The Get Legit Toolkit
Helping handmade sellers make sense of their finances
Build your shop's financial foundation without the stress
Don't let your lack of financial finesse get in the way of achieving your entrepreneurial dreams.
It's time for you to get legit!
Your shop is open, you’re on your way to making TONS of sales, and you have no idea how your taxes are going to work this year.
*record scratch*
You know that there's a lot more to selling handmade goods than just taking photos and writing product descriptions. However, it's too easy to spend hours scrolling through the black hole of Facebook groups & Google trying to 'research' how to make your business airtight.
Why isn’t there just one big checklist out there that tells you what you need to do to get legit so you can do it and then be done with it?!
Here's the truth...
You need to know the answers to these questions:
- How does sales tax work?
- Does it matter if this is a hobby or a business?
- How much money should I save each month for taxes?
- I don’t have to worry about reporting this until I make a certain amount in sales, right?
- What's an LLC and should I be one?
- What the heck is cost of goods sold?
- How am I supposed to pay myself?
- Which of these tax rules apply to me and which don't?
"WOW! Where have you been all this time!? Your explanations, text, and visuals are just what I’ve needed for so long. I can definitely say I have a greater understanding of my business than I’ve ever had before!"
- Melissa, Get Legit VIP student
You CAN get your financial ducks in a row so you have more time to do what you love.
With the Get Legit Toolkit, you will:
- Have easy-to-use financial systems that you actually understand - like your bookkeeping system and your bank account.
- Understand and fulfill your county, state, and federal requirements so that you never get dinged during tax season.
- Understand how taxes work, what's expected of you, and when things are due, in order to avoid owing a TON of money unexpectedly.
- Know exactly what to expect at year-end and tax time - no surprises for this numbers-savvy lady!
- Rest assured that you're not missing any important steps or details.
- Sleep easy at night knowing that you ARE legit!
Hey, I'm Janet LeBlanc.
I’ve been where you are. I started selling jewelry as a side-hustle and creative outlet on Etsy way back in 2011, and immediately saw the frustration and challenges around getting a shop set up the ‘right’ way. Going from hobby to legitimate business can feel complicated!
My ‘main hustle’ at the time was as a corporate accountant, but I understand that not everybody has my unique financial & tax background - so I started sharing my knowledge about small biz taxes and finances with other shop owners.
Fast forward to today, as an experienced handmade seller and CPA, I've been running Paper + Spark since 2014. P+S is the go-to resource for makers and creative business owners who are ready to take control of their biz finances and bring their entrepreneurial dreams to life with confidence and clarity.
I’ve helped over one-thousand handmade sellers through this course since 2017. I've heard all your questions and I have first-hand knowledge of all the struggles of running an e-commerce shop! I believe that knowledge creates confidence, and I invite you to the Get Legit Toolkit so that you can run your shop like the boss you are!
Stop relying on shady info from internet strangers.
The Get Legit Toolkit replaces all those confusing-as-heck internet rumors/myths/contradictions you've read with concrete facts and answers. I’m going to save you hours of endless Googling with straight up reliable resources. I'm going to replace those feelings of anxiety, stress and confusion with confidence and clarity.
One of the biggest hurdles of getting started selling online is that you simply don't know what all the rules all are (nor should you have to!). No one's giving you the big picture. You're worried about breaking "the rules" without even knowing what all the rules are.
Get the answers from a trusted source - an experienced seller and accountant. I’ve taken note every time I hear a creative biz owner say, “I wish I would’ve known THAT when I started out.” or “If only someone had explained that to me when I opened up shop, I would've been doing it right all along!”. I compiled all those topics, answers and issues in one place for you - The Get Legit Toolkit.
Are you ready to:
Get your bank account and bookkeeping system set up & ready to go
Get squared away with all local, state, and federal requirements
Feel confident at tax time AND understand your financial forms
Have a profitable business that brings you peace of mind
This is the ONLY comprehensive financial setup resource created especially for handmade sellers.
Wanna take a peek?
What's included in the Get Legit Toolkit?
Well, in addition to major peace of mind...
You will have access to 7 modules covering the foundations of setting up the financial side of your creative biz - from banking and bookkeeping to income and sales taxes. I include not just the basics of getting a legitimate business set up (action tasks), but also the must-know concepts that are essential to running your business smoothly.
My goal is for you to finish the course with a correctly set up business AND a feeling of confidence going forward.
