Keith's Biz Talk posts

Free copy of QuickBooks Simple Start 2008 (Windows only) with no time limitation but designed for businesses more interested in tracking income and expenses and not needing online banking, the ability to track inventory, or to modify financial reports

Simple Start 2008 is a fully functional with a few limitations, basic bookkeeping program with no time limitations. It is designed for new or existing small business owners who don't want or need full–fledged "accounting software." It's an easier way to keep track of your basic sales, expenses, and customers. You can also use it to keep track of your household spending as well.

If you've been using paper ledgers, spreadsheets to track your numbers (and you know who you are, I've met with a few of you, smile), and word processing documents or paper forms for your invoices and sales receipts, the program could be an improvement for your current paper based business and save you money that you would normally pay your accountant to sort out your financial records at the end of the year.

As a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, I recommend Simple Start to most businesses who are starting up and want to save money their first year and don't need all the features of QuickBooks Pro such as the ability to download their past online banking transactions (you're starting out, remember, you're not supposed to have any), inventory, modify financial reports, or track job costs and profitability.
You can either meet me to get a CD at a Biznik event or ask me for a download link so you can:

• Be ready at tax time (it's getting closer!)
• Stay organized (shouldn't you focus on what you do best?)
• Look more professional.

However, Simple Start is for first–time QuickBooks users and Intuit will require you to register the software to use it after 30 days. You cannot import data from prior versions of QuickBooks, Quicken, or Peachtree but you can upgrade to more advanced versions of QuickBooks or Peachtree.

Key Features

Track money coming into your business:

• Create professional-looking invoices.
  
• Receive payments.
• Create sales receipts.
  
• Record deposits.
  

Track money going out of your business:

• Write and print checks
  
• Record cash and credit card expenses
  
• Issue refunds
  

Manage your business better:

• Create basic, one-click financial statement reports such as a Profit and Loss, Balance sheet, and Cash Flows but you can't modify them.
• Simplify tax preparation (with TurboTax as an example)
  
• Track thousands of customer and vendor contacts but not inventory

30 days of FREE e–mail support for questions submitted online (1)

Free business tools, plus advice from peers and experts

Accept all major credit and debit cards with QuickBooks Merchant Service (ask me about trying this out for two months free(2)) while you shop around for less expensive merchant credit card processing.

Notes:

1. Thirty (30) consecutive days of Simple Start 2008 support included from first–time registration. Questions must be submitted online to receive free support via e–mail. Internet access required. Offer valid 90 days from software download or installation; U.S. only.

2. Intuit has offered to pay me a referral fee for signing you up. I just thought you had a right to know that. I have a policy of donating this money to charity or using it to pay for my professional membership with them.

QuickBooks and QuickBooks ProAdvisor are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit, Inc. Used with permission.

Has anyone tried the new WiFi/Wi-Fi enabled phones from AT&T or T-Mobile?

I've been thinking of getting either the Samsung t409 or Nokia 6086 cell phones or the Blackberry 8320 PDA that TMobile offers through their HotSpot at Home program. The phones use Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology which hands off voice calls between a GSM cellular network and a non-carrier-specific local area network (including both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.)

All of them allow you to make and receive calls through their HotSpot@Home wifi router and other unsecured WiFi connections even internationally. According to the literature, if you start a call on a WiFi connection, it won't be counted against your allocated minutes. Of course, you have to sign up and pay extra ($19.99 a month) for that privilege of being able to save on your mobile minutes.

I am planning on switching over my land line and business number to a cell phone/PDA and keeping a measured service number for emergencies and to send faxes since cell phones and VoIP don't work if the power goes out as many of us found out last year when the big snowstorm hit. I receive free faxes using a local number through K7.net.

I read about this feature online at PC World several months ago.

I tried using the iPhone from Apple that AT&T offers but found it too difficult to use in terms of touch. AT&T also offers a different model of Blackberry, the 8820 for using this type of feature.

2008 Seattle/Eastside Entertainment Books $16-20

I also have the North Puget Sound/San Juan Islands and South Puget Sound including Tacoma/Olympia and Olympic Pennisula editions.

I am selling all of them at cost ($16) to supporting members and the regular retail price ($20) to free members. You pick up at my place in Phinney Ridge.

If you work for or serve on the board of a non-profit and want to buy a box of 10 to resell yourselves or provide to your staff or hard working volunteers, I will sell you a box at cost as well.

(206) 789-8328

Offered: QuickBooks (Windows or Mac) training or new company set up or chart of accounts/bookkeeping check up Wanted: branding/logo/business cards, web site redesign, rewrite print/online ads (Seattle but could do this via IM)

What I could use is some branding/logo design/business cards, a web site makeover, and rewriting some of my ads on Craig's List and Kijiji (new classifieds site owned by eBay.)

