Keeping a watchful eye on your finances is always important. During these uncertain times, it is more important than ever.

Keeping a close watch on your purse strings is a necessity. With so much unknown about this year, knowing exactly where your finances stand and how to keep them stable has become a huge priority for most Americans. Since March of this year, over 3 million Americans have filed for unemployment, according to Forbes. Juggling how this pandemic has affected your income and how it will affect your daily and monthly spending could become a huge focus for you and your family. While staying healthy and figuring out new school and work scheduled are our first priorities, it is easy to get overwhelmed with how to deal with these potentially drastic changes in your finances. How do you decide what to cut out? How can you change your spending? What are the necessities that can't be cut out, and how do you make these decisions with the best outcome for your family?

According to Forbes, an estimated 49% of the American population was living paycheck to paycheck even before the pandemic hit. This left no room for extra savings or a nest egg to fall back on. Unemployment has helped, but even that has seen a drastic change since its first wave with the national stimulus checks. Many people have been left without enough to cover their basic needs. The first stimulus check and the additional $600 from the government added to unemployment checks were just short term solutions. What can we do now to help make our bills, keep a roof over our heads, and keep food on the table?

THE NEW BUDGET
You sit down every month and track what you're earning and what you're spending. You create a solid budget based on your calculations that takes care of your bills, your family's needs, and hopefully goes towards a little fun. If your paycheck has been hit or changed due to the pandemic, your budget will have to be retooled. Try and figure out how much of a cut your salary has gone through and try and cut that much out of your monthly spending. Please remember that while you're cutting your budget, your retirement planning and savings still needs your attention. If you can keep paying into those, that is ideal. If you are unable to do so, don't panic. Instead of adding to them, try not touching them unless you have to. Consider what you have in savings during this time, too. If it is needed, remember these funds have been put aside for an emergency.

While the stimulus check will not be part of your 2020 taxes and is being treated as forgiven money, the additional $600 and the now $300 added to your unemployment checks will be taxable income. If you've taken the highest amount in unemployment without choosing to take any taxes out, please prepare for what you will owe in your 2020 taxes. If you can, choose to take out some taxes to make your next tax season a little less painful. Also, try and avoid the temptation of online shopping and avoid making 'panic purchases". Instead of using your extra time to scroll through your favorite shopping sites, sit down and create a brand new long term financial strategy. We have no idea how long this might last, so planning ahead is going to be your best bet.

NEGOTIATIONS
Everyone owes money every month, even those who collect it for a living. We all have bills to pay, there's no exception to that. If you can sit down and take the time to talk with your landlord, your credit card companies, your insurance company, and discuss your current circumstances it could be a huge relief to your bank account. Be honest and ask if they can give you some kind of break or pause in your payments, a break or pause in accruing interest, and if you can negotiate your interest rates. According to Business Insider Apple, Chase, Citi, American Express, and Capital One offered their clients emergency support during the first few months of the pandemic.

THE DINNER MENU
Part of your monthly budget includes your grocery bill and funds set aside for going out to eat. As much as we all want to support our favorite local restaurants, eating out adds up just as quickly as it did before the pandemic. Tack on delivery fees to this bill, and it can be even more expensive. The dangers of panic purchasing delivered meals three times a day is very easy thanks to our favorite food apps. Meal planning is going to be just as important as budget planning. You'll need to stick to both to feed your family and save as much money as possible. We understand a few delivered and take out meals, but try and avoid them as much as possible.

THE (UN)ESSENTIALS
The pandemic has done a good job keeping us at home and helped us save money on group activities like going to concerts, going to the gym, and getting our hair and nails done. While things are getting back to normal and these services are slowly becoming available, that doesn't mean you need to jump back into using them again. It's best to wait and do so when your income is back to normal. You've survived without them up until now, and you can continue to do so a little while longer. If you have a lawn care service or a maid service that helps you care for your home, it might be beneficial to pause these services. As essential as they might be, they aren't as important as many other things in your budget. Making these decisions is difficult, but they are possible. You just have to keep going back to the drawing board when things get tough.

We know the last thing you want to hear right now is that you have to sacrifice more than you already have just to hang on. You've given up so much already, changed plans, and lost out on promised opportunities. The truth is, you can keep going. If you continue to make these hard decisions to save your finances and protect your family, the light at the end of the tunnel will become much brighter. 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!

Mornings, for many of us in 2020, look much different than many of us expected them to. We still have to be productive, so here are a few ways to stay energized and focused no matter what! 

