KIS & Tell November 2020
Thank goodness that is over!
Like many Americans, I was glued to the news last week watching the election… Uugh.
Fresh Content
Hot off the press & onto the blog, website, and beyond.
In the past month, I published two heavy-hitter blogs. The first was on how to evaluate a big purchase. Whether you’re considering a new service, employee, or piece of equipment, you can use this process. Bookmark this blog so you can make a data-driven decision the next time you’re considering a big investment.
The second blog was about how to reduce your personal taxes. Early next year, I will follow this up with another on business taxes. This blog focuses on tax planning opportunities for 90% of taxpayers. If you’d like to pay less taxes, check it out.
App of My Eye
I'm always on the lookout for new apps that help make running a business easier! Here are the best finds over the past month.
Gusto, my favorite payroll service, is beta testing a mini payroll package. This is ideal for single-member S-Corps! It can work for other businesses as well if all employees are in the same state.
The new pricing starts at $25/mo. The main drawback is that you won’t have the autopilot feature. To make sure you don’t miss a payroll, you can set up a calendar reminder (and Gusto will email you too).
You can find more information and compare all their plans here.
They started testing this mini payroll last year, so it's a good sign that they’re broadening the test to the general public. Nonetheless, it’s still a beta test. If they cancel the program you will get bumped up into the Core package.
Best Reads
I love to learn. Especially with business, there are always new perspectives and information we can benefit from. Here's my latest fav.
This girl writes emails that are FUN to read. If you haven’t heard of Laura Belgray of Talking Shrimp, I highly encourage you to check her out. She’s witty, spaghetti-obsessed, and loves to write from her couch. She claims she’s “lazy.” So lazy, in fact, that she used to identify as a “writer-who-does-not-write.”
In a recent Medium blog, Laura shares how a friend and a book converted her into a “writer who writes.” She touches on my favorite book of 2020, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and 750Words.com (featured in the September KIS & Tell).
If you’re resisting doing anything, read Laura’s article. You’ll get some laughs and inspo!
Practicing Simplicity
Practical tips to simplify your business.
Practice: Upload or forwards receipts as you receive them.
Rationale: Don’t create another to-do - handle it now. You’ll be less likely to lose any receipts and you won’t clutter your brain with more things to remember.
Tools: Hubdoc or QBO app, cell phone camera, email forwarding, email rules.
Tax Tips
The world of tax is constantly changing. Here's what you need to know.
If you didn’t receive the economic impact payment last Spring, here is your last chance to claim it. Go to this page on the IRS website and click on “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here.” You can also check on the status of your payment.
“Non-filers” is a bad choice of words. If you owed taxes on your last returns, the IRS won’t use that banking information to process a direct deposit. You have to enter your banking information on this website even if you did file but did not receive the payment via check or direct deposit.
You have until November 21st to provide your information to the IRS.
Out & About
We're going places! Whether it's for networking, client meetings, or personal travels, I love to explore. Here's one recent stop.
It was like rough airplane turbulence, but I couldn’t wish for the safety of the ground. I was on the ground. No, this was an earthquake. A major one. I debated jumping from our third story apartment into a pomegranate tree.
Finally the shaking stopped. I stuffed Cami in her carrier and looked for our new kitten, Phoenix. She was nowhere to be found.
Yigit is working in Northern Sweden. I called him all panicked. I just wanted him to know what happened and that I was okay so far.
I couldn’t find the kitten. Out of fear of the building collapsing, I had to leave Phoenix behind and get Cami and myself out of there.
Everyone was on the street. It was midday but traffic was jammed with panicked people trying to get home. I surveyed the walls of my building and saw no big cracks. That seemed like a good sign. Standing in narrow alleys surrounded by tall buildings didn’t seem like a wise idea. I headed to the boardwalk. In the air I searched for smoke, a sign of buildings collapsing. Thankfully there was none.
If you didn’t see the news, a 7.0 earthquake hit off the coast of Turkey. I’m in Kuşadası, 12.4 miles from the epicenter.
Forget Halloween or the election. This was one of the scariest experiences of my entire life.
Kitty Corner
It's probably impossible for me to get through a newsletter without mentioning my furbabies!
It’s been a month… Yigit adopted a kitten, who we’re calling Phoenix. Pookie disappeared. And Yigit brought Cami to Turkey.
I’m heartbroken about Pookie. He’s still in CT with my parents, but he doesn’t wear his GPS tracker anymore. I can’t do much from Turkey. I created a PawBoost Facebook alert. It was viewed thousands and shared hundreds of times. Lots of people are keeping an eye out for him.
Here in Turkey, Cami is tolerating Phoenix (she loved being an only-child in Sweden). Phoenix is super cute and loves to play. She isn’t deterred one bit by Cami’s grumpiness. They’ll be friends soon enough!
On the Horizon
Here's what we'll be focusing on over the next few weeks.
This month and next, I’m focused on getting my clients and I ready for 2021. The first few months of each year are crazy because of tax season. I’m revisiting my tax workflows to streamline them even more and get ahead wherever I can. The end of the year will fly by, as it always does.
Since this year has been so difficult and bizarre, let’s get ahead so we can enjoy the holidays and relax. And in case 2020 decides to go out with some final disaster, we’ll be ready.
Have a great Thanksgiving and stay safe! All I want for Christmas is the vaccine!!!