KIS & Tell January 2020
New year, new opportunities. I love a new year.
Around November, I started reflecting on the year and contemplating what my next ambitions will be. I'm inspired to make changes, challenge myself, and reach higher.
You can see some of the changes right here. Simplified has been renamed to KIS & Tell (credit to Yigit for the name), and moved from email to my website. Here it can be referenced more easily - like if you'd like to check back on the tips, best reads, or cute pictures of my cats.
KIS & Tell is now a monthly series. You’ll also receive a fresh, new blog every month.
Another change coming this year will be that I’m beefing up my website. To start, I've added the FAQ page. Pricing will be up shortly too. If you are like me, you want to try and answer as many questions on your own as possible before reaching out.
These are just some of the goals and changes I'm planning for this year. It'll be a journey, and I love that I can share it with you. Thanks for being here!
Fresh Content
Hot off the press & onto the blog, website, and beyond.
Since the final Simplified, I've put out a few new pieces of content. ICYMI here's a recap.
Tax Update: since we have one year of tax reform under our belt, the IRS has clarified much of the new law. A few more parts are coming into effect. Catch up on the most important tax updates and some KIS updates too.
Perfectionism: For 2020, I created several new years resolutions. This blog covers a common but often overlooked reason why we fall short and how to finally stick to your goals. Like most resolutions, many fall through. Keep trying!
FAQ’s: this one has been long coming. Check here for answers to common questions and any company updates.
App of My Eye
I'm always on the lookout for new apps that help make running business easier! Here are the best finds over the past month.
How well do you know yourself? How about your employees, spouse, or family?
A huge productivity hack is understanding how you work, feel, and interpret your world. Take a personality test. If you answer honestly, you'll think they stalk you.
A good test usually costs $20-50 dollars. Recently I found a free one at 16 Personalities. Based on the Meyer-Briggs test, you'll get a full report and access to more research articles. If you'd like to know more, they have a paid offering too.
You can share your report with friends, family, and colleagues, and invite them to take the test as well.
Best Reads
I love to learn. Especially with business, there are always new perspectives and information we can benefit from. Here's my latest fav.
Denise Duffield-Thomas's new book, Chillpreneur, is all about creating ease in your business. You could call it "lifestyle," because she focuses on how you organize your business to serve you, your family, and your greater purpose.
A big point of focus is on doing what works for you, not just what you think a business has to do. You can find a bonus workbook online with provocative questions and several scripts to create systems, boundaries, and ease.
Plus, she's one of my favorite bloggers. I've been following her for almost three years now!
Practicing Simplicity
Practical tips to simplify your business.
Practice: Unsubscribe
Rationale: Declutter your inbox of what you rarely read (you can always resubscribe later). Less emails = less time in your inbox & more clarity
Tools: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc
Tax Tips
The world of tax is constantly changing. Here's what you need to know.
The IRS changed its mind… yay?
Cryptocurrency has been on the IRS's radar for a while, and they've been grappling with how to treat it. First, they wanted to treat it as foreign currency (hello, FBAR), but now they've reversed course and it's an investment.
If you've owned cryptocurrency at any point since 2016, you need to amend your taxes. Even though they hadn't clarified how to treat it, you may owe taxes, interest, and penalties. As of now, there aren't retroactive or voluntary disclosure waivers.
Please don't think any trading was small and unimportant. The IRS may already know you owned cryptocurrency one point because they've forced some trading platforms to turn over customer data.
Out & About
We're going places! Whether it's for networking, client meetings, or personal travels, I love to explore. Here's one recent stop.
I write to you today from Koh Tao, Thailand. Yigit and I escaped the bitter Scandinavian winter for the holidays. After extending our stay once, it’s time to head back to our Swedish home.
This trip has been a challenge in a few ways. I’m literally 12-15 hours ahead of my clients. Even with late night meetings, emails at all hours, playing phone-tag, the occasional tech glitch, and prepping for my tax busy-season, I seem to have made it work. Nothing horrible has happened - which is a real fear for many would-be digital nomad.
Travel is a part of my soul so its an honor to be able to travel and serve clients anywhere. If you ever get the chance to work remotely- go. My greatest tip - travel slow. It’s not a holiday or vacation. You’re living wherever you land. You can fit in adventures around your work schedule, so you don’t need to do the “touristy” things every day.
Kitty Corner
It's probably impossible for me to get through a newsletter without mentioning my furbabies!
This is one strange cat…
Pookie is living the life with his grandparents, aunt, and cousins. He’s one of the kids - celebrating at birthday parties and all.
Recently his new favorite person, my youngest niece, turned 3. He happily joined in the celebration and ate his share of the cake. (She's his new favorite person because she feeds him human food off her plate, case in point!) Yigit is only slightly jealous.
On the Horizon
Here's what we'll be focusing on over the next few weeks.
Just when you thought the holidays were over.. ‘tis the season! Tax Season!
You should have all your documents by today and can start filing whenever you are ready. Here are some key filing dates:
1/31: Today - 1099’s are due
3/15: Partnership and S-Corporation returns due
4/15: Individuals, C-Corporations, and Trusts/Estates due
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One month into 2020, I’ve started working on most of my goals. I love that I can share my ideas and progress with you.
One, the accountability motivates me.
Two, it’s lonely and hard to build a company by yourself. If you ever feel like you’re working hard yet making little progress, know that you aren’t alone. Only by talking about it directly can we find the support we need to make our goals a reality.
How are you doing on your goals? Do you have big plans for 2020? Send me a note and we can grow together. 🌱