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A very large part of my life is figuring out what I want for myself in the future. Like most people, I would love to travel to places like Italy, Africa, China, and Oregon. Reasons why I would love to visit these places is for the scenery and the vast cultures. I would also love to help people so, as I have a strong suite in math and planning, I would love to help small businesses and individuals in becoming financially stable. So many people fall because they do not know exactly how to spend their money so that they will benefit the most and be able to grow their business or just personally become or continue to be financially self reliant.

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If there was one piece of advice I have for people today to experience more joy in life, it is to travel more. I don't mean taking vacations or going on pre-planning trips, I mean making the journey out to somewhere you've never gone before with an open schedule, to let life show you what opportunities were waiting for you that you couldn't have even imaged before.

Traveling is wonderful in many ways. It captures us with a sense of wanderlust and has us longing for more destinations to visit, cultures to experience, food to eat, and people to meet. As amazing as traveling is, most of us think we need to wait until our later years to really explore a lot of the world. I want to inspire you to travel more now and I will do that by sharing 9 wonderful benefits of traveling so you can take the leap of faith you've been waiting for.

1. You'll find a new purpose

"To travel is to take a journey into yourself." - Danny Kaye

Traveling is an amazingly underrated investment in yourself. As you travel you're exposed to more new people, cultures, and lifestyles than you are living in your homeland all the time. With all the newness in your life, you're also opened to new insights, ways of seeing the world and living, which often gives people a new purpose for their lives. If you're feeling stuck on what your purpose is, what you want to do with your life, the career or educational path you want to pursue, go travel...you might just be surprised about what you discover as a new sense of life purpose and direction.

2. You'll appreciate your home more

"All travel has it's advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it." - Samuel Johnson

When we spend time away from home, especially in a place where we don't have the same luxuries readily available to us...like a village in Fiji that runs without electricity...we become more aware and appreciative for the luxuries we have back at home. I remember a time where I visited my cousin in Argentina after she'd been living there for about a year. I was visiting her around Christmas time and brought her the new Harry Potter book along with some basic goods that you can find almost anywhere in Los Angeles. She was over joyous and filled with gratitude, like she just got the greatest gift in the world. In other parts of the world, like India and Ethiopia, people don't have as much access to clean drinking water...especially from what's readily available on tap. Traveling through areas like that really make us appreciate what we do have, and often can spark the movement of something to support people living there experience a greater quality of life.

3. You'll realize that your home is more than just where you grew up

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." - Lin Yutang

The more we travel, the more we realize that our home is so much more than the town, city, state and even country that we've grown up in; we realize that our home is the world, this planet, and we become more conscious of how we can harmoniously live and support one another. And in that knowingness and state of consciousness, people like those supporting the movement of charity:water come into fruition.

4. You'll realize how little you actually knew about the world

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." - Saint Augustine

There's concept, and then there's experience. When we travel, we may notice that some of the things we've heard about the world end up being very different than what we were indoctrinated and conditioned to believe. Many of the initial myths that get dispelled are often about traveling itself. Where you once may have thought it was too expensive and dangerous, you may realize how you can actually save more on your lifestyle expenses traveling the world than you do living at home. You may also realize how kind and friendly strangers can be, and how they are even willing to take care of you with a place to sleep at night. Beyond that, you have the whole world to learn about with every place you discover, every person you meet and every culture you experience.

5. You'll realize that we all share similar needs

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Tony Robbins has said many times that no matter what your background is, all human beings share 6 common needs. As you travel more, you notice the truth of this even more...and as that happens, you are more adept in being able to relate to people regardless of their background.

6. You'll realize that it's extremely easy to make friends

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." - Tim Cahill

One of the first things I learned from traveling solo is how easy it is to make friends. Something magical happens in how people can show up more raw and real when they're out of their conditioned environment and open to express themselves without feeling judged. That rawness and realness ends up inspiring others to be authentic, and that's how you can become best friends with people when you've only known them for a few hours.

7. You'll experience the interconnectedness of humanity

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." - Maya Angelou

Just as we notice how we share similar needs, how our perspective of our home expands, and how we become close friends with others from different backgrounds and cultures, we begin to realize how we are all connected. This state of awareness is a jump in consciousness, and what I mean by that is in the way we perceive the world, the life experience and ourselves. Ken Wilber speaks about consciousness as spiral dynamics, each level of consciousness inclusive of the one previous. I feel that traveling often helps people experience a world-centric view of consciousness, and some even on that's integrated...able to see, understand and accept all states of consciousness, and utilizing the gifts of whatever is best and most appropriate in the moment.

