A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to be interviewed on the No Mercy Business Podcast with Emily A Woodruff. I was able to share with Emily and her listeners more about myself, my experience, and my role as a business coach. Now I'm sharing the content of that interview here for my loyal blog readers. Here is the transcript from the interview! 

​If you’re someone who is passionate about paying off all student and consumer debt, you might be wondering if starting a business would be a good idea. On one hand it could help you pay off debt sooner, but on the other hand the start-up costs of business don't exactly fit with the “gazelle intense” mindset. What to do? As someone who paid off her student loans and started a business, I’ve got some thoughts to share on what you might consider when you’re weighing the decision. 

​Every business has some seasonal ebb and flow to it, but some businesses are a lot more seasonal than others. If your business experiences drastic differences between peak sales and lowest sales throughout the year, you most likely have a seasonal business. Here are a few tips to help you embrace and cope with the seasonality of your business. 

​So you’ve been in business for awhile now and it’s come to your attention that you are severely undercharging. You hate having to raise your prices, but you know you need to. It’s time to raise your prices and I can help you do it. 

​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. 

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 even a little unsure about your taxes, please don’t hesitate to hire a tax professional! 

How often do you celebrate? Do you find it hard to celebrate yourself and your wins? You should celebrate often: yourself, your wins, both big and small, and personal and business. About four years ago I started meeting with my accountability partner, a dear friend who also had a small business, for one hour every week. We’re both proud to say that we kept this commitment every week (with a few planned skips) for four really good (and really hard) years. One of the things that she started asking me a few years into our weekly calls was the question “What can we celebrate from the last week?”. And if I can be vulnerable with you for a moment, that question was hard for me to answer (not just that first time, but many many times after that). My thought process went something like: “Celebrate? I haven’t done anything to deserve celebration! I’m just doing what I should do and actually… I’m not doing enough, so I surely don’t deserve to celebrate!”

Does that resonate with you? If so, this article is for you! Let me help you see why it’s oh so important to celebrate often! 

​Many new business owners will announce their idea, open their business, and turn on their website without a plan, without fanfare, without a proper launch because they don’t want the “added stress” of a launch. Sound familiar? 

Unfortunately doing it that way usually falls flat and leaves new business owners feeling despair over the state of their new business. Listen, the sound of crickets doesn’t mean you have a bad business idea, it probably means you didn’t tell anyone about it! 

Launches, whether it’s a new business entirely or a new product or service within an existing business, are a fantastic and strategic way to grow your community, expand brand awareness, and fuel your content marketing strategy. 

​If you’re debating between starting your business now vs. waiting for the “right” time, then this blog post is for you! I’m a fan of action and starting your business over waiting and waiting for the perfect moment. And so I’m going to convince you to start your business right now! 

​If you’re thinking about starting a business, you’ve probably wondered about the differences between service and product based businesses and more importantly, which one is right for you. If that sounds like you, read on as I’ve put together some helpful tips that’ll help you make an easier decision.