Others say...

"Answered ALL My Questions!! "
I LOVE THIS BOOK!! I heard the author (Jan Zobel) on the radio and liked the way she was explaining tax concepts. She had a sense of humor and it was easy to understand what she was saying. Since I had just started a business, I decided to buy her book. It is so great! It's answered questions I didn't even know I had! I learned about the expenses I can deduct and how to keep receipts. I also learned about making quarterly payments (which was a total mystery to me before I read this book). Jan said on the radio that there's a lot of misinformation around about small business taxes and that one rumur is that you don't have to make quarterly payments the first year you're in business. Sure enough, I had heard that rumor but I learned from Minding Her Own Business that's not true. This book is really easy to read. It's not like those ones that you start to read and your eyes glaze over because it's written in all that legal language. This one is in plain English and it covers stuff you want to know about. For example, I wanted to know if I could deduct the room I work out of at home, my SUV, and my child care expenses. I'm also thinking about hiring my husband to work in my business (when it gets bigger) and all those things are covered in this book. There's also pages of information about books and websites for small business owners and alot of those have more really great information. This book is not just for women (Jan explains in the introduction that she titled it the way she did because a lot of her female tax clients are very confused about money and taxes and she wanted to write something that they would feel comfortable reading.). One of the quotes on the cover says "This book is like having a tax professional by your side at all times". I agree. Plus, everyone I've shown it to has wanted to get a copy (or borrow mine, which I'm not letting go of!)


"Make Sure You're Buying the Latest Edition"
Hi, I'm the author of Minding Her Own Business and I want to make sure you're buying the most recent edition of this book so that you're getting the most current tax information. The 3rd edition (published in 2000) is out-of-print, even though I can't get Amazon.com to indicate that. The cover of the 3rd edition is black and white, with some red. The 4th edition (the one you want to buy) was published in January 2005 and the cover has bright green, yellow, and orange colors. If you're looking at the cover of the 3rd edition, search on my name (Jan Zobel) until it brings up the 4th edition. Enjoy the book and Many Happy Returns!!

"For women who are "foreign" to business"
This is a very good GENERAL overview of going into business. It is not for women (or men) who are familiar with business. For example, having an MBA, I was hoping for this book to go into more depth on many of the topics. It briefly discusses different business entities, but does not offer any help on how to go about setting up your business entity. It does discuss business expenses (not in very much detail), which was helpful.

It is good if you consider yourself "clueless" when it comes to running your own business and need some general help. You may be disappointed if you have already have some businesss knowledge.

"Not Just For the Ladies"
The hardest thing about dealing with business recordkeeping for someone not trained as an accountant is to visualize how the records are supposed to look - and how the numbers fit together. Jan Zobel lays it all out for you.

I love all the samples of spreadsheets and worksheets that show you how your bookkeeping entries fit together. She's also filled the book with these campy Q&A boxes. You can see important questions at a glance.

Jan speaks from experience, working with her own client base for decades. So, the cases and situations she brings up are realistic - either from her own client files, or from the people who come to her workshops in California and Hawaii....(C&H - how sweet...just like the sugar?)

And guys, trust me - this book isn't just for the ladies. If you're in business and want great, sensible information, Minding Her Own Business is well worth your while! It's especially helpful if you don't want to use computers. Jan explains how to keep your records on paper, too.

I've been recommending Jan's books to my readers for years. All the feedback has always been excellent.

Eva Rosenberg, EA
Publisher of TaxMama.com
Author of Small Business Taxes Made Easy.

"A Must Have Guide Book"
A lot of words are not necessary to tell you that Jan Zobel's Minding Her Own Business is the book for you IF you are thinking of starting your own HOME-BASED business, you are already in business, struggling with what you can and cannot deduct AND you are confused about all the tax information available. This book is geared more to the sole proprietor than to a corporation, LLC or partnership. Ms. Zobel writes in a simplied language that any novice can understand and appreciate. The tax forms section takes the guess work out of what forms to file. It would be extremely helpful if Ms. Zobel published a 4th edition that would include updates for 2004 and 2005 tax filing.