows the owner to tackle others tasks that are more important to the company. Want to establish an account with a payroll service? If you are the owner of the company all you have to do is provide the list of your employees and their various work and hours. Then the payroll service does all calculations and paying the employees. The benefits of payroll service are cut and dry, meaning a business benefits no matter what just by using payroll service.

Now with having the facts and being convinced about the benefits of a payroll company, now know how to select the best payroll company for your business. One of the most important things that you need is to know what kind of resources you have available. One way to do this is to select payroll software that will help to; calculate payments to employees, send out checks, and file taxes. There is only one drawback of having the payroll software. That drawback is it will not do the function of direct deposit in the employee's name. To make sure that the accounting tasks of the software are done to perfection, it is required to hire someone with knowledge of the payroll software. Just like another software or program, you have to do periodic updates to ensure the software runs smoothly. Some other things that need to do to make sure your payroll software is running smoothly are; making sure customer support for the software works and installing a printer, just to name a few. One of the major factors as a business owner is having knowledge of the payroll laws.

If you have limited resources and time, outsourcing payroll duties is a great option. All you have to do is provide the needed information about your company and employees, to the outsourcing payroll service. Then they take care of all other company needs like; send out checks, tax payments, tax return filing, and taking care of year end forms. There is another option that can be consider and that is online payroll, this service can be altered to suite how your needs are.

Whichever option you decide to choose, just make sure that the payroll is maintain perfectly. By maintaining a perfect payroll, it will allow you to avoid many company hassles that can appear in the future.

Thomas Bladecki is the author, you can find additional information about payroll processing, employee management and the latest news about human resources by visiting The Payroll Company. Get a free quote for outsourcing your payroll by visiting http://www.tpclv.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6499122

Down Sized: Now What?

State of Mind:
At your desk working, maybe you just finished a teleconference, your boss calls; "Can you meet me in xyz meeting room?" It's an infrequent request, but not alarming. You walk in and see your boss and an HR representative, a rush of emotions hit you; anger, sadness, embarrassment. You're walked out of the building by security, in front of your now ex-colleagues, carrying a small box of things. No parties, or best wishes, everyone tries to avoid eye contact, as they feel your pain and are relieved that it's not them.

The next morning you're up at normal time, only this time you have no place to go. I had worked hard, put in my years, just didn't seem fair. Everyone's situation will be different and unique, but the emotions and feelings will be similar. Suddenly a huge part of your life comes to a screeching halt. It sucks that it happened to you, guess what it has happened to lots of others and will continue to happen to others, maybe even to you again someday?

It takes some time to get your mental state back. For me it was a couple weeks before I stopped looking for a reason to "why me?". Hopefully you will have some understanding friends and family that you can lean and vent on. I was essentially unproductive the first few weeks, at least from a getting another job perspective. Lots of yard work and home improvement/repairs had been neglected, now made it to the top of the "to do list". I did things I had previously not such as, exercising, lunch with the kids at school and movies in the afternoon.

Early on you need to make sure you understand what will happen with or what options you have regarding things like your 401k, health care coverage, stock options, unused vacation days, severance pay, cobra insurance, unemployment benefits and etc. It's ok to be down on your self for a while, but you still have to take care of the basis.

Point is what your feeling is normal, but you cannot afford to stay in this mood for long. The sooner you can get out of this pity phase the sooner you can get on with living. Your state of mind is critical here, you must believe in yourself and your abilities.

Cutting Back:
Your income has either been reduced or it will soon, so look at where you're spending your money now. It might take some time to find a replacement for the income, so go into conservation mode now. A few small sacrifices now might enable you to sleep better at night in the future; here is a quick list to immediately save you $800 a month:

1) Maid Service - Guess what? You just got a job! Clean your own house for a while. I'm not talking about spending every waking moment cleaning to perfection, I'm saying take care of the basics yourself for a while; vacuum, dusting, bathrooms, etc. If you had weekly service, at a minimum you need to cut back to every other week or once a month service. Estimated savings - $150/month.

2) Lawn Service - If you already have the equipment in the garage, then use it. Make your current service provider why you will not be using them for a while, they will be more willing to work with you in the future if you just need it mowed once. Estimated savings - $120/month.

3) You will now be coloring your own hair. Estimated savings - $50/month.

4) Monthly Massage, Manicure or Pedicure - Forget it! OK if you have a big interview coming up and you need your nails to look good, fine, otherwise forget it. Estimated savings - $150/month.

5) Eating Out - Nope! If you are networking, it's allowed, otherwise eat at home, it's cheaper and healthier anyway. Estimated savings - $200/month.

6) Cancel your gym membership, unless you're in a contract with an exit penalty. Estimated savings - $50/month.

The last two take a little more effort, but still worth doing because they will continue for months, even after you're employed again:

7) Home owners and vehicle insurance - These two combined can easily be $200-$300 a month. Take your current insurance statements and get several quotes from other companies on the same coverage's. Chances are you could reduce your monthly expense here by $50/month just by shopping around some. I had good experience with Amica insurance company, ( http://www.amica.com/ ) they matched my current coverage levels or exceeded in all categories, and did it for a savings of about $540 per year. Estimated savings - $50/month.

8) TV/Internet/Phone Service - Call you provider(s), be honest let them know you were laid off, I found them very willing to help me. Cut the premium channels for sure, if you have a cell phone with unlimited long distance then consider removing the landline. Estimated savings - $30/month.

You have some time now to analyze your current spending, what can be eliminated or reduced. Just by cutting back the areas mentioned above, you are able to save $800 a month. However you must balance your time, do not get hung up on these smallish things, and neglect networking, resume writing and looking for a job. The suggestions I make here are to take some immediate pressure off your wallet, but the real solution will be to replace your income.

Get To Work:
You have made it through the initial shock; you have reduced your monthly monetary outlay, now let's get a job. You've heard the cliché "Make looking for a job your job"; it's true; especially in the current economic situation. Its common these days for employers to provide laid off employees some level of counseling, resume help or retraining services. If you are offered the service, use them. There's a good scene in the movie "Company Men" where Ben Affleck's character walks into a job resource facility, if you have been laid off you'll relate.

Even with all the advances in technology, I think most people still find employment vie the tried and true methods - personal contacts, good resume, and determination. Call your friends, family and business contacts, maybe they know someone that needs someone. No need to sound desperate just let them know your situation, and ask them to keep their ears open. Have your resume polished by a professional. Hit the internet, the phone, and the street. There are many great job posting sites on-line, look for local companies and apply in person. I suggest firstly going to several interviews for positions that you don't expect to get for what ever reason. If it's been a while since you have interviewed, this will allow you to be more relaxed and let your true personality shine when the right position does pop onto your radar screen.
Depending on your skill levels and position seeking, there are many "creative" ways to advertise; YouTube, web sites, phone apps, billboards, dressing up like a cow etc. I have never used these strategies, but I would if I found myself in a crowded market place needing to separate myself from the herd (pun intended!). Your situation will dictate your needs, do you need something, anything now, or are you willing to wait for the right opportunity? That's something for you to decide.

I experienced the high of nailing an interview and expecting to get a particular job, to the low of realizing I was never even seriously in consideration for it. Job seeking is a microcosm of life. There will be ups and downs, but if you work hard and smart, go with your heart and have a little luck, you'll do just fine.

Don't Forget:
Congratulations you just survived one of the top 5 most stressful life events. The thrill of that first paycheck is awesome!

Now that you are gainfully employed, take a few moments and reflect on what you have learned about yourself, your friends and your family during this experience: you overcame repeated rejection, social isolation, you never gave up, you are a strong individual. This life experience has made you stronger and smarter. Since we are in a frugal living forum, I would like to stress that you made it just fine by cutting back in some areas, and it didn't kill you! So don't fall back into the same old traps just because you have a job again. Don't forget:

1) Any $1.00 saved (by not spending it) is like earning $1.30 (including taxes).

2) Any one time purchase of more than $300 should be carefully considered. If you are married or living together, make sure you discuss prior to buying.

