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Running a small business is no easy task, as any business owner will tell you. But different products or services exist to make the large undertaking a bit easier. But how do you justify the amount of money some of these products cost? After all, small business owners want to cut costs, not incur them, where they can. Luckily, the Hello Alice Business Solution Center is here to help! When you join as a free member on Hello Alice, you'll gain access to exclusive discounts, deals, and events available in our Business Solution Center. Here are just some of the incredible offerings you'll find there: Accounting Small Business Discounts Bench, bookkeeping and tax for small business owners. Get 30% off your first 3 months of bookkeeping. Collective, an online concierge financial platform designed for the self-employed. Get 1 month free. Complyant, a digital tax assistant tool. Two months of premium-tier free for 1 business. Quickbooks. Free 30-day trial and up to 50% off online accounting software. Ned, easy revenue sharing. Get 25% off when you raise money from friends and family. TurboTax, tax services. Save up to $15 on TurboTax products. Banking Small Business Discounts NorthOne, a simple and fast Business Deposit Account. Join via Hello Alice to get no fees on your first 3 months of banking. Novo. Free business checking account, no monthly fees, and over $5,000 in perks. Co-Working Spaces Small Business Discounts Loom, asynchronous video messaging. Get 20% off your first 12 months of recording and sharing video messages. GoTo Meeting, online meeting and video conferencing software. Try free for 14 days and get up to 16% off. Smart Furniture. Get 10% off modern chairs, tables, desks, and contemporary designs for homes and offices. Office Designs. Take 10% off modern office furniture. Ecommerce Small Business Discounts Bulk Office Supply. Get an additional 5% off already discounted office supplies. Discount Electronics. Save up to $1,000 on used Dell laptops & computers (includes 1-year warranty). DoorDash. Get 0% commission for your first 30 days. Office Depot OfficeMax. Get free in-store and curbside pickup NOW IN 20 MINUTES or get $20 off your next qualifying purchase. Sellzone by Semrush. Amazon SEO & PPC made easy. Get 1 month for $1. Uber Eats for Restaurants. Restaurant owners and managers: enjoy 0% commission for the first 30 days on all orders. Yelp for Restaurants. Automatically receive a $100 visa gift card when you complete a demo and receive 3 months free if you purchase an annual subscription. Zoro, industrial supplies, HVAC equipment, MRO products, and much more. Get free shipping on orders over $50. Electronics Small Business Discounts Audeze, a high-performance compact wireless conference speaker. Save 10% on Bluetooth conference speakers with proprietary noise-cancellation. Carbonite, hard drive backup services. Get 10% off hard drive backup.  GearIT, cable solutions. Get 15% off premium cable solutions and consumer electronics accessories. GoTo Connect, cloud phone system. Get a 14-day free trial. Grasshopper, virtual phone system. Try a 7-day, no-commitment free trial. Iolo, PC tune-up software. Get 70% off System Mechanic Ultimate Defense, System Mechanic Pro, or System Mechanic. Lorex, security. Get 10% off security cameras and systems. TechForLess, refurbished, open box or new computers, laptops, tablets, electronics, and more. Save 10-50%. Verizon Business, fiber-optic network and digital voice.  HR and Payroll Small Business Discounts ADP, online payroll and HR solutions. Three months free payroll when you sign up. Fiverr, a freelance services catalog. Get 10% off your first purchase. Marketer Hire, freelance marketer catalog. Get $500 off your next freelance marketer project. Oyster HR, onboarding, benefits, payroll, HR, and compliance services. Get your first hire free during the first 12 months. Roll by ADP, payroll services. Get the first four months free. ZipRecruiter, job board. Post a job for free via Hello Alice’s link. Insurance Small Business Discounts Breeze, personal disability insurance plans for small business owners and their employees. Ladder lets you save money on life insurance premiums with flexible coverage. Join through Hello Alice for instant approval. Hiscox, business insurance. Get a free quote. Marketing and Branding Small Business Discounts Adobe, photo editing software. Try Adobe Stock free for one month and access millions of high-quality creative assets. Canva, online graphic design tool. Get 20% off one year of Canva Pro. Constant Contact, email marketing solution. Buy today and save 40% off three months. GoDaddy, website hosting, domain, and support services. Get up to 30% off your first year. Google Workspace, collaboration and productivity apps. Try free for 14 days. HostGator, website hosting, domain, and support services. Get up to 65% off new website hosting plus a free domain. HubSpot, full platform of marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM software. Free 14-day trial at the provided link. Microsoft Advertising, pay-per-click advertising management. Get $100 in search advertising when you spend $25 in Microsoft Advertising via the link. Squarespace, all-in-one website or store solution. Save 10% off your first subscription of a website or domain. Sprout Social, all-in-one social media management software. Try free for 30 days. VistaPrint, marketing materials print company. Receive 20% off printed marketing materials, business signs, and promotional products plus free shipping over $75 for new customers. Sales Small Business Discounts Shippo, professional shipping solution. Get your first three months of multi-carrier shipping software for e-commerce free. Stamps.com, postage and shipping solution. Use the link to receive $45 in postage coupons and a free digital scale ($50 value). How to Access These Savings Sign up for a free membership with Hello Alice to access these small business discounts and more! Hello Alice’s Business Solutions Center curates tools, exclusive offers, and premium content to help you save time and money while growing your business. Check back regularly for the latest offers. For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The road for small business owners is not always easy! But even if you’ve run into obstacles, these motivating support small business quotes will remind you of the big picture optimism. According to Hello Alice’s impact data, when asked if they applied for a loan or have considered doing so to manage inflation-related expenses, 62% of small business owners said yes. And about 70% of owners believed supply chain challenges would continue to affect their businesses. But despite these challenges, 79% of owners expected their businesses to grow this year.  In need of some positive energy to get you motivated? Keep reading!  Quotes for Small Business Owners on Persistence “There was a reason why you started your business, so keep going.” —Marsha Stephanson, Owner of Cater to Mom “Keep believing in yourself, and your brand, and your mission, and you will succeed.” —David Price, Owner of The Safety Pouch “You need to create up to 16 touchpoints before someone knows, likes, and trusts your brand.” —Laurel Mintz, Owner of Elevate My Brand “If you believe in your business, other people believe in it as well.” —Marsha Stephanson, Owner of Cater to Mom “He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the designer and danger to the building.” —Machiavelli’s The Prince “Every step of the way, I remember there was so much doubt, but we kept thinking, what are we going to lose? If we just go ahead and try, the worst thing we’re going to get is a rejection.” —Asma Mirza, Steradian Technologies “The key to success is to start before you’re ready.” —Marie Forleo “I realized the difference between good and great is the grit that you have to actually take the leap of faith to do something.” —Madison Utendahl, Founder of Utendahl Creative “There’s nothing like talking to other people who are struggling in the same way I am struggling.” —Carlos Consuegra, Director of Funktionell “It’s great to have a schedule to keep you paced and accountable.” —Lauren Proctor, Founder of Deep Research “Startups that force traditional businesses to change the way they operate by removing inefficiencies and friction will develop products and services that people love.” —Cheryl Cheng, BlueRun Ventures “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. You