(415) 418-0020 info@proteafinancial.com

Accounting & Bookkeeping

Subscribe

About Zane Stevens

Zane Stevens is the Director of Protea Financial. Protea provides services to take over the burdens and responsibilities of finding, managing, and training an accountant or bookkeeper for businesses and free up proprietors’ time, so they can focus on building their businesses.

Ten Critical Factors in Getting Your Business Off to a Fresh Start in 2022 (Part 3 of 3)

by | January 20, 2022 | Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

Ten Critical Factors in Getting Your Business Off to a Fresh Start in 2022  Part 3 of 3 In part two, I wrote about the first five key factors to get your business off to a Fresh Start in 2022.  Those key factors were: 1) Vision; 2) Hard Review; 3) Focusing on...
Read More

Ten Critical Factors in Getting Your Business Off to a Fresh Start in 2022 (Part 2 of 3)

by | January 13, 2022 | Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

Recently, I wrote about “Resolutions”.  Why do many resolutions fail? Why do some succeed? I shared research that suggests that failed resolutions often come down to three factors: 1) Changing your consciousness, 2) Accountability, and 3) Overcoming your internal...
Read More

2022: Resolve to Give Your Business a Fresh Start to Begin the Year (Part 1 of 3)

by | January 6, 2022 | Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

The tradition of New Year’s Resolutions began over 4,000 years ago with the Babylonians, who made promises to begin their year.  If they kept to their word, they believed their gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the...
Read More

Year End Wrap Up

by | December 29, 2021 | Business | 0 Comments

Another year is coming to a close. While many of us hoped that 2021 would be a better year than 2020, things did not quite go that way. Though things did improve and there was some light, it was still a very difficult year highlighted by the continuing pandemic, a...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Diana Maier

by | December 22, 2021 | Business, Financial Services, Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

CALIFORNIA – NEW EMPLOYMENT LAWS in 2022

by | December 16, 2021 | Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

2022 will provide no exception to the ever-shifting nature of California employment law. Governor Gavin Newsom signed many new laws affecting California employers in 2022. Some of the new laws of particular importance are listed below. The effective date of each new...
Read More

Protecting Your Small Business from Cyber-attacks …and Developing a Stronger Approach to Cybersecurity in 2022

by | December 9, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Bookkeeping Software, Business, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

In a recent study by the Small Business Association (SBA), 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyber-attack – malicious emails, attacks and phishing campaigns to name just a few. And business owners have good reason to be concerned....
Read More

What Are 1099s?

by | December 2, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting, Tax | 0 Comments

If you do any type of contract or freelance work for a company, that company may be required to send you a form 1099. This is a tax form required by the IRS to report income for those who are not employees but still do work for and are paid by a company. However,...
Read More

A Thankful Message from Protea Financial Director Zane Stevens

by | November 24, 2021 | Business | 0 Comments

November is a month to reflect and be grateful for all the good we have in our lives. While we may be thankful for things throughout the year, we don’t always vocalize those thanks. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, though, and I want to put my personal thanks into words. I...
Read More

What is a W-2?

by | November 18, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting, Tax | 0 Comments

One vital task every business owner must do annually is generate and submit W-2 forms to their employees, the IRS, and other entities. These forms are important because without them, employees cannot complete their tax returns. However, while some parts of the form...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Rae Paulson

by | November 11, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Advantages of a Virtual Bookkeeper Over a Physical Bookkeeper

by | November 4, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting | 0 Comments

If you recognize that your business has reached the point of needing a bookkeeper, you have two options: you can hire a local bookkeeper you can meet with in person, or you can hire a virtual bookkeeper. While outsourcing your bookkeeping to a virtual contractor is a...
Read More