3) Bring your lunch to work a few days a week, it saves money and is generally healthier.

4) If your schedule allows, continue to clean your own house and mow you own lawn.

5) Pay off your current vehicle, and drive it into the ground.

6) Give back to others in need.

7) Be empathetic and encouraging to others that are still unemployed.

8) It's not about being cheap; it's consciously spending your money where it has the most impact for you, your family and friends.

9) Be creative, you do not have to spend allot of money to live life to the fullest.

Keep the belts tight, at least for a while; make sure you build up an emergency savings account. In fact if you're married, why not try to live on one salary? You did it while you were unemployed. It doesn't really matter if you're a doctor or a painter, if you spend more than you make, it will not end well for you. For many of us of us, being frugal is a lifestyle choice, and having money in the bank, allows for more choices. After watching your finances closely for a few months, it can easily become a part of who you are. I hope this has helped in a small way to get through a rough patch, and motivated you to continue your frugal living style.

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Home of the Free No Cost Deal! Here at FrugaNation we provide you with the latest information on deals in your local neighborhood that you might not know about. Most of our published offers are completely FREE and none of them require any upfront cost to you.

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Types of Accounting Jobs

The job title of accountant carries the stigma of a person who does your taxes who may (or may not) show characteristics that are better associated with the terms geek, nerd, dweeb, or dork. What many do not realize is that accounting is actually a vast field with job opportunities that range far beyond that of the CPA working at the local tax office. The opportunities for accountants are so broad that the word itself loses significant meaning as a descriptive term. Here, we will take a look at the various roles that are often filled by accountants and how they can use their education and expertise to be successful in them.

Public Accountants/Bookkeepers - Let us get the stereotypes out of the way first. These are the roles most commonly associated with individuals who have an accounting degree. They balance the books, create balance sheets and income statements, and keep track of assets vs. liabilities, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. They also track receipts and income in order to do personal and company taxes each quarter (or year for individuals). Most stereotypes that people pin on an accountant's job fit into these roles. They are extremely important jobs without a doubt, but now it is time to show how accountants can spread their wings and function in other job areas.

Auditors - Most people recognize that auditors are accountants, but many do not realize exactly what they do. The prevailing opinion is that they go through every aspect of an individual's life trying to find ways that they can pin them with more taxes. While this may fit (albeit exaggerated) the role of an IRS audit, most auditors work internally for the company that they are auditing. That's right - many companies want to audit themselves. The auditors for these companies do not have a primary role of looking for malfeasance or outright theft (although that would have served the public well in some of the scandals last decade). Instead, they are checking primarily for discrepancies - typically honest ones - to ensure accuracy of operations and eventual tax payments.

Managerial Accountants - A managerial accountant does not accumulate the numbers. They use the numbers available to actually make decisions. While accountants are often viewed simply as reporters, it is often ignored that their great understanding of the data also often puts them in the best situation to use it. The primary aspect of their role would be that of a manager with the accounting serving more as a necessary supplement.

Financial Analysts - Most financial analysts serve roles similar to managerial accountants. However, while managerial accountants typically base decisions off internal data, financial analysts take a greater look at the external markets and try to determine how their company/organization can best take advantage or avoid market trends, downturns, etc. In addition to making recommendations to upper management, they often run sections of a firm's portfolio making frequent buy and sell decisions.

CEOs - You bet that a large number of accountants make it to the very top. In fact, of the current fortune 500 company chief executive officers, thirty five hold a background in accounting.

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Importance of Document Shredding Services in the Accounting Sector

Reports of identity theft and cases of fraud are on a steady increase. This is especially true in industries that handle sensitive documents such as the accounting sector. Criminals have a way of looking at documents, getting information from them and proceeding to use the same for personal gain. If you are in the accounting industry, the best way to ensure you protect your clients is by using document shredding services.

Importance of Such Services

The importance of such services is one that cannot be overly stressed and it is for this reason that you are encouraged to find a company that offers services tailored to your specific needs. Sensitive documents such as accounting reports, canceled checks, deposit or withdrawal records as well as other banking documents need to be shredded because if they fall in the wrong hand, things could end up being disastrous.

Other documents that need to be handled by paper shredding services include check requests, personnel files, payable invoices and other departmental information. To cap it all, documents from the government as well as from regulatory organizations that operate externally need to be shredded to ensure that they don't fall in the wrong hands either.

Benefits of Using these Services

By using shredding services, you ensure the most important benefits, which is safeguarding your clients. Note that these services are carried out to perfection and as such, there is no trace whatsoever left that might betray important information to criminals. Every business has confidential information and while this is the case, the accounting industry suffers the most when the necessary measures are not put into place. By consulting with document shredding companies, you increase your chances of ensuring that identity theft does not occur and this increases the level of trust consumer have in your institution. This is unlike if there are reported and documented incidences of such occurrences.

Research has proven that most criminals obtain information from sensitive business documents rather than from information stored in electronic formats. This means that the shredding services can offer you an alternative of storing the information while ensuring they destroy any documents you have. This ensures you can still access vital information without exposing your clients to more harm.

By choosing a professional company to handle this, you not only get rid of sensitive documents but also eliminate the need to buy shredding machines and keep them in your office. Note that there are instances when the maintenance of these tends to be high and as such, the document shredding service provider is your best bet. They will destroy the documents to the last details at your own convenience and this lifts a lot of stressful situations off your shoulders.

Conclusion

Shredding services are the perfect solution for accounting businesses since they ensure that all financial documents are safeguarded from criminals. To cap it all, these services can also be put to good use in different business settings. In essence, it is the only way to increase the level of success recorded by your business.

Absolute Destruction & Recycling Corp. is a leader in shredding services Toronto. Offering both mobile shredding services and on site shredding services Toronto and the GTA. Visit http://absolutedestruction.ca/ for more information.

http://EzineArticles.com/6504434

Is Your Bookkeeping Rate Accurate?

As a business owner, especially a small business owner, you want to make sure that you are bringing in the most cash that you can and keeping your expenses low. You will find that one of the main ways that you can cut your costs down is to keep your bookkeeping rate as low as you can. What you want to make sure that is that you are not sacrificing the quality with the price that you are trying to pay.

• Dig Deep Into Details

The thing that you need to be careful with when you are comparing bookkeeping rates is that you are comparing apples to apples. This can be hard to do with bookkeeping rates; they are not as straightforward as you think. What you will find is that a permanent bookkeeper may be able to undercut the rates of a freelance bookkeeper; however you want to look at what that rate includes and how many hours they are going to bill you. Make sure that you are looking into how the more expensive hourly rate may actually turn out to be the better deal.

• Understanding Hidden Costs

If you are deciding between an outsourced bookkeeper and one to hire in your office, you have to take a lot into consideration. First, you will find that it is costly to hire someone. When you have to interview, take time out of your day, and do background checks, which can be expensive. Instead, factor that into your bookkeeping rate and really take that into consideration, outsourcing a bookkeeper may actually be a lot less expensive when it comes to the inflated bookkeeping rate when hiring someone.

• Take Into Consideration Total Hours Needed

When you hire a bookkeeper to work Monday through Friday in your office, in turn they may actually do less work than you ever imagined. There are ups and downs with the bookkeeping side of your business; you may not need a bookkeeper on staff full time. So, when you are looking at bookkeeping rates, you may be paying a lower hourly cost, but in the end, they bill more hours. Instead, what you can do is outsource this and your bookkeeping rate will drop. You can have them work for you when you need them and when you do not need them, you are not paying for them to sit in the office.

• Accountability is Expensive

If a bookkeeping error is made, it can be extremely costly or it may be something that can destroy your business. Don't put yourself in that position to save a few dollars on this. Instead, outsource your bookkeeping. When doing this, you can hold the outsourcing service accountable for the mistake instead of it falling onto your shoulders and potentially ruining your business. The savings alone here should be enough to understand that the Bookkeeping Rate you are being quoted is so much more than a rate; it takes into consideration a lot of other factors.

