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QuickBooks ProAdvisor of the Year.

Please vote for me. This is the first year I've had time to apply and I'd love to win. Voting closes on April 30th at midnight.

Money Saving Tip When Mailing Accounting Paperwork

I’ve learned a few tricks I want to share about saving money when mailing paperwork to clients.

Especially at year-end I mail paperwork often. Here are my  tricks.

First is to always use a Priority Mail Box, as pictured here. It's not only faster but safer. I've never had a Priority Mail package lost.

Next, is to save money by using the Priority Mail box that does NOT say “Flat Rate” to save money. These boxes are harder to find so when I do find them, I stock up for the year. 

Top Picture Box One: This box Priority Mail Flat Rate costs $18.40. See how it says "Flat Rate" on the box? That's your clue that you'll pay more. 

Bottom Picture Box Two. (The picture that does not exist here because I cannot find one online) Seems as if the post office seems to want to keep a secret. It is different from Box One in one important way. It does NOT say "Flat Rate". It says nothing. Look for a blank area. That means it's by weight only. By weight has never cost me or the client more than $12.80, often closer to $10. If you’re mailing accounting paperwork, use the Priority box that's by weight only to save money. 

What does this box hold for this cost difference? A whole box full of paperwork. I put the papework in  file folders, then into accordian folders, with clips...whatever it takes to make a nice presentation. And usually a sheet of bubble wrap so it doesn't slide around noisily. I want it to travel through the post office inconspiciously so it gets there safely, which is always has so far. Thanks USA Post Office ! 

Radically Simple Accounting & Small Projects

After sitting at a computer for work, I love getting outdoors and doing landscaping in my free time. Mostly I am transforming my own small yard/garden but I also volunteer to improve my church and the Issaquah post office landscaping. 

After this year's Woodinville Garden Tour, I came away both disappointed enough in my own real estate/garden situation to cry at my next therapy session and inspired enough to get back to work on the yard/garden I do have to finish this summer's project. 

Every week I visit the library to pick up this week's books on hold that have finally come in. This week I am enjoying the perfect book titled, "Big Dreams, Small Garden". The book is about.... wait for it...."creating the garden you love when you can't afford the one you want". Synchronicity?

Books are important. It's important to me that I wrote a book in my area of expertise titled, "Radically Simple Accounting". Out of blue I’ll get an email from a reader about how much they appreciate my book, and how it helps them. I don’t have the budget to promote my book the way I’d like so the number of readers is small, as are my number of reviews. However, the reviews are mostly 5-star positive on the print book, 4-star positive on the audiobook. Readers say that it's a book worth reading or listening to.

It was important to me to contribute to the world of accounting just as it was important to her to contribute to the world of gardening. And I'm grateful for both. 

Is QuickBooks Desktop being Discontinued?

There is a rumor going around that QuickBooks Desktop is being discontinued. The rumor is that if you want to stay with QuickBooks you have to move to QuickBooks Online. 

This is 100% not true. QuickBooks Desktop has a huge following so you don’t have to worry about it going away. 

If you prefer QuickBooks Desktop but want remote access capability, you can get it by getting your QuickBooks hosted. To explain what hosting is, and where you can purchase that service I've included information and a link in my free white paper titled, Remote Access Options For QuickBooks. 

To get to the white paper, go to my website -> Public Relations -> Free Download. I’ll put a live link here: Remote Access Options for QuickBooks

I personally prefer QuickBooks Enterprise (Desktop) software but support both versions. Clients who have been with Quickbooks Desktop for years are staying with it. Newer clients to QuickBooks tend to go with QuickBooks Online so I know and support both.