8. You'll experience serendipity and synchronicity

"Traveling is one of the easiest ways to become aware of the magic that weaves all of creation together through serendipity and synchronicity with perfect timing." - Adam Siddiq

Serendipity: luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. And here's Synchronicity: coincidence of events that appear meaningfully related but do not seem to be causally connected

I'm going to share one story of how I experienced serendipity and synchronicity in Spain. It was early in the morning and it was time for me to return the motorcycle my friend had rented with me yesterday. She left very early in the morning on a flight home so it was my responsibility to return it. I woke up to a beautiful sunny morning in Spain and went out to the street to start the motorcycle. I started to drive, forgetting that the chain was left on the wheel. Having no previous experience with motorcycles, I realized I was in a predicament. Two minutes later, a car drove and parked behind me. I had a feeling that someone in that vehicle knew how to fix motorcycles and was going to help me remove the chain so I could return the motorcycle. As they got out, I spoke to them in Spanish, telling them what happened. One of them motioned the other to go on. He mentioned they were mechanics and here for a job, and that he could help me get the chain off...and he did. I thanked him and he seemed gratified to help a fellow soul on their way. In that moment, I realized that no matter what...the world is here to support me, which leads us to the last benefit of traveling.

9. You'll realize life is a wonderful gift

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Life is a wonderful gift. It really is, and as we travel and experience more of the world and life, we often become overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for all the beautiful moments we enjoyed and people we've shared them with. More often than not, this is a realization that we can experience and take action from now while we're still alive with energy rather than stacking up regrets by the time we're on our death bed. Rather than waiting until you're saying "I wish I had", live so you can say "I'm glad I did".

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If there was one piece of advice I have for people today to experience more joy in life, it is to travel more. I don't mean taking vacations or going on pre-planning trips, I mean making the journey out to somewhere you've never gone before with an open schedule, to let life show you what opportunities were waiting for you that you couldn't have even imaged before.

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10 Best Places to Visit in China - Travel Video

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Sicily Travel, Tours, Vacation - Mediterranean cruises HD

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10 Best Places to Visit in Oregon - Travel Video

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Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests

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Bookkeeping is necessary in any business. As a small business owner, it's important to recognize that the best practices used by Fortune 500 companies also apply to you. Following basic accounting principles is essential for success in any size business; savvy record-keeping and financial analysis is key to not only monitoring your expenses, but to discovering new avenues of growth. In addition, it ensures you stay responsible for tax obligations to the government and to your employees.

Accounting entails more than just managing credits and debits, and it comes into play more often in everyday business decisions than you may realize. A few examples include:

Closely monitoring your accounts receivable to illustrate trends or behaviors in your customer base. It can also cut down on the costs you incur by pursuing late payers.

Establishing a detailed budget to help discover inefficiencies within your operations.

Sudden changes in vendor costs or sales revenues can alert you to important industry changes.

Understanding your financial position in order to spot problem areas that could interfere with loans earmarked for expansion.

As you consider your accounting strategy, review your company's financial goals. Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or you employ a staff, your survival hinges on clearly stated financial objectives. You may be in business to reap as much profit as you can, or you may be interested in sharing a product or service that you believe in. Either way, experts agree that one of the most common reasons small business fail is because cash flow runs dry. To prevent this disaster, your business should implement policies for efficient record-keeping and a sound financial strategy.

Taxes are unavoidable. Depending where you operate and the nature of your business, the IRS has very specific requirements about the documentation you're required to file. Submitting improper or inaccurate documentation can get you into trouble, and it can be extremely costly in terms of fees and penalties. Preparing the required tax documentation has its benefits though, and it can give you vital information about the health of your business. Monthly or quarterly financial statements, cash flow statements, and asset and income statements can provide a clearer picture of your business than your bank balance. Understanding IRS requirements and how you can make them work for you can give you a deeper understanding of your company's financial health.

What information should I be tracking?

If you haven't had formal training in accounting or are more interested in other aspects of your business, keeping meticulous records of financial data can be a chore. Furthermore, understanding precisely what information you should be tracking can be overwhelming and confusing. Most small businesses should track the following categories of data:

[categories-of-data]

How should I track these metrics?

Though it's quite common for small business owners to have a spouse or family friend "do the books," effectively managing your small business's finances goes beyond bookkeeping. Properly strategizing for your company's future, as well as meeting your legal requirements, is best achieved with professional accounting methods. This is particularly true if you're too busy or too uninterested in the nitty-gritty details to analyze the numbers. At this stage, successful small businesses consider either outsourcing their accounting needs or investing in accounting software. Each option has its pros and cons.

For many startup companies, funds are tight and it may be tempting to pursue the cheapest method. Because your legal requirements are only due once per year, you may choose to ignore it all until tax time every spring. Remember, if you choose this option, you're essentially opting out of receiving crucial data that can encourage success. The short-term solution may not be the best one, and it pays to do your due diligence when making this critical decision.