The Benefits of Hiring a Bookkeeper with QuickBooks Experience

by | October 28, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Bookkeeping is not a new science. Historical records indicate bookkeeping existed as early as 6000 B.C. Ancient Babylonian kingdoms recorded inventory from crops. Bookkeepers in Greek and Roman societies counted and noted agricultural crops, as well as payments to...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Wilder Clements

by | October 21, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Options If You Want To Move Away From Paper Checks

by | October 14, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Researchers have noticed a shift in the last two or three years in the business check writing habits of managers and owners. While the number of people using other forms of payment besides checks has been increasing, the number of businesses relying on paper checks as...
Read More

What is Gross Margin and Why is it Important?

by | October 7, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

As a business owner, you understand how important bookkeeping is. The information a professional bookkeeper can provide will allow you to make informed decisions about your business. One piece of information your bookkeeper can provide is your company’s current gross...
Read More

What Makes Wine Accounting Complicated?

by | September 30, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

You may have only been drinking wine made in the United States for a few years, but people have been making wine in this country for nearly 500 years. American wine was an undervalued industry for decades, and it has only been in the last 50 years that people have...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Yuko Tsuchida

by | September 23, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Cut Your Winery’s Operating Costs with a Winery Bookkeeper

by | September 16, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Operating a winery is a challenging job. It requires an in-depth knowledge of many aspects of growing produce. You need to understand your plants, keep your soil healthy, watch for signs of infection or pests, and know when your plants are ready to harvest. Then you...
Read More

Starting with a Budget Can Help New Wineries Succeed

by | September 9, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Financial Services, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Starting your own winery may be a dream, but you must understand, with that dream comes expenses. Many who enjoy a glass of wine have thought about what it would be like to start their own winery. Starting any business is a challenge, and this is especially true in...
Read More

Don’t Let Accounting Problems Sour Your Wines: Avoiding Common Accounting Issues

by | September 2, 2021 | Accounting, Business, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Wineries need to pay attention to every detail when it comes to accounting. You need to keep an accurate record of the total amount of wine made during the year. Even a simple mistake can cost money and time. There are two mechanisms that ultimately decide whether you...
Read More

Accounting Tips to Improve Your Knowledge

by | August 26, 2021 | Accounting | 0 Comments

At Protea, our mission is to help as many people as possible have a better understanding of accounting and hopefully understand the value good information adds to the success of their business. Better accounting for everyone! With this in mind, for the last 3 months I...
Read More

How Can Bill.Com Reduce Your Processing Time?

by | August 19, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Bookkeeping Software | 0 Comments

Staying ahead of the times in a constantly evolving world is not always easy. For both small businesses and major companies, processing times are crucial for their long-term success. The general rule of thumb is that the faster your processing is, the more efficient...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Carolyn Sweeney

by | August 12, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Taking Care of Business: Hiring the Right Accounting Bookkeeping Service

by | August 5, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting | 0 Comments

In this fast-paced world, keeping track of your company’s finances is a 24/7 job. That important balance between paying attention to the business aspects and the people aspect can easily get lost in the mix. Hiring the right staff will bridge the gap and make it...
Read More

Tips To Avoid A Cash Crunch: 3 Ideas For Cash Flow Management

by | July 22, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

Cash flow is an important element of any small business. To effectively manage your cash flow, you need to be aware of all the aspects that can affect it and how they impact your business. The best way to achieve this is by understanding what might cause fluctuations...
Read More

De-Risking a Business to Drive Enterprise Value

by | July 15, 2021 | Business, Financial Services, Insurance | 0 Comments

As an appraiser of every type and size business, my experience and training has helped me develop several key defaults to value, the biggest of which is as follows;   Value is driven by three key inputs; risk, growth and cash flows   In other online forums...
Read More

Accounting Software: Control Your Finances With Confidence and Ease

by | July 8, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Bookkeeping Software | 0 Comments

An accounting software system is a valuable tool for any business. It allows for more accurate record keeping, which in turn means less work and lower risk of mistakes. It enables you to automate labor-intensive accounting tasks and accelerates tax preparation. There...
Read More