Banking
- Separating business from personal funds
- Opening a bank account and must-know terms
- How to find the best bank for your biz
Bookkeeping
- Comparing bookkeeping options for makers
- What you should record each month
- How to get your paperwork organized
- How to pay yourself
State Sales Tax
- How sales tax works in YOUR location
- Registering for your sales tax permit
- What to expect when filing your sales tax forms
- How to set your shop to correctly charge sales tax
- Tthe latest changes to sales tax and what affects you
State/Local Licenses
- Other business licenses & permits that might apply to you
- Business entities
- Whether an LLC is right for you right now
Federal Income Tax
- Registering for your EIN
- How income tax works for your business (and affects your personal situation)
- Guide to the Schedule C and common business deductions
- How self-employment tax works
Saving for Taxes
- How long you need to keep receipts
- How much to save for taxes throughout the year
- Whether you should be paying estimated quarterly taxes
- What to expect at the end of the year
- Saving for your retirement
Inventory
- What is inventory and cost of goods sold, and why it matters
- How to keep track of inventory in your books
- What to do at year end with your inventory
- Inventory FAQ database
Bonus Lessons
- Audio stream private podcast of all lessons
- Interpreting your Etsy reports and 1099-K
- Depreciation for makers workshop with a pro tax preparer
- All about 1099-NECs
- Vetted tools & resources guide for makers
The Get Legit Toolkit is designed to make these concepts engaging and understandable so that you can check things off your list & focus on doing what you love!
You know what you need to do:
Let's Get Legit!
Choose which option is best for you:
BASIC TOOLKIT
$297
- Lifetime access to the Get Legit Toolkit
- Private Facebook group access
- Audio stream access
- All bonus lessons
Payment plan option available on checkout page
VIP TOOLKIT
$497
- Lifetime access to the Get Legit Toolkit
- Private Facebook group access
- Audio stream access
- All bonus lessons
- US Safety Compliance workshop
- Money Mindset workshop
- Launch Your Etsy Shop in 5 Days e-Course
- Product Photography Essentials workshop
- Profit First for Online Sellers workshop
- Paper + Spark Seller Spreadsheet
- Bookkeeper in Your Pocket Day with Janet
Payment plan option available on checkout page
What's the difference between the Basic & VIP Toolkit?
The Basic Toolkit gets you lifetime access & updates to all seven modules of the course content, including access to a private audio version of the course and a Facebook group for questions & support.
Upgrading to the VIP Toolkit gives you all that, plus a boatload of goodies to expand your financial knowledge beyond the basics, grow your handmade shop in other areas, and get extra one-on-one support from Janet via the following additions:
- A 1:1 Bookkeeper in Your Pocket day with Janet so that you can get personal attention and have all your specific questions answered on the spot ($149 value)
- The Launch Your Etsy Shop in 5 Days e-Course to help you get your shop set up flawlessly ($97 value)
- A Paper + Spark bookkeeping spreadsheet of your choice to save you TONS of time creating your own system & keep your shop running smoothly ($97 value)
- Get Over Your Money Hangups recorded workshop to make sure you're in the right headspace as you build your biz
- Product Photography Essentials Workshop to attract more customers with better product photos in 14 days or less ($197 value)
- Recorded workshop on how to utilize & simplify the Profit First™️ system for online sellers to help you set up a process to pay yourself what you deserve, consistently
- Bonus lesson Money Mindset Makeover workshop with coach Jen Aly to help you price for your worth and reframe your relationship with money
- US Safety Compliance 1-hour recorded workshop to ensure you are compliant with US safety regulations in our industry
These items sell separately for over $700, but you can upgrade to the VIP Toolkit for just $200!
Doors close in just...
🔥 PAY IN FULL and get the Rocket Launch Etsy Shop Checklist for FREE ⤵️
If you're an Etsy seller, this is for you!
Get 19 pages of step-by-step checklists & guides that include:
- A start-to-finish initial set up guide so that you do everything right from the beginning
- Suggested shop policies so you can avoid future customer service snags
- Convo/snippet suggestions to save you tons of time responding to potential buyers
- New listing cheat sheet to make it SUPER easy to add new listings
- Listing description template & keyword brainstorming guide so your products show UP for you in search results!
- Photography best practices
- Weekly & monthly smooth operation/maintenance checklists
- Quarterly shop refresh checklist
The Rocket Launch Etsy Shop Checklist pay-in-full bonus will be emailed to you by November 3!
"I was scared to spend that kind of money. Janet is accessible and answered all my questions - even the ones I felt silly for asking. I feel like I've laid a firm foundation for my business that would serve me well into the future."
- Kiva, Get Legit VIP student
What our LEGIT students are saying...
"In the middle of a pandemic, I am pursuing my dream. I once read there is never a right time to start a business. With your teaching and guidance my journey will have fewer stumbling blocks and fewer, "I wish someone had told me this." With gratitude."
