My mother asked me to bring her a latte, grandé size with vanilla and almond milk. She recently discovered her fondness of Starbucks lattes after living in the United States for nearly 50 years. After placing my order, I walked down the counter to wait for the lattes – yes, I ordered one for myself. I looked to my left and saw a woman sitting at a small table. She was typing on her computer. Near her right hand was a caramel Frappuccino. The sight of that Frappuccino took me
“I’m not good with money,” That was my client’s go-to line for explaining away anything that involved negative cash flow. It was used to explain why she continued to struggle to pay her bills, max out her credit cards, and draw excessively from her now two lines of credit. It was also used to explain why she sold her home in order to continue having money to operate her business. By the way, my heart sank when I learned about her home. How did that happen? Was there really no
I’m a recovering financial hot mess. Before 2011, organizing myself financially was never top of mind. Receiving a regular paycheck ensured that. I wasn’t an extravagant spender. Also, I suppose I lived within my means the way I knew how. For example, I cooked my meals most often, brought coffee to work, and took mass transportation when I could. From a salary perspective, I’d say I was fortunate. For most of my 12-year corporate career I earned anywhere from $85k to $110
As an accountant, I get frustrated when I hear about a small business canceling their bookkeeping service for the purpose of cutting down on expenses. No, I don’t get frustrated. I get defensive. I take it personally! I throw my hands up in the air! I loudly ask what is wrong with small businesses! Don’t they know they need to organize their financial records?! And then I stop being dramatic because my adult self knows that the reason to cancel was not made carelessly. When l
The unofficial first day of summer has arrived! Although, if you live in Houston, Texas, like I do, summer never really left! Now I hate to bring up the recent tax season, after a lovely Memorial Day weekend of chillin' and pool fun, however, we need to chat. The first three to four months of the New Year always, ALWAYS, makes me cringe. And I really cringed this year because many businesses seemed to be caught off guard when the various tax deadlines arrived. The last minute
You send your invoices to your customers, each with a clear and specific due date. Yet, when the due date arrives, payment does not. Unfortunately, unpaid invoices hurt the cash flow of your business. So how do to get your customers and clients to pay AND pay timely for the invoices you send? Let’s talk about collections! Often, the thought of collections leads a few to envision a threatening, low life thug with a hairy chest and big hands, dressed in a pin striped suit, who