Record Keeping

This past year, my record keeping for our family for taxes was fabulous and the portion of taxes personal itmes were a breeze.  For our business though, much was left to be desired.  I ended up spending hours and hours organizing them well enough so that our tax lady could do her job. And then we had to meet with her twice, as the first time around we weren't quite organized enough.   As a result, the last few months I have tried to figure out how I could stay organized all year.

I came up with keeping our paper work in an expandable file--because I wanted something portable and can be changed quickly to fit our needs. The front section is labeled for the receipts we keep for taxes: advertising/marketing, car use, fairs & markets, licenses, office supplies, entertainment/gifts, postage/shipping, repair & maintance, supplies, utilities, tax fees, travel & meals and other.

In the fairs & markets file, I keep the receipts in envelopes that I record what happened at that particular fair. The cost of the vendor booth, any food we bought and mileage associated with the event.

The back section is more for organization of our business. I have a folder to keep articles I find inspiring as an artistian small business owner. One file is an indepth list of tax deductions I got from the Small Business Administration's website for reference.  I have a file that holds information on current markets & fairs we have signed up for. And the last labeled file is for future ideas/to do items.

So far, the system has worked for us and I definately feel more on top of things.  YEAH!!

If you have ideas on how to keep your small business more organized, please let me know I am always looking for more ideas!

News, news, news

Spring is coming and it is so delightful out. Our flowers are starting to bloom and the grass is green again. I get so excited this time of year to get out and play in the dirt.

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Rene has a temporary gig teaching a jewelry class after school to some teenagers. They are having a fun time. The goal is to have some jewelry pieces made so they can give them to their Moms on Mother's Day.

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We have no definate plans yet for the fairs and markets to sell our jewelry at yet. We are anxious and want to get our calendar finalized. I do hope it happens soon. If you have any favorite places, let us know. We are always looking for new places to sell our jewelry.

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Taking beautiful and fabulous pictures is still a struggle for me, so I am looking for a community photography class. I think that would help!! Know of any in Northern Utah?
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We are still waiting for our tax returns to come.  I did great keeping track of our personal deductions, receipts, etc---but not so good with the business end.  Uggh, it was quite the chore to get it all organized.  Therefore, this year, I am getting a system together to help with the organization.  I will share it with you in a few days.

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We are having a Mother's Day sale for items in our Etsy shop. Please enter coupon code: FORMOTHER at the check out to receive 20% off your order!

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Have a Facebook page? We would love for you to be our fan! And we will be your fan back too!

https://www.facebook.com/GalleonsGold 

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Did you know we give demonstrations and one day classes to schools, church groups, scouts, etc???  We are happy to travel to Davis, Weber, Morgan and Box Elder counties in Utah.  If you would like us to do something in another place, please let us know and we can see what the options are.