​While we all want to open our arms and our wallets to our loved ones and a big turkey dinner, 2020 might not be the best time to do that. While this might be a hard holiday pill to swallow, it's all going to be okay.

Thanksgiving is in the air, and we know that many of our Goose Creek friends and customers are getting excited to gather with their loved ones to celebrate. While everything is still very up in the air and uncertain, we hope that when choosing to gather with your loved ones this year that you choose to do so safely and with your loved ones in mind. 2020 is the year of smaller Thanksgivings, outdoor gatherings, gatherings with bigger smiles and fewer hugs, and sharing a meal over zoom and FaceTime. This might be a different holiday season for so many reasons, and we are here to support and offer our comfort and condolences. It will look much different in our homes this year too, so we sympathize and understand how many of you are feeling right now.

While the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays might be different when it comes to how far we can and cannot travel and how many of our loved ones we will be seeing, many of us might be tempted to make it look and feel the same. This is a quick route towards spending way more than is needed right now or ultimately what you actually want to do. Remember, Christmas is just a few short weeks after Thanksgiving, so make sure to spread out all of your holiday budgets wisely. With all of these ideas in mind, we were inspired to write this week's blog. We wanted to share a few tips and suggestions on how to save money through the 2020 holiday season, and what that can mean for you and your loved ones.

TRAVEL BILLS
Many of us won't be traveling for the holidays this year. Instead, we will be staying put and creating new traditions with our bubbles, our close friends, the relatives we live closest to, or just with our nuclear family members. While this is still an incredible way to celebrate the holidays, it can be difficult not to see the whole family or all of your friends during this time of year. The silver lining of all of this? You can save hundreds of dollars by not spending it on plane tickets, hotel rooms, and other travel expenses. You can save money not driving those long distances, save money not having to put a lot of work into your car to make those long drives, and you can also save a little peace of mind not having to worry about driving in the snow or ice when many of us haven't done that in years. Instead, make time to plan Zoom Calls, Facetime Calls, and group phone calls. Save this unused travel money to help pay for the shipping on all of the Christmas presents you have your eyes on for your loved ones, save it for when you can travel to see your family again, or save it to help out with those surprise extra bills that might appear at the end of the year. Don't forget, once we hit January 1, 2021, tax day will be here faster than you might think. Maybe saving a few dollars here and there can help with paying your taxes as well.

TO BLACK FRIDAY OR NO?
Black Friday has already started for a lot of our favorite big box stores with in-store deals, discounts, and online deals. While the big Black Friday shopping might not happen as it has in the past, that doesn't mean that it's going to stop or slow down online Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales. We've mentioned this in previous blogs, but as we all reach for our credit cards to buy everything we come across in our Black Friday shopping sprees and going with our "treat yourself" mentality to make these difficult holidays feel a little bit better, maybe step on the brakes. Trying to avoid these big shopping sprees right now can be a huge benefit to you and your bank account. If you're still planning on shopping, set a spending limit and a budget for yourself. This includes if you are planning to do your holiday shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Pick who you are shopping for, how much you're going to spend on each person, and stick with it. We know a big Christmas for your loved ones can be a knee jerk reaction to a difficult year, but be financially smart about it. Outside of budgeting your cash flow, make sure that these plans include putting a spending limit on your credit cards. You can come up with every excuse to use your credit cards when your Christmas budget has been depleted, but try and go easy with the plastic. Can you imagine the gift it would be to start 2021 financially stable with little to no outstanding balance on your credit cards? We also recommend that if you are planning to shop big on thanksgiving, try and shop small. Invest in local small businesses, local artists, or creators on websites like Etsy or Redbubble for all of your shopping needs. These are the people that need your Black Friday money more than Walmart or Target. If you're investing in local artists and small businesses, this is an investment in your local community and local economy.