CAN do it, you just have to believe it and keep going.” —Letitia Hanke, Founder and CEO of ARS Roofing and Solar & The Lime Foundation Quotes for Small Business Owners on Setbacks “Let the miss go. It’s ok. And just focus on the hit!” —Brandy Wykes, Owner of Mayes NYC “I got 10- to 15-second meetings. I wasn’t sure if they were doubting me, the market, or the product.” —Muhga Eltigani, Founder and CEO of NaturAll Club “Every time I got a NO, I was getting closer to a YES.” —Amber Ferrell-Steele, Owner of Timeless Vodka “Continue to say YES!” —Jaja Chen, Owner of Cha Community “Don’t block your blessings and accept the good things that are going to happen.” —Terrance Williams, Owner of Terrance Williams Designs “I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” —Madam C. J. Walker “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” —Estée Lauder, Co-founder of Estée Lauder “In terms of the pandemic, it brings a lot of different issues as well. I think one of the bigger things is being empathetic with people because everyone struggles differently. With everything going on, I’m pretty self-aware of how our team should be and where we are, and myself individually, too, with keeping mental health a big priority.” —Vi Nguyen, Founder of Homads “A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been best, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will have some traces of it.” —Machiavelli’s The Prince “I will tell you that in our first round of funding, we got told no 200 times. But then you learn from those NOs, you get back on the horse, and you keep applying.” —Elizabeth Gore, Hello Alice Co-founder “I think our greatest challenges have also been our greatest opportunities.” —Lisa Bradley, Co-founder of R. Riveter “Not being attached to outcomes is probably the biggest lesson learned at this point. As an entrepreneur, I can only control what I control. It’s not going to happen the way you want it to happen.” —Khaliah Guillory, Founder of Nap Bar “The prince who relies entirely on fortune is lost when it changes.” —Machiavelli’s The Prince Embracing Your Uniqueness as a Small Business “Misbehave! I mean by that to not be afraid of occupying spaces that have been traditionally occupied by men.” —Angela G. Solomon, Owner of Queens on the Greens “Use your gut and be relentless. There is something you uniquely bring to the world and to what you do. The only way to leverage that is to be true to yourself and learn to honor it.” —Orion Brown, Owner of BlackTravelBox “We are doing things our way. We aren’t following the ‘this is how it is done’ mentality. We are coming up with new ideas.” —Renee Bemis, Co-founder of Driftless Glen Distillery “If you are considering or have left a job, lean into your passion, make 2022 your year of small business, start making your dream a reality.” —Elizabeth Gore, Hello Alice Co-founder “We started Shine not because we wanted to work for ourselves — but because we spotted a problem, no one was solving it in the right way, and we knew we were the best people for the job.” —Naomi Hirabayashi & Marah Lidey, Shine “A company is only as good as its people. The hard part is actually building the team that will embody your company culture and propel you forward.” —Kathryn Minshew, The Muse “...we work to give women the tools they need to make the first move.” —Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder and CEO of Bumble “My military experience taught me three core values: respect, integrity, and trust, which propelled me through running my own business.” —Jerry Flanagan, Founder of JDog Junk Removal “Being a child of immigrants and growing up bilingual, I’ve always felt like I can speak either language well. My parents’ first language is Korean. I grew up speaking almost exclusively in Korean. So coffee, for me, is like another language — a language for both of us to speak to each other. And in that way, it’s very special.” —Jiyoon Han, Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters “Leaning into smallness when you’re small is really important, because people really do respond.” —Micki Krimmel, Superfit Hero Founder “It is about damn time that we support diverse small business owners.” —Arian Hamilton, Backstage Capital “Everyone keeps saying let’s get back to normal, and I don’t agree with that. I want to get back to the new normal, where women and people of color and U.S. Veterans are held up as not the right thing to do or social good, but the best economic bet in this country.” —Elizabeth Gore in Forbes Quotes to Remember Your Why as a Small Business Owner “Have a WHY that’s so much greater than anything inside of yourself…you have to want to show up on the worst day.” —Kaci Kai, Owner of Krav Maga ATX “It’s really important to let people know your story, your journey, what you’re going through, and they can relate.” —Diamond Brown, Owner of Diamond’s Body Care “When I talk to young people about Black farmers, their eyes light up. They think that’s like Superman. No, he lives three hours that way, I’m going to bring him to the school and you’ll meet him. Not having that as a career option, not having that as a historical reference, I think, has left a huge void in a lot of African American people. So we are telling our story, and beacon of light, and hope is getting brighter.” —Gail Meyers, Farms to Grow, Inc. “It’s all about putting your people first.” —Danise Guy, Co-owner of First Sip Brew Box “It’s always worth it and you gotta stop waiting.” —Emmett Soldati, Owner of Teatotaller “Life’s persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “...community is exactly what entrepreneurs need.” —Christie Pitts, Backstage Capital “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” —Serena Williams “I get to empower people that I care about that have been underserved by the technology industry and the media industry. I get to wake up and literally think about how we can make the world better.” —Morgan DeBaun, Blavity “Small businesses can turn into bigger ones. Real investment will start happening in Black businesses which will subsequently be paid forward into our Black communities.” —Aurora James, Founder of Brother Vellies “...we are working to ensure that all underrepresented groups in business are given equal access to funding, networking, and services that are vital to success.” —Serena Williams “I wanted to work on projects I believed in with people I cared about. So I started doing just that.” —Lauren Rinkey, VP of Business Development at Alliance Consumer Growth “I see a big opportunity to hand women the reins to drive companies to successfully bring these products to life.” —Sara Brand, Founding General Partner of True Wealth Ventures “There is just so much learning that we all can do. At the end of the day, there is a place for everybody in this space.” —Joyce Cenali, Founding Partner & COO of Big Rock Partners Bookmark this page and revisit these support small business quotes whenever you need motivation. Remember, you have your why, and your business deserves to thrive. Keep going! Finally, for more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Forget what you’ve heard about “going green" being too expensive.  Putting sustainable business practices into place may be the most effective way to boost your bottom line. Just check out the stats. A recent report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund found that online searches for sustainable products have grown 71% in the past five years.  Another recent study reveals that 85% of consumers have become ‘greener’ in purchasing in the last five years. Furthermore, a third of all consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products.  Not surprisingly, sustainable businesses — those with minimal negative impact or only a positive impact on the environment — collectively generate more than $100 billion in revenue.   Improving your business’ impact on the environment will help you attract more partners, build a more resilient supply chain, and contribute to a greener future. Plus, it doesn't have to break the bank! That’s a win-win for you and the planet, so let’s dive in.   Here are a few simple small business sustainability tips that small business owners can do to make a difference.  1. Audit how eco-friendly your business is. Sustainable businesses don’t just offer environmentally friendly products/services, they embrace principles of sustainability that drive their mission, values, and business operations.   