Many offshore bookkeeping firms offer good Bookkeeping Rates There are many reputed and experienced Bookkeeping Outsourcing firms that offer attractive Bookkeeping Rate and cater to small and medium businesses and CPA Firms worldwide.

http://EzineArticles.com/6505185

Living on A Budget - The Modern Life Needs Financial Stability

Whether you're a single man or woman, or you are a parent or even married, it's vastly important to continue living on a budget for the rest of your life. Yes, there are going to be those that are sighing and wishing they didn't read that, but it's imperative for these modern times. Things might have changed in the past few decades, but one thing is for sure, millions are struggling with debt, financial problems, loans, and so much more. People want a lifestyle that they can't afford, and will do nearly anything to get it, and when the chips are down, they end up having to pay back a lot of creditors. If you're looking to stay away from that, then consider doing something that most people frown upon, and that's spending less money.

Temptation is all around, there are literally millions of different things to spend money on, and look at. If you're having a hard time saving your pennies but still want to spend, change your thinking. Instead of paying for things on credit, consider saving up little by little until you have the right amount of cash to purchase it. You will feel far better about the purchase decision, and in some cases that can thwart the ambition to own something you don't need. How many times have you purchased something that you were going to use daily, and it ended up sitting around collecting dust? If you are normal, then there are several pieces in your home that were used once and now just sitting around the area. If that sounds about right, then it's time to use cash instead of credit.

Living on the edge is hard, and not putting money in order can lead to financial problems. You absolutely need to be living on a budget, or else you're not going to enjoy the hard times. Everyone has to face hard times in life, especially in these uncertain modern times where the economic shifts are leaving millions unemployed with no recourse. If you're struggling today, what's to say that you won't struggle tomorrow? Living on a budget helps you focus on the tasks at hand and end up coming out on top in the long term.

If your goal is to save money, follow through with plans to travel or pay bills, you can do all those things, it's just a matter of setting aside money for the purpose of accomplishing those dreams and goals.

Sandy Phillis is the author of Budget ideas http://www.howtostartabudget.com/ Here I have discussed various budget plans for many life occasions, ratings on budget plans and a free video to watch. Take a look at my site http://www.howtostartabudget.com/ to start your budget plan now

http://EzineArticles.com/6493794

How To Start A Budget - 3 First Steps

People in modern times need to learn how to manage money and understand how financial matters effect their every day lives. Millions are in debt, and it's not just the individual that is plagued by this, the world is in debt, and many will never dig themselves out of it. For those that are continually looking down the barrel of creditors, it's time to rise up and change things. In order to change it's crucial to learn how to start a budget. It is not hard, it is not going to cause stress, but it is vastly important for the generation of wealth for the future. Consider the 3 first steps below and then progress as time goes by.

1. Write Bills - On a sheet of paper or an online document write down all the bills that you have. No matter how many things you have to pay, write them down with the dollar amount. Do not include expenses that occur, just bills. Rent, cable, car loan, and other items should go here with the full amount that is spent on each per month. The next thing to write down is the amount of money you make each month. You can break this down into four sections or two sections depending on how you are paid. Whatever the case is, write down the dollar amounts based on your best estimates.

2. Add It Up - Add the column of bills together. Get a full dollar amount at the bottom of the entire list and see how much it is. If the bills are more than you're making a month, you're in trouble. If they are less, then you are in luck, there is room to breathe.

3. Starting the Budget - Take all the bills and place them in a solitary column, these will be the beginning of your budget. Subtract the bottom total from the amount of money you make a month. Whatever is left over, you need to separate into different columns of needs. The essentials are food, water, clothing, and entertainment. If you have these things taken care of with a dollar amount, then move forward to see what's left. Whatever is left, save it, and don't spend it.

The above three steps makes learning how to start a budget all too easy. If you're looking to figure out how to begin, then you're in luck; you can't lose with the aforementioned ideas. Even those that are not familiar with the idea of budgeting will learn how to start a budget easily.

Sandy Phillis is the author of Budget ideas http://www.howtostartabudget.com/ Here I have discussed various budget plans for many life occasions, ratings on budget plans and a free video to watch. Take a look at my site http://www.howtostartabudget.com/ to start your budget plan now

http://EzineArticles.com/6493797

Outsource Accounting Duties and Utilize Your Money the Best Way You Can

As a small business owner, saving money is probably one of the most important factors out there; one way that you can do this is to outsource accounting duties. You may think that this is not a great option to start with, but reading below and you will see how great of a benefit that this can be for you. Making the most of your business dollars and saving yourself money in the end is something that every business owner should do. By looking to outsource accounting duties, you can do just that.

• Find the Talent You Want in Regards to Accounting Service

Even though you are running a small business, your accounting services still need to be in line of that of a large corporation. Sure, there may be a few less entries and the total book may be smaller, but you still need the same reports and you definitely need the best talent that you can find. You do not want to have errors on your books, in the end, that is just going to cost you a lot of money and potentially prevent your business from growing.

The idea of trying to outsource accounting responsibilities is important because it can take a lot of liability and pressure off of your shoulders. This way, you are actually able to work with a company that has that talent that you need and has the resources that a small business may not be able to handle. You can pool from a larger group of talent that is going to have the skills and the training that are needed to make your books work great. Outsourcing accounting responsibilities is the best way to go and to get what you need as a smaller business trying to leverage larger resources.

• Accounting is not something to take Lightly

If you aren't an accountant, do not do your accounting. You want to make sure that you have an expert doing your books. An error that a lot of small businesses make is that they attempt to have the owner do the books themselves, but they just do not have the background, training, or education that they need. In this situation, instead of hiring someone on full time, be smart and try to outsource accounting responsibilities, this is a great way to get what you need done and not pay an arm and a leg for it.

• Accounting Laws Change Constantly

When you are running a small business, you have a million other things going on in your day. When tax law changes, are you going to remember? That is why it is so important as a business owner to not do your books and instead to outsource it. You do not want to be responsible for an error that you may make. By outsourcing, you can put that on someone Else's shoulders and put the liability on them. By working to Outsource accounting responsibilities you will get an expert that stays on top of the tax law changes.

Outsourcing accounting improves financial operations as well as increased the level of efficiency, adaptability and ability to wok with the market conditions while at the same time curtailing risks and costs. Brow website for outsourcing accounting.

http://EzineArticles.com/6505200

3 (More) Reasons Why Budgeting Does Not Work

It doesn't matter how much money you have, without a good cash-flow plan, it will not help you achieve the goals in life that make you happy. Thus it is important that you are able to manage your finances in ways that support your wealth building and the lifestyle you desire. To get started, most advisors recommend that you create a budget.

Budgeting refers to a method which sets limits on the amount of money that you are going to spend over a certain period of time. Dave Ramsey describes it as, 'budgeting is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went'. Budgeting is a great idea, however, although it is a one that most advisors will tell you to adopt, it often does not work, and here's three reasons why it doesn't.

First of all, budgets only focus on your expenses. It does not attempt to hold you accountable to your income, only to your spending. This happens to be the biggest downfall of budgets, because you can only cut back so far before you must start focusing on bringing in more income. In order to build wealth, you must master your cash flow. Your cash flow is the difference between what you bring in, and what you spend. If you spend less then you bring in, you can begin to build wealth with the excess.

The second reason budgets don't work is that when they are made, people tend to set unrealistic targets. It's much easier to estimate your future expenses by guessing, than it is by looking at what you actually spent over the last six months and projecting that forward. If the future looks bleak, it's easy to fudge with the numbers to make them work instead of facing the reality. So now you may have a budget that works on paper, but when you actually try to use it, there's probably a slim chance that you'll actually stick to it and make the cut-backs you proposed in your budget.

The third reason people often fail with budgeting, it makes it makes them feel guilty. It's like going on a diet, then sneaking that delicious desert. Once you've broken your promise to yourself, you have to live with the guilt of not following through. So, the next day, when you want that desert again, it's a lot easier to take it. And eventually, you stop dieting because you get tired of not being able to follow through, and the guilt is too heavy to carry.

