Simple Bookkeeping Tips that Every Business Owner Should Know

Friday, June 29th, 2012

One of the most dreadful and tiring tasks a business owner must deal with is bookkeeping. Keep this process as simple as possible by following these simple bookkeeping tips that every business owner should know:

Use Automated Invoicing

Automated invoicing software makes bookkeeping tasks much simpler. This software allows you to automatically schedule invoices for your clients. It also saves a lot of time when preparing invoices, and reduces your risk of errors.

Schedule Essential Financial Reports

This is another bookkeeping tip you should always remember. Scheduling essential financial reports will help keep you organized. This includes balance sheets, and accounts’ receivable aging, profit or loss, or income statement on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Once the reports are scheduled, you can begin emailing them to their recipients. This tip will also help by keeping you constantly reminded of your due dates, especially for state sales tax.

Take Advantage of Reliable Accounting Software

Using automated software to record accounting and financial transactions allows you to complete a number of tasks at a time. Fortunately, when it comes to choosing reliable accounting software, you have plenty of options. QuickBooks and Open Source are both examples of good accounting software that will make your job much easier. Some software is also free to download, and comes with free online tutorials and manuals.

Keep your Papers Organized

This will help you overall by reducing your bookkeeping tasks. Make sure that you are consistently organizing the invoices and receipts in your desk. Not doing this will most likely result in a large stack of unmanageable papers, making locating specific files nearly impossible. To help you organize, consider using a file folder or a box for all unrecorded papers.

If you are still having trouble with bookkeeping, you should consider hiring an accountant. TalkLocal can help. Simply visit our website and give a brief description of you service needs to be put in contact with a professional within minutes.

Posted in Accountants | 2 Comments »

Files are Missing

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Your files are missing and you don’t know what happened! Missing files can be caused by accidental deletions, deletion by another file, file corruption, or maybe the file is password protected. There are several ways to fix this problem.

1. Check your storage devices. If the file has been backed up on a flash drive, you can still access it from the flash drive. The file can be restored if you re-save it onto the computer with the flash drive.

2. Search through your discarded files. Your file may still be in the Trash or Recycle Bin that is present on your computer if you have not cleaned it recently.

3. Download a recovery program. There are free data recovery programs available on the Internet. For example, PowerQuest makes the utility Drive Image that can – in some cases – be used to recover data from a hard drive.

If you are still having problem recovering your data, it’s time to contact an IT service. One way to seek immediate service help for your computer problem is through TalkLocal, a free online service that will contact computer repair businesses for you and find ones who can help you. There is instant online support and you can call anytime.

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How to Protect Your Computer from Viruses

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

How to Protect Your Computer from Viruses

Is your computer safe? Could you be doing more to protect your computer? Is your system vulnerable to viruses?

Viruses are a total nuisance. Viruses may just slow down your computer, but they can also tamper with your data, and even shut down your computer entirely. Here are 5 ways you can protect yourself from computer viruses.

1. Make sure you install a good anti-virus program and update it often. Hackers develop new ways to infect computers on a daily basis, so if your anti-virus program isn’t current, it won’t protect you from new threats. If you have any question about which anti-virus software is best for you, just use TalkLocal, the best way to get computer help locally.

2. Don’t open attachments on emails from people you don’t know—these attachments can give a virus access to your system.

3. Be cautious about opening all attachments, even from people you know. Don’t open an attachment if the subject or content of the email seems fishy. If the person’s email account has been hacked, it’s likely that the hacker that infected them is trying to infect you too.

4. Only download software from reputable, trust-worthy websites. Online downloads can be Trojan horses for viruses.

5. Make sure to back up your data often on an external drive of some sort. This way, your files are safe even if your computer does get infected.

These tips are good general rules to live by, but they by no means constitute a foolproof way to keep your computer virus free. Hackers are smart, and even if you follow all of these tips you may still have a virus. If that happens just use TalkLocal—the easiest way to find local computer repair.