Accounting Software

Tech-savvy business owners or those familiar with accounting principles may be drawn to accounting software. From a time management standpoint, digital bookkeeping is a vast improvement over manual calculations. These applications automatically crunch numbers, perform data entry, track performance metrics and produce business reports. Once your data is entered into an application correctly, the accuracy of the software's calculations is virtually guaranteed; this can be a comfort in the event of IRS scrutiny.

More advanced versions integrate with other office management programs, display data trends, pay accounts receivables, remit invoices or ensure that you're meeting tax requirements. Extensive data storage within an application like this also increases your company's efficiency, allowing access to details like payment history with a few keystrokes.

Data entry saves redundancy

Security is riskier within
cloud-based services

Pre-calculated sales taxes

Often packaged as subscription
services that charge for annual updates

Cloud-based storage eliminates
the need for costly desktop
technology in the office

Dependent on tech support from
outside source

Generally user-friendly

Costs can be high, especially for
a desktop-based installation

Some software programs are targeted toward small business accounting professionals or bookkeepers; others are designed for business owners who are unfamiliar with accounting but willing to learn. For companies with little or no inventory and few employees, minimalist accounting software is available for free or at low cost. These basic solutions are affordable and easy to implement, though they do leave you at risk of spending considerably more for an IRS audit triggered by inaccurate reporting.

Below, we've aggregated a list of the 10 most popular accounting software programs for small businesses.

[accounting-software]

Hiring an Accountant

In some cases, small business owners may be more comfortable hiring a sole practitioner or accounting services firm, perhaps one that specializes in small businesses. Other businesses may hire temporary accounting staff at certain times during the year, or hire part-time bookkeeping staff with advanced training. In each of these cases, business owners transfer the company's financial management to another individual. For a business owner who lacks accounting skills or detests crunching numbers, outsourcing the company's financials can be an attractive choice.

Many business owners find an accountant's expertise and tax knowledge to be the biggest draw towards outsourcing. A qualified accountant can assist in numerous ways outside of managing day-to-day finances. For example:

Advising on how best to structure a company before it's formed

Consulting on the financial details of your business plan

Identifying potential cost savings in operations

Managing payroll

Developing a financial safety net in case of catastrophic events or struggling growth

Liaising with the IRS in the event of an audit

Though many small businesses start out with the owner as the sole employee, there comes a point during their growth when it's wisest to hand over accounting functions to a professional. In this situation, businesses may choose to hire an inside accountant or an outside accountant in an accounting firm. For younger, growing businesses, using an accounting firm offers some flexibility. Keeping a firm on retainer for consultation can be particularly useful for the business that only needs their expertise a few times per year, for example. This is a cheaper option that still delivers high-level knowledge. Accounting firms generally charge by the hour, though some analytic functions will be priced higher than others. If you're unsure, weigh the cost against what such a firm can save your company over time.

Accountant Pros

Accountant Cons

CPAs are trustworthy

Hourly rates are costly

Tax law knowledge is crucial

Most of your company's financial
knowledge lies with one person, which is risky

IRS audit assistance

Lack of control over daily transactions

Development of business growth strategy

Outside of the office

Choosing an accounting services provider can be just as daunting as keep your own books. Most small business owners are familiar with the Big Four names in accounting:

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Ernst & Young

KPMG

These firms are easily accessible and well-staffed with qualified CPAs. However, their size leads some small business owners to prefer a smaller firm that won't lose them among their top-dollar clients or pass them off to junior staff. Smaller firms are generally much less expensive, and can provide face-to-face service.

For established businesses, the hourly rates of an accounting firm can become exorbitant as the complexity of transactions increases. In this case, it may make more sense to hire an in-house accountant. Once the right individual is on the payroll, he or she can manage a wealth of processes that ultimately justify the salary.

What's Next?

It's no secret that small business owners have a lot to do. As we've explored here, the financial implications of business ownership are extensive, yet critical to a company's success. Having a dependable, efficient accounting system can free up your time to focus on the things you love about your business. As you explore accounting solutions for your company, consider the following questions:

What is the size of my company? Small businesses generally have fewer than 20 employees.

What technology is available to me and my employees?

Is my understanding of basic accounting up to the task?

Does my cash flow allow for accounting expenditures on a monthly or annual basis?

How comfortable am I handing over sensitive business data to an individual or accounting service?

Is daily data entry something that I or one of my staff can reasonably accomplish?

Does my company operate in a complex tax environment that may be subject to audit?

Do my competitors in the industry find a particular method to be most useful?

Are there compatibility factors to consider with other technological processes that regularly occur, like payroll?

The answers you determine will help you decide which options make the most sense for you and your business. Then, you can get back to doing what you love with confidence in your financial future.

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Accounting for Small Businesses | Accounting.com

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Bookkeeping is necessary in any business. As a small business owner, it's important to recognize that the best practices used by Fortune 500 companies also apply to you. Following basic accounting principles is essential for success in any size business; savvy record-keeping and financial analysis is key to not only monitoring your expenses, but to discovering new avenues of growth.