• Money Abroad
  • Posts
  • šŸ§ 8 financial tools for US-based remote businesses

šŸ§ 8 financial tools for US-based remote businesses

INSIDE: Business Banking, Virtual Mailbox, Accounting, Payments, & More

In partnership with

Today, in 10 minutes or less, youā€™ll learn:

  • šŸ¦ What is my remote business financial stack

  • šŸ§° 8 financial tools from business banking to virtual mailbox to payments

FROM OUR PARTNERS

šŸ—žļø Launch your newsletter in 2024

Since January 2023, Iā€™ve run my newsletter on Beehiiv.

Itā€™s been an excellent all-in-one newsletter platform.

Some of my favorite features:

  • Easy-to-use editor for writing quickly

  • Built-in polls for collecting reader feedback

  • Native ad platform that unlocks new monetization opportunities

  • Built-in automations for my mini-course flow and sales campaigns

  • API and embeddable widgets that play nice with my Webflow + Kajabi sites

Beehiiv was founded by some of the earliest employees of Morning Brew, so they know what it takes to grow a newsletter from zero to millions.

Starting a newsletter in 2024? Thereā€™s no better place to get started.

šŸ§° 8 financial tools for US-based remote businesses

In January 2023, I started two remote businesses:

Product consulting and Money Abroad (courses and media).

While plenty of people write about US-based remote businesses, not enough people talk about how they setup the financial and operational plumbing that runs their businesses.

If youā€™re an entrepreneur looking to setup your business in the US, then this article is for you.

In this newsletter, I dive into the financial tools I would suggest for entrepreneurs looking to setup a US-based remote business.

Timeline of My Remote Business Journey

Hereā€™s a few milestones from building my businesses:

  • January 2023: Launched Money Abroad as a free newsletter

  • March 2023: Crossed 1,000 newsletter subscribers; for consulting, got my first two product advising clients

  • May 2023: Made my first $$$ with my newsletter (ads and events)

  • September 2023: Pivoted my positioning from advising to fractional consulting

  • December 2023: Crossed 5,000 newsletter subscribers, 5xā€™ed my Linkedin followers since January, and launched my course beta program; for consulting, got my first two product consulting clients

  • May 2024: Launched my first official Remote Side Hustle Cohort Program

Fast forward to today.

I generate revenue through b2b consulting, 1:1 coaching, a course, affiliates, and ads.

What is my remote business financial stack?

Hereā€™s the financial and operational stack I would suggest for business owners. Nearly all of the tools I list here are ones Iā€™ve personally used in my business.

Without them, I would have to find a replacement quickly or risk serious issues.

Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. I will never work with a brand that I don't personally use or believe in.

Tool #1: Doola

Doola is my go-to LLC formation service.

I incorporated my Delaware-based LLC before Doola was started, but my wife incorporated her Wyoming-based LLC as an Australian founder, and it was a smooth experience.

Founded in 2020, Doola is a newer entrant, but it's grown rapidly due to providing a simple and cost-effective incorporation service for remote businesses, startups, and freelancers.

Why an LLC?

  • Flexibility to run your business as a separate legal entity with pass-through taxation

  • Biggest perk is that it shields you from the businessā€™s debts, obligations, and legal liabilities

  • Good fit for many small business owners like solopreneurs, fractional workers, consultants, coaches, etc.

If I were to go back and incorporate my business all over again, Iā€™d use a service like Doola.

Try Doola (15% off with affiliate link & MONEYABROAD15 code)

Tool #2: Mercury

Mercury is my business banking solution.

As a small business owner, Iā€™ve been disappointed by my business banking experiences in the past. While consumer banking apps had risen to a high standard, it felt like business apps fell behind.

Even though I just setup Mercury in November last year, Iā€™ve been blown away by its easy-to-use dashboard, automated transfer rules, free wires, and simple integrations. Did I mention, no monthly fees?

Iā€™ve used Mercury to:

Tool #3: Wise Business

Wise Business is my top pick for international business money transfers.

