by Solange Lopes | Jan 16, 2018 | Find A Job You Love
Workear: Mila Pumps – Photo credit: anntaylor.com
Our Workwear feature presents various pieces of work-appropriate attire at different price ranges and sizes.
Nothing like a pair of classic pumps with a fashion-forward edge to take your work wardrobe from blah to wow. This pair of Mila suede pumps from Ann Taylor is perfect for the office and beyond, and can literally be paired with just about anything. The rich suede material, combined with the elegant pointy toe will make it a favorite for work. The padded inside will also make it your go-to most days. It’s also available in red, and in sizes 6 through 11 at Ann Taylor.
I also like these Reese leopard print haircalf pumps, as well as these Eryn suede pumps, also from Ann Taylor.
What pieces of workwear would you like us to feature? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
This post contains affiliate links and The Corporate Sister may earn commissions for purchases through links in this post. Thank you!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 13, 2017 | Find A Job You Love
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your small business or side hustle, you may have already realized that bookkeeping is a necessary part of running your business.The process of keeping full, accurate and up-to-date business records may not rank as high as other business activities. However, it’s one of the most successful businesses’ secret to making the most out of tax season.
Keeping your business records in tip-top shape not only helps you input the right amount of business revenue and expenses. It also helps you side-step and avoid MAJOR tax penalties, in addition to saving you time, energy and stress! It also helps to meet applicable quarterly sales tax, as well as federal and state payroll tax obligations. Besides, if the IRS or state tax authorities ever decides to audit your company, having accurate bookkeeping means you’ll not only be ready, but that you’ll also pass the test.
Here are 7 bookkeeping tips to make tax time much easier to handle:
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Planning is key!
The best way to be ready for any upcoming business expenditure is to plan ahead. In the same way that you would plan for equipment, inventory or maintenance expenses, you have to plan for annual taxes. This could be as easy as setting us money aside on a monthly or quarterly basis to cover taxes.
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Schedule your time
Bookkeeping can be a tedious task, and you may be tempted to leave it to the end of the year. Instead try and schedule some time on a weekly or monthly basis to update your books. Stick to a more or less strict schedule to stay current with your finances.
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Don’t mix business and personal!
Keep in mind that business expenses are tax-deductible. As such, make sure to separate your personal from your business expenses to make it easier on yourself. If you happen to use your business accounts or credit cards for personal expenses, remember to track both sets of expenses as accurately as possible.
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Have a system to track your business expenses
Using a credit or debit card to track your expenses can be a great way to ensure costs incurred are true business expenses. Keep this in mind when you’re tempted to use cash, which can be challenging to track over time.
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Invest in Great Software
It’s important to invest in reliable bookkeeping software that can save you significant time and help you input expenses and cash flow more accurately. You can use accounting software for everything from tracking invoices and budget hours, to customizing invoices. There are countless options for bookkeeping software out there, which also may be customized for the industry of your choice.
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Check your invoices!
It can be easy to lose track of your invoices over time. So make sure to keep track of them by running customized reports through your accounting or bookkeeping software, and determine which ones still need to be followed up on.
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Invest in a Professional!
While you may be to handle a number of bookkeeping tasks yourself, in some areas you may have to invest in a pro! Whether you hire an accountant to handle your taxes or payroll, or a financial advisor to give you the best tips on your industry, investing in a professional can reap great rewards for you and your business.
What tips would you add to this list?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 11, 2017 | Find A Job You Love
Welcome to our weekly career, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and fashion news roundup! Think of it as your online watercooler/work gossip station/coffee break spot for now…Want to add anything to our list? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 31, 2017 | Find A Job You Love, Find Your Purpose
This is THE question, right? When it comes to your career, or even your life in general, the big question mark is this one: Pursue what you love or be safe and go for the job that actually pays the bills? The more you advance in life and acquire things (read: mortgage, cars, shoes and purses you don’t need), and the more people you’re responsible for, the more it seems you should settle for the latter option.
Some of you may not even be sure what your passion really is, or if you even have one. Others wouldn’t know where to start to tap into their passions, skills and talents. And for the rest, well, they may just be too tired to even begin the whole process of answering this question.
I know I’ve asked myself the question countless times, and at times, I still do. I was raised in a conservative, single-parent household run by my single mom in Senegal. My siblings and I grew up with a clear understanding that if we wanted to make it in this life, we’d have to go for stability. Forget the big adventure of following our passions.
Why do so few of us take the time to figure it out?
In college, I was always looking at other students taking a sabbatical year or a year abroad with a mix of wonder and envy. How could they even afford to take some time off to explore their wants, or take some time to reflect? There were degrees to be had, jobs to be held, money to be made, bills to be paid…And shoes to be bought occasionally too…
Especially as an immigrant, I never thought there was room, time or space to devote to anything else than working and building a stable nest. Pursuing talents, skills and passions was for rich kids with trust funds, or those who roamed freely on the surface of this Earth with no sense of obligation or duty. For the rest of us, there were responsibilities, commitments and obligations galore to attend to. From making rent to making our families proud, it was all about doing the “right, sensible thing, and making money in the process.