Visit my Biznik profile to see what I can specifically do for you.

3 Bedroom, 1&3/4 Bath for rent in Wedgewood $1495

A friend of mine has a house for rent with fenced back yard in Wedgwood in NE Seattle.

Upper floor has master bedroom in the SE corner and second bedroom in the SW corner, full bath, big living room with fireplace, moderate dining area, and small dated 50's style kitchen with dishwasher, electric stove, refrigerator, and microwave.

Basement has W/D, gas? furnance, and third bathroom and 3/4 shower and toilet.

Walk to the Seattle NE library, many schools, religious institutions, supermarkets, stores, etc.

I told her that I would put this listing on Biznik for her and will forward replies. Usual first, last, damage although she may be flexible on these.

abt@scn.org?subject=House">Contact me so I can forward your message to the owner so you can see it later.

Free Diagnostics on Your Laptop (in exchange for donation of new hygiene product*)

for the Ballard Food Bank. Why suffer from a malfuctioning laptop when you could find out what is wrong, be able to do something about it, and help out your community?

Advanced Laptop Service at 2404 NW 80th St (@24th Ave NW and NW 80th St) in North Ballard/Crown Hill in Northwest Seattle is offering free diagnostics on any laptop in exchange for a donation of any new hygiene product* for the Ballard Food Bank.

Disposable Razors
Shaving Cream
Shampoo & Conditioner
Bar soap Lotion
Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Dental Floss
Laundry Soap
Tylenol
Men's Socks, Underwear, & T-Shirts
Deodorant
Q-Tips
Feminine Hygiene Products

A number of these products can be bought on rebate at RiteAid and Walgreen's.

Bookkeeping software check up by Mister QuickBooks et al.

Let me check how you have set up your bookkeeping software in Windows or Mac. Why not confirm that you have done it right?

Or would you rather find out the hard way that you set up your tax lines for your financial chart of accounts as a C corporation when you are a LLC or put your credit cards down as an expense which two of my clients did?

I know that you want to do it all. I'm the same way. You've come up with your business idea. You've designed your web site, business cards, logo, advertising, and overall marketing plan. You've gotten your business licenses and maybe even incorporated yourself. But why not have someone who's been doing it longer than you and stays up to date in their field check what you have done?

You bought a copy of QuickBooks, Peachtree, or Microsoft Small Business Accounting 2006 or Office Accounting or Accounting Express 2007 and set your business up in it. But have you set up your chart of accounts correctly? Or will you be paying your accountant extra money in a few months to fix your mistake(s)?

Grab your laptop and meet me for coffee or tea for a free half hour complimentary consultation for this issue alone (if you want to find out how to be more efficient in your software, you have to hire me) and let me take a look at what you have done.

All you have to gain are more accurate financial records and less expenses in the Professional Fees: Accounting field. And yes, like the old fashioned doctor, I also make house calls if you only have a desktop.

If you are not familiar with bookkeeping, you might want to read Biznik member Madeline Bailey's Radical Accounting book. She spoke at Bizjam.

AT&T Cell Phone for Rent with 3,000 minutes to use

Cell phone for rent. A friend of mine who has worked as a medical secretary/receptionist for orthopedic, radiology, and cardiology clinics recently lost her job. She is trying to cut back on her expenses. One possibility is terminating her cell phone contract which is $40 and some change a month.

Right now, she is debating between terminating her contract with Cingular early (expires in February 2008) and incurring a $175 fee (which I recommend against as keeping the phone for a 5 months would be equal to that fee, she should have a job by then, and cell phones seem to be a requirement these days) or renting it out in exchange for your paying the current monthly fee. She did call them to see if they would waive the early termination fee. The answer was no. I guess they are auditioning for a Capital One commercial.

If you want to try using an AT&T phone for a month to see if it would work for you, need to make a lot of long distance calls (one advantage of rollover minutes), are interested in having a back up phone when your Sprint, Verizon, or T-Mobile phone coverage is spotty, or have a family member visiting that you would like to loan the phone to, let me know. Just so you know, I plan to advise her to turn off the international calling feature for the phone and to monitor the account.

I will give priority to supporting members and those with completed profiles and some activity in the group.

We need a classifieds section on this site and the ability to search.

How to insert HTML code in your posts so the web sites you mention can be clicked on within BizTalk

If you want to post a web site in your posts and make it clickable, you can use this formula < A HREF="insert http address here within the quotes" target="_blank">insert http address or what ever name you want to use to identify it between the greater than ">" and less than "<" brackets

You will need to delete the extra space between the first less than sign < and the A HREF as I couldn't make it display otherwise.

How would you describe Biznik to your family, friends, possible members about what makes it different from other business networking groups?

At Bizjam, Karrie Kohlhaas and I were chatting about what made Biznik unique compared to other business networking groups.