Budgeting is a method of managing money that has been given more credit than it deserves. It's a good start, but only if you're willing to focus on increasing your earnings, set realistic targets, and stay committed to your success.

Angie M. Grainger, CPA/PFS, CFP(r), Certified Money Coach
President at RETHINK Money Coaching, Inc. Helping people master their money so they use it to transition into their NEW desired ideal life.

Visit my site http://www.49secretsofmoney.com/ and To learn more go to http://www.49secrets.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6502104

Benefits of Taking an Online Accounting Course

The internet has made almost everything easier and more convenient, like education. Today, getting a degree doesn't require you to physically go to a school because you can get online courses. Those who are thinking of being an accountant or running their own business will benefit a lot from taking an accounting course online. There's no telling how much money and time you'll be able to save if you take an online course instead of applying to a university. Plus, studying online can be very fun and exciting. It'll help you learn all the concept and skills needed to be able to make sound business decisions based on proper financial accounting.

How does one benefit from learning accounting online? Taking online accounting courses can be a lot better than the traditional method of learning because you have more control of your time. Flexibility is extremely important for people who want to learn. The reason some people don't find the traditional method of learning is they don't want to be confined to a certain schedule. There's no fun in having to drive to school and stay at a classroom for a certain period of time. An online accounting course will allow you more time to do stuff you like without having to compromise your time for learning. In addition, you don't need to spend money on gas, food, and clothes every day. You can take your lessons in your pajamas if you want to. Another benefit of taking online courses is you have more chances of learning things better. When you only have a virtual instructor, much of the work is left to you. You will be forced to do additional readings or find other resources so you'll be able to understand things better. It may seem like additional work but at the end of the day, you'll learn accounting better.

You also don't have to feel pressured by professors when called on the spot to explain something to the rest of the class. Taking an accounting course online will give you more time to digest and grasp lessons better. Who would want to be embarrassed in front of other students when you can't answer a question? Surely no one. This is why more people prefer learning accounting online. You don't have to be intimidated by the amount of work you face by studying all by yourself because helpful resources like accounting courses online can help a lot. Don't undermine the benefits of finishing an accounting course online. You're bound to get a lot from it.

If you want more detailed understanding of accounting, find plenty of resources at online accounting course which you can explore directly from your home. Why wait? Start learning accounting now. You can also watch videos covering different financial accounting topics.

http://EzineArticles.com/6506908

Benefits To Be Gained Through a QuickBooks Consultant

A QuickBooks consultant can offer quite a few benefits to your business, which is why hiring a professional is so critical. QuickBooks is software that has been designed to help your business in many ways which include organizing, billing, reporting and monitoring functions. However, understanding these functions and using them to their fullest potential isn't really easy from the scratch, which is where hiring a professional consultant could prove valuable. You could have a full fledged employee who handles your QuickBooks. You can also hire a consultant for a limited time period for knowledge transfer, if you are sure that your business needs don't demand extended expertise.

Payroll is an important component of running a business. The QuickBooks consultant can help you manage payroll functions weekly, monthly or fortnightly and also take care of taxes and other employee benefits. QuickBooks E-Pay can help you avoid tax penalties and tax filing worries. The consultant can also help you with the general ledger accounts, vendor bills and invoices and streamline payments and receipts making things as transparent as they should be for the long term benefit of your business.

A QuickBooks consultant can use the advanced features of the software to help your business through profit and loss analysis. Understanding which departments are costing you money and which ones are reaping profits is important for every business. There could be inefficiencies which the software can highlight for you to set things correct straightaway. A professional and well versed consultant can help you track income flows and chart the losses to identify what changes are required in the way you conduct business if any.

If your business is still in the evolution stage, a QuickBooks consultant can help in setting the basic infrastructure for processes. Similarly, reviewing customer accounts of a business and identifying what have gone past due dates is equally important. The consultant can help you use QuickBooks to track sales and expenses related to domestic as well as international businesses. The time of a consultant can be used judiciously to engage and train employees through available QuickBooks tutorials. A consultant can answer questions related to company expenses, employee payrolls or quarterly statistics easily thus charting the direction in which the business is going. Checks and receipts, invoices and sales are all important and can be overviewed through reports created by the consultant after understanding the basic setup of the business and its needs.

For more information about Quickbooks consultant, please visit: http://www.beatonaccounting.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6507159

Misdirected Efforts? 46% of Small Local Accountants Spend Only 8 and 20 Hours Per Week Marketing

Recent surveys show that small practitioners are confused when it comes to the most effective ways of promoting their services. Studies asked respondents how many hours each week they devoted to pure marketing, and nearly half indicated that they spent between 8 and 20 hours per week. 53% said they devoted less than 8 hours per week "purely to marketing".

The results were confusing, to say the least, until focus groups with respondents shed some light on common thinking in two key areas. First, practitioners interpreted the term "marketing" as applying only to the acquisition of new clients. Second, the answers from small firms were based on "seat of the pants" estimates as they had not developed the necessary rubrics required to assess their marketing efforts.

As the previous survey demonstrated, there is a divide between large firms and small practitioners when it comes to the definition of "marketing." Small firms are more likely to respond that marketing applies only to obtaining new clients and often report that the majority of their efforts are focused there. Large firms, on the other hand, devote 80% of their resources to marketing services to existing clients. One local practitioner quipped that he did not consider marketing to existing clients to be real marketing because it was "easy." Marketing is nothing more than presenting a service. Offering services to existing clients is the most efficient and reliable means for any firm to increase wallet share.

The second focus group revelation is even more important because it goes to the heart of cross-selling and marketing to existing clients. It is the idea that marketing is a "seat of the pants" activity that cannot be planned or measured. This is the exact opposite of how marketing should be approached. A marketing campaign has to be all encompassing, which means that it has to be well planned with measurable goals and intermediate milestones.

One of the keys to a successful marketing plan is to ensure that all members of a firm are aware of what services the firm offers and what current clients need. Almost all small practitioners in the focus group reported that practice development was exclusively performed by firm principles. Not one reported having a comprehensive program that involved staff and other personnel.

If promotion is performed only by principles, a large percentage of the firm is cut out of the process, which means missed opportunities. In large firms, it is industry standard to have all-inclusive training programs that educate junior and clerical members of the firm to market services and look for client needs that have yet to be addressed. Importantly, these training programs emphasize the needs of existing clients and the duty of all members of a firm to seek out and address those needs.

Experts in the marketing of accounting and other professional services point out that gaining wallet share need not be about working harder so much as about working smarter. Marketing to existing clients is smart and engaging the entire firm in those efforts is smarter still. It may help to look at all marketing as "new," whether marketing a new service to an existing client or soliciting new business from potential clients. It is important to keep in mind that marketing to existing clients is "easy" because a relationship has been establish, trust has been built, and the practitioner understands the client's needs better than almost anyone, sometimes even better than that client. Marketing efforts should be focused, coordinated, and have measureable goals. An excellent first step is to educate the entire firm to assess and respond to the needs of existing clients.

You can continue to learn about Practice Marketing For Busy Accountants by visiting Secrets of Marketing Accounting Services

Kirk Ward is a retired tax expert, accountant and auditor. He provides the same resources he used in building his practices to startup accountants through his Secrets of Marketing Accounting Services website and rants about the commercial finance industry on "Kirk's Blog" (Wonder where he got the idea for the name of that blog?) where he describes his career as an auditor with "Bucket Of Blood" finance companies and banks.

He also offers accountants specialty items such as the "Bean Counter's Cookbook" (http://beancounterscookbook.com/) for tax season marketing and promotion.

http://EzineArticles.com/6500718

Living on A Budget - The Easy Way To Save Money And Be Happy

People of all ages should learn how to manage their money. From a young age, people should be taught how to move forward with financial matters. Without this training, money can turn into sand in the hands of a person and they will lose out big. If you or someone you know is looking at living on a budget, make sure to look at the upsides to it all. You don't need to live like everyone else, and if you can manage to steer clear of being in debt, you'll enjoy your life with a great amount of vigor. Consider the following great things about money management.

