Mom Incorporated: A Guide to Business + Baby » Worksheets

Worksheet No. 12: Questions to Ask a Bookkeeper

egumpel — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:00:44 +0000

You’re officially in operation. You’ve found your first clients, sent out several invoices, and you’re eagerly awaiting your initial payments.

It’s time to get a bookkeeper on board. Here are 20 questions to ask potential bookkeepers so you know what services you’ll be receiving, and be certain you have someone you can work with.

Thanks to bookkeeper Christie Mascelli of Assured Business Services for helping with these! You can download and print this handy checklist and use it as a guide when you’re interviewing bookkeepers and accountants.

Download: 20 Questions to Ask a Bookkeeper or Accountant (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

Download: 20 Questions to Ask a Bookkeeper or Accountant

Worksheet No. 11: Budgeting

egumpel — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:00:31 +0000

If you want a profitable business, you need to do some financial planning — something Danielle admits she initially neglected. “When I started my business, I never came up with an actual number in my head, and I never wrote one down. That was a mistake.”

She advises: “Write down your number. It might not be the right number, but you have to start somewhere.”

Aliza had a number, but she wasn’t thinking big enough, she says. Her business partner helped set her on the right track. “In the first quarter after she joined me, she tripled the company’s revenues,” Aliza says.

The following worksheet can help you figure out roughly how much it costs to run your household, how much your spouse or partner can contribute, and a general estimate of the amount of income your new business would need to generate for you to make a minimum contribution. Later, you’ll want to add business expenses to the picture to understand how much more you’ll have to make to cover those, as well.

Download: Budget worksheet (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

Download: Budget worksheet

Worksheet No. 10: Brand-Building Questions

egumpel — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:00:32 +0000

What’s in a brand?

Your brand is what people think of when they hear your name. It’s what makes your business stand out — and why people pay attention to you.

Your brand is also the values that define you. Who are you — and what do you stand for? Danielle wants to spread “goodness.” Aliza is known for her work empowering women through technology.

The following chart presents a list of questions to set you on your brand-building path. If you don’t want to mark up the book, you can download the chart.

Download: Brand-Building Questions (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

Download: Brand-Building Questions.

Worksheet No. 9: Office Space and Family Conversation Cheat Sheets

egumpel — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:00:18 +0000

Of course, there are practical considerations when setting up a work-from-home business. The following charts offer some tips to ease the transition from mother and wife to mother, wife and business owner.

You’ll need suitable space to work.
Even if that space is small, there are ways to make it a productive workspace.
You’ll want to set some rules for you and your family to follow. You have to respect family time, and the family has to respect your work time. Have this conversation with the whole family; you can’t set the rules unilaterally.
If you’re working with a virtual assistant, make sure you set up a system that works for both of you. Discuss deadlines, preferred methods of communication and hours the assistant should be available.

If you don’t want to mark up the book, you can download the charts below.

Download: Cheat Sheets (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

Worksheet 8: Permitting Options

egumpel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:00:52 +0000

Once you’ve worked out an action plan for your business, find out what business licenses or permits you’re required to obtain. The Small Business Administration’s searchable database covers federal, state and local permits, licenses and registrations you might need to do business in your area. These are determined by your location (i.e., the city you live in) and by the business activity you engage in.

The following chart lists the permits you might need, and where you can get them. If you don’t want to mark up the book, you can download the chart.

Download: At a Glance Grid: Permitting Options (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

Download: At a Glance Grid: Permitting Options

Worksheet No. 7: Outsourcing

egumpel — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:00:44 +0000

Even as a solopreneur working from home, you can’t do it all. At the very least, you’ll need a bookkeeper and/or accountant, and a lawyer. Sure, you can do the bookkeeping yourself. But you’ll save headaches — and, ultimately, money — by hiring someone to help you out.

Your relationship with any consultant should be based on trust and mutual respect. Your sense that you will have a good working relationship is as important as his or her skills.

Here is another Mom Incorporated worksheet focused on tasks you’d want a bookkeeper to accomplish. If you don’t want to mark up the book, you can download the chart.

DOWNLOAD: Worksheet #7: At-A-Glance Grid

Worksheets No. 5 & 6: Goals and Milestones

egumpel — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:00:19 +0000

You have a firm handle on your market, your competition, and your marketing tactics. Next step: a look at the bigger picture — your business goals, and the milestone points along the way to reaching those goals.

Goals have to be clear and measurable, such as making a certain amount of revenue or increasing the number of clients in a certain time period by a specific percentage. Milestones help you break things down into manageable chunks you can achieve over time. By setting dates for achieving milestones, you’ll have a better way to track your progress over time.

Here are two more worksheets from Mom Incorporated, focused on business goals and milestones. If you don’t want to mark up the book, you can download the charts.

DOWNLOAD: Worksheets #5 and #6: Short-Term Goals and Milestones.

Worksheet No. 4: Marketing Tactics

egumpel — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:00:22 +0000

Once you’ve determined your business basics, you’ll need to market your company. This, too, needs to be an integral part of your planning. You need to know how you will get clients and customers.

Here is another in the wide range of worksheets included in your copy of Mom Incorporated. If you don’t want to mark up the book, you can download many of the charts. This one focuses on marketing tactics.

DOWNLOAD: Worksheet #4: Marketing Tactics (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

Fill out this chart with at least seven specific tactics to cut through the noise and reach people.

DOWNLOAD: Worksheet #4: Marketing Tactics

Worksheets No. 2 & 3: Who Is Your Target Market?

egumpel — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:00:26 +0000

Here are two more worksheets to help you plan out your business journey. They are among many worksheets and checklists included in the book Mom Incorporated. The book’s charts help you decide how much you need to make, how to set up your office and how to home in on your target market. Here’s a chart you can download, which focuses on your target market and your competition.

DOWNLOAD: Worksheets #2 and #3: Who Is Your Target Market? and Who Else Offers Products or Services Similar to Yours? (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

DOWNLOAD: Worksheets: Who Is Your Target Market? and Who Else Offers Products or Services Similar to Yours?

Worksheet: Getting a Handle on Your Time

egumpel — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:00:03 +0000

Mom Incorporated includes a variety of worksheets and checklists to help you plan out your business journey. It features charts to help you decide how much you need to make, how to set up your office and how to home in on your target market. Here’s a chart you can download, which focuses on getting a handle on your time.

DOWNLOAD: Worksheet: Getting a Handle on Your Time (right click on PC or CTRL click on Mac to save to your computer).

DOWNLOAD: Worksheet: Getting a Handle on Your Time