Iā€™ve used it whenever I need to pay vendors overseas due to its low fees, fast transfer times, and versatility (over 50 currencies offered). As a bonus, it also offers helpful features like team management and expense tracking.

Tool #4: Stable Mailbox

My US business virtual mailbox. Stable provides you with a permanent street address in a premium location and the ability to manage your physical mail online.

Iā€™ve used Stable for:

  • Forwarding my replacement credit cards

  • Scanning all kinds of mail, including PIN codes

  • Storing my mail and packages before forwarding

  • Listing a virtual business address for various services

Try Stable Mailbox. (get 20% off)

Tool #5: Google Voice

To be honest, Iā€™ve used my free personal Google Voice account until now.

Google Voice is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone service for personal or professional use cases.

Itā€™s been perfect for my use case so far, but I will likely move to a business line soon to separate my personal + business messages.

Iā€™ve used it for:

  • Making and receiving phone calls

  • Sending text messages

  • Responding on smartphone and web

Tool #6: Stripe

Stripe is my go-to online payments platform.

Iā€™ve been using Stripe to reliably and securely handle all my online payments since 2016. Itā€™s worked like a charm.

Hereā€™s a few examples of Iā€™ve done with it:

  • Accepted credit card payments from global clients

  • Execute rebates easily in a few clicks on the dashboard

  • Integrate with Shopify, Calendly, and Acuity (booking platform)

  • Create payment links and invoices for my consulting engagements

If you Google payment processors, youā€™ll discover a shocking number of horror stories of high fees, payouts being held hostage, chargeback hell, etc. Payments can honestly be a nightmare (I know, Iā€™ve worked in the industry).

I count myself lucky. So far, Stripe has been a smooth operator for my remote businesses.

Tool #7: Deel

Deel has helped me simplify my global independent consulting workflow.

Since early 2023, Iā€™ve been consulting for growth-stage startup clients. And Iā€™ve been fortunate to have worked with multiple clients who used Deel to onboard me as a consultant.

The consultant-facing flow has been relatively painless, so Iā€™m motivated to explore using Deel for my own hiring efforts down the road.

Iā€™ve used it for:

  • Signing contracts with my clients

  • Getting paid for my consulting services

  • Keeping a record of contracts and payments

  • Downloading my tax documents (eg 1099-NEC)

In general, international hiring, compliance, and payroll can be a giant pain in the ass. Iā€™m grateful for Deel to have made this much simpler.

Tool #8: Xero

Xero is my go-to accounting software.

Before this year, I used Quickbooks. But I switched to Xero due to its simpler UI/UX, lower price, and better customer support.

I also hired a part-time bookkeeper who helps me manage my books for a few hours per month.

Iā€™ve used it for:

  • Categorizing, updating, and organizing my monthly transactions

  • Keeping records of invoices and receipts for transactions

  • Generating monthly income and balance sheet statements

  • Integrating with my bank accounts like Mercury and payments like Kajabi/Stripe

šŸŒ Beyond your borders

šŸ’³ļø Is Maximizing Credit Card Rewards Worth It? (link)

šŸ„° This Young Professional Left Her Job in Finance After Her Remote Side Hustle Took Off and Made $76,000: 'My Idea Solves a Universal Problem' (link)

šŸ›©ļø The best and worst airports to have a layover, according to a travel expert who flies 200,000 miles a year (link)

šŸ“† How I can help

Thatā€™s all for today!

Whenever youā€™re ready, hereā€™s how I can help you:

1. Join my Side Hustle Crash Course (free) - Click here to receive my free, 5-day email course teaching you how to build a profitable side hustle.

2. Join my Remote Side Hustle Cohort Program - Save your seat for my next cohort in Fall 2024.

3. Work with my tax team - Get personalized guidance from a US expat tax professional.

4. Sponsor this newsletter - Get in front of over 6,000 professionals and business owners in the US and Singapore.

For daily insights, follow me on Linkedin or X (@dexteryz).

What'd you think of today's email?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.