Business Beancounting - Turning the Gotta's and Oughta's into Wannas

Got a shoebox full of business receipts and not sure what to do with them? Was the Kingdome still standing the last time you balanced your checkbook? Not sure what records to keep, how to keep them and what to do with them when tax filing time comes around? Well, you're not alone. We're creating a safe place to come and get caught up on your books, or start from scratch, learn some how-to's and handy tips - in the company of others who probably dread record keeping as much as you do.

In this introduction to basic business record keeping we will cover such basic questions as, "what is bookkeeping", what types of records must I keep in order to prove the deductibility of business expenses, how do I account for my business income, and so on.

Whether you don't really know what or how to keep business books, are already keeping some records and just want to know if you should take them all to an accountant, file your own return or hire a bookkeeper we will offer practical advise to meet you where you're at in your bookkeeping or lack thereof. Also find out some helpful tips on how to systematize and simplify your record keeping.

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  Posted by Allison Nelson, Seattle, Washington | Aug 05, 2008

  Dang! I've been looking forward to this but I won't be able to make it. What a great idea and generous offer. Have a great time, and please let me know if/when you do another one. ~Allison

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  Posted by Ruth Hartmann, Seattle, Washington | Aug 06, 2008

  Hi Allison,

  Sorry to hear you won't be able to join us. We'll keep you posted on future events!

  Cheers, Ruth
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  Posted by Eylon Israely, Seattle, Washington | Aug 06, 2008

  Both my parents are bookkeepers and I'm a living example that some things are NOT hereditary!

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  Posted by Mimi Pettibone, Seattle, Washington | Aug 06, 2008

  Shoot, I'm working that day! Would have loved to come. Am at that point where I keep good records but it's so time consuming I wonder if I should be having someone else do it. Hope you do another workshop like this! -Mimi
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  Posted by Ruth Hartmann, Seattle, Washington | Aug 07, 2008

  @ Eylon - We aim to serve! :)

  @ Mimi - That's exactly one of the questions that will be answered at the workshop - whether or not hiring a bookkeeper to save time is the way to go. We'll keep you posted on future events, and we can always meet some other time to help you figure what's best for your biz.
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  Posted by Michelle Basey, Kirkland, Washington | Aug 07, 2008

  Super idea for an event!

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  Posted by Ruth Hartmann, Seattle, Washington | Aug 07, 2008

  @ Eylon - This event is specially formulated to help those of us born w/o a "bookkeeping gene" keep their books up to date...
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  Posted by Anne Zastko, Seattle, Washington | 4 weeks ago

  Are you going to host another one? I hope so, it looks great! Thanks! All the best, Anne
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  Posted by Ruth Hartmann, Seattle, Washington | 4 weeks ago

  Hi Anne,

  We'll most likely host another one since the response has been so great. We'll keep you posted!

  Ruth
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  Posted by Ruth Hartmann, Seattle, Washington | 4 weeks ago

  Thank you everyone for coming, for participating and for asking such great questions! Now that we know what your specific needs are, we will be sending you additional information soon.

  Congrats on taking the next step to keeping your books up to date! We're here to support you in your business success.

  Thanks, Ruth