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Hiring a Landscaper

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

1. Picking a landscaper

When choosing a landscaper, especially for substantial work on your land, make sure to get quotes from three or more businesses to get a variety of costs and ranges of work. Be careful not to fall for the cheapest option, though. Make sure the company is more than a nice website or popular name. Some smaller business can offer the same quality service at a competitive price. Look at reviews online to see how well other customers have been satisfied by the business’ service. Also, browse the business’ type of work to see if it aligns with your taste. They may have done a great job with an extravagant backyard, but the skill may not translate well onto a smaller workspace and more modest budget. Landscaping is an art and you may not like every landscaper’s plans and ideas.

2. Buying your own landscaping additions

While getting additions to your lawn from a landscaper is the easiest way, they might not always offer the cheapest prices. Going to your local garden supply or home improvement store will allow you to browse the different options for plants, bird baths, lights, stones, etc. and to buy what you want for more affordable prices. The downside to this is that the quality of these products may not necessarily be the best. Also, if you buy lights, for example, and you have a landscaper install them but they malfunction, there may be some disagreements about who should pay to buy replacements. Finally, if a landscaper is not familiar with the brand of lights or water pump, etc., they may not install it correctly and might waste some time (and your money) trying to figure out how to do so. Thus, while it may be cheaper to buy the items yourself, there could be complications along the way.

3. Reducing the cost of a landscaper.

If you take the time and effort to do a few things on your own, you’ll be able to greatly reduce the cost of hiring a landscaper. Buying your own items, as mentioned above, is a good start. Many requests for landscapers deal with putting in plants, but if you get rid of weeds and put in some small plants by yourself, you would only need a landscaper for larger plants, such as trees, if you are even interested in having them. Requests also deal with the need for putting in items like stepping stones, lights and fences, though putting those in yourself is much more difficult. If you are able to do so, you won’t even need a landscaper at all, though this would require multiple weeks and most likely the help of an assistant or two which is not available to everyone.

If you feel lost, or even if you feel comfortable about your landscaping options but simply wish to talk to a professional before you begin any projects to get as much information as possible, use TalkLocal to locate a landscaper who is available in your area.

Posted in Landscapers, talklocal | No Comments »

Importance of Ventilation in the Home

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

We often think of the outdoors as a place to get “fresh air,” but few realize the importance of ventilation in the home–which is usually less than good. You may think the air is cleaner because it is separated from the rest of the world, but simple day-to-day activities and processes within the home can contaminate it and trap it inside.

There is a specific kind of dust that can be found in every home – made up of pollen, dander, skin cells, and many other things that come when animal and plant life are present. While not dangerous to general health, this type of dust irritates allergies (everyone has subtle allergies!) and decreases the quality of air in your home. Non-living things inside your walls can also secrete air contaminants. Items such as insulation, carpet, furniture, and building materials constantly release unnecessary particles into your house. Again, these are rarely dangerous, but do decrease the quality of the air.

Besides constant processes, specific activities within your home may be reducing your air quality. Smoking, painting, using cleaning supplies, and utilizing combustion sources all contaminate the air. Some types of these products are obviously less harmful than others (e.g., “green” cleaners, cleaner-burning forms of energy), but nothing leaves the air ideal for breathing.

It may seem we are all doomed to breathe this dangerous air for every minute we spend in our homes…but don’t worry! There is an easy solution to removing these contaminants from the air: ventilation. Whether it be natural ventilation through doors and windows or mechanical ventilation by use of fans and ducts, you need to keep your air moving in and out. This is especially true of areas that are damp, warm, or particularly susceptible to fumes, such as basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.

Due to this recent concern of poor air in the home, many heating and cooling companies have added indoor air quality to their list of services. TalkLocal can quickly and easily connect you to these experts for more information on these services. After submitting a service request online, you can talk to a local heating and cooling company on the phone in as little as 90 seconds–and be well on your way to breathing cleaner air!

