Business Questions? I've Got Answers.
There are so many facets to running a business...so many hats to wear.
Sales, Sales, Sales
Sales are the life blood of any business. More sales will solve a host of business problems. Ok, you already know this, but do you know how to increase sales? #1 rule - if you keep doing what your doing don't expect your sales to go up. Doing the same thing usually will end up with the same results. So change, a theme that I am constantly emphazing will be your key. But not just any change will work. That's where experience comes in and there's no substitute for experience.
Government issues
Scary Big Brother One thing I’ve noticed over the years of working with small business owners, is that most are pretty insecure about dealing with the government. I mean, the government is scary, right? They’ve got those special notices, boatloads of regulations written in incomprehensible language, and (cue Darth Vader theme song) special powers. Okay, that last part isn’t true.
Mistakes – everybody makes them Most of the mistakes that business owners make with government agencies are because they don’t know something they’re supposed to know. (That’s one thing we try to do here on this site, is to educate you on your responsibilities with government, because, as they like to say, not knowing is not an excuse.) Or sometimes owners miss a deadline, or miscalculate a tax rate, or sometimes (gasp) the agency makes a mistake and the owner has to try to fix it.
Fixing Things With the Government That’s where we come in. I’ve found that you can successfully deal with the government and yield a pretty positive outcome. Throughout the years I’ve been in business, I dealt with nearly every bureaucracy at the local, state, and federal levels. I changed regulations with state agencies, and successfully passed legislation on two major bills, as well as received relief of penalties on behalf of numerous clients, negotiated financial disputes, handled correspondence, and translated government-ese in letters, notices, and other correspondence.
If you Need Help Have you received a notice and can’t figure it out? Is something hanging over your head? Do you, like a couple clients I’ve had, have a neat stack of unopened letters from the government? I can help you with that.
“Whenever I have an issue with the government, legal, taxes, payroll, or general business that I’m not sure about, I always go to Julie first.” Cheryl N.
“And if I get a letter from the government, I pass it on to Julie to handle as she knows her way around the language and the agencies.” Nick H.
Employees
Happy employees make a happy business! I've had nearly 2000 employees throughout my business life and the experience has given me valuable knowledge in all aspects of employment. I can teach you how to hire, train, and manage employees, as well as how to choose a payroll system, provide benefits, and the best ways to track employee time, as well as how to let an employee go should they not work out.
Vendors and Suppliers
Relationships are important, as well as communication. I can show you how to find vendors and suppliers, how to establish and maintain relationships and how to negotiate for terms that will help your business cash flow.
Legal
Lawyers are expensive, so it's best for every small business not to engage one unless it's absolutely necessary. Many matters can be handled with a letter or phone call. I can help you understand what you can handle on your own, and what you need to have an attorney handle.
Finance
Finance can be a maze. Let me help you understand how capital works, how your bank can help you, and how to handle basic real estate negotiations.
Small business owners are different than everyone else when it comes to personal investing. Your biggest investment is your business.
If you do have excess capital and not sure what to do with it, you need to adhere to the two rules of investing:
1. Don't lose your capital - a 50% loss means you need a 100% gain to get back to even, and 100% gains are hard to come by.
2. Only take on risk when the odds are way in your favor so that you have a good chance of making money.