TURKEY TIME
We know that Thanksgiving comes with this beautiful picture of a giant turkey with as many sides and desserts surrounding it that can fit on the table. When having a smaller 2020 Thanksgiving, why put that pressure on your family, yourself, your refrigerator, or your wallet? There is nothing in the rule book that says you have to get a huge 20-pound turkey for the holiday. There are smaller birds available, and the option of only getting half a turkey or just a fantastic cut of a turkey breast is out there too and at a much lower price than your standard turkey. This can help save a ton of money on your initial Thanksgiving grocery bill, and it can also help with your leftover situation. Not everyone is on board with eating Thanksgiving leftovers for days on end. So why buy a ton of food that's just going to go to waste? Also, there is no rule saying that you have to eat turkey for Thanksgiving. If you want to try a different protein, go totally vegetarian or vegan, or just have your favorite fast food to celebrate the day, that's okay too. However, if you end up with a big turkey and a large number of leftovers, it can help save you money on the following week's grocery bill following Turkey day. As you plan your turkey day menu, plan a menu for the week to follow that can reuse as many leftovers as possible. The key is to pick a wide variety of recipes that doesn't make you feel like you're just eating turkey for a week straight.

Also, save on the drinks. Many people who enjoy adult beverages during the holidays might go get some wine or beer for the day. Instead of buying multiple bottles of wine or cases of beer, choose a cocktail or punch to share. If you're going to be preparing a traditional meal, use Costco or Sam's Club to help save money. Also, keep an eye on online deals and coups. Don't forget, if you are hosting a small gathering, a potluck Thanksgiving is a perfect way for everyone invited to save money!

SIMPLE AND CHIC
While the Griswald's would disagree with us, keeping your decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas on the simpler side can help you save money too. It's tempting because right now every store you walk into is already bursting with Christmas decorations. They might be calling out to you to redo all of your decorations this year, but stick with what you already have. Believe us, this will be a huge money saver and can help reduce your stress and anxiety about decorating the perfect house and home for your in-laws to see this year. Take that pressure off, you're staying safe and saving money by decorating with what you already have!

A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE LESS
While many of us are still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Thanksgiving will look different this year, and dealing with being away from our loved ones, we will still have food on our tables. Regardless of it being a big turkey dinner or a pizza, there will be something there. Take some of the extra money you're going to be saving by following these tips and donate to those in need.

PLANNING FOR WHATS NEXT
We know that Turkey Day and Christmas might be what has your full attention is focused on right now. What about the day AFTER Thanksgiving? Just like the day after Halloween and Valentine's day, a lot of Thanksgiving food items will be significantly marked down. Buy the non-perishable items that are on sale and save them for Christmas dinner or help lighten the load in your grocery bills over the next couple of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While everyone is participating in this year's unique and socially distanced black Friday events, head to the grocery store instead and save big for the next few weeks and beyond.

The great thing about Thanksgiving can be the goals you set for yourself financially, and being able to reach them without stress. This can be your reason for the season and your reason to celebrate without breaking the bank. Enjoy the little things this year, and be ready to financially step into 2021. Remember, if you are looking for the best accounting services in Goose Creek, the best tax preparation in Goose Creek, business consulting in Goose Creek, bookkeeping in Goose Creek, or payroll services in Goose Creek, we are here for you! Our phone lines and inboxes are waiting for you. Don't hesitate! Please stay safe, everyone. We will see you soon!

Running a small business can be a dream come true and very daunting. If you use all of the correct tools to help you run your company efficiently, it will be the dream you've worked for. 

Starting a small business in 2020 might sound crazy, but more have popped up nationally than you might think. So many people have lost their jobs, been put on furlough, or are unable to do their jobs virtually that they had to do something. With the unemployment rate at an incredible high, many Americans have been forced to creatively do the pandemic pivot. With so many of us at home with nowhere to go, the birth of honing new or rusty skills and crafting abilities had the opportunity to flourish. People started posting their goods and wares on social media and out of the blue, they have a whole new little business operation running out of their homes.

 Some people were already deep in the process of building their small business when the pandemic hit, while others found solace in being hired by one after their corporate jobs were eliminated. Whatever the situation, small businesses have become quite the lifesavers of 2020. To keep that success and productivity as safe and possible, every small business needs the proper tools to stay productive, organized, and financially stable. What is the best tool out there for these situations? Quickbooks! 

