On this episode, I chat with my guest, Sarah Hawkey, founder of toRISEtogether and creator of The Money Studio, about balancing debt payments with saving for an emergency fund and and saving for retirement.

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by new & experienced business owners and how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here, and get ready to unf*ck your biz.

On Tuesday episodes we answer questions from my Facebook group, Braden's Bestie's. Today Sarah answers the question "If you're starting from scratch saving money and paying debt, how would you prioritize between 1) building an emergency fund of around $3,000, 2) paying your quarterly taxes, 3) saving your first few thousand dollars toward retirement and 4) paying down about $3,000 in high-interest consumer debt? Do you do them all at the same time or in a certain order?"

Sarah suggests you need to cover your ass with an emergency fund...

On this bonus episode of the podcast my guest, Kristy Runzer, CFP, about Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Join the Braden's Besties Facebook Group to hear Kristy's live Q&A about PPP with Braden on January 22nd.

PPP became available as part of the stimulus packages. It's a forgivable loan, meaning you receive the money as a loan but as long as you use it for certain things, it's a loan that gets forgiven. As a small business, PPP is more the route to go than EDIL (the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan program).

With round two of PPP now available, the first step is to determine if you qualify. Two pieces allow you to quality - 1) If you never got money in Round One you can apply like this is Round One. 2) If you did get money in Round One, the qualifier for Round Two is if you saw a 25% decrease in your revenue in any quarter in 2020 compared to that same quarter in 2019.

Ex: If Q2 in 2019 your revenue was $100,000 and in Q2 in 2020 your revenue was...

On this episode, I chat with my guest Keila Hill-Trawick about balancing debt payments with saving for an emergency fund and and saving for retirement.

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by creative entrepreneurs & how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here, and get ready to unf*ck your biz.

In my alumni group we recently read money philosophy "I Will Teach You to be Rich" by Ramit Sethi for our quarterly book club. On the topic of money philosophy today's question is a hypothetical one.

"If you're starting from scratch saving money and paying debt, how would you prioirtize between 1) building an emergency fund of around $3,000, 2) paying your quarterly taxes, 3) saving your first few thousand dollars toward retirement and 4) paying down about $3,000 in high-interest consumer debt? Do you do them all at the same time or in a certain order?"

Keila shares her insight that it's what makes you feel safe. If you...

On this episode, my guest Parker Stevenson, Co-Owner and Chief Business Officer of Evolved Finance, takes a crack at answering 12 different tax and bookkeeping questions from fellow creatives in the Braden's Besties Facebook Group.

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by creative entrepreneurs & how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here, and get ready to unf*ck your biz.

1. First year of business and have a profit loss. How much can I report as a loss? Will I get audited? Is there a limit? (asked by Jennefer Cooper)

Hire an accountant! An accountant will help you to write-off as many expenses as you can while still being profitable. Tell yourself, "It's okay for me to pay taxes because that means I have a profitable business."

2. As a small business owner, (two-person LLC), can I deduct the cost of my vehicle on my taxes? (asked by Robes Pierre LaMontagne)

Involve your accountant in this...

On this episode, my guest Keila Hill-Trawick, founder of Little Fish Accounting in Washington D.C., answers the question "What expenses are allowable write offs for my new business during the start-up phase?"

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by creative entrepreneurs & how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here, and get ready to unf*ck your biz.

Start-up expenses are those that you have to incur in order for the business to start. For example, if you are a starting a restaurant, even before you start serving diners you have start-up expenses such as liquor license, architectural drawings, etc. The IRS allows you to write-off $5,000 in start-up expenses in the first year and amortize the rest over the next several years.

Resources

What's the difference between a hobby and a business?

Get in touch with our guest

Keila Hill-Trawick, founder of Little Fish Accounting

Check out Little Fish Accounting's ...

On this episode, I have an open and honest conversion with Meg Wheeler about diversity, equity, and inclusion and how to build better financial practices in business.

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by creative entrepreneurs & how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here, and get ready to unf*ck your biz.

Wealth is inequitably distributed among people based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and more causing wealth gaps. It's important to design your business in a way to eradicate these wealth gaps and make your business part of a shifting culture toward equality and long-term wealth.

When starting a business, having equitable practices is not as talked about in the small business space as it is in the corporation space with diversity and inclusion. It's planning and conversations that are often put off until a person's company is bigger or they start hiring but the truth, is if we build a business focused...

On this episode, my guest, Biz Money Coach Meg K. Wheeler, discusses the benefits of hiring a CPA for your small business.

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by creative entrepreneurs & how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here, and get ready to unf*ck your biz.

Today on the podcast we're answering the question "What are the benefits/pitfalls of hiring a tax strategist versus a CPA?"

If you're working on anything related to tax, you want someone who knows what they are doing. Meg suggests you be careful about anyone who is calling themselves a tax strategist, and make sure you are working with a CPA or a tax lawyer like Braden. You don't need a CPA or tax lawyer to provide tax returns.

Beyond tax prep, you should hire a CPA anytime you want to understand how to maximize your business operations. For example, when you start selling more and making more money, should you consider becoming an s corp. Anytime...

On this episode I'm joined by Keila Hill-Trawick, founder of Little Fish Accounting in Washington D.C.

This episode is sponsored by my FREE training: 3 legal & tax mistakes made by creative entrepreneurs & how you can avoid them. Sign up for this free Masterclass here to unf*ck your biz.

Today we answer the question, "I am clueless when it comes to 'inventory.' I don’t know what items are considered 'supplies,' capital, depreciation, I also struggle when I do my town property tax filings because they want to tax furniture, my computer but these are dual use items." while breaking down the differences between supplies, cost of goods, and inventory.

Supplies - what you use to make the "thing."

Inventory - the final product. Inventory is an asset, not an expense. The cost of all the components that go into making the "thing" sit as the inventory cost.

Cost of goods sold - Once you sell the "thing," you can expense what it cost to make it. This is so the IRS can make sure...

On this episode, my guest Jacquette M. Timmons, a financial behaviorist and owner of Sterling Investment Management, digs into all things business pricing.

As a financial behaviorist, Jacquette offers 1:1 financial and business coaching with entrepreneurs and small business owners, national speaking engagements to share perspective on the integration of the psychology and math of money, events to bring people together to discuss money, business and life, as well as a pricing made human masterclass training.

Building upon last episode's question "Everyone says research your competitors, but how do you get their pricing?" Jacquette covers the positives and negatives of competitor pricing research for service-based entrepreneurs. Everyone's business and personal finances are different and they will influence how you set your pricing. What you need to charge to cover your expenses, factor in your emotional needs, and earn enough to support your living situation may differ...

On this episode, financial behaviorist Jacquette M. Timmons answers the question "Everyone says research your competitors, but how do you get their pricing? Catfish that shit?"

Before you catfish that shit, ask yourself, "What is the benefit of knowing what the competitor is charging?" While the question "what should I charge?" is a universal one, the answer is a personal one. What you charge for what you bring to the table may differ from your competitor, and comparing prices can be dangerous if you are in different markets or have different offerings. It's best to start your research by identifying what your competitors are offering. Hear more on the podcast about ways to best identify your competition, learn more about their offerings, and get insight on their pricing.

Get in touch with our guest:

Jacquette Timmons, financial behaviorist and owner of Sterling Investment Management

Check out Jacquette's website

Follow Jacquette on Instagram

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