Is your business safe from the attacks of cyber criminals? With the rise of sophisticated hacking techniques, ensuring the security of your clients’ information has become more challenging than ever. Fortunately, small business owners have a wide range of options when it comes to preventing potential data breaches. In episode #81, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene […]

For many small business owners, the decision of what to do with your business once you retire can be a challenging one. With so many factors to consider, how do you know whether it’s more profitable to sell your business to a new owner or simply close it? In episode #80, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene […]

Are you interested in hiring a virtual assistant to handle the bookkeeping for your small business? While working with an outsourced bookkeeper gives you the freedom to focus your attention on other aspects of your business, there are some common pitfalls you need to avoid in order to stay informed about your current financial status. In episode #79, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss the most effective strategies for working with a bookkeeper.

Executive Summary

0:40—Question: What should I not do when I'm hiring a virtual assistant to act as a bookkeeper?

1:20—Don't disengage; maintain frequent and open communication with your bookkeeper.

4:35—Your bookkeeper should be sending you weekly flash reports that outline the payables, revenues and backlog of your finances.

6:07—Don't be afraid of expanding your bookkeeper's duties to include other responsibilities, such as gathering sales and social media statistics for your flash report.

8:08— The biggest mistake you can make as a small business owner is not supervising or checking up on your bookkeeper.

10:21—Gene explains the benefits of the Okushin system, which allows business owners to monitor the mental well-being of their employees.

Links

Okushin System

Download Our Free eBooks

Ultimate Guide to Business Credit Cards: The Small Business Owner's Handbook

How to Keep Customers Coming Back for More – Customer Retention Strategies

How to Safeguard Your Small Business from Data Breaches

21 Days to Be a More Productive Small Business Owner

Opportunity Knocks: How to Find—and Pursue—a Business Idea that's Right for You

99 New Small Business Ideas

Submit Your Question

Submit Your Question

Leave Us a Review on iTunes

Transcript

Elizabeth: Welcome back to the Small Biz Ahead Podcast. I'm Elizabeth Larkin-

Gene: I'm Gene Marks. Hello, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Thanks for jumping in there. I was going to introduce you, but-

Gene: No, no, no. We have to change it up a little bit-

Elizabeth: Yeah, we do.

Gene: You have to be like, I'm Elizabeth. I'm Gene. Welcome to-

Elizabeth: Woo-hoo. Yes. And a little theme music. Okay, today we're going to get right into our first question, and this one was sent in specifically for Gene, and it's about one of your favorite topics.

Gene: It is?

Elizabeth: It was sent in anonymously, and here's the question.

"Hi Gene. I'm a new business owner."

Like I said, it was sent to you personally.

Are you interested in hiring a virtual assistant to handle the bookkeeping for your small business? While working with an outsourced bookkeeper gives you the freedom to focus your attention on other aspects of your business, there are some common pitfalls you need to avoid in order to stay informed about your current financial status. In episode #79, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss the most effective strategies for working with a bookkeeper.

Executive Summary

0:40—Question: What should I not do when I'm hiring a virtual assistant to act as a bookkeeper?

1:20—Don't disengage; maintain frequent and open communication with your bookkeeper.

4:35—Your bookkeeper should be sending you weekly flash reports that outline the payables, revenues and backlog of your finances.

6:07—Don't be afraid of expanding your bookkeeper's duties to include other responsibilities, such as gathering sales and social media statistics for your flash report.

8:08— The biggest mistake you can make as a small business owner is not supervising or checking up on your bookkeeper.

10:21—Gene explains the benefits of the Okushin system, which allows business owners to monitor the mental well-being of their employees.

Links

Okushin System

Download Our Free eBooks

Ultimate Guide to Business Credit Cards: The Small Business Owner's Handbook

How to Keep Customers Coming Back for More – Customer Retention Strategies

How to Safeguard Your Small Business from Data Breaches

21 Days to Be a More Productive Small Business Owner

Opportunity Knocks: How to Find—and Pursue—a Business Idea that's Right for You

99 New Small Business Ideas

Submit Your Question

Submit Your Question

Leave Us a Review on iTunes

Transcript

Elizabeth: Welcome back to the Small Biz Ahead Podcast. I'm Elizabeth Larkin-

Gene: I'm Gene Marks. Hello, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Thanks for jumping in there. I was going to introduce you, but-

Gene: No, no, no. We have to change it up a little bit-

Elizabeth: Yeah, we do.

Gene: You have to be like, I'm Elizabeth. I'm Gene. Welcome to-

Elizabeth: Woo-hoo. Yes. And a little theme music. Okay, today we're going to get right into our first question, and this one was sent in specifically for Gene, and it's about one of your favorite topics.

Gene: It is?