So let’s get clear on your path ahead to start:   Assess your energy efficiency and consumption (How much energy do you waste?) Assess your products (Where do you source from? What about those materials?) Estimate your business’ carbon footprint with a tool like CoolClimate Calculator Identify where you can make improvements. This could be as easy as saying no more plastic/paper disposable cups in office or referring to the EPA’s Greening Guide for a more comprehensive audit   Write down your must-have sustainability practices, mission, and values to set a plan of action in motion! “The climate crisis affects us all, but especially impacts our society’s most vulnerable communities, “ says Rachel Willis, founder of Vermont-based Outpatch, which turns plastics into travel patches that benefit nonprofits. “So every decision we make is rooted in that. Our guiding principles are accountable, transparent, and actionable: How much we donate profit, what materials we're using, where we’re manufacturing.” 2. Implement small changes a little at a time.  Do you offer paperless checkout? Have you installed LED lighting in your home and office? There are a number of easy ways to reduce your waste and energy use right now.  Zeroing in on these small eco-conscious changes can improve your impact on the environment without overwhelming you. Six easy ways to reduce waste:  Recycle cardboard and paper Compost or regrow kitchen scraps (yes, even at the office!) Repurpose furniture and supplies — gift baskets turned shelving bins and big ol’ second-hand office furniture? Yes, please!  Use green cleaning products, toilet paper, and printing paper  Go paperless. Offer your customers emailed/text receipts instead of printed. Pay your bills online. Refuse items you don’t need like phone books or excess conference swag Five easy ways to reduce energy use:  Turn off the lights and take advantage of natural light when you can Power down your computer when not in use Unplug electronics that aren’t in use but still drawing power— idle electronics collectively waste the equivalent of 12 power plants’ output per year! Use power strips to turn off all electronics with a single flip of the switch Install LED bulbs — they use 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs! 3. Rethink your sourcing, packaging, and shipping operations. Navigating today’s supply chain and competitive e-commerce marketplace shouldn’t come at the cost of our ecosystem. Not to mention: Most consumers want sustainable products and packaging.  Think more sustainably about how you create, package, and send your products: Source locally when possible to help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions Invest in green shipping materials like biodegradable mailing pouches and filler/peanuts, recycled paper and cardboard, and compostable bags Build your network to help find partners and suppliers that share your mission and support you Seek out carbon-neutral vendors to work with Reassess your packaging  Is it good for the environment? Is it good for the end-user? Could you go packageless? Could you sell in bulk to eliminate excess packaging? “Whether it’s the development of the product or the contract manufacturers or partners you're working with in the supply chain, there’s opportunities all along the way to implement sustainable practices,”  Christian Heifner and Sujene Kong co-founders of NYC-based FEND, say. “For example, we implemented Shop Pay on our website, which has a strong, similar mission as us. Each purchase goes toward reducing carbon emissions.” 4. Foster a company culture of sustainability. Set in place a culture of personal accountability and transparency, no matter your stage of the journey. Just getting off the ground or operating as a solopreneur? Note your progress on your website as you make different changes. Ask for feedback from customers, mentors, and your community to help you grow. “We put our sustainability policies on our website,” says Cora Spearman-Chang, CEO of Hawaii-based Coradorables, “so that people can note our progress and track our progress and also hold us accountable. As we make different changes, they can see it, so we can all be partners in this process.”  Already have employees? Consider these small business sustainability tips specific to employees as well:  Encourage staff to bring reusable cups/bottles with them to work Provide training around sustainability initiatives and waste reduction policies  Offer remote work if possible Provide public transit commuter benefits 5. Scale your sustainability goals. Of course, improving business sustainability doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey. As your business grows, consider these next steps to scaling sustainably:  Go solar or invest in sustainable energy Offset your business travel emissions by donating to carbon-reducing projects via organizations like Cool Effect and Terrapass Seek out certifications or apply to become a certified B Corp — learn how in our Set Up a B Corp guide “As a B Corp in California, we have a legal structure that says we have to be transparent to the public," says Sabrina Williams, owner of LA-based SEED. "We have to create reports that show that we are making a positive impact, that essentially we're walking the walk. It allows us to stay within our ethics, our ethos, our narrative, our story, all those things.” But remember, even if you’re just starting to incorporate the first of these small business sustainability tips: you are walking the walk!  Hop on over to the recent Hello Alice roundtable discussion, Sustainability & Small Business, to learn more small business sustainability tips and insight from small business owners like you. Finally, for more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Hello Alice hosts grant programs to connect small business owners with the funding they need to respond to disasters, expand their impact, and grow their bottom line.  We recognize that not everyone has applied for a grant before, and the process can seem confusing to first-time applicants. That’s why Hello Alice’s Senior Manager of Marketing Danielle Telleria recently sat down with Director of Grants Administration Jenee Fortier to answer some common questions. Before working at Hello Alice, Jenee worked in government at both the state and local levels, managing federal, county, state, local, and private foundations. She is a well-seasoned pro on grant programs at large—and now, especially on Hello Alice grant programs.  Hello Alice Small Business Grants FAQ Below, we’ve included the full recording of the virtual Q&A. Alternatively, you can read through the transcribed responses to frequently asked questions about Hello Alice small business grants that follow. Please note that her responses have been edited for length and clarity. What is a small business grant? A small business grant offers money for small businesses to use on behalf of their small business. What are the different types of small business grants? There are all different types of grants. Public grants come from government institutions. Private grants come from nonprofits, foundations, or what we might call enterprise partners. A good example is FedEx, which has been running its own small business grant program for quite a long time. It's pretty rare to find foundation or nonprofit grants that allow for-profit businesses to apply for their grants. For the most part, if you're in the small business space, you're going to be looking at government grants and contracts, or coming to Hello Alice to find out what funding we have available for small businesses. Are grants like loans? What's the difference? No, grants are definitely not like loans. A loan is an agreement where you're borrowing funding with a promise to pay it back with certain terms associated, like interest rates. Typically, grants are just cash funding going to you for a specific purpose. You don’t have to pay it back. What can you spend Hello Alice small business grant money on?  