Blog

A Canadian bank recently surveyed over 500 small business owners about what they love and hate most about owning their own business. Unsurprisingly, flexibility and feeling in control ranked first in the “love” category. Meanwhile, almost 60% said bookkeeping was hands-down their most hated task. Most business owners understand that effective financial management is key to their success. But lack of knowledge, frustration, and even avoidance can add up to accounting…  Read more

If you run your own enterprise, there’s a good chance that going into business had a lot to do with money. But once you’re actually in business, finances can pretty quickly become overwhelming. So grab a notebook, and set aside a couple of minutes, because we’re starting with basics and breaking down everything you need to know. Here’s our Small Business Finance Management 101! Step one: know why finances matter!…  Read more

Creatives inspire. The people who throw passion and colour into the world are often the ones with an incredible interest in many things… except numbers. So it is no surprise at all that finance and accounting are often two things listed by creative agencies as being the biggest challenge of running a business. When all you want to do is share your creative passion with the world, there is nothing…  Read more

Ideally, you and your accountant are more than just “adviser” and “client”. With your combined skills, expertise, and shared mission to support a thriving business, you’re more like strategic partners. The key to achieving success in any partnership is, of course, strong communication. At your next meeting, be sure to ask your accountant these four important questions. 1. What’s my best strategy for increasing revenue? Every business owner strives to improve…  Read more

It’s the line item most often left out of a small company’s budget: the business owner’s salary. Let’s face it: you can always spend cash on your business. From office expenses to employee salaries to rent, every month a portion of your revenue is accounted for. But paying yourself first is a must. You need to earn a living – and paying yourself can actually help your business succeed. Here’s…  Read more

All business owners should be aware of their break-even point — that is, the number of units you need to sell in order to cover your operating costs. Once you’ve reached your break-even point, it’s time to celebrate: your business is no longer in the red, and you are officially earning a profit. In this article we will show you how to calculate your break-even point so you can make wise…  Read more

It’s unusual for tax to be a front page issue but right now there are a lot of headlines being generated and a lot of hyperbole being used by many media commentators. This article is an attempt to look past the spin to make sure that you are up to speed with the tax changes that have occurred that will affect you now as well as the proposals that have…  Read more

Ever heard the story about the engineer who fixed the broken machine with a single tap of his hammer? He sent his clients an itemised bill for his work: Tapping with hammer: $5 Knowing where to tap hammer: $95. This is an example of value-based pricing. If you’re like most freelancers or contractors, knowing how to price your services can be a real struggle. Charging an hourly rate can feel less…  Read more

Following up on late or non-paying customers is no freelancer or contractor’s favourite task. Which is precisely why you need to set payment terms up front – and in writing – before you work with a new client or customer. By communicating and agreeing on the non-negotiables for doing business with you, you’ll avoid awkward misunderstandings, frustrating disputes, and in most cases, the ugly hassle of debt collection. These tips will…  Read more