Make the business money stuff easier when you're creative or neurodivergent (plus behind-the-scenes of building a business that fits).
Safe Harbor is the simpler way to handle estimated taxes but it isn't the right fit for everyone. If your income has shifted a lot this year, or you're expecting a big change, come figure out whether you need to adjust your estimated tax payments.
Oct 16 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET.
Behind the Scenes
I've done 7 Money Talks (my version of webinars) this year, 1 each month since February (except March).
I started this to get new clients (and did have some attendees book a Money Map afterward).
The real unexpected benefit is I’ve created a reusable presentation that I’ve already given to two communities (and would love to do more).
After each presentation, I made updates based on attendee reactions, their questions, and even actual feedback from another business owner and excavated the main topic: bookkeeping is a tool for confident decisions. That’s how my original topic How to Pay Yourself Without Guessing (Build a Money System) evolved into The Money System Behind Confident Business Decisions. And I’ve already reused the topic to present The Money System Behind Managing Variable Income to talk about paying yourself with variable income.
And the even more surprising outcome? Now I want to do paid public speaking, like being a keynote speaker.
Get to Peaceful Money
I have what I hope isn't a hot take: stop thinking in write-offs if you're not a tax professional.
After years of seeing business owners (especially creative and neurodivergent ones) get really confused about the concept of "write-offs” making taxes even more confusing than they need to be, I kinda wish we could erase it from public usage.
But then we’d lose some funny memes, so that’s why I suggest we stop thinking in write-offs instead.
Why? Well, thinking in write-offs is reactive when you only think about it at the end of the year. A more proactive method is (surprise) doing your bookkeeping monthly.
(I know, that’s not as exciting to talk or meme about, but it makes your head hurt less.)
If you want to hear me talk more about the reason for the confusion behind write-offs and what to do instead?
Let’s Make This Easier
Safe Harbor is the simpler way to handle estimated taxes but it isn't the right fit for everyone. If your income has shifted a lot this year, or you're expecting a big change, Safe Harbor can put you in the wrong spot: pay based on a stronger prior year and you could be handing over money you're not actually earning — cash you might need for payroll, taxes, or just running the business.
Go the other way, with income up sharply this year, and you could underpay and get hit with penalties. The October Money Talk is about figuring out whether that's your situation, and what to do about it.
If this was useful
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