Is Money All There is?
Money was the big equalizer, that financial equilibrium that could bring us closer to our dreams. After all, if you didn’t have money, how could you find fulfillment on an empty stomach? Yet, as the reality of daily started to settle in, it felt like no matter how materially satisfied we may be, that didn’t necessarily equate with fulfillment. Actually, the more materially satisfied we are without pursuing what really matters to us, the more depleted we tend to feel.
So What Makes Us Start Thinking Differently?
Then, as close friends and family members leave this life, the reality that we’re not going to be here forever hits us in squarely in the face. We start understanding that time, and not money, is our most precious commodity. That there may very well be a reason why we were put on this Earth, and are given the privilege to wake up and keep breathing every single day.
Should we just forego all idea of stability?
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in stability. Stability is good. Safety is comforting. I love the idea of a full bank account, a prolific retirement account and the security of having more than enough. Yet at some point between losing people I dearly love and realizing my own mortality, I started believing more in actually enjoying life. Not in a desperate, “let-me-get-all-I-can-while-I’m-here” kind of way. But in a purposeful, intentional way that says “I know I’m here for a reason. I know I was created for a purpose, and I need to find out why and go do that.”
So maybe more of us should be taking that year off in college to travel the world, or just think about what we really want out of life. Maybe it’s not a luxury just reserved for the trust fund kids, or those who roam freely on the surface of this Earth. Maybe taking the time to know who we are and why we are here is actually a necessity.
This doesn’t mean that we should quit our jobs tomorrow and go sailing on the Mediterranean seas. Or that we shouldn’t worry about stable incomes, debt repayment and keeping our credit scores intact. What this means is that as we make a living, we should also make a life. That money is important, but should not be the ultimate priority of our life journeys.
What should we do then?
So should you pursue what you love or keep a stable job? If you’re asking yourself the question today, you should do neither right away. What you can do is stop, take a deep breath and answer the following questions for yourself:
- Are you fulfilled?
Really fulfilled, as in, waking up with this sense of being full and overflowing of the goodness of this life. Or are you heavy, burdened with responsibilities, and dreading the day/month/year ahead?
No one other than you knows the answer to this question, and no one can help you answer it. This is where you look inward and be honest with yourself about how you feel.
- Why are you here?
Purpose is not an illusion, it’s a reality. I believe we all have a purpose, a reason to be. Or many for that matter. What’s yours? Why are you here?
This is a tough question to answer, unless you have a vision and goals for your life. If you don’t, take some time to explore the activities and things that bring you the most joy and peace. You’ll find your answer.
- What do you need to get there?
It’s one thing to realize that you are or are not fulfilled enough. Or to take hold of what your purpose is. However, we live in a practical world that requires you to devise a plan to get to wherever you may be going.
What will you need to achieve your purpose and find fulfillment? What does that mean for you spiritually, emotionally, relationship-wise and financially? Determine if it will require you to save more money, leave some relationships, address some gaps in your personality, and start tackling these one at a time.
Now your turn: Do you believe you should pursue what you love or keep a stable job?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis
by Solange Lopes | Oct 30, 2017 | Find A Job You Love
V-Neck Midi Dress – Photo credit: nordstromrack.com
Our Workwear feature presents various pieces of work-appropriate attire at different price ranges and sizes.
There are few things more structured and polished than this plaid V-neck midi dress from Nordstrom Rack, perfect for the office and after-hours. The stand-up collar adds a nice touch of sophistication to this otherwise classic midi dress, while the plaid pattern is perfect for Fall. The cap sleeves and elegant length are comfortable enough to make this a workwear favorite! This dress is available in sizes 2 to 16, and is on sale for $79.97 at Nordstrom Rack.
In a similar style, I also like this Betsey Johnson diamond-embossed dress.
What pieces of workwear would you like us to feature? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
This post contains affiliate links and The Corporate Sister may earn commissions for purchases through links in this post. Thank you!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 23, 2017 | Career, Find A Job You Love
Being a woman of color in the workplace comes with many challenges. One of these is the almost constant tendency to be uncomfortable at work. When you’re the only woman of color in the room, when others may not give you the credit you deserve or you may be overlooked entirely, it can be easy to shy away from being your best self at work.
Remember the scene in Something New, when Sanaa Lathan, who works as a corporate finance manager at a top Fortune 500 company, gets overlooked by rich, white clients because she happens to be a Black woman? This scene is one that many women of color face, and live, on a daily or at least frequent basis at work. As a result, we may start internalizing this fear of putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations by speaking up or even being noticed in the workplace.