For the most part, our grant programming through our partners is what's called “unrestricted”. That means you can literally use it on anything for your small business in any way that supports the work that you do on a day-to-day basis. Every once in a while, they might ask that that funding be utilized for a very specific purpose. Examples of this might include COVID relief, capital expenses, or growth. But at the end of the day, it's dollars that get deposited directly into your business bank account to support your business activities. Where does the money for Hello Alice small business grants come from? Our grants team helps facilitate grant programs on behalf of our partners. The Amazons, eBays, and DoorDashes of the world utilize our services and skillset to help them administer and deliver solid, equitable grant programming. What is the application process like for a Hello Alice grant? At Hello Alice, we've tried really hard to make this as easy for you as possible. We're mostly asking a bunch of drop-down questions. Usually, this part takes you 5 to 10 minutes at a maximum. But then there is the narrative section that requires freeform answers of up to 250 words. The narrative responses are by far the most important part of your application. Before you submit, go back to your narrative and make sure you've answered thoroughly. It might take you only 30 minutes to type out your responses, but I highly recommend you let someone else look at them and review them. Give yourself the time to really make sure that that is exactly what you want to say. Our team only looks at what’s in your application. They might have really strong feelings about you and love your product, but if you didn't answer the questions fully and properly, we can't evaluate anything beyond that. What should someone do if they’re experiencing tech problems with their application? When I have these issues, I call my in-house tech support, which is my boyfriend who has worked for tech companies for a very long time. If you can't do that, you can always email [email protected] Do small business owners need have to pay to apply? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, we live in a world with some creative individuals who are looking to get your money in very nefarious ways. I cannot think of a point in my career where I've seen that you have to pay to apply for a grant. That is a terrible practice, and I would be very hesitant to tell you to do that. If you come across something claiming that for a Hello Alice grant program, please let us know through social media or email us at [email protected] Can I edit my application after it’s submitted? Or is the party over as soon as I send it in? Unfortunately, the party's over. When we receive 40,000 applications for a single grant, it’s logistically overwhelming to make edits. That’s why it's super important to give yourself time before you hit that submit button. I will say, however, to not keep yourself up at night over typos. I read right past those. Honestly, it's about substance, and it's about the quality of your response—not spelling. Does Hello Alice save my application details to re-use for future grant applications? We sure do. We save basic information such as demographics or information about your business to apply to your next application. Still, I recommend that you double-check that everything is still current before submitting a new application. Does applying early help your chances of being selected? No, it does not. We’re not looking at your application until the final deadline has passed. How long does the review process take for Hello Alice small business grants? The review process can take a long time. The first round of our Small Business Growth Fund received more than 40,000 submitted applications. My team of little rabbits was out there doing their best to get that reviewed and handled as quickly as possible. Please bear in mind that we don't look at applications until they close because everyone deserves the same amount of time. Then it's going to take a minimum of four weeks to get all those applications reviewed and have everything go through the vetting process. After someone applies, how long does it take for them to be notified of whether they were selected? If you applied on day one and the application is still open for six weeks, it means that you're not going to hear about us about it until a few weeks after the application closes. You can see the timeline for a specific grant program at the top of the program’s terms and conditions page. (This will be linked somewhere on the application form). Who selects recipients for Hello Alice small business grants? It depends on the program. Sometimes our partner is heavily involved. UBS, for example, wanted their employees to be engaged in the process, so their employees are the ones that read the applications and score them. Other partners need support from Hello Alice, so we have a team of volunteers to do that. Some of those volunteers are people at organizations that support small businesses with a deep understanding of entrepreneurship. We also have Hello Alice employees who are committed to supporting small businesses and understand what it means to be a small business owner. They're all using the same criteria the same scorebooks, the same information. They've all been oriented to the program and understand what it is that we're looking for. Most of all, they all have some understanding of what it means to be a small business owner or have been a part of the entrepreneurial journey. It is always a human — always a real person — reading your applications. How many grant recipients does Hello Alice have? Do people really get the money? Thousands of individuals have! Every program has a different number of recipients. This is because different programs have different budgets, and they each have different sort of goals. In 2021, we supported more than 2,100 individual businesses. So far this year, there are going to be at least 1,000 more. That number will go up as we scope new partner grant programs throughout 2022, and we even have some programs already committed for 2023. I promise you we have some really, really incredible business owners that have won these grants, and you could absolutely be the next one! What does it mean if you apply for a grant but are not selected? I hear people's frustrations when they email me or our customer support team saying they’ve applied for eight grants and I haven't received a single one. As frustrating as that might be, there might be a really good reason. Often an owner might not have been eligible for that grant to begin with.  Additionally, just because you didn't win the grant doesn't mean you might not have gained a new customer. I cannot tell you how many products I have purchased because I have been reading applications. There's a very good chance that if you go through your recent sales, Jenee Fortier might have popped up. The same goes for the team of volunteer reviewers. How does someone know if they qualify for Hello Alice small business grants? Every grant program is different. At Hello Alice, we've tried to make that easy to determine by reading the terms and conditions for each grant. I know no one wants to read those things, but there are a couple of sections in there that are super, super important. Each grant has a section on eligibility, and you really want to read that very carefully and take that very seriously. If it says that your business must be 51% or more owned and operated by female entrepreneurs, you really are not eligible for the grant if you are not 51% owned and operated by a female entrepreneur. If it says that your business has to have been started prior to 2021, you really are not eligible if you opened your doors yesterday. I encourage everyone to watch the Pro Tips Workshop that we held in September 2021. In that workshop, I gave some examples of things to look for and where to find that bit of information. What’s the one thing that someone could do to write a stronger application? Be personal and connect with the reader. I know it's hard to be vulnerable, but there is a lot of research to show that venture capital and investments are more likely to go to individuals when there is that personal connection. We obviously can't meet, but think about something that tells me about the human impact of your business. Really dive into your origin story. I’m sure that there is a reason why you started this business, and I'm sure there's a reason that you get up every day and keep working as hard as you do. Tell us what that is! Another strategy is to think about other ways in which you can demonstrate to us with words who you are, what your product or service is, and why we should support you. We know you have big dreams. Tell us what those are and how they will make a positive impact on the world. Are there any considerations to make when applying for specific grant programs? Absolutely. You want to