Education is often considered the foundation of our future. Many believe it is vital to provide young individuals with the necessary skills and resources for success. Our highlighted entrepreneur suggests that traditional school methods need to adequately address essential life skills like entrepreneurship, team leadership, and advanced learning opportunities.
Elaine Smith-Poyourow established the nonprofit organization TLT – Tomorrow’s Leaders Today. She strongly advocates for the importance of empowering future generations with the basic skills required to thrive in the modern world. Elaine’s leadership has made a significant impact on the lives of many young people and is instrumental in shaping a brighter future for the next generation.
What prompted you to start using FINSYNC?
We were working with First United Bank, and we started the Payroll process. As a non-profit, we only have one paid employee. So, we were looking for affordability, convenience, and efficiency, and FINSYNC was recommended for it.
What about the FINSYNC Platform attracted you to it?
David with First United Bank recommended it to us. We were not in a position to start taking on payroll and tax reporting requirements. But this had to be done, and this was a cost-effective way of doing that.
Tell me about your company and what inspired you to start.
TLT – Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, is a 501C3 nonprofit organization. We are dedicated to developing youth leaders through education, collaboration, and mentorship with community and business leaders for the collective benefit of both the students and their communities.
This started with me going through leadership classes and asking, “Why aren’t the youth being taught leadership disciplines in school?” Since COVID, it has morphed into more. Not only do we have leadership classes, but we have real-life skills, soft skills, higher education, and career readiness training. We support ages 13 and up for any of our classes and our free online library.
Additionally, we have an intensive 20-position internship program that covers everything from accounting to website development for ages 15 to adults for those living in Texas. This program runs three times a year, and it is our most popular program.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a small business owner?
Getting the awareness out there that we offer these opportunities. Also, getting people involved to support us and to bring this program further into the community.
What’s the best thing about being a small business owner?
The reward of helping all these young and upcoming leaders of tomorrow be successful. Helping them get the skills they need to complete higher education or be self-sufficient and find a good job if they choose not to pursue higher education.
What are the biggest benefits your business has experienced using FINSYNC?
The biggest benefit of using FINSYNC is the transparency and accountability and knowing that we are following all the regulations, FDIC, and IRS rules. It has been easy to be on top of all that.
How does having FINSYNC connected to your accounts make your business life easier?
We are supported by volunteers. FINSYNC has allowed us to be more efficient and succeed without having a dedicated accounting role. It is just the push of the button at the end of the month, and payroll is done.
What advice do you have for those thinking about owning their own business?
You have to look into the IRS laws along with local and state laws in your area. You need to research who your competitors are going to be and what makes you unique. If you are going to hire a staff, you need to plan for their salaries and taxes. Most of all, how are you going to process payroll?
FINSYNC allows you to run your business on One Platform. You can send and receive payments, process payroll, automate accounting, and manage cash flow. To learn more about how we can help your business start, scale, and succeed, contact us today.