Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Ask a Bookkeeper: Why You Would Incorporate Part 1

The most important factor to consider is whether incorporating your business will provide you with the most tax and legal benefits for your situation.

Generally, incorporating a business can provide certain legal protections and tax advantages such as limited personal liability, greater access to capital, etc.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Investing in Employee Development: The Why and the How

As an employer, you must ensure your business and your team are adapting and growing with the times, or else the market will outgrow you.

Yes, it’s a scary thought, but true. However, investing in your team is a key way to facilitate that growth through training and upskilling. Now, how you do that will be different than how I do that, but what is universally important is that you DO IT.

Here’s why it is absolutely essential and how you should approach professional development in your business.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Little Ways I Bring Joy to My Work Day

We all need some joy in our lives, especially while we’re working!

I love being a business owner, and I love helping my clients, but some days you need a pick-me-up because things are too stressful.

This is why I’m sharing a few ways I add joy throughout my work days to show you how simple, impactful actions can give you the energy or the mood boost you need to get through your day!

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

10 Things to Do When You're Getting Audited

Audits happen, they’re normal, and they’re just a way to make sure everything is as it should be.

While it is tedious and frustrating, there are 10 key things that you can do to ensure you don’t feel like you’re losing control while being audited. So, let’s calm your nerves and go over the 10 things you need to do when you are getting audited.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Your Business and DEI: Where Do You Sit?

You CAN sit with us. That’s what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is all about.

Your policies, your processes, and your practices should allow everyone the opportunity to have a seat at the table, as well as be supported and uplifted within your business.

At its core, it’s about removing barriers that hinder and exclude your employees, barriers reinforced through the systems that we live in day in and day out.

So, we’re going to break each concept down and give you a start to examining your business through a DEI lens.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

How to Keep it Cool this Summer with Your Bookkeeping

As the sun shines brighter and the days get longer, Canadian business owners might find themselves drawn to outdoor activities and vacations. However, amidst the summer fun, it's crucial to keep your business's financial health in check.

Effective bookkeeping ensures that your business stays on track even during the summer months.

Here are some summer time bookkeeping tips tailored for Canadian entrepreneurs:

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

How I Manage My Time

As business owners, it feels like that statement is true to the umpteenth degree.

Being glued to my desk at all points in time isn’t sustainable, it’s also not healthy for my sanity.

So it’s important to prioritize, like making an entire day unavailable to take meetings, setting boundaries and booking time off in advance.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

The 5 Tips You Need for Writing Your Business Plan

A business isn’t something you can just “wing” for a lot of reasons, one of those being funding, which is quite critical in the early development stages. It is important throughout your business owner journey, but we’re talking about the beginning when you have no money and are figuring out how to get started.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Coping and Persevering Through Failure as a Business Owner

As much as we share our successes and our milestones, one of the things I don’t see too much about is our failures.

Failure is a big word, it feels scary because it is scary that we live in a culture of shame, to be told to only let people see us “win” when the most human thing we can do is fail.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Green Business Practices: Sustainability Initiatives for Your Business

Let’s get real, the importance of sustainability in business cannot be overstated.

From reducing carbon emissions to promoting social equity and preserving natural resources, businesses play a crucial role in shaping a more sustainable future.

These are 3 simple and effective ways you can incorporate environmentally sustainable practices into your business (and beyond)!

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

How I Handle and Correct Mistakes That Happen

Making mistakes is human, we’re people, and at some point, we are going to screw up.

In our careers, at our jobs, sometimes we are going to make a mistake, some big, some small.

How do we handle that?

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Great Tools for DIY Marketing

Now, we love marketing agencies because they give business owners like myself and yourself the opportunity to work with experts and outsource the work associated with marketing for your business. However, not everyone can afford an agency, or afford an in-house marketing specialist, so we make do and do it ourselves (DIY it).

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Finding Your Business Niche

Where do you fit in the market? How are you different? Who are you looking to attract?

Finding a business niche can be a great way to start your own business. Here are some tips to help you get started!

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Even Business Owners Need Therapy

Mental health is huge.

It impacts every moment of our day, whether consciously or subconsciously. As a business owner, it can impact your personal and professional life, and even the thought of that is stressful.

This is why business owners must take care of themselves, especially their mental well-being.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Top Tips for Finding Clients

How you find great clients, similar to art, is subjective. Not everything works for everyone, and your strengths will be different than another business owner’s. However, there are some basics and I’d like to share a few ways you can start finding your clients!

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

Get Psyched: How I Prep for Public Speaking + IG Reels

Not everyone loves public speaking.

If we’re being honest, very few people ACTUALLY enjoy it.

It’s a lot of pressure, it’s a big deal, and yet, we endure it, we push through and persevere.

Except…how exactly do you get to the enure/persevere part of it?

*Image credit to Emily Hoult

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

How to Find a Mentor

Finding a mentor can be a great way to learn from someone who has the experience and knowledge that you are looking for.

When it comes to finding a mentor, whether for your professional or personal life, it’s tricky to know where to look or who to turn to.

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Erika Dowell Erika Dowell

What is a Business Strategy?

Think of your business as a sleek ship, cutting through the waves of the market. Now, a ship without a map is like a rudderless boat, just drifting wherever the current takes it. That's where a business strategy comes in – it's your treasure map, your secret weapon to steer your ship toward success.

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