tailor it to the partner. Scroll back up to the top of the grant application and read the program description and think about what that program is looking for. If there's a section that describes the ideal candidate, think about how you match that ideal candidate profile, and then make sure that you've included those little nuggets in your narrative. Make Jenee’s job difficult — make it hard for me to make a decision! What would you say to someone who wasn't selected and feels defeated about applying for their next grant opportunity? Do it again! I’m sure that you have had moments in your business career and in your journey where you felt sort of knocked back off your feet. But you've found the strength to get up and keep going, and you tried again until you were successful. Again, there are benefits to having applied the first time. You might get some customers, or you might have learned more about yourself and how to improve your mission statement. Hello Alice employees are also reading your applications, so whether you're selected or not, we find folks to participate in some of the amazing things that Danielle does. Lots of non-recipients are featured on our weekly Owning It Instagram series or get featured on our blog. So there are all kinds of benefits to submitting an application, even if you’re not selected as a recipient. Hello Alice partners with companies to provide grants, but they’re hosted on Hello Alice. Can you clarify how that works? We have grants that we feature or sponsor directly, and then the ones that we have collected from the Internet through our tools to share with you on our Small Business Funding Center. Sometimes, you come to Hello Alice website and you’ll find an external grant opportunity that takes you away from the HelloAlice.com site. FedEx would be a good example — you're going to FedEx’s website to apply for that grant. Hello Alice has no control, and we're not a sponsor of that grant program. On the other hand, if you go to an application that is hosted inside of Hello Alice, that means that we have worked directly with a partner to administer that program. For example, we partnered with UBS to host the Democratizing the Friends & Family Round grant. We helped to build that application for them, collected those applications, and then worked with UBS to help review and select those recipients. If you ever leave the Hello Alice website, you're going to an external opportunity that we have just shared with you, but we don't have any control over that particular program. What is Hello Alice’s relationship with the Small Business Administration (SBA)? The SBA is a federal office that provides resources to small business owners across the entire U.S. They’re the ones that issued some of the COVID relief, and for the most part the SBA is responsible for loans. Hello Alice, on the other hand, is a private entity working to support small businesses in our own way. Our partnership with the SBA means they lean on us from time to time. Maybe they don't necessarily have a team of engineers that are helping them to build out websites and tools, whereas we do. That would be one of the many reasons why the SBA partners with us, though we are absolutely separate entities. How does Hello Alice use some of the data that's included in applications? The most obvious way is to review your grant application. We're going to check to make sure that you meet all the eligibility criteria. We're also going to check to make sure that the grantee pool is in line with the applicant pool. For example, I’m using that demographic information to make sure that we are being equitable in our grantmaking. I want to make sure that everyone has had a fair chance to receive a grant and we haven't accidentally excluded Asian applicants for some reason.  Additionally, we look at your data in aggregate and anonymously to understand what's happening in the world of small business owners. That’s how we pick up on trends and make sure that we're providing the most relevant resources. For example, thousands of business owners complete our grant applications. We then take everyone's responses to questions asking about their top business goals and top business challenges and track them over time to see how they change. That information affects who Hello Alice hires and what resources we offer. An example is that folks are really looking for help with marketing. That means that we at Hello Alice can think we need to start really looking at opportunities for our small business owners to connect with brand awareness and marketing resources. This is about providing you the most relevant resources, information, and services. Last question. We get a lot of questions about opportunities for businesses in the idea stage or businesses located outside the U.S. What does Hello Alice offer for these groups? Again, it depends on the program. KKR Small Business Builders is a good example of a Hello Alice program offering grants to a handful of international countries. That said, our main focus and the majority of our audience are U.S.-based businesses. Sometimes our opportunities target early-stage companies or businesses with a specific product focus, too. Always read the eligibility criteria closely. A great thing about Hello Alice is that we collect lots of third-party opportunities and organizations that might fund your business. You can look at the Founder Institute, which has investment funding and accelerator opportunities for international founders. 500 Startups is another organization for international founders. I also recommend Startup of the Year and finally Kiva to find partners to access things like microloans or other lending opportunities for international businesses. For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

The average 2021 tax refund rang in just shy of $3,000, so it’s only natural you'd want to know how you (and by extension your small business) can get your hands on a refund this tax season. But let’s face it: Business taxes are complicated. You might be wondering, do small businesses get tax refunds the same way individuals do? Can my small business get a tax refund? In general, small business tax refunds aren’t as common as they are for individual taxpayers. You’re probably familiar with receiving a refund on your personal tax returns — you get one if you’ve paid more taxes than are due. The same is sort of true for businesses, except not all entities are eligible for a business tax refund. nly C-Corps pay income tax directly to the IRS, rather than passing the income through to their owners, so only C-Corps are eligible.  The majority of small businesses don’t receive tax funds. But small business owners do. If you make estimated tax payments and overpay, you could receive a tax refund in April. Need help determining if your business qualifies for a tax refund? Working with a trusted, reputable tax preparer is the safest way to prepare and file your taxes and reduce your tax burden. Let the professionals focus on identifying your tax deductions, tax credits, and liabilities — and finding you the biggest tax breaks! — while you do what you do best: focus on your running your business. However, with that said, we'll explain the basic influencing factors on tax refunds for small businesses below. How your small business entity type factors into tax refunds The smaller your business, the more likely your income is to flow through to your personal return, Form 1040, where you report it as income (along with your wages, interest and dividends, gains of property sales/rental income and all that good stuff) and pay tax on it or (if eligible!) potentially get a refund. In fact,  95% of American businesses operate as pass-through entities. Does your income “pass through” to you as an individual to be reported on your personal tax return? Do you file a Schedule C? Operate a partnership or an LLC or take the S-Corp election for tax purposes? That means your entity is a pass-through and cannot receive a tax refund. Here’s a more detailed look at types of businesses and whether they qualify for a tax refund: Sole proprietorship Does not qualify for a tax refund Solopreneurs report profit & loss on a Schedule C attached to Form 1040 and could get a refund Partnership Does not qualify for a tax refund Files Form 1065 and issues a Schedule K-1 to each partner Partners taxed on share of business net income; could receive a refund LLC Does not qualify for tax refund Single-owner files Schedule C and