Business

Maintaining Sound Financials as a Sole Proprietor

Published

4 years ago

May 25, 2021

Running a small business is the stuff of dreams for many a sole proprietor who would rather make it on their own than toil away for someone else. Operating as a sole proprietor is just one way to structure a small business. It has its advantages and disadvantages. It also has its challenges, including maintaining sound financials.

The thing about operating as a sole proprietor – or sole trader in the UK – is that the government does not recognise any distinct separation between personal and business assets. Every dime a sole proprietor earns in business income is also considered personal income. It is taxed accordingly. Sole proprietors are subject to fewer write-offs as well. To keep finances in order, sole proprietors have to be a lot more careful in managing their personal finances.

Key Differences for Sole Proprietors

By definition, a sole proprietor is someone who operates their business alone. There are no other employees, with one possible exception: immediate family members. A good example would be a baker who specialises in wedding cakes. They normally work by themself. When necessary, theybring in their spouse and one of their children to help get them through those especially busy times.

Here are some of the key differences for sole proprietors:

Legal Entity – A sole proprietor’s business is not a legally recognised entity in the same vein as an LLC, partnership, or corporation. This is definitely important at tax time. It could also prove important in the event of litigation.
Tax Structure – As previously mentioned, the government does not recognise separate income for sole proprietor and their business. It is all one and the same. That means sole proprietors pay both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Managing Assets – Assets are not considered business property for the sole proprietor unless they are used exclusively for business purposes. Rented space for the baker would be considered an exclusive business asset. Their kitchen at home would not be.

All of this matters to maintaining sound financials. Sole proprietors have to consider all of these things, and more, and weigh them against non-business financials like paying the mortgage and covering the groceries.

The Budget Is Key

Budgets are important for everyone. They are even more so for sole proprietors. Not only does the budget act as a spending guideline, but it also acts as a fire action sign for a business owner’s financials. In other words, a budget lays out exactly what’s coming in and going out. If expenditures are higher than income, a budget is a warning sign that demands action be taken.

The thing that gives sole proprietors the most trouble in terms of budgeting is planning for business expenses. Like household expenses, there are certain business expenses that are known in advance. But that’s not the case for every expense. Business expenses constantly fluctuate for sole proprietors.

A good way to address unknown business expenses is to take the total from the previous year and then multiply it by the current rate of growth. So, if you are 50 percent busier this year than you were at the same time last year, 50 percent is the rate of growth. You would take last year’s total expenses and multiply them by 1.50 to get an estimate of this year’s.

You would then take that number and multiply it by the rate of inflation to make up for higher prices on equipment and supplies. That final number is the number to use for budgeting purposes. It is a rough estimate of how much you need to set aside to cover equipment, supplies, etc.

Setting Aside for Taxes

The other thing that kills sole proprietors is tax liability. Again, sole proprietors pay both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare (FICA). That is on top of regular income tax. It is a smart idea to set aside a certain amount for every payment to go toward taxes.

Also bear in mind that sole proprietors have to file estimated quarterly taxes. Payments are made in April, June, September, and January. There are two ways to decide how much to pay:

Estimate – Sole proprietors can estimate their annual income and pay taxes accordingly. The federal income tax table indicates the business owner’s income tax while FICA taxes are assessed at a flat rate. Those numbers can be found on the SSA website.
Previous Year – Business owners that do not want to take a chance at estimating and getting it wrong can simply pay a total of the previous year’s tax liability. Even if quarterly payments are eventually not enough, there will be no penalty for underpayment the following April.

Sole proprietors required to collect and pay sales tax should be setting aside that portion of weekly receipts to pay the bill. It is very important that a separate sales tax account be set up rather than throwing everything into a general fund. It is just too easy to spend everything in the bank account and then not have enough money to pay sales tax when it comes due.

Planning and Saving

In a nutshell, keeping a sole proprietor’s finances on track is about planning and saving. The budget is a planning tool that acts as both a guideline and a fire sign. Savings enable a sole proprietor to make tax payments on time and, if there is a little leftover, earn some interest.

The one thing sole proprietors should not do is leave their finances to random chance. When business finances are not in order, it is too easy to pass off obligations to the next month, then the next, and so on. A lot of sole proprietors have gotten themselves into tax hell by not keeping their finances in order and then not being able to pay their taxes.

As a side note, transitioning from a sole proprietorship to a partnership or LLC, for the purposes of separating finances, isn’t a good idea unless you’re willing to pay an accountant to keep things straight for you. If you cannot manage your finances as a sole proprietor, you will not be able to manage them as chief officer of the LLC or partnership.

Business

Transform Your Expertise into a Profitable Online Coaching Business with Jon Penberthy

Published

3 weeks ago

November 3, 2024

Matthew Wiles

Transforming your expertise into a successful coaching business requires a strategic approach to monetizing your knowledge, with a strong emphasis on client satisfaction and adaptability to their evolving needs. By prioritizing these factors, you can build a coaching practice that flourishes, provides long-term value to your clients, and supports sustained growth for your business.