It takes tremendous effort to keep showing up as our best selves in environments in which we may not be valued or overlooked, especially in professional ones. We may want to go above and beyond to prove our worth, or on the very contrary, recede in the confines of our cubicles or offices and remain quiet. Many times, I chose the latter. I know I’m not the only one…
Instead of beating ourselves up, accept the status quo or burn ourselves out to prove our worth, here are a few ways we can beat our fear of being uncomfortable as women of color at work:
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Acknowledge the fear
The struggle is real, and so is the fear! The first step to challenge your fears is to acknowledge them. You’re not imagining things, neither do you need to beat yourself up for feeling the fear of facing uncomfortable professional situations. Recognize how you’re feeling and make peace with where you’re at professionally, mentally and emotionally at the moment. Instead of putting yourself down for it, accept it and be open to challenge it!
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Stop taking it personal!
Taking things personal at work doesn’t help solve them, in the very contrary. Your career is more important than personal considerations, so resist the temptation to take uncomfortable settings and situations personal. Instead, take your focus off of the people involved and start asking yourself what YOU can do to go beyond your own fears and turn the pain into lessons.
Every challenge we face is meant to teach us something about ourselves, and help provide us with the inspiration to create solutions. How are your professional challenges motivating you to beat the fear of being uncomfortable? Once you start answering this question, you’ll be on your way to turning your fear into progress.
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Do one “small” thing every day to challenge it!
The concrete walls we tend to face as women of color at work can make us feel powerless. One of the reasons for this, is that we may try to solve all the issues we’re facing all at once. There are too many existing systemic and organizational challenges for us to be able to address them all.
Rather, it’s a matter of asking ourselves how we can chip at these issues, one day at a time, starting with ourselves. You know what they say about eating an elephant, one bite at a time, right? What is the smallest thing you can do to address your fear? Can you speak up once during the meeting today? Can you volunteer for a challenging opportunity in the next 30 days? Identify the smallest step you can take today, tomorrow and in the future and act on it!
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Speak up and Tell your truth
It can be hard to face your truth as a woman of color at work, let alone sharing it with others in the workplace. Yet without telling our stories and letting our truths be known, others around us may not be able to understand what we’re going through. In order for better communication to take place around the challenges faced by women of color at work, there must be a conversation taking place.
This is not about making a litany of complaints to whoever wants to hear. Neither is it about confronting every issue at work. What this is about is being willing to clearly articulate, in a constructive yet firm way, our desire to understand and minimize the obstacles in our way.
It’s about saying that you wanted the promotion and do not understand why you didn’t get it. Are you following up with your management to obtain the feedback you need in order to advance? Are you clearly sharing your expectations, even when they’re being overlooked over and over again? Are you asking the difficult questions rather than shrinking back out of fear?
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Stop hiding!
Is the fear of being uncomfortable as a woman of color at work keeping you hidden in your cubicle or office? Are you avoiding strategic meetings or shrinking in the back of the room for fear of being judged? Are you not making your voice being heard because the cost may outweigh the benefits?
If you’re invisible, silent or both, then your power to effect change for yourself and others is seriously diminished. Overcoming your fear as a woman of color at work also means coming out of hiding. It means making your contributions known, advocating for yourself as you ask others to advocate for you.
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Keep showing up
Don’t just show up once or twice, keep showing up each and every day! This means sitting at the front of the meeting room at every meeting. It also means asking for opportunities over and over, long after you’ve been told no the first time. The more you keep showing up, the less fear you feel, and the more you can start turning the tables around you.
This is about persistence and continued effort, at all levels of your career. It’s also about making sure you have the right mindset and stamina to keep showing renewed effort and vigor on a daily basis.
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Encourage another woman of color
Sometimes, the best way to address a fear we have is to help someone who may be experiencing the same fear. Encourage another woman of color who may be going through the same issues silently. This is not about creating a new “complaint department”, but rather using each other as a source of inspiration, strength and motivation.
How do you overcome your fear of being uncomfortable as a woman of color at work?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis
by Solange Lopes | Oct 13, 2017 | Find A Job You Love, PODCAST
Welcome to Episode #10 of the newly re-branded Corporate Sister Podcast! In this episode, we’re all about Girl Power Networking, or successful networking for busy working women! In a world where the perks of networking seem to be reserved to men, we as working women have to start claiming our spot in the room. It starts with leveraging the power of networking and successfully re-defining it in the context of our lives and work.
What you’ll learn/listen to/enjoy in this episode:
- Why networking is the #1 unwritten rule of business
- Why working women need to leverage networking
- How to shift your mindset around networking
- Tips to harness the power of networking as a working woman
Links:
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to this week’s episode! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please share it by using the social media at the bottom of this post!
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Thanks so much for your support!
Until next time,
The Corporate Sis.
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