could get a refund Multiple-owners issued Schedule K-1 (multi-member LLC also files Form 1065) to be taxed on share of business net income; could receive a refund S-Corporation Does not qualify for a tax refund Files Form 1120S and issues Schedule K-1 to owners Owners/shareholders taxed on share of business net income; could receive a refund C-Corporation Only entity eligible for tax refund Files Form 1120 and pays federal taxes based on net earnings — can receive refund if it overpaid quarterly taxes Learn more about filing according to your business structure in the Understand Your Tax Obligations guide. How do the types of taxes I pay factor into a refund? Again, if you overpay your estimated tax payments for your small business, you could get a tax refund. Still, these are a few areas where a small business could get a refund: Payroll If you have employees, you must withhold and pay payroll taxes on their salaries and wages. Situations where you may get a refund: overpayment tax credits like the R&D Credit or the Employee Retention Credit Not sure what these last two are? We offer guides to help Claim the R&D Tax Credit and Claim the Employee Retention Credit. Income Only a C-Corp pays income tax directly to the IRS, so only a C-Corp could potentially get a business tax refund by overpaying what it owes.  (If you overpay your business taxes you can still get a tax refund on your personal return) Sales or excise taxes Most likely you pay sales tax to your state or municipality — head to the Learn About Sales Tax guide for more insight. Reasons you might qualify for a refund include:  overpayment reassessment of property value What’s the average tax refund for a small business? Again, it’s not common for a small business to get a tax refund.  But research by Clutch suggests that 30% of small business owners believe they overpay their taxes and that they could stand to claim more tax deductions and credits. Hiring a tax professional is the best way to identify your tax breaks and  lower your tax bill. How can I optimize my tax refund? Getting a big refund might not be possible as a small business owner. But reducing your tax burden in any way you can is necessary to ensure your growth. Anyways, nobody wants to overpay estimated taxes and lose the capital they have on hand to pay the bills! Five ways you can optimize for taxes are to: Find a CPA who knows your business, industry, local tax laws, and financial goals using the AICPA Directory Head to the Know Your Common Business Deductions guide to brush up on write-offs for home office, retirement, travel and more Talk to your tax preparer about income-related tax breaks like the Qualified Business Interest deduction or the Earned Income Tax Credit Talk to your tax preparer about Tax Credits, but never try to pigeonhole yourself into qualifying for one Learn to Track your Business Finances like a pro to navigate small business taxes even easier Anything else should I keep in mind about tax refunds for small business? Here are a few other final tips that you may want to keep in mind for small business taxes: Solopreneurs typically need to file or ask for an extension by April 15 Deadlines may differ by business structure. Head to our Understand Your Tax Obligations guide to learn more. Most taxpayers receive their tax refund within 21 days, according to the IRS Remember, work with a tax professional you trust to handle your taxes.  This will allow you to get the best tax breaks and spend more time growing your business instead of fussing over complex IRS paperwork. You’ve got this! For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Women-owned small businesses are big news. Don’t believe us? We have the data to back it up. Stats on Women-Owned Small Businesses According to American Express’ 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, between 2014 and 2019 women-owned businesses saw a 21% increase in overall growth in the United States. Meanwhile, Black women-owned businesses had the highest rate of growth among all demographics, even outside of gender lines, between both 2014 and 2019 and between 2018 and 2019. What does this all mean for you? That you should hop on board and support women-owned small businesses year-round. Women-Owned Small Businesses for Self-Care Start celebrating women-owned small business owners this season by checking out the following businesses that either create products for women, give back to women, or both! From home goods to beauty and jewelry we've got all your favorite self-care categories covered. 1. Taudrey X House of Lilac Collab What’s better than personalized jewelry pieces delivered to your door? Custom jewelry paired with dried floral arrangements, of course. Taudrey has partnered with House of Lilac for a celebration collaboration. Taudrey’s handcrafted bracelets designed by Tiffany Dominguez, come together with House of Lilac dried flower bouquets to make the perfect gift bundle. 2. Nailstry Using designers from across the globe, Nailstry lets you choose the art perfect for your style and then sizes your nails via their virtual measurement tool. Non-toxic and reusable, your nails will last from two days to over two weeks depending on the adhesive you choose. Save on salon visits and give Nailstry a try. 3. Bak It Box If you’ve ever had the desire to concoct delicious confections but lacked the know-how, BāKIT Box was designed for you. Select your skill level, choose from a monthly rotating selection of baking kits, receive your BāKIT Box, and get to work. With options like Vegan Charoset Truffles, Jalebi, Stout Cupcakes, and more, you're going to be glad you took up this new hobby. 4. ZenLux Co What is the meaning of ZenLux? They’ll tell you: “a peaceful state of being immersed in lux mindfulness for self and skin.” ZenLux Co’s mission is to show everyone how Selfcare, Skincare, and Self Love all go together. With every purchase, they donate a portion to a non-profit advocating for young women’s rights called Rights4girls. Spread the love while loving your skin. 5. Diamond’s Body Care After his cancer diagnosis, Diamond Brown's husband Darrell began experiencing dryness, tightness, and inflammation following his treatments. When Diamond couldn’t find anything to soothe the irritation, she took it upon herself to develop skincare supplies to soothe, moisturize, and hydrate. Following her husband’s passing, Diamond took her products to the public, bringing soothing skincare to sensitive skin. 6. Whipped Lash NYC When mascara just isn’t enough, you may have considered fake eyelashes. But the idea of toxic adhesive and complicated application adds up to more than you’re willing to handle. Enter Whipped Lash NYC to whip your lashes into a frenzy. Apply a thick coat of their magnetic eyeliner above your lash line and match up a strip of their faux lashes for long-lasting looks. 7. Alaya Tea Alaya Tea aims to elevate the culture of tea making, sourcing fresh tea leaves from organic, biodynamic farms with kindly-treated workers. A zero-waste company, Alaya Tea uses fully compostable and plastic-free packaging with a bio-based zipper closure, compostable labels, compostable ink, and water-based adhesive; it even arrives in a biodegradable shipping mailer. You’ll sip with ease knowing you’re helping to save the planet. 8. Postal Petals Providing direct access to farm fresh, high-quality flowers, Postal Petals brings the “mood-enhancing beauty of bold blooms” to those interested in arranging flowers or simply gazing at them. There’s something calming about surrounding yourself with beautiful reminders of nature. City folk, take note. 9. Ornami Skincare Ornami’s all-natural skincare line believes happiness is a process of elimination. Take out the toxic ingredients, drop the unnecessary additives, and keep what treats you well—that’s the ideology behind Ornamai Skincare. Boasting 100% natural and necessary ingredients because they care about 100% of you, Ornami has all of your bases covered when it comes to clean beauty. 10. Jane Win Jewelry After working in fashion design and marketing for 20 years, Jane Winchester Paradis left corporate America to design “beautiful jewelry with meaning." Jane started with ten words (Balance, Forever, Free, Hope, Joy, Love, Lucky, Peace, Protect, Strong) and created jewelry inspired by each, empowering women who wear them. Find your word and wear it proudly. 11. Artifacts NYC If you’re looking for consciously designed and locally made jewelry, you can’t go wrong with Artifacts NYC. Bringing together sustainable design and craftsmanship, Artifacts balks at convention and strives to showcase designer Casey Perez’s sculpture-like statement pieces. Take a look at what she’s created recently and find your latest accessory. 12. Harlem Chocolate Factory An artisan chocolate company based in Harlem, Harlem Chocolate Factory aims to highlight the cultural importance of Harlem through its offerings. Many of its chocolates take their names from  iconic Harlem destinations and historical sites, such as Stivers' Row and the Pan-Pan diner. A great gift or treat for yourself, try a little taste of Harlem. We hope you enjoyed learning about these small batch self-care small businesses and consider patroning one (or all!). Be sure to also check out this round-up of inspiring female entrepreneurs or expert advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs. For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter

Thousands of small business owners have joined us so far for the Host Your Space on Airbnb sprint, which provides an interactive toolkit to help you set up your Airbnb presence, create a compelling listing and guest experience, and optimize your hosting operation for optimal earnings.  If you missed our first two topics, read our recap below to access the guides and recordings of our previous Ask-Me-Anything sessions. You can still register to join us for our third session on how to Maximize Your Earning Potential on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Week 1: Help Fund Your Business Through Hosting This week’s guide introduces you to the benefits of hosting on Airbnb and helps you create a hosting business plan.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PoIxOL2XNA Access the guide Week 2: Start Hosting on Airbnb Learn how to craft a compelling Airbnb listing, create your hosting calendar and routine, and prepare to host your first guest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AzM-NmVQPE Access the guide Week 3: Maximize Your Earning Potential Take hosting to the next level by optimizing your listing, continuing to provide a great guest experience, and maximizing your Airbnb earnings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmh8vc_dlQA Access the guide Explore the World of Hosting Hosting adds a revenue stream packed with potential. Check out how other entrepreneurs are finding success sharing their spaces on Airbnb, plus learn the ins and outs of hosting. Try hosting Let us know what you think! We’re thrilled to dig into how hosting can generate extra earnings to reinvest in your small business. We hope to keep the momentum going. Complete this 3-minute survey to help Airbnb and Hello Alice create additional resources and opportunities to support small business owners. Take the Survey

In today’s job market, flexibility is key. Be your own boss and work from home with these side hustles from home that have full-time potential. Small businesses come in all shapes and sizes. With the rise of mobile technology and the normalization of working from home, it has become easier than ever for entrepreneurs to start their own ventures from their houses. The best part of starting your own small business is being able to do it from anywhere at any time. No reporting to an office, or commuting, or clocking in and out during standard business hours. The only thing you absolutely need is an idea and the creativity and hustle to make it a reality. We’ve rounded up a list of some small businesses that you can conduct entirely from the comfort of your couch. For your consideration, here are six side hustles from home: 1. Furniture Flipper Finding inexpensive used furniture is easier than ever in the age of online marketplaces, thrift stores, and even good old yard sales. Sometimes you can even luck out on a free curb alert steal! The hours are flexible, completely dependent on how much work you put in, as are your profits. Choosing difficult projects, like reupholstery, demands more talent, materials, and time but also ultimately sell for more. 2. Blogging Find the right niche and blogging can make you a nice profit. Once you select a topic you are passionate and knowledgeable about, determine who might visit your blog and what kind of information they will be seeking out. Write engaging posts with catchy headlines and keywords and make sure you post consistently. Once you scale the blog, you’ll be able to look into ways to monetize it. Ad sales, merchandise, affiliate links, and paid subscriptions are a few ways to make money blogging. 3. College Planning Consultant Many students and their families wish for more concentrated attention during the college application process than a school counselor can provide due to their heavy workload. As a college planning consultant, you’ll guide families through the entire process starting with choosing the appropriate schools to apply to and the best practices for applications as well as admission essays. You’ll also assist in SAT and/or ACT test prep or partner with a coach who specializes in standardized testing. The Independent Educational Consultants Association is a helpful resource to find training and certification classes. 4. Bookkeeper If you are a trained and experienced accountant that is ready to be their own boss, bookkeeping is a great option. Small businesses that can’t afford an in-house accountant are always in need of a bookkeeper. Once you secure a few clients, you’ll be operating at the level of a full-time job. If you aren’t experienced but think balancing the books may be the career for you, you can take a few courses in bookkeeping from an online college, or one nearby, to see if it’s a good fit. Then, once you know the ropes, set up shop from home. 5. Travel Agent Are you the trip planning guru in your circle of friends? Do you find the best deals and jaw-dropping hotels? Make all the dinner reservations and find the best hole in the wall coffee shops wherever you travel? It might be time to get paid for doing the same for others. While no degree is required to become a travel agent, a major in travel and tourism helps. If you don’t have a degree, don’t fret. Referrals and real-life recommendations can’t be taught and are hugely valuable when getting started. Start by offering discounted services to people who know and trust your skills and get to work booking flights, hotels, restaurants, tours, attractions, and more all from home. 6. Video Editor 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. It’s proven to be the most powerful way to communicate online, and has changed the way businesses speak to potential customers. Despite knowing they need video, many companies, especially smaller staffed ones, don’t have a trained professional on the payroll to create a polished final product. If you know the ins and outs of video production, working as an editor may be worth your while. And if you have the marketing know-how to pitch engaging clips, you can be part of the creative process and charge a higher fee. We hope you enjoyed these ideas for side hustles from home! For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

You’ve heard time and time again that you need to hang your virtual shingle by launching a website for your small business. It’s true. These days, at the first mention of your company, most interested customers, clients, potential employees, and investors will take to their keyboards to look up your business. Don’t disappoint them with an under-construction website, outdated content, and poor-quality pics—or worse, no web presence at all. Instead, here are some of the best website builders for small businesses you can try. Creating a Website for Your Small Business The good news is, getting a small business website up and running doesn’t require hiring a high-priced web design firm. There are a plethora of DIY website building services out there that make the process (fairly) painless and, most importantly, professional-looking. As with so many other things, you should begin with the ending in mind. Consider the following questions before you build a website: What do you want visitors to leave knowing or having done through your website? Do you want them to purchase your products from an online store or book services? Would you like to also be able to engage with email social media marketing tools? Do you want to showcase high-quality images? Or, simply introduce your business to the world with some content written in your brand’s style, tone, and voice? For more detailed considerations on how to build a website, Hello Alice has a collection of free guides for small business owners. But first, let's talk about the different website builders you can choose from to create a small business website. Best Website Builders for Small Businesses Without further ado, here are our recommendations for some of the best website builders for small businesses: 1. Wix Looking for a sleek, clean, artistic and sophisticated website presence for your small business? Look no further. Wix is a leading site that has 500+ of beautiful templates that are already designed for online retail, photography, design, music and business – all with plug and play simplicity that works well on mobile and other devices. There are also 1,000s of tools as well as deep analytics for your website and social media and marketing campaigns. 