Get a Full Picture of Your Business with Accrual Accounting

by | July 1, 2021 | Accounting | 0 Comments

The cash basis of accounting is the method of recording revenue when cash is received and recording expenses when cash has been paid out. This method is easy and enables the business to legally manipulate taxable income. Paying less in taxes is as easy as spending...
Read More

Outsourcing Accounting Services: Increase Your Bottom Line

by | June 24, 2021 | Accounting, Outsourced Accounting | 0 Comments

Outsourcing accounting services is a great way to save time, money, and your sanity. It can be difficult for many business owners to find the time or expertise necessary to keep up with all the paperwork that comes from running a successful company. We will examine...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Tracey Welch

by | June 17, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Property Insurance in the Wine Industry

by | June 10, 2021 | Wine Industry | 0 Comments

As things begin to open back up with COVID-19 getting more under control, we find that it is “fire season” in Wine Country.  With fire season front and center, we find ourselves saying that “it’s not if there is another fire in our area, it’s when will the fire occur...
Read More

How to understand your balance sheet: A beginner’s guide

by | June 3, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting | 0 Comments

A balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the company's assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time. It is important to know what each one means in order to understand how well you're doing. It can be difficult to understand...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Alicia Cronbach

by | May 27, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Your Account Reconciliation is Now a Fun Activity

by | May 20, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

You may think reconciling your books is a tedious process, but it doesn't have to be. In this blog post we'll go over the steps needed to prepare a reconciliation and how you can streamline the process so that it's as painless as possible.   What is a general...
Read More

QuickBooks Beginner Mistakes You Must Avoid

by | May 13, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Bookkeeping Software | 0 Comments

If you’re familiar with QuickBooks Online, you know how spectacular it is in maintaining financial records for small and medium businesses. Whether you’re a business owner or an individual looking for reliable bookmaking software, QuickBooks is a great option....
Read More

Winery Adaptation

by | May 6, 2021 | Wine Industry | 0 Comments

How smaller, independent wineries can sell more wine in a hypercompetitive marketplace   State of Industry – Lots of winners but many “silent” losers   It’s amazing how the world can change in a year! Even before the COVID-19 pandemic made its global impact,...
Read More

Financial Forecasting 101

by | April 29, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting | 1 Comment

If you’re a business owner or been thinking about opening up a new venture, the thought of improving its performance must have crossed your mind. And that’s where financial forecasting comes into play.  It’s simply the process of looking into the future of your...
Read More

Protea Conversations – Rachel Martin

by | April 22, 2021 | Business, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

5 Financial Reports You Should be Running

by | April 15, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services | 1 Comment

There’s an assortment of financial reports involved in business accounting and bookkeeping. Each one contains the information you need to form an accurate and holistic view of your company’s financial health. There are five reports you should be running on a...
Read More

Protea Conversations: April Gargiulo

by | April 9, 2021 | Protea Conversations, Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a...
Read More

7 thoughts for 7 years

by | April 1, 2021 | Business | 0 Comments

In the month of March we as a company, Protea Financial, are celebrating seven years of guiding small businesses with high quality and cost-effective accounting. This is truly a surreal moment for us here at Protea Financial, as we celebrate our success. What started...
Read More

The Basics of Financial Statements

by | March 25, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

A key aspect and skill in managing a company is the ability to understand financial statements. Because we operate in a competitive business environment, it is important to be able to identify a company’s financial position/health, business trends and risks at an...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Destiny Burns

by | March 18, 2021 | Accounting, Protea Conversations, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the work force after taking time off to start a...
Read More

5 Key Elements Influencing the Accounting and Finance Hiring Environment in 2021

by | March 11, 2021 | Accounting, Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

  In my first 19 years of recruiting Accounting and Finance Talent, the number 1 job benefit Professionals wanted was the flexibility to work from home- at least partially.  This was always desired more than it was available.  Employers cited security, teamwork,...
Read More

Thank You From Protea Financial: This Is Just the Beginning

by | March 1, 2021 | Business | 0 Comments

This is truly a surreal moment for us here at Protea Financial as we celebrate our seventh year in business. What started out as a mere extension of a business has since morphed and grown into something much bigger - the dream of better accounting for everyone. The...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Nastassia Lopez

by | February 25, 2021 | Outsourced Accounting, Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a...
Read More

Accrual Accounting vs. Cash Accounting – What’s the Difference?

by | February 18, 2021 | Accounting | 2 Comments

The primary difference between these two is the timing of when transactions get recorded.