"This course was worth every penny - a total must-have for creative entrepreneurs! Janet breaks down confusing financial/legal concepts into bite-size pieces of information that are easy to understand. She also goes above & beyond in the course FB group - she answered my *many* questions in a timely/thorough manner. I have so much more confidence that I'm doing things the right way because of the Get Legit Toolkit!!"
"I seriously don’t think my business would have survived as a legitimate business if it weren’t for you and the Get Legit course or Paper + Spark resources. 😊😊"
"I am so grateful for this course. It gave confidence when speaking to other professionals; my accountant, the bank, the IRS, etc. Knowledge is awesome. Thank you so much!!! It also relieved so much stress when tax time comes around. I will be prepared, I am more disciplined and goal-oriented."
"I just wanted to thank you again for creating the Get Legit Toolkit. It was exactly what I was looking for! Before I actually started a handmade business I wanted to make sure I had all my ducks in a row because I didn’t want to get in a sticky situation tax wise or legally down the road."
"I'm so glad I purchased the Toolkit! I had spent so much time on research to answer all the questions I had, but that just led me down the path of more questions and uncertain actions. Janet's program gave me the certainty and clarity I needed to feel confident in the moves I was making. And as a complete newbie, I really needed that from someone."
NOW is always the best time to get legit.
Not laying the proper financial foundation for your business can result in fines, penalties, stress, and anxiety.
Do it right. You can’t afford to NOT set your business up correctly!
You have two choices to get legit:
1️⃣ Hodge-podge together answers from Facebook & Google that may or may not even apply to your business or your area. Sift through confusing info that could be out of date and slowly piecemeal together your own financial foundation.
- OR -
2️⃣ Feel GOOD relying on this one-stop resource crafted by a CPA especially for handmade sellers with all the answers you need (in plain English!), and save yourself hours of time, energy, and stress.
Investing in this course means getting these items taken care of, and then moving on to the work that actually makes you money!
Is the Get Legit Toolkit a good fit for you?
The Get Legit Toolkit is designed for:
- Online shop owners (I do emphasize Etsy shop owners in this course, but the Toolkit applies to those who sell elsewhere, like Shopify, Amazon, craft shows, etc.).
- New business owners who want to get legit from the beginning.
- Experienced sellers who are ready to get their business set up "right".
The Get Legit Toolkit is not for you if:
- You’re not ready to put in the work required to build a legitimate, profitable business.
- You don't want to do ANY legwork.
- You want to cut corners or fly under the radar.
- You aren't interested in having a legal business operation.
Wise words from now LEGIT students...
"I'm the person who HATES paying for lessons. However, this Get Legit Toolkit is worth every penny. Seriously Janet, you know what you are doing and explain everything so simply and to the point. This is the best $$ I've ever spent."
"I was blown away by your teaching! You make it so easy and it's like we are just having a conversation between friends. Thank you for all that you do!"
"I felt like I was getting the understanding and support I needed to make sure my business was getting the attention (from me) that it needed. I just got back from my accountant and he said I was in the top 1% of the small business owners he sees in terms of having my numbers in order, readable, and ready to go! Thanks to Paper + Spark."
FAQs
Is this course only for Etsy sellers?
No. I have a few Etsy-centric tutorials, but the concepts in the Toolkit are universally applicable no matter where you sell. Any sort of handmade shop owner or physical product seller is welcome and will benefit from the content!
Is there Q&A support and accountability?
Yes, all Toolkit tiers include access to the private Get Legit student community on Facebook. This is the place where you can ask questions about the course material as you work. If you aren't on FB, you can always email me too.
If you need some one-on-one help, the VIP Toolkit includes an exclusive one-on-one day of Voxer access with me to discuss your personal situation & address your specific needs.
Does the Toolkit include any Paper + Spark spreadsheets?
The VIP Tier specifically includes a $97 credit that you can use to purchase a P+S Seller Spreadsheet of your choice. If you know you want to use this as your bookkeeping system, the VIP Toolkit is your best bet!
Is there a payment plan available?
Yes! If you click on the Toolkit you want to purchase, you will see a 5 month payment plan option on the checkout page.
Do I have to follow a set course schedule or do anything live?
This is a self-paced course, meaning you can complete the material from the comfort of your couch, on your own time! You have lifetime access and can refer back to any topic in the future as needed. 🎉 There is now a private podcast audio feed of all the course content so you can listen on the go if you prefer!
How do I access the course material?
ALL course content will be accessible in the course platform Thinkific immediately after purchase. If you purchase the VIP tier, you will be get access your bonus content within 48 hours of purchase.
What's the content format of the course?