We use Quickbooks ourselves and we offer classes to help small business owners and anyone out there grow and manage their money. One of the biggest reasons small businesses fail, according to Forbes, is because there is no business plan. Poorly managed bookkeeping can sink a business before it even had the chance to grow. Admittedly, bookkeeping is difficult, time-consuming, and very meticulous work. This is why working with a company like ours and using Quickbooks is so imperative. We both make sure that every part of your bookkeeping is done in a properly organized manner, allowing you to get back to the business of your business. 

Quickbooks pro was created specifically for small businesses, and it is very user friendly. It does so much of the work for you, that it's hard to get yourself overwhelmed. With a small-ish price tag of $300, it's a very small price to pay for the huge benefits it gives you. Tax season, after using Quickbooks, should no longer be something you dread or fear. Everything will already be taken care of. It even comes with tutorials to help you get started, and the Quickbooks team is also available to help you when you need it. There are so many benefits just waiting to be used. 

[START UP]

• Everything you need to run your bookkeeping and a majority of your business is in one place in Quickbooks. It will save you time, money, and sanity. 
• It keeps you organized, and you can see your business growing and change in one place. 
• It can help you with everything from income and expense tracking to cash flow management and more. 
• It allows you to accept credit cards and bank transfers from where ever you are. It lets your business be on the go, never restricting your plans or goals. 
• It can help your employees. You can do your companies payroll in minutes. It even gives you the option to upgrade and let the QuickBooks professional bookkeeping team take care of your payroll. 
• You will no longer need to worry about manually tracking your employees. You can track their hours, overtime, and add that into payroll anytime and on any device. 
• If you need more, Quickbooks is there to help. You can connect and partner with a member of their professional bookkeeping staff if you want, and whenever you want. 

[BENEFITS]  

• Money Management. Quickbooks allows you to pay bills, ask clients to pay you, and tracks all of your due dates for bills. You can print checks directly from the program, every transaction is recorded right into the program, and you can link your bank accounts to the program. You no longer need paper statements. 
• Billing. The program will record every expense, no matter the size. You can organize your billing by the client and by type of spending. You also no longer need to reconcile your books manually. 
• Invoicing and Reporting. The program tracks all of your sales automatically. It can create receipts and invoices at the touch of a button. It allows you to bill your clients individually or in large batches which helps when billing multiple clients for the same service. If you have merchant services through Quickbooks, you can accept credit card and debit charges. You can easily scan and deposit checks into your accounts. You also can create all kinds of financial reports including expenses, trends, year over year income, and more. 

[MORE]

• You can use Quickbooks with other software and programs you're already using. You can import documents from Excel and export data from Quickbooks to make tax preparation and filing extremely easy. 
• Security is also an added layer of comfort that the company offers, according to The Visual Communication Guy. Quickbooks data centers are monitored 24/7 and are under constant watch to make sure all of your assets are kept safe. It also comes with its own security so no one can just log into your accounts. It is also the leading software company in safety and the adaptation of new technology. 
• It allows you to customize your business plan for each client so they know that their business is a priority to you. It allows you to nurture relationships with your clients by being able to send messages, notifications, and custom reports through Quickbooks. 

Coming to the point where you can own your own business is a huge accompaniment and celebration. Let that celebration continue and use all the right tools to help you and your company grow and stay organized. If you are looking for the best accounting services in Goose Creek, the best tax preparation in Goose Creek, business consulting in Goose Creek, bookkeeping in Goose Creek, or payroll services in Goose Creek, we are here for you! Our phone lines and inboxes are waiting for you. Don't hesitate! Please stay safe, everyone. We will see you soon!

Are you utilizing your time properly and working as much as you need to be? Thanks to some easy to use tools and apps, you can monitor this with ease!

As we get back into a normal routine, returning to business and productivity as normal can be a little daunting. With so much happening in our community while we are adapting to many new changes, we wanted to share some of the best tips and tools on how to keep your small business productive.

