I use a Google Voice number as my business number.

Ginger, I've used Onebox for a dozen years and have been totally satisfied. It's an integrated messaging system...and offers much more than I ever use. It costs, but it is a minor deduction.

I love the business card design. It has texture and whimsy in an otherwise digital-drenched field. That says something wonderful about you and what you offer.

I love the business card design. It has texture and whimsy in an otherwise digital-drenched field. That says something wonderful about you and what you offer.

What bonny said!

I'm thinking about using a Google Voice number on my card and website because I can customize it and because I'm trying to move away from AT&T as my phone company.

I like the card!

Ginger, the only thing I can think of is to give more space between words (not kerning character), since it will help parse that it's both an ampersand and a pen. Communications seems to be very bold and reasonably tightly kerned I think lightening it a *smidge* but not so much it doesn't draw the eye.

I've always followed a poor accounting procedure of having a single account that mingles business and personal. The reason I was able to do that is that I was always paid in a small number of checks my business expenses were not only small dollar, but few in number. In short I was able to keep track of my business in a single account, and record check numbers and keep receipts - so I have more or less gotten away with it. (Don't know if it might cost me problems in an audit,though hopefully, keeping receipts takes care of that.)

OK but now numbers of transactions are about to increase. So time to be a little more professional and get a separate account. Question: is there any reason not to get a second personal account rather than business account. At my bank, checks are free on a personal account. And they do let you electronically track expenses. I guess the disadvantage is that checks written to me still have to be made out to me personally. But at the moment, the account will be used for
A) my consulting business
B) books written by me and retailed by m

So I don't have problem with checks being written to me personally, and in this context I don't think it is unprofessional. Any feedback? Do you think being able to have checks written to [lastname] Information would make a seriously more professional impression than having checks written to Firstname Lastname?

OK but now numbers of transactions are about to increase.

Mazel Tov!

IMO, there's no need to go beyond a personal account unless/until you need to have multiple signatories, a separate business name, or are using it to establish business credit (yeah, kinda circular, I know). For a consulting business, you are the professional impression they're looking for, and it's been my experience that everyone I've dealt with just asks who they should make the check to anyway.

That said, do start keeping your business stuff more separate; I wasn't good enough about that in my first year, and it would've been a lot easier to keep up with tax expenses later if I had -- either way shouldn't be any more risk audit-wise, since your business finances and personal finances are legally the same for as long as you remain a sole proprietor, but I spent the equivalent of umpty-mumpty billable hours squinting at blurry receipts and saying "now what was this and which account did it come from?" when I could've just said "okay, absolutely everything on this account is business".

(& obviously, IANAL nor an accountant, but that's based on pro advice)

Typo, I think you can get a personal account with dba [TypoBoy Info] and then can take checks made out to [TypoBoy Info], if you're a sole proprietorship. I think.

Typo

I agree with amych that most corporations are used to consultants being independent proprietors and AP departments will cut a check to whatever name is on the invoice so I don't think using your name for the payment process for services will be a problem. I think the place where using your personal account may be an issue is sales tax on the books you sell. You will need to register as a business entity with the state for that purpose and the procedures for collecting and remitting sales tax may be more than you want to run through your personal account in terms of accounting for the transactions. You may want to think about setting up a Paypal account for book sales and getting a credit card solely for your business expenses; those two things will help you with tracking but allow you to avoid the fees and minimum balances that many banks impose on commercial accounts.