Keep good records...

One piece of advice that I was given when I started Barefoot, was to keep good records.  Unfortunatly, I'm realizing (as tax season is upon us), that I could have done a better job.  One of my goals for 2010 is to keep better records of everything, every little expense that goes towards business needs to be noted, tracked or supported by receipt (or all of the above).  This includes:

• Computer related items such as ink, printer paper, your computer (if you buy a new one for your business)
  
• Supplies such as pens, staples, tape, anything that you use to support your Barefoot business can be a write off. 
• The money you spend on printing flyers, newsletters, business cards, etc
• A portion of your cable bill - you can't run your Barefoot business without the internet, so this is a cost of doing your business.  The same holds true for your telephone. 
• Anytime you give a Barefoot book or product, you track this expense for marketing, even if it's a book that you are giving as a gift, it's considered marketing.  If you run a table at a holiday fair, for example - you write off that expense of the table but also the donation of the book that you have contributed.  
• Gas to and from events 
• Meals when you are at an event
  

In essence, keep track of anything you think you might be using to promote your business. 

Laurie, a very successful Ambassador from Massachusetts had an outstanding entry on her Marketing Barefoot blog in which she details the whys and hows behind what she keeps track of and why.  Like her, I am not an accountant but it is really smart to keep track of anything and everything.