Budgeting? Go a little deeper!

All of us are probably rethinking our personal “micro economies” given the changes in the “macro economy” of our country. It isn’t always a bad thing.

Currently, my husband and I have sworn off the expense of eating out frequently and have begun to prepare meals and eat at home on an almost regular basis. For the past weeks we have tried out new recipes and sat down for relaxing dinners with our family again! It’s been wonderful. We’ve reconnected with our kids and feel like accomplished gourmet chefs! We’ve baked bread, made our own mixes rather than buying them, shopped at the Tacoma and Proctor farmer’s markets for fresh produce, made meals in advance or cooked in the crock pot if we foresee a delay in our ability to prepare a meal for that day. Our kids are looking forward to meals again and we never have to call them twice! What could be greater than that?!

My simple advice to everyone seeking to remedy their personal economies is to get back to basics. It hasn’t been very long ago since I was a heartbeat away from homelessness. I remember as a single woman making a pittance of a wage and barely making enough to make my rent, much less anything else. Thankfully I found something I loved doing and did it. I began working at a bank and discovered I loved it! I loved the work, I loved the people, and the environment that came with it. I took advantage of tuition reimbursement, grants and other benefits, and worked my fanny off to finish my bachelor’s degree in business—and I DID! It took 5 years to finish off 2 years of junior and senior level classes, but I DID IT! The satisfaction from that remains today, although I’m never complacent. There is still a lot to learn! There are also many things I wish I could do (like a LOT more volunteering), but I simply don’t have the time right now. I am a new business owner. I am personally responsible for my life with no boss to run to for time off or a raise. If I want it, I have to do it prudently on my own. I also have two children (15 and 19 years old) that my husband and I are trying to guide through their life discovery phase!

All this to say: Jobs are not just a paycheck or a means to an end but the beginning of an exciting journey! While you are figuring out your “micro economy” and putting the budget numbers to paper, do some serious thinking about what it is you do to meet your budget numbers! Have you reached a point in your life where you might need to reinvent yourself or try something off the grid? Think about it. Seriously.

Next time: Real budget crunching

What is crucial for financial success?

Many people do not want to deal with their business or personal finances. Businesses are at an all-time failure rate and individual bankruptcies are on the rise because of lack of cost controls, planning and organization. Identity theft is also increasing exponentially with the economic downturn. More than ever it is important to carefully manage your finances. We saw that business owners and individuals needed our help in this area, so we formed Alpha Business Services to fill this void. We work with you to manage every aspect of your small business or personal finances—account monitoring, bill paying, bank reconciliation, cost control, budgeting, tax reporting, and any other financial matter you don’t want to deal with.

Getting started is easy!

• Contact us (253-380-1973) for a free consultation to determine why your present system isn’t working and discuss what you would like to see happen.
• We will prepare a sensible strategy designed exclusively for your needs and goals.
• We will implement the strategy and work with you to perfect it to your specifications.
• We can do it all for you or work with you to make sure your system is working effectively and you are comfortable with it.

We will help you put all the pieces together. Please give us a call today!

Talk to A Tax Pro Early If You Are Having a Financial Crisis

Don't wait! If you have lost your job, have poorly performing investments, or having general financial difficulties please talk to a tax professional right away. Most will offer a free initial consultation and may be able to provide some helpful tax advice if you are going through a crisis. Don't avoid paying your taxes. Please seek help.

If you are a small business owner who needs tax assistance, there are some great resources here: Small Business Tax Workshop

Getting Started

After over 25 years in the financial world, I decided to launch my own business last October. In this economy, you ask? Absolutely! Now more than ever people need serious financial guidance! Thinking like a business person has become second nature to me, but many others haven't got a clue about this. I recently counseled a couple who formed their own LLC and they had no idea that business funds were supposed to be kept separate from their personal funds. They allowed their child to purchase college textbooks on the company debit card. Managing finances was not their area of expertise--building and remodeling was--but because they were a fledging contracting business they could not afford to hire a cadre of professionals to guide them through each step of the start-up process. That's where Alpha Business Services can help.

My clients would give any or all of the following reasons why they would need my services:

1. I simply don’t have the time to deal with my finances
2. I would rather do other things that are important to me
3. If I overdraw or miss a due date, I just pay the fines and penalties
4. I need to grow my business, not deal with financial matters
5. I don’t know where to begin

We help individuals and businesses turn their financial chaos into an orderly and manageable system. Can we help you?