2. Squarespace Squarespace is a great choice for free unlimited web hosting and for running your email marketing campaigns. They also have award-winning web templates, but much fewer than Wix, with about 75 templates. However, they are solid, cost effective and ensure that all of your needs are met – from claiming your domain name, to creating your brand’s online presence, keeping event calendars and product galleries that can be updated on the fly.  They also offer a one-hour email response should you need assistance, which can give you some peace of mind so you can focus on your business. 3. Square Online Not to be confused with Squarespace, Square Online is the site that is related to the Square payment transactions  that your business may already be using. The free online store with easy site-building and no-coding templates allows for  seamless integration that takes all forms of payment, which works great for restaurants and retail. You can easily sell online and ship orders to customers, offer curbside pickup, or local delivery for your retail business. You can also sell on Instagram, Facebook, and more. The company touts the ability to launch an eCommerce site for no start up costs and no monthly fees. Pay only when you make a sale—2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. The addition of the QR codes is also good for easy sales or quick marketing. 4. Weebly Speaking of Square Online, popular website hosting service Weebly has now joined Square online. The easy site-building process, email/call/chat support is a great foundation for an ecommerce site, powered by Square Online, that office an exquisite retail e-commerce xperience for your pop-up-shop or major business. Run coupons, instore pickups, Square gift cards, inventory management, instant tax calculations, shipping labels, abandoned online carts, PayPal payments and more. 5. Go Daddy This could be called “Grand Daddy” instead of Go Daddy since this is really the OG of website building site services. There is a reason it has been in the space for so long. It is more of a one-stop-shop service with turnkey and easy-to-build templates that have helped millions of companies acquire domains and host and operate website businesses. They are still a solid go-to to help you develop and get a no-nonsense website set up quickly. We hope these suggestions for the best website builders for small businesses helps! For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

At the beginning of the year for your business there are a few things to get in order before you start sending out invoices and collecting payments. (Hint: depending on what you do and how your business is structured, this may not be January.)They may seem tedious now, but it will all be worth it when you’re calm, cool, collected, and organized during tax time. To that end, here are nine helpful freelance finance tips for greater peace of mind in your independent business. A collaboration with Pallo.  1. Establish a personal budget One of the challenging pieces of being a freelancer can be the inconsistent income from month-to-month. This makes it difficult to plan. That said, there are some expenses that never change. Take a look at your monthly recurring expenses like: rent/mortgage any insurance premiums internet or phone bills utility bills loan payments Tally up the absolute minimum you have to pay each month. This can help you set goals for your business and keep you on track. Further, this especially important if you plan to take any extended time off or if your business goes through busy and slow seasons. 2. Keep track of outstanding invoices If you have any outstanding invoices, track them down. Most freelancers only track income when they have the check in hand. For example, if you send the invoice in March but receive payment in April, you might only count that income in April. However, it's important to understand how much you are working and how much money you make each month. Most importantly, if you did the work, you should get paid for it! 3. Set up a meeting with your accountant Visiting an accountant isn’t just for tax time. (Though you can certainly kill two birds with one stone and get everything done in one visit.) Making sure your finances are in order at the beginning of the year can make tax season a lot less stressful — and significantly less expensive. An accountant can ensure you are organized and help you set up a quarterly tax payment schedule. Consequently, you will not be hit with self-employment tax all at once at the end of the year. 4. Create an email address just for business transactions Most of your expense receipts will be online these days. Having a separate business email address makes it easier to get your expenses in order for tax deductions. If you do have a hard copy receipt or invoice (like from purchasing something in a store) you can take a picture on your phone and email it to that address. That way, if you lose the paper copy you still have a digital scan. 5. Automate invoices for long-term clients As mentioned in the first item, it can be hard to establish consistent income from month to month as a freelancer. If you have long-term clients on a monthly billing cycle, look into your accounting software. You may be able to send out automatic invoices as needed and save yourself valuable administrative time. You also may be able to automate reminders if an invoice is more than a certain number of days overdue, which saves you time and awkward emails. 6. Establish a business checking account These days, it is more than likely that most of your invoices will be handled digitally. But, in the event you need to cash a check from a client or accept a money order, this account will come in handy for practical purposes and establishing legitimacy. Keeping your business finances separate from your personal ones is especially important once you establish an LLC or other legal categorization and can help establish business credit if you open a corresponding business credit card. 7. Check on your retirement account or savings account Budget experts always recommend having some money set aside for a rainy day: car repairs, emergency travel, medical expenses, or other things you may not necessarily see coming. If you are not regularly contributing to your retirement or savings account, set up automated payments so that you don’t have to think about it. If your income is very inconsistent from month to month, consider establishing payments that are a percentage of your check instead of a flat rate — for example, 5% instead of $100 each month. 8. Meet with your attorney The beginning of the year is a great time to check in with an attorney to see if your contracts need to be updated. The purpose of your contract is to protect you and protect the client, so review them periodically to ensure that nothing has changed and that they are still covering everything you need them to. While it may be expensive to set meetings with an attorney, it is even more costly to end up in a legal altercation that could have been avoided. Prioritize running through this checklist once a year. These little things can fall by the wayside once clients come calling. But both your tax professional and future you will thank you! More Resources Hello Alice caught up with the experts of Pallo to discuss how getting acquainted with your finances can lead to small business success! Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C5dUW_TmCg For more small business tips and inspiration create a free account on Hello Alice or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.