Hello friends! We are finally emerging from the other side of the 2019 tax season, and we are seeing a positive light at the end of the tunnel. A lot of what has kept us energized is the hopeful promise that our clients who did file on and around July 15th will be looking at a tax return very shortly. Something that, due to the next unknown aid situation coming from the government, will be a very welcomed financial relief. We know that by this point in the year, the late summer heat and constantly hearing about the pandemic for the last five months has us all bogged down. So, we wanted to change gears with this blog and focus on another aspect of working from home. 

Many of us are still working from home either by choosing to, having to, or the fact that we already did. Finding a groove in working from home can be a daunting task. You have to shift your home around, make some necessary but inconvenient purchases, struggle with separating your space from your workspace, and possibly dealing with our children going back to school online again. On top of all of this, and being more tired than normal, we still need to stay productive, get our work done, and meet our deadlines. The best way to get ahead is to start with a jump start to your morning. So, we wanted to change up our blog content and give you some simple tips and inspiration to get a jumpstart in your day to keep you energized. Let's be honest, we could all use a little inspiration and jump-start to our days right now! 

• Tip #1 Routine 

This tip might sound strange when our normal routine that so many of us worked hard to establish has been turned upsidown. If you can create a routine that works for you and keeps you focused, positive, and on the ball then that is a fantastic way to jumpstart your day. Remember, this will be different for everyone, and will reflect what you and your family need. If you are a morning person, continue to get up early. If not, let yourself take a little longer in the morning. Be forgiving, and give yourself room to discover what works for you. 

• Tip # 2: Set Goals & Make A List

If you have a lot going on in your personal and professional life with no one to keep you on track, there can be a lot floating around in your mind. This gives you plenty of room to forget a thing or two. To save your sanity and to make sure you get everything completed, start by making a to-do list, and write it all down. So much responsibility has been placed upon us while we're working from home. The daily emails, calls, texts, and Zoom meetings still don't help the fact that we are now in charge of constantly keeping ourselves accountable. Start your day by making a list of everything you need to do in every aspect of your life, and continue into the workday. Next, make a set of goals for yourself for the day. Make sure that they're attainable, can be accomplished, and need to be done that day. When making a set of goals for yourself start with a small amount, between 3 and 5. This will allow you to feel productive when you finish them and allows for extra time if anything else comes up in your workday.

• Tip #3: Eat Well & Work Out

You might have noticed that this new way of life has us sitting around way more than usual. Who knew that extra bit of running around at work, running errands, and chasing kids to their after school activities could burn so many extra calories? You don't have to jump into getting yourself into the best shape ever right now unless you what to! But what is important is keeping your boding moving to help it feel better, work out the frustrations of the day before, and get you focused on the day to come. Pro tip? Get the whole family involved in the workout. You also still need delicious and nutritious food to help keep you feeling good and keep your mind focused on the job at hand. There is a time and a place to eat takeout and splurge on your favorite store-bought goodies but, give your gut and brain the food they need to keep you running. Of course, don't forget to drink plenty of water! Coffee can be a very important commodity for many of us in the morning, but it's the H20 that will keep you going all day. 
​

• Tip #4 The Night Before

This blog might be focused on jumpstarting your morning, but a lot of what can influence your morning happens the night before. Since we've been home and away from so much of our normal activities, friends, and family, we've been glued to our phones. Try and set a time when the phones are put away for the night, and its time to focus on family or time to go to bed. Those late-night scrolls don't do any good when you're trying to be productive the next day. Start to unwind from your phone and other electronics an hour or so before bed, so you can get a good night's sleep. A really good night's sleep and a true deep rest can restore you and prepare you for the morning ahead. 

We know this is a strange time. Please know that you're not alone in feeling this way. Also, please know we are here to support you and our amazing community of Goose Creek! 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!

Filing your taxes can be difficult the older you get, but thanks to a brand new form that has been created for taxpayers over the age of 65, this will no longer be a problem!

Money is a part of your whole life. From the first time you asked for an allowance to the first dollar of retirement that you spend. Taxes, too, are just as prevalent once we start earning money, and will follow us through until the end of our lifetime. We are a family company here at Hoods, and we want to help and care for all of our families in Goose Creek. We have made it and are now just a few weeks past 2020's new tax day of July 15th. We will be busy over the next few weeks helping all of our amazing clients get their tax paperwork finished and taken care of. As we finish up this year's tax season, we wanted to take some time to talk about our seniors and retire clients, and share some exciting news for their next tax season.