I remarked that to me "what makes Biznik unique is the energy level and focus of the participants, regardless of their age and how members aren't intimidated by others who were smarter than they are and instead thrived on it and welcomed it."

How would you describe it?

(Seattle) Mayor's Small Business Awards Nominations Due by July 18, 2007

According to the Web site, ten winners will be selected by the panel of nine judges, a mix of past winners of the Mayor’s Small Business Awards and owners of small businesses of different types and in different neighborhoods, and professionals who work with small businesses in non-profit business support organizations.

The judges will be reviewing the nomination forms with the following judging criteria in mind:

• Business History
• Management Practices
• Entrepreneurial Spirit and Customer Service
• Community Involvement
• Overall Impression

Who can be nominated? Your own business, your exceptional small business clients, associates, suppliers, vendors, or neighbors.

Are there eligibility requirements?

The Mayor encourages small businesses ranging from microenterprises (defined as revenues below $100,000 dollars per year and five or fewer employees) to businesses with annual revenues less than $10 million to apply.

To be eligible for consideration, your business must: be a for-profit business or you must be an individual (I think partnerships and S corps can apply as well) owning a small business; located within the Seattle city limits; employ between 1 and 100 people (I personally think this should be less than 20); have been in business for at least three years (sorry Dan and Laura -- next year?); have annual sales of less than $10 million dollars (I personally think this should be lower, say a million); * have a current City of Seattle business license and currently paid City B&O taxes.

Business franchises (I think MLMs would fit into that category), not-for-profit organizations and past winners of the Mayor’s Small Business Awards are ineligible.

How do I nominate a business? Contact Office of Economic Development staff members Tinná White, 206-684-4008 / mailto:tinna.white@seattle.gov or Karin Zaugg Black, 206-733-9810 / mailto:karin.zaugg@seattle.gov, to request a nomination form, or download the form. Contact the above folks if you need help with the form.

Prizes for Nominees: Prizes include a 2007 Mayor's Small Business Award Nominee window decal and your company name listed in an announcement in an ad in a major local newspaper.

First South King County and North Pierce County Happy Hour on Monday June 18th at Duke's in Kent

I've seen a few folks post a desire to go to a happy hour closer to home so I thought I would organize this event since I have to be in Kent that day for a client.

Go here to reserve your spot.

Free subscription to Seattle Business Monthly magazine

In case you have seen Seattle Business Monthly magazine around or want to use it to develop leads before passing it on, they offer a free subscription and online access by filling out their form: http://www.seattlebusinessmonthly.com/

The current issue had articles about best places to work, what your tipping behavior says about you, and Marcus Courtney's mission to organize technology workers.

Request for recommendations for Happy Hours in West, North, or South Seattle and South King County

Since I sometimes find myself tutoring folks in QuickBooks as far north as Everett, in West Seattle, and as far south as Maple Valley, I've been thinking of hosting a rotating happy hour in West Seattle and North or South Seattle and South King County (Kent, Renton, Auburn, or Tukwila) to serve folks who might find it difficult due to traffic congestion to get into Seattle proper or the Eastside around 5:30 PM.

So far, I have come up with Duke's Chowderhouse on Alki, Greenlake and in Kent although the menu can be a bit sparse and the Greenlake Grill which might be too small as the bar area is minimal.

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

I would prefer that the establishment have their happy hour menu including their alcoholic drinks available in a downloadable format so folks can think about what they want to order before they get there to save time.

It just seems a shame to have a number of members outside of Seattle but few events to get them to meet one another. I am also willing to work with others on this issue.

List of 167-174 coffee places in Seattle that have free Wifi

Free Wifi in Seattle and Coffee Spots with Free Wifi

In case you need to have an excuse to get out of the house and want to try out a new place to work out of using your laptop.

If you attend a Biznik event where you live and buy drinks or a meal for yourself and/or anyone else, don't forget to write it down so you can deduct 50% of it per IRS regulations

For business related events, you can usually just keep track of the event you attended although I personally write down the name of one person I talked to and what we talked about.

The same rule generally applies for your mileage at 48.5 cents a mile. Ten miles equals $4.85 or about a gallon and a quarter of gas, gasp.

You generally want to keep track of your beginning and ending miles, who or what you went to see, and for what purpose.

If you don't track it, you can't deduct it.

Unless you like to pay more than your fair share of taxes.

If you want to find out how to do this in your financial accounting software, please see my new Free 1/2 hour QuickBooks consultation or tutoring over coffee or lunch promotion.

What are the pros and cons of using two sided business cards and how do you use them?

I've been looking at the various business cards from members that I have collected at various events. Some like mine were created on a computer and inject printer which allows me to tweak the message as meet people sort of a customized marketing. Others use something quick yet good like VistaPrint. And others invest the time and trouble into a permanent branding of their identity and business by sticking with the same design.

