Sage North America | Making Sage Decisions in Your Life

Last updated on October 29th, 2020 at 11:29 am

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man…

Let me handle my business, damn.”

— Jay-Z on Kanye West’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone (remix)”, Late Registration (2005)

Holding a job down as a youth in 2014 has a very different meaning than what was I led to strive for a decade ago. Yes, the traditional jobs are still around—you can be a doctor, lawyer, carpenter or plumber—but life has gotten harder, people are working longer, and here just aren’t as many opportunities to go around for everyone. Blogging’s shown me it’s no exception, with plenty of bloggers trying to make the jump from hobbyists to full-fledged digital consultants, always on the hunt for the next paid gig.

But being hungry for opportunity and working hard isn’t going to cut it in the ultra-competitive world we’re in today—you also have to work smarter than the competition for success, and, from my experiences, Sage’s budgeting tools will help you keep organized so you can spend more time using your energy in the right places.

Making Sage Decisions for Your Future!

My gifts from @SageNAmerica are getting more peculiar. Their software makes budgeting "a piece of cake" 😛 #Sage pic.twitter.com/5ZLlRP6f0X

— Casey E. Palmer (@CaseP) September 3, 2014

When I started getting paid gigs as a blogger, I needed a way to track this new income—it’s not like my 9-5 gig where the HR department issues stubs, pays my CPP and EI contributions and makes sure I don’t get any nasty surprises come tax time. Instead, I use Sage’s electronic tools to track incoming payments and outgoing expenses so any accountant worth their salt can see what I’ve been up to at a glance.

Though I fell into what I do as a “professional blogger” by chance, Sage has tips that any business owner could use to start on the right foot, including:

• Develop a strategy — Organization leaders need to plan out their businesses’ futures ahead of time to know exactly what needs to be done and when it has to happen. This could be picking a location for a new store or expansion and even registering its name. Once the basic steps for advancement are established,
  business owners can develop the best means of meeting them.
• Start earning sooner rather than later—Without a steady supply of revenue, it can be hard to get the ball rolling on a new initiative or rollout of the business itself. Leaders who spend too much time preparing for their debut might have to dip into their own pockets or use valuable assets and resources to finish the final stretch.
• Laying out the budget—When planning expenses and bills, it’s always better to overestimate. If business leaders are expecting higher charges already and they do better than usual that month, the savings are a pleasant surprise. On the other hand, if costs got a little out of control, owners would already be expecting the
  worst and wouldn’t be being blindsided.

So I know it’s hard out there—maybe harder than ever. But if you’re between jobs in an economy where the rules are constantly shifting, are you going to sit down and take it, or will you do something about it and carve a little piece of the world out for yourself?

If you’re bold enough to choose the latter, Sage knows you’ll need some tools for success, which is why they’re giving away a copy of Sage 50 Pro Accounting 2014 (MSRP $229.99) to one lucky reader! All you need to do is submit some entries on the widget below for your chance!

Those who will, do. Those who won’t get left behind, wondering why things never come together for them.

Help me help you, and give the contest a shot!

Until the next,

–case p.