Doing taxes has now become easier than ever before thanks to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, according to CPA Practice Advisor. As part of this new act, the IRS has made special tax forms for senior taxpayers, the 1040-SR US Tax return forms. These forms come with larger fonts and better readability. With the fonts being larger, the forms will now be two pages instead of one. To help with readability, you will also see a change in the coloring of the forms. Any shading that had been previously used around text boxes has been removed. Even better, these forms are available to fill out both online or in their paper form that can be submitted through the mail. The IRS, since they released these new forms, have "wanted seniors to know about the availability of this new tax form" and we will gladly help them spread the word. The form, along with its new features will include a standard deduction chart, too.

We understand that the process of learning and growing through each wave of taxes in your life is hard. From learning how to do it for the first time, learning how to file for the first time as a married couple, and learning how to file once you retire and begin collecting from social security is all hard to keep up with. Thanks to the 1040-SR forms, the IRS is taking steps to ease at least one of these transitions while we are here to help with the rest.

You don't have to be retired to use these forms either. As long as you were born on Jan 2, 1955, and before, they are available to you. If you are still working, have multiple sources of income, are receiving social security, annuities, or more, these new forms allow you to report on all of it. Not only is the readability much better, it's aimed at cutting down on extra work and stress. The from even allows you to choose to take the standardized deduction or itemize your deductions. The chart that is provided on these new forms will make taking that standardized deduction much easier. If the taxpayer wants to itemize, they will just need to include the Schedule A itemized deduction paperwork with their 1040-SR return. Also, according to CPA Practice Advisor, these new forms make sure that seniors are "aware of the incredible standardized deductions for taxpayers 65 years and older."

What if your partner isn't 65 years or older but you are, and you plan to file together? That's ok! You will still be able to file together and you can use the new 1040-SR form to do so if you wish. According to CBS News, this will make filing taxes easier for at least 10% of over 150 million Americans who file their taxes. It will also, thanks to its new set up, allow seniors to use the form to see if they'll be getting a refund or not right away and to know what amount they will be receiving. It will give this generation of taxpayers the freedom to continue to handle their taxes and their finances, which we love to see. Seniors who have a dependent child or grandchild are still able to take a tax credit for them as well with these forms. Ironically, as much as we have been thanking the IRS for these new forms, it was thanks to a very long battle fought and won by congress that made the 1040-SR forms a reality.

Now that this tax season has come to a close with the passing of July 15th, please keep these new forms in mind for preparing and filing your 2020 taxes next year. We could still see more financial changes in what remains of 2020, so filing may be even more unique next year than we can guess. We will be here to help you through these changes if they appear. But, if you haven't been aware of these new forms, we hope that they will help you in the future. We are here to support you and our amazing community of Goose Creek! 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!

Preparing for what will happen after you pass is a process. But, is a will really important for you and your family to have?

Wanting to protect your family, even after you're gone, is a goal many of us have throughout our adulthood. Leaving behind money, property, and assets to your loved ones can leave you at peace knowing they will be cared for, even if just for a little while. When it comes to leaving things behind to your loved ones, do you need a will? Do you have to write it down and make it official? Is this whole process actually important? That is what we will be discussing today!

When money and possessions come into the picture after a family member has passed away, it can show the ugly side of people, even if they are your relatives. Even if you map out exactly what you want done with your finances and your possessions after you're gone, how do you really know if your good intentions and plans will be followed through with? That is where a will steps in to help. A will legally lays out your wishes with how you want your possessions and finances cared for after you pass, along with naming someone who is responsible for making sure your wishes are carried out. It also comes with the legal power to make sure this all happens. Wills can also make sure that any children left behind will be guaranteed to be left in the care of the guardians of your choice, help with forgiving your debts, and much more. A will guarantees that you decide what happens with your property when you pass, not the state. The state would take your property and distribute it much differently than you probably would. A will makes sure they stay out and away from your personal business and belongings.

As we mentioned before, when money and possessions come into the picture, family and loved ones can get a little, if not very, nasty. A will can give you peace of mind that what you wish to happen will be carried out, and no speculations happen. It also prevents the state from making those decisions for you, which for a big family or a family that has divorce and remarriage in it, can make it very awkward and uncomfortable. Emotions run extremely high after a loss, and people become extremely vulnerable. Families can get hurt even more when fights and disagreements are caused due to possessions and responsibilities left behind. Take that pressure off your loved ones by making any and all decisions ahead of time.

