I'm leaving today for Raleigh, North Carolina, for my first two book signings. Both are in coffee houses. On Friday night I'll be at Caribou Coffee from 6 to 8, and on Saturday morning I'll be at Third Place Coffee House from 11 to 1. We'll be staying at the home of Sonia and Matt Kane, who are wonderful, gracious people who love God and serve Him faithfully. Books arrived yesterday and I made my first sale to a neighbor.
I bought and installed QuickBooks to make sure I handle the business end of things properly. And I consulted with an accountant to make sure my chart of accounts is adequate. As a certified church administrator, I recommend to anyone going into business that the first thing they do is consult with an accountant. Anyone going into business needs to be sure he or she knows exactly what taxes they must charge and when to pay them. I know a guy who lost his house because he had not paid the FICA taxes when they were due. In every state I'll be selling books in the near future I've registered as a merchant to collect and remit sales tax. I'll have my laptop with me, so that my wife, Barb, can take credit cards as well cash and checks. I tell you all of this just to inform any of you who are selling books or selling anything that the business end is important, and you need to take the time to learn what to do and when to do it so you won't get hopelessly behind and find yourself in trouble with the government and with your own need to make a profit, which you need to live on.
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