People assume that living on a budget means that you can't have fun. That's not true. Within a written budget there is wiggle room to put money away for entertainment and dining. It's very important to include these things, even if it's a marginal amount of money. Without these pieces into place, it can be a hard life to live, full of the doldrums of having to not spend money. Don't go overboard, explore options that are not expensive, or are free, and indulge.

For those that are thinking that living on a budget can only be stressful. It's vastly important to consider a few entertainment and reading options. Consider this wild idea, visit your local library and look at the media available. Every major metropolitan city has at least one main library, and inside the four walls they have books, magazines, newspapers, the Internet, music, and movies all for free. In fact, tax payer money goes to fund these projects, so if you're a tax payer, get yourself a card and rent as many books, movies, and musical discs as you possibly can. Exhaust their resources and you will see that you won't miss spending money on a variety of different things.

Living on a budget is not difficult, at least not in the long term. You can spend some money; just make sure that you are always putting a few dollars away for a rainy day. You might not realize that there are others like you that are starting to save too. Never feel like you're alone in this process, because it's not a new thing that no one is doing. With the economical downturn of recent years, more and more people are doing the same thing, and having the same struggles as you. It takes the first step to move forward, take that and watch the finances grow.

Sandy Phillis is the author of Budget ideas http://www.howtostartabudget.com/ Here I have discussed various budget plans for many life occasions, ratings on budget plans and a free video to watch. Take a look at my site http://www.howtostartabudget.com/ to start your budget plan now

http://EzineArticles.com/6493787

Online Accounting Services Are an Investment for Your Business

As a small business owner, you want to make investments in your business; online accounting services will do that just that. There are all kinds of great software programs out there and virtual accountants that can help you keep your books straight and accurate. These online accounting services will also save you money and help you better the bottom line of your business. Bookkeeping today is something that you need to outsource, so do not try to do it yourself. Look at how online accounting services are actually an investment for your business.

• Use Systems that are Streamlined

With all the options out there, small business owners have choices. With online accounting services, they are getting more and more popular today. You will find that there are easy ways to get information over there and you can have your documents submitted by emails. You will also be able to easily communicate through email and know that you will be able to get it done so easily. Make sure that you are looking at these streamlined systems so that you can get the books done quicker and easier.

• Save Money With Online Accounting Services

People do not realize or comprehend the amount of money that you can save by outsourcing your bookkeeping and accounting services. You are going to be able to pay someone by the hours that they actually bill instead of paying them a salary. These services are going to save you a ton of money and are going to be an excellent way to save you cash by not hiring someone in your office that requires extra pay for when the bookkeeping is slower. You will find that just in the recruiting, training, and advertising for a new employee that you will save a ton of money just outsourcing your bookkeeping.

• Access Accountants that Corporations are Used To

The hard part about hiring accountants in house is that you just do not get the best of the best. Those accountants require a higher salary and generally end up in the hands of a corporation that is much larger. What you will find is that with online accounting services, you will be able to take advantage of a team of accountants, which is more like what a large corporation gets. Get talent and do not pay the extra cash that you would generally have to shell out for.

• Accountability and Liability

If there is an error in your books and you do it yourself, it is your fault. Instead, what you will find is that when you outsource you take the liability out of your hands. You want to have someone else to blame if there is an error and even though a team of professionals does a great job if they make an error, they are to blame for it. Be sure that you are looking into Online Accounting Services and getting what you need to have quality bookkeeping completed for you that is error free.

Online Accounting Services improves financial operations as well as increases the level of efficiency, adaptability and ability to wok with the market conditions while at the same time curtailing risks and costs. There are many reliable online bookkeeping firms that cater to small and medium businesses worldwide.

http://EzineArticles.com/6513525

What Is A Certified Public Accountant?

A Certified Public Accountant or CPA is a special type of accountant. Officially it's the title of someone in the United States, who has passed the Uniform Certified Public Accounting Examination and has met some additional state education and experience requirements to get this certification. This test is grueling and requires upwards of 150 hours of special education.

But what does this mean to you as a small business owner. Do you need a CPA or will a regular accountant or even a bookkeeper be sufficient for your business?

Most people use the term CPA and accountant interchangeably but there is a very big difference. The CPA designation carries a lot of weight within the financial community and certainly within the accounting profession.

Services Provided By Certified Public Accountants

In public accounting, those accounting services provided to a business on a contract basis, a CPA attests to and gives assurances that financial statements are reasonable and accurate and adhere to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). They also attest to the reasonableness of disclosures and that statements are free from "material misstatement".

As an auditor, a CPA's are required by professional standards and Federal and State laws to maintain independence from the entity for which they are conducting an audit and review, often called an attestation.

A CPA can also work as a consultant, advising companies on acceptable business practices and making recommendations on financial management. Typically these consultants do not work as auditors for a company at the same time they are acting as consultants.

As part of the certification, a CPA must complete 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every year to keep up with the new rules and regulations in the financial, accounting, and business world. This is proof of the high level of expectations of the accounting profession for a Certified Public Accountant.

Typically a Certified Public Accountant will belong to a state association with the goal of keeping up to date with the accounting community and taking continuing education classes. Of course tax laws change frequently and any good CPA will spend time staying abreast of changes in financial areas. As a member of a local association they have access to the latest thinking and rules in the accounting area.

Why You Need A CPA

If for no other reason than Tax Planning it's good to have the advice of an accountant. And as far as business management and financial advice access to a good accountant is very desirable.

But does that mean you need a CPA?

In general you can assume that anyone who has taken the time to get certified as a CPA, and maintain that certification, is at the upper levels of the skill set of an accountant. It's a clear credibility booster to be a CPA. If your business can afford the best than a CPA is worth the money.

But does that mean they are better than a typical accountant. Of course not. But it does indicate a level of commitment that is worth considering. Certainly if legal proceedings are required, the assurance of a CPA will hold more weight than a typical accountant. Again much depends on the reputation of the CPA in the community as well. Certainly an audit by a CPA has an implied level of credibility.

And CPA's do much more than audits these days. They provide consulting and overall financial planning not only for small and large businesses but also for estate planning, investments, and strategic planning.

So if you want to run your business at the highest level you certainly want to consider hiring a Certified Public accountant like the ones at Clearwater Accountants.

Rick Hart is a business consultant. He provides tools for accountants in Clearwater and for many businesses in the area.
http://www.accountantclearwater.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6512487

Finding Online Printable Coupons

Printable coupons are a great addition to a collection. Most sites will allow each one to be printed twice from a computer so if there are multiple computers in a home the opportunity is there to print numerous coupons for the same product. They are readily available online, but where is the best place to find and print them without wasting a lot of time hunting them down?

The popular sites SmartSource and RedPlum will offer the same coupons that you see in the inserts in the Sunday paper. Not all of them will be available for printing but the more popular ones will be. The manufacturer only allows a certain number of printings for each zip code, so couponers will want to check these sites on a regular basis to make sure the coupons that are wanted will be available.

Some users have been known to type in different zip codes if the coupon they want to print is no longer available. This is one way to successfully acquire that particular printable if the print limit has been reached in a certain zip code.

Another place to find printables is on a manufacturer's website. When visiting the site, look for a link that has the words coupon or special offer included. The manufacturer's websites are known for higher value, more desirable coupons. Cereal, frozen vegetables and snacks are some of the more popular manufacturer sites that consistently have coupons available to print.

Some manufacturers never release any online printables and the reasons they give do vary. Pampers, Pepsi and Gatorade are common coupons that people do look for but never find on the manufacturer's websites. These coupons are rare, hard to find and are usually only found in Sunday newspaper inserts a few times per year.

Not all stores will accept printable online coupons because of how easy it is to duplicate the coupons or commit coupon fraud with them. Never copy an online printable coupon because attempting to use a copied coupon is coupon fraud and can get the person who presents it in serious trouble. It is best to check with your particular store to see what their policy is on accepting coupons printed off of the internet.