Read More

Why You Should Hire a Bookkeeper

by | February 11, 2021 | Bookkeeping, Wine Industry | 1 Comment

Running a successful winery requires you to manage numerous departments—production, processing, sales, and administration, to name a few. Often bookkeeping and accounting are some of the first areas neglected when there's not enough of you to go around. When you find...
Read More

Small Producers Tax Credits for Everyone!

by | February 4, 2021 | Tax, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

‘Small Producers Tax Credits for Everyone!’ (Said in my best globally famous talk show host voice.) So you’ve heard that the Craft Beverage Modernization Act was made permanent. And you operate a winery or you support operational reporting for a winery.  Now what?...
Read More

Protea Conversations: Suzanne Briel

by | January 28, 2021 | Protea Conversations | 0 Comments

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality out-sourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a...
Read More

How to Calculate the Cost of Making Wine

by | January 21, 2021 | Accounting, Outsourced Accounting, Wine Industry | 0 Comments

To run a profitable winery, it is vital to understand how much profit you are making per bottle of wine sold. You will need to be able to determine and understand what you can sell your wine for and how much that wine costs to produce. While the market will dictate...
Read More

Financial Forecasting and Cash Flow Planning

by | January 14, 2021 | Accounting, Bookkeeping, Financial Services, Outsourced Accounting | 0 Comments

While extremely rewarding, getting a winery up and running can be very difficult to do. Not only does it require a large amount of capital and resources to start with, but you also won’t even start selling wine until a few years down the line. It’s a large investment...
Read More

The Property Insurance Marketplace for Wineries

by | January 7, 2021 | Wine Industry | 0 Comments

The state of the Property insurance market for wineries is experiencing some severe difficulties and there is no relief in sight for the foreseeable future.  We are experiencing what the insurance industry calls a Hard Insurance Market.  It is hard to get to coverage...
Read More

Businesses Need to Do These Four Things Before 2021

by | December 14, 2020 | Business, Financial Services | 0 Comments

Many of us are looking forward to putting 2020 behind us and welcoming in a new year. The idea of a fresh start is refreshing and business owners are looking to prepare their businesses for 2021 and beyond. Looking back on 2020 and acknowledging what worked and didn't...
Read More

How to Grow Your Business Through Accounting Outsourcing

by | November 19, 2020 | Accounting, Business, Outsourced Accounting | 0 Comments

Outsourcing routine tasks is an easy way to simplify and grow your business. Accounting, customer service, and marketing are easy places to start when it comes to outsourcing. None of these tasks are unique to your business but all are necessary for a successful...
Read More

Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business – Why Bookkeeping Matters

by | October 28, 2020 | Bookkeeping, Business | 5 Comments

Few of us like to think about bookkeeping and accounting. Without it though, you’ll find yourself in the dark about how your winery is performing. Bookkeeping is the backbone of all businesses. To know what’s happening at the most basic financial level, you’ll need to...
Read More

NOVATO:
7250 REDWOOD BLVD,
SUITE 300,
NOVATO, CA 94945

e: info@proteafinancial.com
t: (415) 418-0020

SERVICES

Why Protea:

Protea’s goal is to provide, at costs below the market average, timely, accurate, and high-quality financial information on which a business can act.

COMPANY

About Us

Our Team

Blog

 

Subscribe To Protea Financial's Blog For Accounting Tips & Ideas

Join our mailing list to receive the most up to date information from our team. We'll share ideas on how to streamline your accounting practices to save more money and time. 

You have Successfully Subscribed!