What do we do?
Inkblot Business Services offers a handful of useful services to small businesses and independent professionals. We have excellent client testimonials because we go the extra mile to ensure our customers are satisfied.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested in partnering with Inkblot for any of the services we provide.
Bookkeeping, Payroll, and WA State Taxes
For many small businesses, finding a reliable bookkeeper can be a real challenge. (From price gouging to irresponsible handling of financial data, we’ve seen it all.) We can be the solution to that challenge. Inkblot offers bookkeeping and payroll services to small businesses at an affordable monthly rate that fits most business budget and needs.
[ Read more about our Bookkeeping, Payroll and WA State Tax services here. ]
Web Design and Hosting
The design team at Inkblot Business Services has specialized in building and maintaining high quality but affordable websites for small businesses and independent professionals since 2005. Our design services are ideal for small businesses and independent professions who want to put their ideas into motion, and establish their presence online. We utilize the WordPress platform, and work with you 1-on-1 to develop your website to your satisfaction.
[ Read more about our Web Design and Hosting services here. ]
The Inkblot Business Blog
Understanding On-Site SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short) is a broad term describing a list of practices, both on-site and off-site, that make your site more appealing to search engines. The goal is that when a customer searches for a topic, event, or business, your site will be listed on the first page of the search results. Optimizing your website impacts how search engines will find your content.
Is there a "secret" to Search Engine Optimization? There's not so much of a "secret" as there is a "standard," meaning there are certain key metrics search engines like to see displayed on your website. In this post, we'll discuss the basics of On-Site SEO--that is, the part of the search engine optimization process that you can directly impact on the front end of your website.
In-House Bookkeeper vs. Independent Contractor
If you’re a business owner who’s made the decision to hire a bookkeeper to help manage your financial records, the first question to ask yourself is if you should hire an in-house employee to fill that position, or if you should partner with an independent contractor.
In the paragraphs that follow, I'll give my two cents on both options.
Generally speaking, one advantage to an in-house position is that it will probably cost less per hour. Keep in mind, however, that you’re hiring an actual employee, which means that you, as an employer, have certain legal obligations to that person. Additionally, although you might pay less in terms of the person’s wage, you will also be responsible to pay social security, medicare, workman’s comp, and state/federal unemployment taxes for the hours they work.
Responsive Web Design: What it is, and Why it Matters
Have you ever come across a website that looks great on your home computer, but then when you go to look it up on a tablet or smartphone, it doesn't quite format right? Maybe pictures are hanging off the side of the page, or text is too small, and you have to zoom in to see it properly. Then, when you want to read the next sentence, you have to scroll back and forth to see the whole paragraph.
What a headache!
The problem is that the website described above isn't "responsive."
Why Should I Hire a Bookkeeper?
You probably got into your current line of work because it's something you enjoy doing. But as a business owner, what happens when the administrative part of the business starts to interfere with your passion?
Perhaps you've found yourself at the following crossroads a time or two.
On one hand, you could do the work you're passionate about, the work that makes your company profitable, and the work that motivated you to get into that industry to begin with. Or, on the other hand, you could do the administrative work, and tackle the growing to-do list that's getting in the way of growing your business and bringing in revenue.
Should I Hire a Web Designer, or Build it Myself?
As a web designer, it should come as no surprise that my personal preference is that you hire me to build your website. That being said, my professional opinion is that there's absolutely nothing wrong with building it yourself. After all, you know your product, your brand, and your image better than anyone else, and being in the driver's seat can give you an advantage in that regard. However, there are two distinct drawbacks that come with building your own website, which I will explain in this article.