It seems that the members whose cards I remember a week later seem to have a few things in common: they use both sides, they have a clear face photo, there's a catchy saying or elevator pitch "Learn how to master QuickBooks, instead of the other way around", and the cards give you enough information to be able to reach them later.

On one hand, I see the two-sided cards as maximizing everything you have to work with, an efficient use of space, and an opportunity to promote the business's core values such as a mission statement or an explanation of what five things you need to qualify for a mortgage.

Yet I wonder where will I write my notes about our conversation or a question that they asked me if both sides are filled.

I have also noticed that type of paper stock plays a role in this as well. Some cards are difficult to write on. One of my clients has semi-waterproof cards as they operate on the water and in a marine business environment.

On the other hand, I wonder if too much information is being presented and I have to keep track of which side to file it under.

What do others think?

Free web sites to post your event or class promoting your Indie business

At the Eastside Happy Hour on 05/10, I had to chance to chat with Sarah Taylor http://biznik.com/members/?name=Sarah_Taylor of Edward Jones, "the Starbucks (TM) of brokage firms." "You can find one on every corner to satisfy your investment fix." (my comments in quotes) about finding ways to promote classes or events that relate to one's business.

So for those of you who have thought about promoting your expertise in the community, here's a list of places to start:

General sites (some require you to be a member or register to post): Seattle Craig’s List: http://seattle.craigslist.org/evg/ and http://seattle.craigslist.org/cal/ Seattle Weekly Online Only: http://seattle.backpage.com/gyrobase/classifieds/index The Stranger Classifieds and Online: http://classifieds.thestranger.com/seattle/index
Microsoft Expo Live: http://expo.live.com/ Pacific Publishing (publishes weekly community newspapers in Seattle): http://www.zwire.com/site/community.cfm?brd=855&amp;pag=569&amp;dept_ID=445523 Seattle Linkup: http://seattlelinkup.com/ City of Seattle – Neighborhood Events: http://www2.ci.seattle.wa.us/events/default.asp City Search: http://seattle.citysearch.com/find/section/seattle/events.html? Yahoo Local Events: http://local.yahoo.com/results?stx=seattle+events+calendar+list&amp;toggle=1&amp;qry=seattle+events+calendar+list&amp;ei=UTF-8&amp;fr=sfp&amp;x=wrt&amp;fr2=tab-web and http://upcoming.yahoo.com/place/BB5JBwGYA5lMTEfeqg-- PI/Times local events http://www.nwsource.com/ae/scr/nws_oth_sr.cfm?c=s&amp;p=re&amp;e=11&amp;x=19&amp;y=10 King5: http://forms.king5.com/calendar/addEvent.jsp Kiro710AM: http://www.710kiro.com/article.asp?id=176870 KIRO TV: http://www.kirotv.com/events/index.html Southside of Seattle: http://www.seattlesouthside.com/events/

Event Planning Sites that allow you to host events open to the public http://www.evite.com http://www.trumba.com http://www.mollyguard.com http://www.meetup.com http://www.zoji.com

Social Networking Sites (create an event and/or a group for members to link to): http://www.biznik.com/ (need to be member to put a free one on) http://events.myspace.com/ http://www.tribe.net http://www.orkut.com http://www.linkedin.com

Specialty Sites:

Activism: http://www.scn.org/activism/calendar/ (has to be activist oriented) http://www.seattleactivism.org/

Arts Oriented Only: http://www.seattleartists.com/main/calendar/calendar_add.asp if arts related like X group is going on the First Thursday Art Walk or the group is having a show of its members http://www.seeseattle.org/cultural/ would need to be art related

Business oriented: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/business/calendar/

Jewish: http://www.jewishinseattle.org (should be sponsored by Jewish group)

Online Forums: http://forums.thestranger.com

General Directories: http://www.halcyon.com/tmend/seattle1.htm#locevent list many other links where you can post your event. http://www.iloveseattle.org/networking-guide/group-tools-resources/seattle-event-calendars.asp
a comprehensive list of calendars in Seattle catering towards social networking

I encourage you to post other sites and print media that are favorable to publishing these kinds of events and what has worked for you in the past.

Has anyone tried being listed on any online businessreview sites

Such as Angi's List, Judys Book, Yelp, Insider Pages, City Search (also provides basic listing with no link to a web site if you ask them and you are not listed in the telephone directory), epinions, Yahoo Local, and Zipingo (used with 2007 versions of QuickBooks to rate your customers or vendors):

http://www.anglislist.com http://www.judysbook.com http://www.yelp.com http://www.insiderpages.com/ http://www.citysearch.com http://www.epinions.com/bsrv http://local.yahoo.com/ http://www.zipingo.com/

Have you gotten business from being listed? Are there others worth considering for service based businesses? Of course, BizNik is already included.