What started out as a stern reminder for my kid, when she’s about to act the fool, has turned into a mantra that keeps me humble (and sane!). I’m sharing these quick, grounding few words with you because they effectively bring me back to center on those days I get stuck on where I’m falling short or on what’s not going as planned. Entrepreneurs and everyone else living life know that those days are more often than not and it’s easy to fall into the rabbit hole – unless we catch ourselves.

Gratitude not Attitude. These three words not only stop me from ruminating, feeling down on myself, or even worse – spreading the nasty forward onto others as they are accompanied by a few questions that prompt me to lean into the tension and move through things as needed. These questions are What do I need to see here? Or – What is the gift or opportunity in this difficult situation or roadblock? And - Am I feeling this way because of this situation or is there something underneath or within that I need to look at?

There is always a silver lining.  Life is both pleasure and discomfort.  Growth follows pain.  As 2024 comes to a close, I invite all of us to scratch at the surface and look deeper with these simple words in mind. Someone has always got it worse, and odds are we have either already accomplished a lot or have much to be grateful for, on any given day. So, during this season of Thanks, give thanks for all the good stuff, kick that imposter syndrome out the door, and leverage that new perspective to examine and address the stuff that needs fixing.

We are here for you, always in all ways.  - Jessica and the BPR team

SERVICES, TAX & LEGAL UPDATES

Tax Preparation and Strategic Tax Planning

NOW is the time to review YTD 2024 Financials proactively to take advantage of tax minimization strategies in advance of year-end, as recommended by BPR and the IRS HERE. 

RESOURCES - PEOPLE, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, LEADERSHIP & VIGILANCE

Independent Contractors

In addition to the requirement of a W9 on file for ICs, which has all the info needed for 1099 year-end production, a Contractor Agreement is highly recommended and now required in CA.  Check out this article, HERE on the topic and a snapshot below with the basics.

Human Resources Management

It’s NOW the best time to ensure Employee handbooks are updated in preparation for Q4 2024 and 2025 new hires!  BPR can update Employee handbooks and other basic HR processes from personnel file and payroll management to quarterly employee reviews.

Leadership - Support / Challenge Matrix

How you Support AND Challenge your Teams = your Company Culture.  Thank you to our friend and Executive Leadership Coach Eric Flynn with Beacon Leadership for this matrix, one of many tools that effectively trains leaders to better empower their Teams.

SOCIAL IMPACT – HOW WE DO GOOD

This section highlights how BPR gives back to the community every month, driven by our commitment to women and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs.  

 Founders First CDC 2024 Fall Bootcamp Pitch Competition, December 12, 2024

Our CEO, Jessica Zoraida is excited to partake as a pitch competition judge in this year’s event, showcasing graduates from the Founders First CDC program!

OUR PEOPLE SPOTLIGHT – TEAM, CLIENTS, PARTNERS 

We are delighted to support and celebrate the opening of “Always Hungry: A Grocery Store for Good”, with its first location in Oceanside. Our fabulous Client Katie Jayne’s mission is one we are 100% behind: “To be a place where people can come & find things that other really amazing people made. These makers are LOCAL, artisans, under-represented, or just so damn special I had to share with you. That’s it. That’s my why.” 

 Congrats and we are looking forward to the additional locations and offerings in 2025!

CASH FLOW, CAPITAL RESOURCES & SMALL BIZ TOPICS

Use Loan or Grant Capital wisely and deposit into a High Yield Savings account!

Prebys Sparx - Awarding $1.1M to improve mental and behavioral health for San Diego youth. More information HERE.

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation – Small Business Readiness for Resiliency Program. More information HERE.

FedEx Entrepreneur Fund and Boost Camp program – accelerator and grant funding, more information HERE.

SBA 504 or 7(a) Loans -  for property, business acquisition, equipment, working capital.  Now up to 100% financing based on credit. More information HERE.

CA Small Business Loan Match. More information HERE.

Hello Alice – in partnership with LendFlow, connecting to over 90 trusted lenders that cater to small business. More information HERE.

Fast Break for Small Business. More information HERE.

The Amplifier Grant. More information HERE.

Black Girl Ventures Pitch Program, crowdfunding meets pitch competition, $5k-$15k prizes for LA based entrepreneurs, deadline in early November. More information HERE.

Secretsos™ Small Business Grant. More information HERE.

Galaxy Grants - Small business funding for women and minority entrepreneurs. More information HERE.