You must follow state law and regulation with your will. Regardless of having one or not, all of your property must go through the process of probate. Thankfully having a will speeds up this process, so your family can take care of the business you left behind faster and receive anything they are due to inherit much quicker. A will also lower your estate taxes. The value of the items you give away will reduce the value of your estate once it comes time to pay taxes on it. A will helps you avoid legal challenges, and allows you to disinherit anyone you wish not to inherit once you pass away.

A will can even help ease the burden of unanswered questions for your loved ones. You figure that those who have walked through life with you know everything there is to know. Sometimes, the most precious memories and explanations can slip away with time. When planning for the end of your life, you can leave behind special memories and reasons why you did what you did. You can write this all down in a letter or small memoir that can be shared and cherished with your loved ones, thanks to the protection and delivery of a will.

What happens without a will? Decisions are made without your consent and quite possibly handled exactly opposite of what you actually would want. Keep in mind that passing without a will is different for every state, and each state decides if a person's belongings go to a sibling, parent, child, or spouse after a person passes away. Not having a will can lead to a very time-consuming process, while the state decides what to do. This includes what to do with your money, too. If you have minor children when you pass and don't have a will, their care and decisions are also taken care of by the state. As hard as a court might try to find the perfect fit for a child, they won't understand family dynamics and could place your children in the care of someone you wouldn't want them to be with. If you are not married to your partner when you pass without a will, they could receive nothing and have everything taken away from them and given to an estranged or distant family member, leaving them in a very difficult position.

Your will is your voice, your power, your decisions, and well wishes. It is something that can be a little time consuming and a difficult process to begin, but it can be the last gift and moment of ease you leave to your loved ones. If you don't already have a will, consider this blog. Consider those you are leaving behind, and consider what responsibilities you'll leave them with. If you have any questions about your finances during this time, need help with your tax payments or tax money for 2019 or 2020, please never hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you and our amazing community of Goose Creek! 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!

The CARES Act has provided relief across the board. For those of us who have student loan debt, the CARES Act has come in with a plan to help manage those payments for the time being. But, is everyone covered? 

There is no question about it. Student loans are a big deal. The education that came along with accruing the debt is priceless, but when that bill comes every month it can be hard to remember that. Although we have had some positive steps forward in our economy since the pandemic hit earlier this year, many of us are still dealing with financial strain. When money gets tight, the first things that come to mind are taking care of the essentials; a place to live, food, transportation, and your bills. For a lot of Americans, this has been hard to take care of. Student loans put pressure on many, regardless of what was going on in the country. Thankfully, when the CARES Act was signed, relief was finally here. Those with student loans were going to get a little break. But, did that mean everyone with student loan debt was going to feel this relief? Sadly, no. 

The United States has seen relief and support in more ways than one through the ongoing pandemic of COVID 19. The CARES Act has been one such support system. It has provided small business loans, helped with those planning for retirement, given us our stimulus payments, and it also ushered in relief for the payment on student loans. According to Dave Ramsey and AmericanProgress.org around 43 MILLION adults in America have student loan debt. The CARES Act gave many Americans one less thing to worry about. It has allowed thousands of Americans to allocate these funds to keep food on the table and the lights on. While many of us waited for our stimulus checks to appear, this was cause for celebration. But, it didn't mean a celebration for every student loan holder. While this aid did help those 43 million Americans, it didn't help them all. 

 In any situation before the pandemic, to stop or pause your loan payments you would have to prove that you were financially unable to pay your loan. When you proved this, you would then qualify for a forbearance or deferment. These are the technical terms for putting your loan on hold. While your payments are paused, your loan continues to accrue interest while it's in forbearance. With the CARES Act, every federal student loan was automatically put in forbearance, your loan payments were paused, and no interest will accrue until its end date, according to Forbes and Dave Ramsey. You do have the option to continue your loan payments if you wish, and it is recommended you do so if you can afford it. 

Did you notice the specific loans that are being taken care of by the CARES Act? Only federal student loans. These loans are personally owned by the United States Department of Education. Any other private student loans that are not federally owned will not be covered under the CARES Act. To give you a better idea, here is a list of federal and private student loans that are and are not covered:
[COVERED]

• Navient 
• Great Lakes
• Granite State
• HESC/EdFinancial Services
• Cornerstone
• And More! 

[NOT COVERED]

• Sallie Mae
• College Ave. 
• Discover Student Loans
• Earnest
• Credible
• Many More! 

As of now, according to Dave Ramsey, the loan forbearance and the 0% interest will last until September 30th. This could be extended, but only time will tell. Please note that this is not the government forgiving all of your federal student loan debt, nor are they paying your loan for you. Once the CARES Act ends, you will need to pick up where you left off. If the focus of your money needs to be survival, then take advantage of this opportunity. If you can keep paying your student loan, continue to do so. Regardless of your decision, take this time to save up as much as you can. If these last three months have taught us anything, being prepared is a must. 