The potential for this growth is underscored by the global online coaching market, which was valued at $3.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $11.7 billion by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% from 2023 to 2032.

Jon Penberthy, founder of AdClients and a leader in online coaching, highlights the significance of the knowledge economy in today’s marketplace. He notes, “The knowledge economy is now worth over half a trillion dollars a year. That means every year, people like you and me are paying others—not for physical products, but for the exchange of knowledge.” This shift presents a compelling opportunity for those willing to leverage their expertise in this evolving market.

Penberthy’s philosophy emphasizes the power of positive thinking and challenges traditional views on credentialism and rigid professional roles. He asserts, “Nowadays you only need to be one step ahead of someone else for them to be willing to hand back some money to learn from you.” His success as a how-to coach exemplifies this approach, showing that with the right mindset, anyone can turn their knowledge into a flourishing business.

Essential Steps to Starting Your Online Business

At the heart of any business plan is the decision about what type of product you will provide in the online marketplace. Jon Penberthy explores various possibilities, from relationship counseling to pet care, ultimately settling on a widely sought-after internet offering: personal health and fitness.

“Let’s say you do not have a personal trainer certificate, but you have figured out a specific nutrition and exercise regime that works,” he states. “There are people out there who want to look how you look and are willing to pay you for your knowledge … the opportunities are endless – you just have to ask yourself what you know that is a little bit more than those around you. That’s the starting point for your own training program.”

The next step involves packaging your training for an online audience, and Penberthy recommends creating a series of recorded videos as an effective approach. This leads to the question of how much to cover in the initial video and the order of presentation.

He suggests finding friends and family who are interested in your topic and willing to learn more. By selecting a few volunteers and teaching them over several weeks for free, while taking diligent notes on what works and what doesn’t, the teaching process will gradually reveal itself.

Build a Sales Funnel

Regardless of how your business attracts customers, potential buyers often follow a similar path, asking common questions and taking comparable steps when deciding whether to make a purchase. A sales funnel is an effective way to visualize this journey, offering valuable insights into the customer experience. It helps you see the sales process through their perspective while also serving as a practical training tool for your sales team.

Penberthy highlights the importance of this approach, “A sales funnel helps transition potential customers from being strangers to ready-to-buy clients,” he explains. By breaking the process into a series of steps, the sales funnel gradually informs and engages potential customers, guiding them toward a purchase decision without overwhelming them with information.

Attracting Attention—The ‘Eyeball’ Factor

Once you’ve understood the initial steps for setting up your online coaching or course, the next challenge is attracting people to your funnel, often referred to as the “eyeball” factor. “Bringing traffic to your site involves content creation and deciding between organic (unpaid) traffic through various social media channels or, if your budget allows, paid traffic,” Penberthy explains.

Penberthy explains that with organic traffic, individuals will be active on social media, creating content designed to build an audience interested in their topic. He adds that if one can invest some funds, paid advertising—especially on YouTube—can be an excellent starting point, as it delivers instant traffic compared to the uncertain outcomes of organic posts.

Once the advertising strategy is established, the next step is to continually refine and enhance the course, making it more concise, message-rich, and easier for potential customers to understand what is being offered.

He emphasizes that this process isn’t just about feeling good about one’s work; it’s about boosting conversions. The more effective the campaign, the more referrals satisfied customers will provide when recommending the program. A stronger program also allows for higher pricing for the services offered.

After refining your online advertising strategies and advancing your course or coaching development, the next step is to scale up. Penberthy suggests that this may initially involve what he refers to as “the pop-up offer” or one-on-one coaching, enabling you to start selling your course in 48 hours or less.

He notes that this phase requires a significant investment of time but is crucial for growing your business with clients who will not only pay for your expertise but also recommend your courses to a broader audience. However, he emphasizes the need to leverage your time effectively, as there are only so many hours in a day.

The key to success in online courses lies in combining “low-ticket” (mass appeal) content with “high-ticket” one-on-one training. “I take the stand-alone low-ticket coaching and wrap it around the one-on-ones to create the concept of “high-ticket” group coaching, which is a limited-subscriber webinar-based training pitched at high-end clients who are willing to pay a premium to overcome their seeming lack of success in the online marketplace,” Penberthy says.

By implementing this strategy, he adds, you can not only maximize your time in the business space and free up energy for friends and family but also potentially increase your monthly income to four or five figures, ultimately leading to an annual income of six to seven figures.

Jon Penberthy’s insights provide a clear roadmap, emphasizing the importance of understanding your audience, leveraging effective marketing strategies, and continually refining your offerings. By combining low-ticket and high-ticket training approaches, you can maximize your reach while delivering exceptional value to your clients.

As you embark on this path, remember that your knowledge and passion can not only lead to financial success but also empower others to achieve their goals. Embrace the opportunities ahead, and watch as you build a thriving coaching business that makes a lasting impact.