Ridgerunner Consulting

Expanding! Allen Street Consulting

Heidi I. Jones — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:53:29 +0000

My new business partner and I just launched our new Buffalo-based firm, Allen Street Consulting. We do all the QuickBooks consulting I’ve been doing for years, plus more small business and nonprofit consulting, tax prep, and bookkeeping. I’m very excited about this expansion.

I’m still working with clients in Tioga County as Ridgerunner Consulting and I’m president of Blossburg V.I.B.E. again, which I founded in 2004. Going back & forth is difficult (three-hour drives, sometimes with lots of snow) but my life is rich and full with wonderful clients, friends, family, pets, and communities.

Allen Street Consulting
PO Box 396
Buffalo, NY 14203
716-218-0564
heidi [at] allenstreet.net
www.allenstreet.net
On Facebook

Now open for business!

Heidi I. Jones — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:53:04 +0000

I have returned from bar-review isolation! I took the New York state bar exam July 26 & 27 and then enjoyed some time off with Buffalo Infringement Festival and wonderful adventures with friends and family.

My Buffalo-based business is now “Allen Street Consulting.” I’m accepting new clients for QuickBooks, general business and nonprofit consulting, and tax planning and preparation. A separate website will happen eventually. I’m still working in Tioga County, Pa., as well.

Allen Street Consulting
PO Box 396
Buffalo, NY 14203
716-218-0564
allenstreetconsulting [at] gmail.com

Ridgerunner Consulting
PO Box 126
Blossburg, PA 16912
570-638-2486
heidi [at] ridgerunnerconsulting.com

(Those phone numbers both ring to my cell thanks to google voice and local number portability.)

My hours are generally 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Give me a call and let’s see how we can work together!

P.S. An eternal-gratitude shout out to Meredith Matthews at Braindouche Development! for fixing a corrupt WordPress config file. She’s a WP goddess.

Closed for bar review

Heidi I. Jones — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:30:47 +0000

I graduated from University at Buffalo Law School on Saturday, May 21. My next step is preparing for the bar exam, a full-time job for the summer. I am supporting current clients for the summer but not accepting new ones … Continue reading →

Loan Amortization Spreadsheet

Heidi I. Jones — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:44:03 +0000

A client just asked me if I could make him a tool to calculate a loan… luckily this tool already exists. The nonprofit business counselling organization SCORE has a very nice Excel spreadsheet
http://www.score.org/downloads/Loan%20Amortization%20Schedule.xls If you don’t have Excel, you can open it in google docs or download the OpenOffice suite at openoffice.org.

What does a loan amortization schedule do? It calculates what your payments and interest are over the term of a loan. You enter the loan amount, interest, number of years, how often you pay, and it calculates. For a $50,000 loan at 7 percent interest for five years paying monthly, you would pay $909 each month, and a total of $9,404 in interest. For a three-year loan, you’d pay $1,543.85 and only $5,579 in interest. Pretty neat, huh?

What the Frack?

Heidi I. Jones — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:17:58 +0000

I’ll be giving a presentation about unconventional natural gas drilling and its impacts on communities Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 5:00 p.m. in room 106, O’Brian Hall, University at Buffalo North Campus. Sponsored by UB Lawyers Guild.

Want to run for Blossburg Borough Council?

Heidi I. Jones — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:00:16 +0000

NOW is the time to put your hat in the ring to run for Blossburg Borough Council!!

There are three seats available for four-year terms that will start January 2012:

Jill Nickerson – she is planning to run and I hope we [generically as a community] will continue to support her. She ran as both a Republican and Democrat last time.
Jeff Everett – he is not planning to run.
Mark Bowne – he is not planning to run.

Eligibility: You have to have lived in the borough for at least one year and be a registered voter.

How (assuming you want to run as a Republican or Democrat) *** This is just an outline, there may be other required things – please check with George Cox at the election office or ask your party committee persons for help ***:

1. Get petitions from the election office.

2. Have registered voters in Blossburg sign your petitions. You need a minimum of 10 signatures from party members.

3. Return the signed petitions to the election office.

4. Campaign (or at least ask people to vote for you).

5. Vote 5/17. Get other people to vote, too!

ELECTION OFFICE:

http://www.tiogacountypa.us/Departments/Elections_Voter_Registration/Pages/ElectionsVoterRegistration.aspx

Important dates (assuming you want to run as a Democrat or Republican):

First day to circulate petitions: 2/15 (today)

Last day to circulate petitions: 3/8

Republican & Democratic primaries: 5/17

This PDF lists which offices are open throughout the county.

http://www.tiogacountypa.us/Departments/Elections_Voter_Registration/Documents/2011%20Municipal%20Primary%20Proclamation.pdf

Here’s where you can request petitions:

http://tinyurl.com/TiogaCountyPetitions

Important dates list:

http://www.tiogacountypa.us/Departments/Elections_Voter_Registration/Documents/IMPORTANT%20DATES.pdf

This information is offered to promote community involvement in local governance. It’s not legal advice.

If you’re not registered to vote, REGISTER NOW! Or at least before April 18 to vote in the Rep & Dem primaries. Here’s a link to a form you can download, print, complete, and mail: http://www.tiogacountypa.us/Departments/Elections_Voter_Registration/Documents/onlinevoterregformblank.pdf

Peace, love & democracy,

Heidi

Info: About, Services, Contact

Heidi I. Jones — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:13:34 +0000

Want to know more about me? Visit the Services page.
Need to contact me? Visit the Contact page.
Also see my spiffy consulting brochure! (PDF)

IRS Free File: It’s fast. It’s safe. It’s free.

Heidi I. Jones — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:30:47 +0000

Join the 30 million Americans who already have saved money by using IRS Free File, the
free way to electronically prepare and e-file your federal tax return.
Free File does the hard work for you with brand-name software or online fillable forms, exclusively at IRS.gov. If you made $58,000 or less, you are eligible for a free tax software product. If you made more than $58,000 or you are comfortable preparing your own tax return, you can use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic versions of IRS paper forms. Free File is available starting January 14, 2011. Explore your options at www.IRS.gov/freefile.

Free File is a partnership between the IRS and approximately 20 software providers. The software provides a step-by-step guide to get your taxes done quickly and accurately. It helps you get the tax breaks you are due, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. Providers use the latest technology to keep your tax information safe and secure.

You also can e-file for free, which means a fast refund and an electronic receipt from the IRS. Combine e-file with direct deposit and get a refund in as few as 10 days. Or, if you owe, you can file early and pay anytime before the April tax deadline through automatic withdrawal. Free File software products are perfect for anyone looking for savings, for the first-time taxpayers seeking an easy introduction or for the experienced do-it-yourself filer. Free File is for federal tax returns only, although some providers offer state tax preparation for free or for a fee.

Free File Fillable Forms is more basic and probably is best for people comfortable preparing their own tax return. It has no income limits; anyone can use it. However, it does not support state tax returns.
IRS Free File. It’s fast. It’s safe. It’s free.

Update your AVG!

Heidi I. Jones — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:22:01 +0000

If you haven’t updated your free AVG, go here and do it now. Now!

Improve your recordkeeping & IRS compliance

Heidi I. Jones — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:17:15 +0000

The Internal Revenue Service will hold a phone seminar about recordkeeping for small businesses, sole proprietorships, and exempt organizations on Dec. 1. See here for more information. (I know, you’re really excited!)