If you do have a private student loan, there are some companies out there that are offering some relief during this time, according to Forbes. This is not true of every company and they are not legally mandated to do so. If you are having issues paying your private student loans, call your loan company immediately and see if there is something you can do. If you are going to put your loan on forbearance, make sure to ask about the interest that will be built up. 

This Act has done a lot of great things, but there is a darker side to it. According to Forbes, there was more damage done than relief. There have been reports that one, if not more, of the U.S. Department of Education loan services, reported borrowers loan status to credit bureaus. This very improper move lead to serious credit damage. Some have even had their tax refunds seized, illegally, by the Department of Education. The Department of Education claims that all tax funds have been repaid, but some citizens are still waiting. Lawsuits have even been filed, says Forbes. 

As much as the CARES Act has helped, was it worth it? Will it be able to sustain the country in the months to come? As much as it has seemed to help a good number of people, it has also seemed to fail many others. If you have any questions about your finances during this time, need help with your tax payments or tax money for 2019 or 2020, please never hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you and our amazing community of Goose Creek! 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!

The pandemic has affected us in many ways. Sometimes, it's difficult to keep up. For those who receive supplementary security income, receiving financial support has been an interesting battle.  

Hello Goose Creek! We hope this finds you healthy and well. Times are still unsure, but there is a ray of hope in how our beautiful state is starting to open up bit by bit. The waves of financial help have been an interesting experience, and each of us has been affected in different ways. For those of you who receive supplementary security income or SSI, it has been a difficult and interesting experience to go through. But, there has been an update to your economic impact payment. In this blog, we will be discussing what this update is, how to apply for as much financial help as you can, and what this will look like for you over the next few years. These specific benefits for SSI recipients were created to help you as much as possible and to help care for and supplement your children.

For those new to the term, SSI pays benefits to adults with disabilities and also helps pay for children who have limited income and resources. It also financially helps those who are 65 years and older who don't have disabilities but who meet the financial limit and need assistance.

For those of you who collect SSI, you had until May 5th of this year to go to the IRS website and fill out the IRS non-filer tool to list and receive $500 for each of your qualifying children. A qualifying child is one that is 17 years old or younger who is under your care and your responsibility. If you did not make this May 5th deadline, you will have to wait until tax time of next year to apply and receive this financial help. Even if you did miss the deadline you will be able to (if you haven't already) receive your $1200 stimulus check. You will receive them either in paper form or through direct deposit. Please note that the IRS will be sending you these checks, not the Social Security Administration. If you have any questions about filing or any questions about a qualifying child, contact the IRS offices. Not the SSA.

Be aware, as we have mentioned in some of our recent blogs, there are a lot of scams out there targeting SSI beneficiaries directly. There is no fee or anything you have to give to receive your stimulus check or your impact payment for your qualifying children. The only thing you were required to do was to fill out the non-filer tax form on the IRS website. If you have already missed this cutoff, make sure to still apply and fill out this form. Even if you don't receive this money until next year, you are entitled to it. The information that the SSA gives to the IRS every year doesn't provide them with any information about your dependents (your qualifying children). Not filing at all will prevent them from knowing that you have dependents that qualify for this $500. If you did file on time, you should have started to see your money mid-May. You will receive the money just like you would with your normal SSI benefits. When you do begin this process and use the non-filer form, be prepared to create an account. You will need to provide information for each of your qualifying children. You will need to provide contact information, social security numbers, your address, email account, and phone number. Be prepared and have this information ready for when you do file.

Do NOT apply for this or through the non-filer form if you did end up filing your 2019 tax return. If you are required to file, this tool will not speed up the process of getting your payment, it will slow it down. If you are someone over 65 and you're caring for a child 17 years or younger, please know that you are also eligible for these benefits. If you missed the cutoff date, make sure to file for these benefits so you can receive them in 2020.

For everyone who receives SSI benefits and those who are eligible for this economic impact payment, we hope this helped. Don't forget, we are always here for a consultation if you need help! Never hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions about your taxes, filing for taxes, and so on. 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!

You can follow the Social Security Administrations Offices on Facebook, twitter, and their blog by following the links below: 
https://www.facebook.com/socialsecurity
https://twitter.com/socialSecurity/
https://blog.ssa.gov/

For Updated information about the current pandemic and how it will affect you financially, visit the IRS website! 
https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments