Heather Villa Articles

Success Tips for Travel Write-offs
 - Click To Read Article
Success Tips for Travel Write-offs
 - When traveling for business OR when traveling for pleasure, the tax rules are pretty clear. But what about if you mix business and pleasure in your travels? Can you, as a freelancer, fly to Paris and work from there and write off your trip? Can you spend a few days at a conference and a couple days at your parents' house and write off the entire week? The tax code is complex but the IRS doesn't like mistakes! In this article, you'll build a solid foundational base of knowledge about travel write-offs and you'll get some guidance about where to go to learn more.

The Importance of Bookkeeping - Click To Read Article
If you've been running your business for any length of time you understand the importance of bookkeeping and how neglecting it can create havoc!

The Top Business Best Practice - Click To Read Article
The top business best practice - Is it marketing? Is it branding? Is it sales? Is it a social media plan? No. Those are important activities but aren't the top business practice. In this article, you'll read about how your business is a bucket and marketing and sales send water into the bucket… but most businesses have big holes in the bucket. You'll learn the one best practice to identify the holes and stop them up so your marketing and sales and branding and social media can be more effective and can contribute to a more successful company.

Enhancing productivity and profitability by outsourcing - Click To Read Article
You're a busy business owner trying to juggle it all. It can get overwhelming sometimes. Wouldn't it be nice if you could make a fundamental change in your business to improve productivity and profitability? You can! In this article, I'll show you how business owners are leveraging their time and working with virtual assistants to take their companies to the next level. You'll read about five qualities you'll want to look for in a virtual assistant that will add real value to your business; and by the end of the article, you'll be ready to start looking for someone who can help you achieve the success you desire for your business

Which Company Structure is Right for You? - Click To Read Article
Which company structure is right for you? - For brand new entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business, the question of company structure will come up at some point. The names are well known – sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation – but the differences between these four types are not always common knowledge. In this article, you'll read about the four types of structures. You'll learn briefly what characterizes each one, how income flows through to the owners, and what kind of legal implications there are. This article can be a starting point for you as you decide what structure your business will take.

Growing Your Business: Why Separating Business and Personal Finances is Good - Click To Read Article
Growing Your Business: Why Separating Business and Personal Finances is Good - This article is NOT about finances! It's about growing your business. When you separate your business and personal finances, you'll create an environment for faster and more effective business growth. Curious? This article tells you the three reasons why business growth can happen when business and personal finances are separated, and it will show you some best practices to help you separate your finances easily.

How To Survive Tax Season - Click To Read Article
How To Survive Tax Season - The very words "tax season" can send shivers down the spine of every small business owner. While tax season might never be fun, it can be far more manageable than it is with a few simple best practices. In this article, you'll read how you can prepare for tax season in order to lessen its time-consuming, work-time-stealing burden. It IS possible!

How Much Does A Small Business Owner Make? - Click To Read Article
How Much Does A Small Business Owner Really Make? In this article, Heather Villa looks at the question "How much does a small business owner really make?" and shows how the question has misled entrepreneurs. She first describes how owners all too often over-estimate their personal income simply because their finances are not in order. Then, she points out three must-do financial activities that entrepreneurs need to regularly practice in order to create a successful business. Once these are in order, she points out, that business owners will be able to earn a higher wage and build a more valuable business for the short and long term.

Navigating the Sea of Staffing Requirements - Click To Read Article
Navigating the sea of staffing requirements - If your business is growing and you're starting to think about what the next steps might be, you might have "staffing up" on your list of things to think about. But it's not as easy as that. Adding onsite staff can be a complicated procedure and you'll need to have the right paperwork, licenses, and insurance in place before your new-hire steps foot into the office. In this article, you'll read about some requirements and you'll discover an often-overlooked intermediate step that can be less costly and more efficient.

Where Entrepreneurs Should Invest their Money First - Click To Read Article
Where entrepreneurs should invest their money first - Where should you invest money when you're investing back into your business? There are so many tools and software choices. Or maybe you should hire more staff? In this article, you'll read about a series of investments that might surprise you – and these might currently be pretty low on your investment list – but they should be much higher, and perhaps even immediate. When you do invest in one of these options, you'll not only be setting your business on a firmer foundation, but you'll also be opening your business up to much greater opportunity.

The Value of Outsourcing - Click To Read Article
The Value of Outsourcing - "I'm too small to hire staff" say many entrepreneurs. But that's an expensive assumption to make. In this article, you'll read why paying someone else to do specific parts of your work actually makes good business sense, and can set you up to grow your business faster and more effectively. Think your business is too small to staff? Think again! Keep an open mind and read this article and you just might post a "help wanted" sign!

Truth in Numbers - Click To Read Article
Why Outsourcing your Bookkeeping Makes Cents Many people still associate outsourcing with manufacturing or global workforces, but it is much more. Outsourcing is an efficient way to manage special projects or overflow, expand staffing resources, and grow your business. Many businesses outsource critical business tasks that require specialized knowledge such as bookkeeping.

The Building Blocks of a Successful Company - Click To Read Article
The Building Blocks of a Successful Company - Business owners want their businesses to grow… of course. But a business can only grow successfully over the long term if it is built on a strong foundation. In this article, you'll read about what important aspect of the business makes up many of the building blocks of your soon-to-be successful company. Ignore these building blocks at your own peril! Or, embrace them and hold on as your business becomes more successful than you anticipated!

Finance: More Than Number Crunchers - Click To Read Article
Finance: More Than Number Crunchers - When someone from the Financial department walks into a room of people from the sales and marketing departments, the conversation dies down and everyone waits for the killjoy to leave. But it doesn't have to be this way! In this article, you'll read about the common problem that businesses have – the idea that the Finance department just sits around to crunch numbers and suck all the fun out of the work place – and you'll read about a potential solution – three ideas that can turn the Finance department into success-generating business developers who empower the sales department to thrive.

Nine Tips for a More Successful Business - Click To Read Article
Nine Tips for a More Successful Business - Not all small business owners are fully qualified to run every aspect of their business. They might be good at one or two things, but rarely is someone good at everything. So, here are nine tips, compiled over the years of running successful businesses, that you will find can help you in your business if applied. Take the time to apply these tips right away and you will see stronger, more competitive, and more profitable results!

How to Develop Organizational Culture in an E-Business - Click To Read Article
How to develop organizational culture in an e-business - Many businesses have staff but not all businesses have in-house staff. If your business uses freelancers, consultants, virtual assistants, or other outsource professionals, it can be tough to get everyone on the same page. In this article, you'll read about a few ways that you can improve communication and productivity among your outsource staff

How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dream a Reality - Click To Read Article
How to make your entrepreneurial dream a reality - Many people desire to become entrepreneurs. Some are bold enough to make the leap on their own. Others are "forced" to do so because of circumstances (such as job layoffs). But starting and running a business isn't easy, primarily because we may possess some of the skills necessary to create a productive and profitable enterprise but we probably lack all of the skills necessary. And, we probably lack the time, too. In this article, you'll read about one way you can improve your entrepreneurial efforts – whether you're just starting out or you're looking to grow.

The False Economy of “In-House” - Click To Read Article
The False Economy of "In-House" - Small businesses need to watch every dollar. Unfortunately, some expenditures seem reasonable but are, in reality, quite costly. These are called "false economies" and they can drive down your revenue even while you think you are saving money! In this article, learn about one classic false economy and discover how you can eliminate the problem and save money in your business with a solution that seems more expensive!

A Checklist for Staffing Up - Click To Read Article
A Checklist for Staffing Up - When you are looking to hire staff, you need to hire the right staff quickly, otherwise you'll be burdened with wasted time and expense. In this article, you'll read about a checklist of 4 qualities you need to ensure that every new-hire posses if they are going to help you grow your business. Three of them won't come as a surprise, and will serve a good reminder, while the fourth might be a quality you never considered to be necessary. Make sure that you review every resume and perform every interview with these 4 qualities in mind.

One Small Step for Business - Click To Read Article
One small step for business - Many business owners want to take their businesses to a new level. They know they need help but hiring employees might be an expensive, daunting task. However, it is a common misconception that the next step up from "solopreneur" is "multi-employee enterprise". In this article, you'll read about the concept of scaling and how you can grow your business with an intermediate step between running your business yourself and running your business with some help.

Incorporating Outsource Staff into the Routine of your Office - Click To Read Article
Incorporating Outsource Staff into the Routine of your Office Business owners who grow their businesses with outsource staff (including freelancers, consultants, and virtual assistants) enjoy many benefits to this arrangement but face one critical challenge: Businesses run better when everyone gets along and collaborates with good rapport. So, how do you build that among virtual staff when they are separated by many miles?

Get More Done with On-Call Help - Click To Read Article
Get More Done with On-Call Help - How do you successfully grow your business out of the "one-person-show" mode? Hiring employees can be a costly risk, even if it seems to be the right answer. However, there is another answer – an intermediate step – that business owners can use as an opportunity to scale up their business without blowing their budgets. In this article, you will read about that intermediate step and why it is advantageous to you.

Trying To Go it Alone: Why It Is Less Productive To Work Alone - Click To Read Article
Trying To Go it Alone: Why It Is Less Productive To Work Alone - When you start your business, it might work out just fine to operate by yourself – doing your administration, your marketing, your selling, your fulfillment, and your customer service. But if you're successful, it won't last for long: You'll need to grow (but you'll realize that you only have 24 hours in the day). In this article, you'll read about two reasons why it is better to bring someone else on-board to work with you. An on-site employee might not be right for you, but there is another possibility!

Time Off: Do Small Business Owners Get Any? - Click To Read Article
Time Off: Do Small Business Owners Get Any? - People might become business owners because they want to get ahead. However, once you're living the life of a small business owner, you quickly discover that you have a much shorter-term goal: Trying to take a vacation. Business ownership is busy and a vacation may feel like it will cause serious business disruption. But there is a way that you can enjoy a vacation. In this article, you'll learn how some businesses are breaking out of the entrepreneur time trap to allow the owners to enjoy some renewing downtime.

Expand Your Business with These 3 Tips - Click To Read Article
Expand Your Business with These 3 Tips - "What do I do now?" If your business has enjoyed some success and you're asking yourself that question, then this article will help you navigate the foggy world of expansion. Expansion is not easy because it is uncharted territory for you. In this article, you'll read about 3 tips that can help you take the right steps even if you don't know what those steps are!

Find the Real Tools and Reduce Your High Tech Costs - Click To Read Article
Find the Real Tools and Reduce Your High Tech Costs - Like most business owners, you're probably overwhelmed by marketing messages telling you to buy the latest business device or cutting edge electronic toy, perhaps because it is supposed to be invaluable to your business. In this article, you'll read about three types of technology that you'll encounter and you'll discover some questions to ask yourself to determine whether you really need it or not.


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