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Why Flaunt?

I get asked frequently why my business is named Flaunt.   

Here’s the story behind the name.

Several years ago I had another company, UrbanaBox, a custom gift business.  We offered branded products, custom made chocolates, wine, and even cigars.  But I just wasn’t getting the traction I wanted.  Along the way I met a partner in a successful PR company here in Seattle and we had a strategy session.  As I was taking notes, writing down everything she said, my head suddenly snapped up …BRILLIANT.

I was taken aback by her take on small business owners, “Most small business owners, especially women, don’t FLAUNT enough.  No one knows they’re there.”  WOW.  I immediatly thought back over to all of the women I had helped in their businesses over the past 10 years and she was right.  They all played small, avoided being seen, had catastrophic money problems, and several had closed their doors.

So you’re asking what does this have to do with Flaunt Inc.  In 2009 I knew I wanted to change up my accounting practice by offering more, way, way, more to women in business.  Coming up with a name was proving difficult…nothing felt quite right.  Then Ta Da….I had a dream that I named my new venture Boast but when I woke up I knew it would be Flaunt.  Don’t you love solving problems while you’re sleeping?  I do.

The Flaunt Financial Manifesto spells out our beliefs and how we do business around here….a NEW way to view money and business.  A view that isn’t so intimidating after all.     Success will find you when you Embrace Change, Heal your Money Pain, tap into your Heart & Soul, and finally Find your Purpose.

Getting it “Just Right”

It’s easy to get lost in the details of your business.  So many things to get “just right”…from branding and marketing to  sales  and operations.

When you can’t hear yourself; not sure which answer is the right one for you,  hire someone to quiz you about your “Why”; about your “What”; about your “How”.   Record these conversations (it can take several)  so you can hear yourself say those unexpected and brilliant ideas.  Those ideas you had no idea were buried deep inside of you.

Recently, I hired several experts to help me in different parts of my business and it’s made a huge difference in my pocketbook.  We can’t see ourselves the way others do so when you have a trusted friend or colleague grilling you about what lights you up it’ll transform you and your business.

You’ll   find your clear internal voice and recognize which direction is “just right” for you.

Tax Time Gone Wrong

The pressure is on….TAX TIME which is scary enough but how freaked out would you be if your W-2′s and 1099′s were lost by your Tax Preparer.    Check out the  tax preparer but really the #1 Tip is to keep your originals and give them copies.   Don’t let this happen to you!

Last March Tom and Sue were in a real crunch…Tom was going overseas and they needed their taxes done ASAP.   Thinking a local chain would take care of their easy 1040 return they made an initial appointment.  All good so far, right?   Turns out, wrong….very wrong.  During the meeting, Tom and Sue realized they were missed a few documents but faxed them the next day.   Sue called to check the next week and was told someone would get back to her.  April 15th was fast approaching and they’d had no updates.

That’s when the shuffling and the run-around started.   The more questions she asked the less the  office staff  knew.   Tom was now overseas and Sue was getting nervous.  With her two babies in tow, she drove to the tax office to pick up their documents and start over with someone new.   All  she wanted was  her file folder with her personal documents returned.

Oops, no one in the office could find Tom and Sue’s file….”It might be in our second office”…which is over 100 miles away….. “Debbie might have it”  Wait, what?   Sensitive documents are taken out of  the office and there’s no paper trail.  Really??  Can you imagine a car accident  and there’s your Social Security number blowin’ in the wind?    Really??

Lucky for Tom and Sue  a few documents were in the office computer but they had to piece together the rest.  Would you know what’s in the file folder you gave to your tax firm and who to contact to get another copy?

Here’s the smart way to work with a tax preparer:

1. Keep the originals and give copies to your preparer.

2. Use a year-round accounting or CPA office.

3. Get references from past clients – due diligence is a good thing.

4. Ask that your documents stay in their office.

5. Stay engaged in the process – check on the status.

 Any questions or commnets, I’d love to hear them.

It’s You, Babe

It’s your business; you’re the Owner; the CEO and CFO; and the VP of sales and marketing.

As a business owner you’re in charge of it all…every department is all yours to manage or not to manage. If you’re a technician, hat is, a stylist, an esthetician, or mechanic, when you start your own business you must learn the “business” side of your business. It’s not enough to be the best at your technical role, you’ve got to the become manager too.


Just as you invested both time and money to learn your craft, you’ve also got to learn Sales and Marketing, Finance, and Operations. Many would-be entrepreneurs are top notch plumbers, florists, or event planners are terrible business owners. They don’t have the skills to hire or fire staff, find the right mix of products and services, or manage the money piece.

Hire experts, take classes, or even read books on the subjects that aren’t your area of proficiency. Beef up your skills so you don’t make costly mistakes. And mistakes are often made in the financial, marketing, sales side if you don’t know the processes and how they all fit together.

Remember as an entrepreneur you wear ALL of the hats and sometimes all at the same time!

The Heart of Your Success

Do you want different results in your business? To have something different you have to DO something different. What I’ve seen over and over again in businesses large and small is woman ignoring the money piece. If this is you, keep reading.
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