​Keeping track of payments, expenses, and making sure your business accounts stay afloat can be a daunting task when you’re just starting out. I love using YNAB “You Need A Budget” budgeting software to help me manage my businesses finances. This user-friendly software has made it really easy to keep track of my outflows and inflows, set aside money for upcoming expenses, and keep my businesses operating in the black. Here’s how I use YNAB for my business. 

​You’ve seen them around. You’ve gotten plenty of party invites. And you might be even envious of someone on social media bragging about this new life changing opportunity. Yes, friends, I’m talking about MLMs. So let’s dig into it. Attending a party is one thing, but is jumping into a multi-level marketing company a good business move? 

​Did you start your Etsy shop with initial success but now you’ve had trouble getting more sales since? You’re not alone. It’s pretty common after you start your Etsy shop for things to slow down. But now isn’t the time to throw in the towel and give up altogether. There’s a lot you can do organically to increase your Etsy views and sales. Here’s my top five tips: 

​Are you running your Etsy shop blindly? Are you just kinda going along making, listing, and selling things but not really paying attention to your numbers? If that sounds familiar, you’re missing out on key data that could help you get more Etsy sales and grow your business. So, what numbers do you need to pay attention to and what do they mean? Let’s get into it. 

​As a small business owner, you’re probably wondering if investing in email marketing and newsletters is a good strategy to get more customers and ultimately grow your business. New business owners are quick to jump on social media marketing, but often forget or don’t know about email marketing. Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t forget about email marketing for business! 

​​Are you struggling to get views, saves, and sales on Etsy? Even if you had initial success on Etsy, it’s pretty common for your Etsy sales to slow down after a time. But you don’t have to let it stay that way. The truth is that although I’ve written before about how Etsy is a great place to get your business started, you can’t rely on Etsy alone to make sales and grow your business. 

The last thing you want to think about is taxes, am I right? But like it or not, taxes are a part of life. If you’re a normal American, you might be able to get by only doing them once a year. But as a small business owner, you’re doing them not once but up to five times a year. And unfortunately that little truth alone will scare many would-be-business owners into not going into business. 

Do NOT let taxes scare you out of doing something great! I’m going to help you take the fear out of taxes. Once you remove the fear, it’ll just be another easy peasy regular task that you do because you’re a responsible business owner. Ready? Let’s do this.

First, the obligatory disclaimer: I’m not a tax professional and taxes vary so much by state, meaning that if you’re unsure even a little about your taxes, please don’t hesitate to hire a tax professional! 

​With nearly a 100 million shoppers on Etsy, you have probably considered it as a potential way to start selling your products online. But you might be wondering if it’s worth it. You might be asking: Is Etsy too saturated? Is Etsy too expensive? Should I do my own website instead of Etsy? I’ll answer your burning Etsy questions in this post, but here’s the root of it: I believe that Etsy is still the best way to get started with selling your products online. Here’s why:

As a self-employed person it can be hard to know where work ends and life begins. Working hard on your business without proper self care can leave you feeling exhausted and hopeless.  Exhaustion and hopelessness if left untreated will lead to burnout. And we don’t want that. Your business is a blessing to the world, don’t let it fade because of your own lack of self care. So what does self-care for the self employed look like? Here’s three key ingredients that must go into your self care routine, and don’t worry, I’m going beyond the basic “take a relaxing bubble bath” advice you’ve gotten elsewhere. 

For the record, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a relaxing bubble bath. 

It’s easy to put ourselves down, but when was the last time we built ourselves up? 

Maybe you’ve thought about starting a business, but you’re quick to put yourself down. Maybe your doubts sound something like this: I’m not young enough, I’m not old enough, I’m not knowledgeable enough, I’m just a nobody, I’ve never even known a business owner - what would make me think I could be any different? If any of that sounds familiar, this blog post is for you.