Elizabeth: It was sent in anonymously, and here's the question.

"Hi Gene. I'm a new business owner."

Like I said, it was sent to you personally.

Are you interested in hiring a virtual assistant to handle the bookkeeping for your small business? While working with an outsourced bookkeeper gives you the freedom to focus your attention on other aspects of your business, there are some common pitfalls you need to avoid in order to stay informed about your current financial status. […]

As a small business owner, sometimes you may wonder if you’re paying your vendors too much. Here’s how to deal with it. In episode 78, hosts Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks answer the question: “I need a vendor for certain specialty items. How do I pick one, and how do I know that they’re charging […]

As a small business owner, you need to decide how much money you should put back into your business, how much cash on hand you need, and how much to pay yourself. In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks answer the question: “I just started my business. I think I can afford to […]

Are you unsure about whether a particular job applicant would be right for your small business? While there is no exact science for hiring the perfect employee, it may be easier than you think. In episode #76, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss several of strategies for determining which employee would be the best match for your business.

Executive Summary

2:24 — Today's Topic: How Do I Know If I'm Hiring the Right Person as a Small Business Owner?

3:26 — Ultimately, after all the interview formalities, you need to use the “Larry David" method and trust your instincts enough to make a judgment call.

4:52 — You can improve your chances of finding the right person by hiring the potential candidate as a temp or contractor for a predetermined length of time.

6:33 — Social media can also be useful in determining who may or may not be a good match for your company.

10:24 — Gene emphasizes the importance of adapting to meet your clientele's payment needs.

Links

Venmo App

Square Credit Card Reader

PayPal Here

Download Our Free eBooks

Ultimate Guide to Business Credit Cards: The Small Business Owner's Handbook

How to Keep Customers Coming Back for More – Customer Retention Strategies

How to Safeguard Your Small Business from Data Breaches

21 Days to Be a More Productive Small Business Owner

Opportunity Knocks: How to Find—and Pursue—a Business Idea that's Right for You

99 New Small Business Ideas

Submit Your Question

Submit Your Question

Leave Us a Review on iTunes

Transcript

Elizabeth: Gene, I need a new show recommendation.

Gene: Wow! See that? You do come prepared with some good ones. Some good show recommendations. Well, I have a few that I've recently finished, so I'm going to give three show recommendations, okay? Silicon Valley, obviously, is-

Elizabeth: Okay, which we talked about before.

Gene: Yeah.

Elizabeth: I've never watched it. It's an HBO show.

Gene: It is, which means out of the box that it's quality. It's really, really good. It's funny, it's great, half an hour show. It takes place in Silicon Valley. I think it's in its third or fourth season now. Great show, so you want to watch that.

Are you unsure about whether a particular job applicant would be right for your small business? While there is no exact science for hiring the perfect employee, it may be easier than you think. In episode #76, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss several of strategies for determining which employee would be the best match for your business.

Executive Summary

2:24 — Today's Topic: How Do I Know If I'm Hiring the Right Person as a Small Business Owner?

3:26 — Ultimately, after all the interview formalities, you need to use the “Larry David" method and trust your instincts enough to make a judgment call.

4:52 — You can improve your chances of finding the right person by hiring the potential candidate as a temp or contractor for a predetermined length of time.

6:33 — Social media can also be useful in determining who may or may not be a good match for your company.

10:24 — Gene emphasizes the importance of adapting to meet your clientele's payment needs.

Links

Venmo App

Square Credit Card Reader

PayPal Here

Download Our Free eBooks

Ultimate Guide to Business Credit Cards: The Small Business Owner's Handbook

How to Keep Customers Coming Back for More – Customer Retention Strategies

How to Safeguard Your Small Business from Data Breaches

21 Days to Be a More Productive Small Business Owner

Opportunity Knocks: How to Find—and Pursue—a Business Idea that's Right for You

99 New Small Business Ideas

Submit Your Question

Submit Your Question

Leave Us a Review on iTunes

Transcript

Elizabeth: Gene, I need a new show recommendation.

Gene: Wow! See that? You do come prepared with some good ones. Some good show recommendations. Well, I have a few that I've recently finished, so I'm going to give three show recommendations, okay? Silicon Valley, obviously, is-

Elizabeth: Okay, which we talked about before.

Gene: Yeah.

Elizabeth: I've never watched it. It's an HBO show.

Gene: It is, which means out of the box that it's quality. It's really, really good. It's funny, it's great, half an hour show. It takes place in Silicon Valley. I think it's in its third or fourth season now. Great show, so you want to watch that.

Are you unsure about whether a particular job applicant would be right for your small business? While there is no exact science for hiring the perfect employee, it may be easier than you think. In episode #76, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss several of strategies for determining which employee would be the best match […]