Some stores that offer double or triple coupons will not double or triple an online printable coupon. Again it is because of the risk of the coupon being fraudulent. They will accept the coupon as a courtesy to their customers but are not willing to take the extra risk if the coupon does in fact turn out to be fake when they submit it to the company for reimbursement.

Finding free online printable coupons is easy. The reward for printing them off is money in the bank. After all, a penny saved really is a penny earned.

You can learn more about ethical couponing, frugal living and how to get items for free or close to it by visiting Helena's blog http://www.thecouponvixen.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6493577

Three Reasons Why Budgeting Does Not Work

Over the last few years people have found the need to start managing their money better. They are becoming faced with the reality that, after the economic crisis, they now have to look at where they're spending their money and making choices on how to cut back. For a long time money has proven to be the hardest thing to manage. A budget is a plan that limits and restricts your spending and is meant to be a guide for controlling your spending habits. Most financial gurus rely on budgeting as the starting point for managing your money.

Although many people opt for budgeting as the main method of managing their money, quite frankly, they just don't work. It does not matter if the budget has been made by a professional or by yourself, whether it's for a week or a month, or how big or small it is. Budgets don't work because people know what they should do to, but they often just don't do it. Here are three reasons why.

The first reason that budgeting does not work is that it is designed to be restrictive and depriving. The point is to control your spending so that you can meet your longer term goals. But how motivating is it to always cut back on things you want? It's not very motivating at all. Budgets do not focus on what makes you thrive, they focus on what you need to cut back on. When was the last time you got excited about limiting how much you should spend on eating out, or cutting out the family entertainment? Constantly cutting back can easily build into a feeling of deprivation which will quickly kill any motivation. Imagine instead a plan that allowed you more free time to spend with your family, or more time for the things you love to do. Doesn't this sound more interesting?

The second reason budgets don't work is that they focus on only one side of the equation. In order to be a good money manager, you must manage your cash flow...and that consists of two components; your expenses and your income. To build wealth, you must start by managing your cash flow which means making sure that you have positive cash flow on a regular basis (meaning you have more coming in than going out). When you have excess, you can then decide whether to put that excess in savings or whether to pay off debt. The best and most stable way to continue having more coming in than going out, is to increase your income while keeping your expenses low. You can only cut back so far in your spending, but the amount of income you bring in can be unlimited. If you don't focus on bringing in more money, then you'll never see your cash flow increase and your wealth grow.

The third problem with budgets is that they take way from short term gratification without a suitable replacement. When temptation arises for something outside of the budget, it's very difficult to say 'no'. However, when there's a highly valued long-term goal that you're working toward, it's much easier to say 'no' to that short term temptation. Inevitably, the sense of accomplishment and completion of achieving a long-term goal is much more satisfying than the quick pleasure you get from fulfilling that short-term desire.

So if you want to be a good money manager, then you must start with managing your cash flow. If you focus on keeping a budget, your chances of success will be much lower than if you focus on bringing in more income, especially if that income is coming in because you're working in a field that fulfills your natural skills, talents and passions.

Angie M. Grainger, CPA/PFS, CFP(r), Certified Money Coach
President at RETHINK Money Coaching, Inc. Helping people master their money so they use it to transition into thier NEW desired ideal life.

To learn more go to http://www.49secretsofmoney.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6499118

Cut Cost Margins with a Freelance Bookkeeper

When you are a small business owner, you need to look into doing things like looking into a freelance bookkeeper. There are many people that are considering a freelance bookkeeper today and are looking at the benefits of this. What you will find is that having a bookkeeper is not a choice; it is something that you need to have, and there are many factors that should lead you to making this decision.

• Are You Spread too Thin?

For most small business owners, their to-do lists are constantly growing. In general, you do not want to spend the majority of your day doing bookkeeping; you want to spend it getting more business in the doors. Since you are the person that keeps things moving, do not bog yourself down with bookkeeping.

Hiring a freelance bookkeeper can also help you with everyday things that are going to pile up. You will find that a bookkeeper helps you keep your business running and keeps everything in line. It is so important to understand that you cannot put off your bookkeeping and accounting. Doing this can actually cause you to potentially put yourself at risk of breaking laws, getting behind on your taxes, and many other hassles you just do not want to deal with.

• A Freelance Bookkeeper Is What You Need

For the aforementioned reasons, you need a freelance bookkeeper. Not only will a bookkeeper that you hire as a freelancer save you money and save you time, but they will also help keep everything secure and in line. People sometimes overlook the fact that their books need to be kept meticulously and sometimes that is something that a business owner is not able to do effectively. If you don't have the budget to hire someone to come into the office and keep the books, or if it isn't a full time job for your organization, freelancing this position is a great idea.

• Save Money With a Freelance Bookkeeper

When you are looking at a bookkeeper that is a freelancer, you are basically looking at making a contract with an outsourcing service. These services are going to be able to help you with everything from your daily to your yearly bookkeeping services. The nice thing is, when you choose to outsource your bookkeeper, they are going to bill you hours, so you are only paying for the hours that they bill, not those hours they may have sat in the office and twiddled their thumbs.

• Know Everything Is Done Correctly

The great thing with hiring a freelance bookkeeper that is from a reputable company is that you can go on with your day by day activities and know that your bookkeeping is being done correctly. Pay for bookkeeping when you need it and know that you are getting a person that specializes in it instead of a person that can do it all but may not give your books the attention that they need.

The most important thing with a bookkeeper is that it is done accurately and correctly. For this reason, you want to use freelance bookkeepers to ensure that your books are done correctly. There are many reasons why people are using the options for a freelance bookkeeper and you will love getting a bookkeeper that is a lot more affordable and will get the work done accurately.

Many offshore bookkeeping firms offer Freelance Bookkeepers. There are many reputed Freelance Bookkeeping Firms that cater to small and medium businesses and CPA Firms worldwide.

http://EzineArticles.com/6505193

3 Reasons You Should Sit Down to Budget With Your Spouse

They say that money problems are the leading cause of divorce these days. While many couples argue about money, money itself may not be the issue. Everything in your life affects your finances. Some personal finance coaches encourage couples to sit down once a week (later on, maybe more or little less often depending on your own situation) with their spouse and discuss the budget.

What benefits does this offer?

1. Both spouses (and the kids if they are invited) know exactly what the financial situation is for the family and can make decisions accordingly. It is getting close to the end of the month and the dining out budget has already been met, so the family opts to stay in and eat at home this Friday night. Or the kids can see that if they save up for that video game themselves instead of begging Mom and Dad for it, the family will be able to stay on track planning a fun vacation.

2. Arguments can be avoided! If John knows that there is not enough money in the budget to cover a week-long camping trip, maybe he can work out a weekend instead. At the same time, Jane knows that John has been working hard and deserves a vacation, so she can help spot areas where they can cut back and open up a little room in the budget to make that trip happen. Sitting down together to work on the budget reminds you that you are a team. You care about each other's needs and desires, and you work together to figure out how to make them happen. Besides avoiding arguments, you are actually building a stronger, more loving relationship.

3. You will reach financial goals sooner. If you hadn't really considered financial goals before, this weekly meeting is a good place to talk about them. Want to save up for retirement or the kids' college? Want to plan a family vacation? Each week, you can discuss your goals and see the progress you are making towards them. If a large bill comes up (suppose Mikey needs braces), then you can work together to adjust the budget. This is much better than one spouse simply cutting up the other's credit card to cover the new expense, leaving that other spouse feeling undervalued and not respected. I've heard of this happening, and trust me, it's better to talk about it and work together as the team you are!

iMoneyCoach is a financial life coaching company that exists with the goal of helping people reach financial freedom and a life the LOVE! At iMoneyCoach we not only teach the fundamentals of successful money management, but we also look at how life affects and is affected by finances. This is what sets us apart from other financial programs.

All successful athletes have coaches. A personal finance coach can take a look at your situation and see things from a different perspective or things you had not noticed before. We help you get out of debt, teach budgeting that fits your life, and show you how to set meaningful goals. At iMoneyCoach we want you to not only get out of debt but go on to enjoy financial success.

http://EzineArticles.com/6491478

What Should an Internal Audit Tell You?

Thanks to the good people at the IRS (and contrary to popular belief, most of them are good people just trying to do their jobs, not screw over their fellow citizens), there is a very negative connotation associated with the word "audit." Not always realized is that most major businesses perform audits on themselves (and they should if they don't). This is a very important part of any business' accounting departments. Why would they do something that most individual people dread? The answer to that is that, if conducted properly, there is a great deal of important information that can come from an audit.

First, it shows the accuracy of bookkeeping. Bookkeeping is typically viewed as one of the simpler aspects of modern business, especially with the advent of computer systems that automate entries that were once done by hand in multiple ledgers. However, that does not mean that bookkeeping is any less important than it was ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred years ago. It is still critical to get the numbers right. If there is one process where the numbers are going askew, it is important to catch it and fix it as quickly as possible. This is also pivotal in helping businesses make future decisions. The effectiveness of decisions is dependent on the quality of the information available on which to base those choices. Only with accurate data can a business or company hope to consistently make decisions that will prove to profitable. Contrary to popular belief, most accounting errors occur not through unethical intentions, but rather from carelessness or honest mistakes.

Internal audits are also critical in preparing for tax time. While having inaccurate accounting data can lead to bad internal decisions that may or may not lead a company to a rough fate, reporting inaccurate tax returns to the government adds legal quandaries to the mix. When a business is audited by the government, it not only poses an immediate legal threat to that organization, it also does irreparable harm to that organization's reputation. Customers will think a business that cannot do its taxes properly will prove to be unprofessional in other departments as well.

Additionally, audits are used to determine fraud and theft where they do occur. They serve as the primary method of internal controls. Not only are they often necessary to help catch unethical behavior when it does occur, but they also help to serve as a deterrent against such behavior from one's own employees, suppliers, vendors, etc. I cannot even begin to describe the number of embezzlement cases I have heard which involved a situation where one person ran all the books all the time. Without any controls or oversight, these crimes can go on for months or even years before upper management discovers that there is a problem. Even once discovered, unless detailed records are kept, it will be tough to prove that the theft actually did occur.

More than anything else, audits should tell you whether you are doing things right. Now, it is up to your customers to tell you if you are doing the right things.

More accounting Info:
Ernst & Young - accounting
Apex Analytix - Accounting Software

http://EzineArticles.com/6506741

What an Employer Is Looking For When They Do a Background Check on You

Companies now are making something very common that the make in their hiring process and that is: employee's background checks (BGC). You are probably wondering when an employer can do these employee checks and the answer to that question is anytime. They can decide to do these checks; before they employ an individual, just periodic check on their existing employees, and even during promotional checks.

With all the changes in the economy and people looking for work it isn't safe anymore for a company just to go on whim when hiring an individual. There are many factors in why a background check is being used so much more and the demand for using. Some of these factors are; hiring individuals out of instinct on the type of character that they are, a company has a lot of information that their employees have access to and can be stolen, and the biggest benefactor is the attacks after September 11 have made stricter policies when it comes to security and verification of identity.

Clients are requiring background checks on every single employee that will be involved with any project that they are outsourcing to cover. There are two feelings to outsourcing /outsiders looking into their backgrounds. One being that there is nothing in their background that they have to hide and the second one being some individuals aren't comfortable with people in their personal background affairs.

There are many factors that play into verification requirements of the check. Some of these factors range from their social security number to all detail of that employee being considered for employment. The background check consist of; any current to previous address, educational background, any criminal record, if there are any drug addictions, their driving record, their character reference, record of their credit, medical records, if they are on the sex offender lists, etc.. They look into the social network sites like; Orkut, facebook, myspace, and many more just for the individuals profile. There are still codes of the law that background checks have to follow, but they only have to be followed by outsiders. These laws do not have to be upheld when the background check is being done with in the company.

A background check is also known as a consumer report and can't contain any information about; bankruptcy past 10 years, any judgments or civil suites, arrests older than 7 years, tax liens that were paid that are older than 7 years, etc., and there are no limits to finding information about criminal records. Plus a potential employer can ask for any detail in a background check, there is no restrictions when it comes to this.

Recently a survey was conducted and confirmed that over 60% of individuals seeking a job lie on some of their information so that their profile is more impressive. The information lied about most is the educational background, hiding their criminal and their civil background cases, and leaving out or making short of past employment information.

For an employer to avoid false information, it is essential to do a background check of an employee. With the right and appropriate background information on an employee it helps an employer from being faced with future legal acts and for all employees to be have a business relationship in good standing.

Thomas Bladecki is the author, you can find additional information about payroll processing, employee management and the latest news about human resources by visiting The Payroll Company. Get a free quote for outsourcing your payroll by visiting http://www.tpclv.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6499114

Virtual Bookkeeping Services: Protect your Business and Save Your Money

If you are a small business owner, you need to make sure that you are checking out virtual bookkeeping services. When you start looking at virtual bookkeeping services and what they have to offer, you are going to find that there are so many great benefits to them and you are going to get a great service. Work on saving money, work on keeping your company's financials current, and keep liability for your bookkeeping away with you. Virtual bookkeeping services will help you with all of this and make sure that you get what you need.

• Using Professionals that are Specialists

A lot of times, a small business owner ends up wearing a lot of hats, including doing the books in their company. If that is not the case, you probably have an office manager, your sister, or even your wife doing them. What you have to look at and understand is to look and see if the person doing your books is an expert. With virtual bookkeeping services, you get an expert every time. There are a team of bookkeepers that are trained in just that and are going to give you the time and expertise to keep your books error free and up to date. Do not let someone do your books that wears other hats, you want them done right and error free and that means using virtual bookkeeping services where they are specialists.

• Compare Costs

At first glance, a lot of business owners feel that they are getting a better deal when they are paying their in house bookkeeper. However, that person generally gets a set number of hours a week. What you want to look at is what they do during those hours. Are they doing the same amount of bookkeeping during the slow season? If that is not the case, which generally it is not, you want to make sure that you are outsourcing and using virtual bookkeeping services. Instead of charging you for a workday, they will bill you hourly. In the end, you are going to save a lot of money and save yourself a lot of hassle, outsource your bookkeeping for the best results and rates.

• Focus Your Business

When you can pull away from the accounting and bookkeeping side of things, it means that you can devote more time to what you created your business for. You probably did not start your business to do the books; you had a passion that you wanted to share with people. Do not lose sight of that and instead of trying to do the books yourself, just use virtual bookkeeping services and avoid that. Take those administrative tasks out of your day and allow yourself to focus on what is important and what is going to bring more cash flow into the business. With Virtual bookkeeping services, you get what you need and you get to focus the business on the path that you originally created, making money and providing a service.

Accurate Virtual Bookkeeping Services improves the ability of a firm to focus on business growth while simultaneously curtailing risks and costs. There are many firms offering bookkeeping services that work for small and medium businesses worldwide.

http://EzineArticles.com/6513557

How An Accountant Can Help

If you're a small business you're busy running your business and may not have time to pay attention to financial matters. Yet deep down you know it's critical for the success of your business. You know you need an accountant to help you.

As a small business you have money coming in from the solutions you provide and money going out for your expenses. Knowing the difference between the two may seem like an easy process but of course it isn't. Knowing the difference between your Gross Income and your Net Income can be tricky. It's not as simple as balancing your checkbook at the end of the month and knowing what you made. Expenses can often be subtle or even hidden in that checkbook. There may be problems that you cannot see until it's too late.

For example, your borrowing has a cost that is not readily visible. You pay interest on loans for buildings, equipment, services, and many more functions. You have banking fees. You pay for business meals and transportation expenses like gas and repairs.

These are all the cost of doing business. But sound tracking and management of these expenses can mean the difference between making money at the end of the month and perhaps even success or failure at the end of the year. That's where a good accountant can help.

Create A Solid Business Plan

Now take your business plan. You do have a business plan don't you? Without a business plan that includes budgeting, forecasting, and contingency planning, you are just guessing and probably guessing wrong.

A solid business plan will help you anticipate growth and... yes the opposite. You must plan for downturns as well as growth. Knowing what to do during bad times will do several things.

1. It will give you the tools to survive

2. It will lower your stress level because you know you have a plan

3. Proper tracking will tell you when you are failing before it's too late

And beyond your Business Plan you should also have these types of management reporting tools in place...
Profit and Loss statementBalance sheetStatement of cash flowSub-ledgers and journalsSales reportsGeneral ledgerPayrollBank reconciliationsA/P and A/R aging reports

And Don't Forget About Taxes

Taxes are one of those things that can bite you when you are least expecting it. Adequate tax planning can be one of those things that you don't think of until it's too late. Are you paying your estimated income tax on time. Are you paying the right amounts. If your business has grown or shrunk you could be paying an incorrect amount.With the help of an accountant who can help you setup these types of financial management tools and answer those important questions before it's too late. Once you have these tools in place you'll have your finger on the pulse of your business. And whether you do it yourself or hire a good accountant you'll be prepared for whatever the economy throws at you.

Rick Hart is a business consultant. He provides tools for accountants in Clearwater and for many businesses in the area.

http://www.accountantclearwater.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6509617

Things to Look for While Picking a QuickBooks Consultant

When you are picking a QuickBooks consultant, knowing a few things in advance will help you make the right decision. QuickBooks is excellent software that can help you with your accounting and your payroll taxes. Therefore hiring the right consultant on a temporary or a permanent basis should be preceded with plenty of thought and due diligence. The first thing to understand is that there are communities of certified QuickBooks consultants. Professional consultants are certified through examinations which are conducted annually to test the knowledge of a consultant in the latest editions.

When you are hiring a QuickBooks consultant you should be looking for someone who is certified, qualified and licensed to help you out with your business needs. Hiring the right consultant can give a great fillip to your business. The wrong consultant could mean losing a lot of money. Hence you must have a benchmark on the basis of which you could select your consultant.

It is important to understand for how long you will need to hire your QuickBooks consultant. You need to sketch a deal with the consultant, depending on whether it is a limited time contract or whether it is for a longer term. You must also make sure that the consultant who will subsequently get access to your accounts and ledgers, is trustworthy and there is a pact of confidentiality involved. Once again professionalism is what you should look for in your consultant.

An interesting factor in bookkeeping is the industry specific knowledge which plays such an important part. The QuickBooks consultant whom you wish to hire should understand the working of your domain. This will help the consultant to understand the nature of your business and your specific needs. Only then can the consultant provide useful inputs by going deep into the way your bookkeeping has been done and the changes that need to be done. Consultants who specialize in your domain whether it is retailing business or IT, construction business or health care, would be an added bonus when you are hiring them.

You need to hire a QuickBooks consultant who can help you save time, through efficient payroll processing and taxations. Estimations, billing, reporting and managing expenses can all be done through the software and your consultant should be an expert at handling the software and delivering the results in the shortest possible period of time. This will save you time and money in the long run.

For more information about Quickbooks consultant, please visit: http://www.beatonaccounting.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6507189

The US and Global Economy and The Future

These days a lot of people are pretty adamant regarding a global economic collapse. While I see the need for change, I don't see the benefit of collapsing the entire system. Lots of people think some sort of conspiracy is in the mix. The entire Anti New World Order movement, appears to be in full swing. Still major news agencies and individuals appear to worship this negative mentality.

I'm not sure what has happened thus far, and I don't really want to go into the entire history of what I know to be true. Many people deny the truth of what this World really is. People play stupid, they like to play, "innocence is bliss." Oh really? The more I learn, the more my eyes are opened and the World unfolds.

One thing I'd like to point out is that thoughts matter. Surely they do. I can write an article and it influences the thoughts of many people, they share those thoughts with others and you can even make new words, just by using one, and it gains popularity over time and is added to the dictionary. How about the one, something doesn't exist unless you know it exists? That one is somewhat had to understand, but if I walk into a Post Office and never see the Automatic Postage Machine, my brain just makes it not even appear in the room really.

It isn't that hard to accept that if someone posts a negative news article, that it influences the opinions of people. Likewise, those who write positive news articles, are influencing the minds of individuals. People can deny this is reality, sure. What about what is taught in school, in the history books? If it wasn't for US History or your nations history, would you have patriot views about your nation? Yup, the reason why History is pretty important in the education system is that it creates patriotic views. As well, history allows us to learn from mistakes and plan for the future.

How does this all relate to the Global Economic Future you ask? Rather simply, indeed. You need a little bit of philosophy here to understand the concept of a Paradigm Shift. You know that economic standards have been the same for a long time. The difference between different macroeconomic views have predominately been the same.

People's opinions matter, but today you have strong clashing between two rather fundamental paradigms in the global financial sector. You can do a little research and read about these two systems if you care too. What is happening to the World right now, pretty much a conflict of these two financial paradigms. You have to understand the new paradigm came about in the 80's. Now all you have to do is go to any Finance website, I like Google Finance personally, and look at the Market Chart, and select All. Now if you do that you see 1,000% growth from the 80's. So if we want to switch to the old paradigm, then literally, we have to remove 1,000% growth from the Stock Market; which is pretty nuts.

Nathan Belomy is a musician, artist, writer, stock trader, psychic and telepath. His previous jobs included too many to list. He is highly educated, in nearly every subject, has spend most of his life reading.

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http://goarticles.com/article/The-US-and-Global-Economy-and-The-Future/5182277/

What Should an Internal Audit Tell You?

Thanks to the good people at the IRS (and contrary to popular belief, most of them are good people just trying to do their jobs, not screw over their fellow citizens), there is a very negative connotation associated with the word "audit." Not always realized is that most major businesses perform audits on themselves (and they should if they don't). This is a very important part of any business' accounting departments. Why would they do something that most individual people dread? The answer to that is that, if conducted properly, there is a great deal of important information that can come from an audit.

First, it shows the accuracy of bookkeeping. Bookkeeping is typically viewed as one of the simpler aspects of modern business, especially with the advent of computer systems that automate entries that were once done by hand in multiple ledgers. However, that does not mean that bookkeeping is any less important than it was ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred years ago. It is still critical to get the numbers right. If there is one process where the numbers are going askew, it is important to catch it and fix it as quickly as possible. This is also pivotal in helping businesses make future decisions. The effectiveness of decisions is dependent on the quality of the information available on which to base those choices. Only with accurate data can a business or company hope to consistently make decisions that will prove to profitable. Contrary to popular belief, most accounting errors occur not through unethical intentions, but rather from carelessness or honest mistakes.

Internal audits are also critical in preparing for tax time. While having inaccurate accounting data can lead to bad internal decisions that may or may not lead a company to a rough fate, reporting inaccurate tax returns to the government adds legal quandaries to the mix. When a business is audited by the government, it not only poses an immediate legal threat to that organization, it also does irreparable harm to that organization's reputation. Customers will think a business that cannot do its taxes properly will prove to be unprofessional in other departments as well.

Additionally, audits are used to determine fraud and theft where they do occur. They serve as the primary method of internal controls. Not only are they often necessary to help catch unethical behavior when it does occur, but they also help to serve as a deterrent against such behavior from one's own employees, suppliers, vendors, etc. I cannot even begin to describe the number of embezzlement cases I have heard which involved a situation where one person ran all the books all the time. Without any controls or oversight, these crimes can go on for months or even years before upper management discovers that there is a problem. Even once discovered, unless detailed records are kept, it will be tough to prove that the theft actually did occur.

More than anything else, audits should tell you whether you are doing things right. Now, it is up to your customers to tell you if you are doing the right things.

http://goarticles.com/article/What-Should-an-Internal-Audit-Tell-You/5182456/