Julie Rains's blog

10 Tips from a Financially-Savvy Teen

A few years ago, Tamara Johnson had no savings. Today she is a college student, funding her education with scholarships and savings. Learn how she did it.

Taking Your Invoicing and Accounts Receivable Management Online

Online invoicing and A/R management services allow you to speed up collections and reduce administrative costs.

Getting Started in Indoor Cycle Class

Want to exercise during the winter months? Indoor cycling classes are great whether you're a hardcore bike-rider or you never graduated from training wheels.

4 Ways to Get Vendor Discounts

You don't have to finagle vendors to get discounts. Look for offers that make sense to accept, and find ways to structure deals that reinforce vendor relationships.

Simple Ways to Save on Catering Costs

Getting great catering doesn't mean having to hire a traditional caterer. Learn some simple ways to save on prepared food.

Methods of Measuring Ecommerce Financial Performance

Stay on top of big-picture numbers and periodically dig into the nuances of what drives sales and profits.

The Brag Book for Job Hunters: E-Book Review and Tips

Sometimes a little bragging can do you good. Learn how to move up in your career with a professional portfolio.

Questions and Answers on Life Insurance: Book Review and Money Saving Tips

Saving on life insurance without compromising your family’s future is doable with these tips and advice from life insurance expert Tony Steuer.

Save Money by Being Friendly

Deliberate acts of friendliness can predictably reap payback. Here are ways you can save money.

Make More, Save More With Project-Based Accounting

Get a handle on what constitutes a project and the resources required to develop, sustain, execute, and complete project-oriented assignments.

How Steady Financial Management Can Support Ecommerce Growth

Steady financial management can drive growth, support timely repayment of credit lines and loans, or bypass the need for traditional financing altogether.

13 Ways to Use Social Media in Business

You have social-media savvy that could benefit your company. Here’s how to work with your boss to get attention and results.

How Operations Can Support Ecommerce Growth

To get expert guidance on building, refining, and expanding the operational infrastructure and day-to-day processes that support ecommerce sales, I spoke with Zach Piech.

Financial Statement Analysis: Recognizing Debt Overload

Business owners can avoid "delayed realization" by recognizing unwieldy debt structures, which could destroy their companies.

Financial Controls to Protect Your Money from Fraud and Theft

Diverting proceeds from cash sales and waiving fees for a friend are less noticeable cases of employee theft. Carve out time to establish financial controls.

Dealing With Problem Employees: The Basics of Progressive Discipline

You never want to fire anyone. As a business owner you want to lead, develop, and empower people.

How to Run Without Music

I don't run with music, but I can understand the attraction. Logging lots of miles can be boring and pushing yourself can be difficult without distraction.

Managing Employees Who Irritate Others

Even the most sophisticated and well-meaning people can bring quirky behaviors to the workplace.

4 Tips for an Easy-to-Build Budget and Strategic Plan

The budgeting process is on the horizon. A deeper but relatively quick evaluation of your business could be useful, not only to budgeting but also planning strategically.

Leadership by Listening

Are you a good listener? Listeners can be great leaders because they have volumes of field intelligence that no one else has bothered to notice.