Posted in Heating and Cooling | No Comments »

Finding a Tax Professional

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Are you in need of a professional who will prepare your tax returns? There are hundreds of websites that offer services on taxation so finding a tax professional is not that difficult. There are also sites that offer free instructions and manuals on how to prepare your income tax. However, when finding a tax professional make sure that the site that you are using has complied with the internet legalities. Then, check the following factors to find a good tax professional.

Credibility

The credibility of the tax preparer is important because tax preparers must have undergone special trainings and seminars. It is better to use a site or tax preparer that is recommended by someone you know. Ask around to find a professional who is in good standing in your community.

Background

Once you know that the tax preparer is reputable, get to know the tax preparer’s background. A person who has been in the profession longer may be more reliable. Also check what other services are offered for future business with this tax preparer. Maintaining business with one professional throughout the year is recommended because it ensures that they are regularly accessible. There’s nothing worse than a tax preparer who won’t pick up the phone during a hectic time such as April.

Costs

Address the tax preparer’s fees upfront. You don’t want to be surprised by charges after your tax return has been filed. Research prices from a variety of firms to comparison shop. You can do this before you meet with them to save everyone time.

If you are crunched on time, let TalkLocal filter these tax preparers for you. TalkLocal uses social reputation, online ratings and reviews, and call analytics to match you with the best tax professionals in your area. Submit a request online, stating your service need, availability, and location. Then, you will be connect with up to three tax professionals who can help you with your specific need. Usually, you will be on the phone with someone who can help you minutes after submitting your request.

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Seva Call DC Launch

Friday, June 15th, 2012

Seva Call plans for DC Launch and new interns

We have some big plans for this upcoming summer! We are planning to officially announce the launch of Seva Call’s service in cities across the United States starting with our home base of Washington D.C. and expanding from there. Also on the horizon is the announcement of the release of our mobile apps for Apple iOS and Google Android platforms. These apps will offer the same basic function as the website, but will be available for customers to use remotely from their smartphones.

In other summer news, we have taken on a whole new team of interns for summer of 2012. They come from a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise, ranging from computer programming to marketing to writing. It is an exciting time for these interns to be a part of Seva Call with the upcoming launches of Seva Call service in cities across the country.

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Seva Call Open Beta

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

Since mid February, Seva Call has been live in open beta. Although we have not officially announced our service, if anyone finds their way to the Seva Call website, our virtual concierge service for finding high quality business professionals is up and running.

During our open beta period, we’ve successfully matched consumers with service professionals all over the country, including in Maryland, Virginia, New York, California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and more! We have been used for over 20 service and professional categories, from plumbers to computer repair to dentists to lawyers. This is just a preview of the excitement that’s coming up when we actually announce Seva Call in all of these areas.

Posted in Seva Call | 1 Comment »

Seva Call Investor Dinner

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

All hard work deserves a celebration. About a month ago, Seva Call hosted a closing dinner for a group of its investors. The dinner marked the first day we released the website in open beta for the general public (you know you need a service). The dinner was a chance for Seva Call to inform investors of its progress as well as receive feedback regarding its future plans. Some investors stayed to give input on aspects such as writing and the business logo. The festivities were enjoyed over delicious food from Popeyes and Moby Dick’s House of Kabob.

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Yup, Seva Call Closed a Round of Funding

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

Seva Call just made serious waves in the business world a few weeks ago by raising $1.3 million in first round funding to help support the launch of our service, which is a search engine geared toward matching consumers with local businesses. The funding came from a number of venture capitalists and other angel investors.

There were a lot of noteworthy people who invested in Seva Call. Some of these people include Andrew Bachman, the President and Co-Founder of Tatto Media (which was acquired by OzuraWorld), David Krauskopf, one of the Founding Members of Blu Venture Investors and former General Manager of Apple Russia, Krishna Subramanian, Co-Founder of Blue Lithium (which was acquired by Yahoo) and MobClix (which was acquired by Velti), and Jay Virdy, CEO and Co-Founder of Summize (which was acquired by Twitter) and LocalEyes (which was acquired by AOL). It’s exciting to know that some of these successful businesspeople believe in what Seva Call can do!

You can see some of the coverage by the media outlets on our press page.

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