The Get Legit Toolkit course content is a healthy mix of videos (with closed captions), text, and downloadable worksheets, cheat sheets, and checklists. There are also audio streams available of all the written content in case you prefer to listen on the go. My goal is to present the content to you in a few different ways so you can stay engaged and learn in whatever format works best for your brain. There is also a private podcast audio feed of all the course content so you can listen on the go if you prefer!
Do you update the course with new stuff and changes to tax laws?
Yes - I keep the course updated as rules related to small business taxes evolve. For example, since the creation of the course I have added tons of new info on related to the changes with online sales tax, marketplace issues, how tax reform affects your taxes, a discussion of the new Qualified Business Income deduction, and more. The Toolkit is and will continue to be your one-stop resource to learn about all financial aspects of running your shop.
Do you have captions on your videos?
Yes! All of my videos include closed captions.
What's included in the VIP tier?
While the Basic Toolkit is enough for you to get the financial side of your business set up with confidence, the VIP Toolkit includes some extra special bonuses plus more one-on-one tailored assistance. I also include the most popular Paper + Spark bookkeeping spreadsheet and several resources & trainings that aren't available ANYWHERE else. For a $200 upgrade to the VIP Toolkit, you get access to over $700 worth of additional resources.
Here's a brief explanation of the exclusive bonuses offered in the VIP Toolkit:
- US Safety Compliance workshop with compliance expert Misty Henry - This one-hour recorded interview addresses what makers need to know about safety compliance, and includes worksheets, a resource list, and flow chart PDFs.
- Get Over Your Money Hangups - a 30-minute recorded workshop focusing on building a positive attitude when it comes to your finances on both a personal and business level. I also discuss actionable strategies to help you deal with icky money situations - like how to deal with potential customers complaining that your prices are too high, offering discounts to family & friends, and more.
- Launch Your Etsy Shop in 5 Days e-course by Steph with Zero to Biz - a paid step-by-step course walking you through launching your Etsy shop. With video and PDF lessons, the course covers the administrative side of setting up shop, pricing products, photography, branding, and how to deal with shipping. You'll also learn the in's and out's of Etsy tags, titles, and listings, along with how to drive traffic to your shop. Sold for $97.
- Profit First for Online Shop Owners - a 30-minute recorded video training about how to utilize the popular Profit First concepts as an online seller. In this training, I explain how to use PF for your own business to pay yourself, save for taxes, and manage your shop's cash flow. I walk through a real life example of how I use PF in my own business.
- A Paper + Spark seller spreadsheet of your choice to help you get a bookkeeping system set up! Sold in my shop for $97.
- Bookkeeper in Your Back Pocket Day - Have me on call for a full day of support and guidance while you work on your books or through the course content itself. With this service, you have instant one-on-one access to me for an 8-hour period using the free voice messenger app, Voxer. You will have the ability to schedule your day in advance. Sold in my shop for $149!
- The Product Photography Essential Workshop by Kristina Nicole, an expert product photographer and teacher. Kristina normally sells this course for $197, and in it, she guides you through how to take better product photos that attract more customers in 14 days or less. Her lessons tackle topics like props, backgrounds, product styling, lighting, common issues, editing, and more!
How long will it take me to complete the Toolkit?
The Toolkit is meant to be worked through at your own pace. You will complete some really important foundational steps for your business - like getting your sales tax permit, setting up sales tax in your online shop, and opening a business bank account. Some of these action steps will take time, and others can be done quickly & painlessly online. For most people, the course should take 3-4 weeks to complete, spending about 3-6 hours a week working on it.
What's your refund policy?
I believe that the content of the Toolkit is going to be a game-changer for your business and that the content here is invaluable. I also believe in the integrity of my customers. If you purchase the Toolkit, get started, and feel like it's not a good fit for you, then I'm happy to offer a 100% refund within 14 days of enrollment.
Got more questions? Just hit the chat button in the lower right-hand corner and ask me directly!
This is it! Let's Get Legit.
BASIC TOOLKIT
$297
- Lifetime access to the Get Legit Toolkit
- Private Facebook group access
- Audio stream access
- All bonus lessons
Payment plan option available on checkout page
VIP TOOLKIT
$497
- Lifetime access to the Get Legit Toolkit
- Private Facebook group access
- Audio stream access
- All bonus lessons
- US Safety Compliance workshop
- Money Mindset workshop
- Launch Your Etsy Shop in 5 Days e-Course
- Product Photography Essentials workshop
- Profit First for Online Sellers workshop
- Paper + Spark Seller Spreadsheet
- Bookkeeper in Your Pocket Day with Janet
Payment plan option available on checkout page