Blog
Balance Transfers – Intelligent Debt Hopping
Longtime readers will remember that I have a more favorable view on debt than most – the right types of debt that is. We’ve written about the dangers of excessive debt, but more often have talked about how the intelligent use of debt can be quite advantageous...
Are You Stuck in “Elo Hell”?
There’s a term in competitive gaming called “Elo hell”. The phrase comes from the Elo ranking system, which was originally created for chess matches in an attempt to match players of similar skillsets to play against each other. The ranking system has since been used...
2020 Tax Calendar
2020 and all of its tax deadlines are upon us! Below is a quick guide of the most important dates to keep in mind this calendar year. January 15th: due date to pay 4th quarter estimated taxes. January 31st: Due date to send out 1099s and W-2s to recipients. Due date...
Avoid the “Truth” Found in Bad Metrics
“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.” ― Mark Twain I’m a big proponent of tracking key metrics in your business. (For those unfamiliar with the term, a metric is simply a quantifiable measure that businesses use to track, monitor and assess the...
Introducing: Fraim, Cawley & Company, Certified Public Accountants!
Nearly seven years ago I started “Micah Fraim, CPA” on a bit of a whim. As I’ve noted to many of you along the way, I started with $2,000 in the bank, no clients, and next to no contacts. I spent half of that money on the laptop and software I needed and hoped for the...
The Comfort in Stagnation: Why Some Businesses Never Succeed
“I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.” – Richard P. Feynman Hardly anyone is fully content with their current situation – least of all entrepreneurs. If...
Say Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?
“They used to tell me I was building a dream With peace and glory ahead Why should I be standing in line Just waiting for bread? Once I built a railroad, I made it run Made it race against time Once I built a railroad, now it's done Brother, can you spare a dime?” –...
How Pain of Purchase Affects Customer Satisfaction
A few years ago, I did a string of articles talking about the importance of charging appropriately. They talked about how customer loyalty can sometimes be fleeting, how low prices can diminish perceived value and the volume of customers you get, and how low prices...
5 Ways to Take the Pain out of Your Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the bane of most business owners' existence. But ignoring our books or putting them on the back burner can be one of the costliest mistakes we ever make. A few years back, SCORE conducted a poll asking entrepreneurs what was the worst part of owning a...
Are You Sampling or Becoming a Tribute Band?
One of my favorite things in music is when one artist samples another artist’s work. (“Sampling” means taking a portion of an existing song and using that as an element of a new song.) Musicians in all genres do this, but you seem to see it the most in R&B and...
Outsource Your Way to More Freedom, Money, and Time
“I can do that myself. I don’t need to hire someone else to do it.” How often have you heard the above statement? Someone is capable of doing a task themselves, so they don’t want the “unnecessary” expense of hiring someone else to do it for them. And in some...
Faux Altruism: The Crutch of the Wantrepreneur
“I don’t care about money. I’m focused on other people” “My business is about helping others, not profit” “My company has a mission to do good. I’m not worried about the bottom line” There’s nothing wrong with being altruistic. Helping others is one of the single most...
