Sylvia Inks, Author at SMI Financial Coaching

58 posts, 23

Sylvia is a Professional Consultant turned Financial Coach and Business Mentor. She works with small business owners to make and meet financial goals.

How to Maximize Charitable Donations to Help Hurricane Harvey Relief

Sylvia Inks

charitable donation, irs, philanthropy, recordkeeping

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With all the news and pictures of the effects of Hurricane Harvey, I’ve been impressed with the number of corporate businesses that have pledged to donate and match employee/customer donations. Based on a recent CNN article, businesses have donated over $72 million to Harvey relief efforts! Wow, that is very inspiring. If you work for a large…

What Financial Health Means to Me

Sylvia Inks

financial blogs, financial health, net worth, success

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Finances and health are two of the most important, yet sometimes controversial, topics to talk about depending on your audience. Many feel that it’s not polite to discuss salaries, net worth, and financial goals. It seems more socially acceptable to complain about not being paid enough, having too many bills, and saying words like, “I…

Power of Investing in Your LinkedIn Brand

Sylvia Inks

brand, investment, leads, LinkedIn, outsourcing, resume

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With the power of networking online, I am amazed to see how little some people have invested in their brand on LinkedIn. It’s the Facebook of business and professional networking. Investing in creating the right brand image can make a difference in securing a new client or job. I no longer accept LinkedIn requests from…

What Should I Do With Tax Refunds?

Sylvia Inks

bonus, investing, savings, start a business, tax, Tax refund

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Have you ever received a big tax refund or bonus and it was gone before you knew it? Did you later regret all those small purchases that wiped out the entire windfall and had nothing to do with your long-term goals, such as pay off debt, create an emergency fund, or start that business that…

Best Accounting Software for Small Business Owners

Sylvia Inks

accounting, inventory, profit and loss, software, taxes

(*Note – This page may contain affiliate links. This means at no additional cost to you, we may receive commissions for purchases made through links.) As tax deadlines approach, the anxiety and frustration from going through the numbers can make or break a small business owner’s day. I find that many entrepreneurs don’t have a system…

Three Surprising Reasons You Need Private Disability Policy

Sylvia Inks

benefits, disability, insurance, risk, small business

Imagine that you are running your business and life is good – you have a loyal client base, sales have been increasing steadily for years, and you are supporting your family with your dream business. (For those employed: Imagine after years of hard work, late nights, and climbing the corporate ladder, you now have the…

The Surprising Secret to Accelerate Your Small Business Success

Sylvia Inks

audience, PowerPoint, presentation, return on investment, speaker, success

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Many small business owners tend to spend money on the wrong things to grow and maintain their businesses. Or they don’t invest in the right products and services at the right time to create the most long-term value for their business. Spending money on a website is often one of the first, and sometimes largest,…

New Year, New Plan, But No Resolutions

Sylvia Inks

freelancers, investment, new years resolution, plan, sponsorship, training

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Looking back at last year, what brings you good memories versus not-so-good ones? If you’ve had time to reflect and decide what you want to repeat versus never repeat, then you’re one step ahead of most. I don’t believe new year’s resolutions really work. I believe in envisioning what you want your life to be like…

How Hiring a Freelancer Is Like Requesting an Uber Ride

Sylvia Inks

business challenge, freelancer, productivity, profitability, virtual assistant

Becoming an entrepreneur can be an exciting, but daunting task. As the CEO of your own company, you often wear multiple hats and fill several or all the roles within your business. Until you feel like you can “afford” to hire someone, you end up doing tasks that you don’t enjoy and maybe are not…

Does Job Security Exist Anymore?

Sylvia Inks

automation, education, job security, productivity, small business, technology

Whether you have a job or run your own business, the biggest question that you should always ask yourself is, “What do I need to do to stay current and ensure that my skills are always in demand?” Otherwise, given how fast technological advances and automation has simultaneously improved and disrupted our lives and job…