{"id":24459,"date":"2020-07-31T19:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T23:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nevharris.com\/?p=24459"},"modified":"2021-05-28T01:02:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T05:02:32","slug":"where-to-get-free-financial-advice-for-your-business-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nevharris.com\/where-to-get-free-financial-advice-for-your-business-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Get Free Financial Advice for Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
If you\u2019ve ever spoken with an accounting firm or financial planner, then you know how exciting it is to imagine someone else managing your business\u2019s finances for you. The not-so-exciting bit? The bill. It’s true – free financial advice can be hard to find.
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How the heck are you supposed to pay them to manage your finances or, at the very least, advise you on them, if you don\u2019t have enough money to pay yourself enough yet? That\u2019s a big problem and one that could realistically keep you from hiring someone to provide the financial advice and support you need right now.
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So, what do you do? Just keep trudging along with the status quo, not knowing your numbers, and not knowing what to do with them once you have them?
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Like a lot of what you do as a small agency owner, you\u2019re going to have to take the DIY approach until you make serious headway with your finances. Don\u2019t worry. There are some great resources that provide free financial advice that is both useful and will enable you to take immediate action.
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Let\u2019s take a look:
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To be clear, most of you won\u2019t be able to leverage the Foundation for Financial Planning<\/a>\u2019s network of pro bono financial advisors. The free service is only available to people in dire need or crisis. However, the Foundation for Financial Planning has a number of free consumer resources<\/a> you can use. There are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n [Foundation for Financial Planning.jpg] Because these are meant more for consumers struggling with personal debt and general finance management, that\u2019s mostly what you\u2019ll find here. However, if your personal financial state is affecting your professional one, this is the best place to start. The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is another organization that aims to help consumers in need. However, their local chapters occasionally offer financial planning days<\/a> where you can meet with a certified financial planner for free. [Financial Planning Days.jpg] If you\u2019re having a hard time, in particular, with saving money for business or planning for retirement, check to see if your local FPA is planning one of these free events. They don\u2019t run too often, but they\u2019re worth checking out when you can find them. (Here\u2019s an example of one held in Baltimore<\/a> earlier this year.) If you\u2019re reading this, then you probably enjoy scouring the web or social media for stuff to read \u2014 especially when it helps you improve your business. If that\u2019s the case, then you should subscribe to your favorite money blog and let it pour free financial advice into your inbox on a regular basis. [Forbes Advisor.jpg] If you don\u2019t have one yet, give these money blogs a shot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And don\u2019t forget to bookmark this blog! We have a lot more content coming your way. Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money Making Machine<\/a> is one of the best finance resources for small agency owners. [Profit First.jpg] Author Mike Michalowicz didn\u2019t just pull all of this sound financial advice out of thin air either \u2014 he lived it. Pick up a copy of this book and you\u2019ll see how even the most self-assured agency owners can crash and burn if they don\u2019t handle their finances properly\u2026 and what to do to make sure that doesn\u2019t happen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Listen to Your Favorite Money Podcast<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your response to the previous two suggestions was, \u201cI don\u2019t have time to read\u201d, I get it. So, why not try a podcast instead? You can listen to it while you\u2019re working out at the gym, cooking dinner at home, or going for a long drive. Here are some of the best podcasts for small agency owners trying to build a business and improve their financial health: <\/p>\n\n\n\n [Tim Ferriss Show.jpg] While every topic won\u2019t cover finance management directly, these business lessons will help you gain better control over your business so that money becomes less of an issue along the way. First, I should ask: Do you have a mentor? If not, you should work on finding someone, especially if you\u2019re working on your own. Small agency ownership is tough and it\u2019s important to have someone to talk to about your ups and downs. If you can find someone with whom you feel comfortable chatting about money, that\u2019s even better. Finding the right Facebook group can do wonders for your company\u2019s growth and success. Take, for example, the Digital Mavericks group<\/a> run by WP Elevation. [Digital Mavericks.jpg] Although you\u2019ll find a good mix of questions here, chances are good you\u2019ll see finance-related questions (like the one above) pop up in the news stream. That\u2019s because all of us working in creative fields (like WordPress design) are thinking about the same thing: How do we make more money and do it wisely?<\/strong> Whether you work with WordPress or want to focus on another niche, there\u2019s definitely a Facebook group filled with like-minded agency owners with financial questions and advice to help you out. While you\u2019re not likely to find a free local class to help you manage your finances, you can certainly find a free local Meetup<\/a> that focuses on relevant topics. [Meetup Finance.jpg] Don\u2019t be afraid to look for other kinds of Meetups beyond the ones with a finance focus. Professional Meetups might hold the occasional meeting with a finance spin, too. There are four kinds of money management apps<\/a> you should be using for your business. But did you know that many of these tools do more than just track your cash flow and manage it?
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Attend a Financial Planning Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Subscribe to Your Favorite Money Blog<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. Read Profit First<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n6. Talk to Your Mentor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Talk to Your Facebook Group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n8. Attend a Meetup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n9. Look Inside Your Money Management App<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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