Useful Resources
Software & Apps
Free and easy to use accounting software for small businesses and non-profits. It is impressive all that it offers considering that is completely free, always. For more pros and cons of the software, see our detailed blog post.
Affordable small business payroll software that can help you with the basics or full services. I was so impressed by this payroll software that I became a Certified Advisor. Contact us for discounts off retail pricing! Also check out my blog post about it for more information.
I signed up for this free CRM that integrates with Gmail more than a month ago, but hadn't had the time to actually figure out how it worked. I went to one of their how-to webinars, and that helped a bit, but still wasn't quite sure how to use it for myself. I finally had some time to play with it and I am SO glad I did!! I created "boxes" for every contact I have had and then with a few clicks, I can link all of the emails related to that person so that I can see them in one place. I can categorize contacts however I want and I can easily see the date of last correspondence. This tool is awesome!! I highly recommend checking it out- after all, it's free!
I have loved Qualtrics since I was first introduced to it at Drake University. It can do so many amazing things for surveys. I tried to use SurveyMonkey and just could never be happy with it knowing what Qualtrics is capable of. The free version of Qualtrics is more powerful than the paid version of SurveyMonkey, except that you can only receive 100 respondents. So if you have a small, but robust survey you want to do, I highly recommend signing up for a free Qualtrics account! I'm happy to help get you familiarized with it!
In trying to move my tax services to paper-less, I needed to find a secure, online portal system for sharing and storing sensitive documents with my clients. I tried Dropbox (unfortunately the paid versions are non-refundable) and it was very clunky and did not feel secure. So I switched over to ShareFile, which has a 30 day free trial and even after that it's very affordable. So far, I'm very happy with it! I hope my clients will feel the same way!
Des Moines Resources
Stephanie talking about why FemCity is so great!
Created by women for women, FemCity is a community dedicated to arming you with everything you need to grow your business and live a happy life. The gals who have become dedicated to the Des Moines group are absolutely wonderful and life-changing for me personally!
A group of consultants in various fields that come together to serve local non-profits.
Amazing realtor Nora Crosthwaite has an excellent list of local resources for all sorts of things you might need!
The Iowa Center turns dreams of financial success through business ownership into a reality by helping our clients attain the skills, assets, and relationships they need to succeed. Iowans come in with an idea and leave with a plan. They have lots of great classes and events, all available for low cost or free!
Educational Resources
by Bob Burg and John David Mann
These two books are some of the most enlightening business books I've read, I really can't say enough about how wonderful they are. Everything about them resonated with me and I am truly trying to live my life and business by their philosophies. Check out my article about the books!
by Lara Casey
Excellent look at life's purpose and the bigger picture of running a business, having a family, and loving God. The many questions and action steps throughout have really gotten me thinking!
by Shauna Niequist
This book came at the right time in my life when I was feeling exhausted, unfocused, and scattered. A great reflection on how to slow down and be present in your life and remember that bigger is NOT always better.
by Rachel Hollis
I really enjoyed this book and felt that it really speaks to the many things I have struggled with as an entrepreneur, mom, Christian, and woman. If you need someone to speak some hard truths to you, read/listen to this book!
by Brené Brown
Everything Brené Brown writes is so powerful, I would recommend all of her books. I picked this one mostly because I love the phrase "daring greatly" to illustrate what it's like for an entrepreneur to take the leap to go out on their own.
by Michael McDerment and Donald Cowper
Quick read that will help you to rethink how you price your services and the value you provide to your clients.