Newsletter Blogs

Ask the Accountant… Question: Help! I have been using an industry software that I pay for each month to write orders. I am now switching to another system. How do I get my order history out of the old system? Answer: Does this software have the capability to export into QuickBooks? If so, your order…

We are all learning some new vocabulary during these times. Phrases like “shelter in place,” “social distancing” and “herd immunity.” Another word I strongly recommend people learn is pivot. "Pivot" simply means to “turn.” Many people reading this need to learn to pivot or turn. To pivot to new types of companies wide open for…

It is easy to get mired down in “what if” or “oh my” or “how am I going to,” but for me, I come to most situations looking to be optimistic. I am working to stay positive. This is easier for me, today, because my business, Sharp Ideas, is a small company. That being said, we do have overhead, we do have expectations and we do have a lot of challenges...

I am hearing lots of news and talk about what percent industry sales are down. Some are saying industry sales are down 70 percent. Others are saying industry sales are down even more. If you listen to how much industry sales are down, you have a math problem. The problem is that it can sound…

Ask the Accountant… Question: I was talking to someone at QuickBooks. They told me to try QuickBooks Online, and if I didn’t like it, it is very easy to switch back to QB Premier. Is that true? Answer: No, that is not true at all. QB is pushing QuickBooks Online (QBO) heavily. Its subscription income…

One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is the steady flow of creative promotional items like T-shirts, kits and more that we’re seeing on social media and the news. Check out five of our favorites below, including a "Just Do It Yourself" box from Nike, a couple of great tees and more...

These very different times call for a very different approach to my blog, Million Dollar Mindset. The main purpose of my blog is to help you develop the mindset to create your own million dollar success. Some of you were probably well on your way until a few weeks ago. Then our world changed in…

Ask the Accountant… Question: I have someone doing my bookkeeping, but I really don’t know anything about QuickBooks. What reports should I look at every month? Answer: There are six reports that provide a practical overview of your business. First, create, or have your bookkeeper create: 1. The balance sheet 2. The profit and loss statement…

Hey, your shoelace is untied. Gotcha! Happy April Fool’s Day. Oh, boy. It feels good to laugh. We love when promotional products display a good sense of humor and creative ideas, and there’s no shortage of things like that in this week’s edition of the Fave 5...

This week, there have been plenty of small businesses using promotional products to recoup losses from having to shut their doors. We miss some of our local haunts, so we are happy to see them turn to promotional items as ways to keep the lights on and get local support. We included a few of them in this week’s edition of the Fave 5...