TRACK IT
Make sure you know exactly how much time you and your employees are spending on each client and project. There are multiple ways to track this progress with apps, a dial-in program on your work phone database, computer programs, and more. Make sure to review this time with your employees, and see if they are working wisely. Discuss with them if time needs to be added or if they're spending too much time on certain things. If they are spending too much time on certain projects or tasks, offer suggestions on how to use their time better. If their time is exactly what is needed to get every task and project done properly, make sure your clients are paying the correct amount for the hours you're working for them. Tracking hours like this can help you adjust your fees accordingly and to guarantee you and your employees are getting compensated properly. Toggl, Tsheets, and ResueTime are great examples of tools that can help you with this.

TO DO LIST
Managing your time is very important and so is managing your projects and everyday tasks. Being proficient in this will help keep your current clients very happy, help with getting the word out about how professional your company is, and be a huge draw to new potential clients. Being able to give very accurate timelines and project estimates is essential, and following through with them as promised will guarantee a happy client. Knowing what projects and tasks you have on your plate, knowing what order they need to be finished in, what their completion dates are, and which ones must be done right away are important to keep your sanity and productivity intact.  Efficiency is a key proponent to the growth in any small business. Don't worry, there are many different kinds of task management software out there for you to use. You just need to find the right one for your companies particular workflow. When you're in the market for this kind of software, try out a few versions for free before committing to anything. This can save you a lot of time and hassle. Make sure you pick software that allows your whole company to use it and communicate in, and one that allows a calendar to be uploaded into it so deadlines can be set. Pick one that has an operating system that is flexible to your personal needs, and doesn't take a long time to learn. Pick one that can sync with your current applications, software, and with your website and social media platforms if needed. Trello, Basecamp, and Asama are three great examples to start with.

THE FILES
Make sure that once your small business is up and running that you have a solid program manager that allows you to control your website domain, emails, Eblasts, documents, and more. This will allow you to be in control of your domain and be able to manage your website without stress. It will allow you to send out eblasts, gather and store clients' emails for easy use and promotional purposes, and to keep all of your online documents organized and accessible. Squarespace, GoDaddy, MailChimp, and WordPress are great examples to start with. Also, use Google to your advantage. Their business tools are outstanding, easy to use, easy to access, and free!

DAY TO DAY
Social media management is a key player in your advertisement world. This can become very time consuming having to not only create all of your content, but also needing to remember to post at the correct times every day. Thankfully, there are plenty of programs available to you that allow you to schedule your posts ahead of time once they're created. You can also choose what platforms your content is being posted to, what times, how often, and more. Buffer, HootSuite, Agoraplaus, and Facebook Creator Studio are good choices to look into. Make sure when choosing the correct platform, that it allows you to post on all the social media sites you use. Some don't allow posts to Instagram, while others only allow you to post on Facebook and Instagram. Make sure to read the fine print, try it out for free if you can, and only invest in a plan that you need. Your plan level will depend on how many accounts you're running, what platforms you're posting to, and how many posts you'll be posting every month.

NOTES
Everyones ability to remember their ideas, tasks, projects and activities vary from person to person. You might believe that you can remember everything without writing it down. When working for or owning a small business, that's a difficult place to put yourself into. Avoid putting yourself into these situations and skip the possibility of forgetting something. Even if you're not someone who likes writing a list or keeping a handwritten planner, tons of wonderful apps can help you with this. Your smartphone is a great place to start, as it might already have a built-in calendar and note-keeping app. Google is also a great place to begin. They have a fantastic interface for both your computer and your smartphone. Other great apps to keep your to-do lists and notes organized are Evernote, Wunderlist, and Todoist.

Staying organized, communicating, and using your time wisely are three of the most important things to keep your small business productive. We hope these tips and suggestions help your company grow. If you have any questions or comments, never hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to help our Goose Creek family and stand with you during these difficult times. Remember if you are looking for the best accounting services in Goose Creek, the best tax preparation in Goose Creek, business consulting in Goose Creek, bookkeeping in Goose Creek, or payroll services in Goose Creek, we are here for you! Our phone lines and inboxes are waiting for you. Don't hesitate! Please stay safe, everyone. We will see you soon!