small business Archives - Page 3 of 8

The BIG System for Company Success

January 14, 2020

The BIG System Many successful accountants rely on two universal truths to maximize individual and team performance: Clarity at a higher level gives purpose to a lower level. Success at a lower level supports achievement at a higher level. Many accounting firm owners know they should be working ON their business, not just working IN it. Oftentimes accountants start their own business to experience business success, ultimate destiny, and create personal wealth. Some accountants succeed at achieving their initial goals. They create, establish and grow their business. Then they recruit employees and hire in contract specialists. At that point, many
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The Importance of a Positive Attitude in Business

January 6, 2020

Life throws unexpected, disruptive and surprising incidents our way and the way of dealing with such curve balls makes all the difference in the world. This is particularly true when you are building your small business. The business journey can be so challenging and difficult and at times it can make you very agitated and frustrated. For you to be successful, you need to not focus on the negatives but instead, focus all your efforts into pushing the business forward. The important steps that you can take towards achievement of your greatest potential in business are learning how to
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Nitty, Gritty Details of Personal Hygiene and Grooming

December 31, 2019

Personal hygiene, essential in the office, involves maintaining one’s cleanliness and appearance as to preserve health and well-being. In a professional work environment, letting your personal hygiene decline can negatively impact your customer service abilities as well as your relationships with coworkers. Maintaining these essentials can increase your self image and provide a more comfortable office environment. Cleanliness Maintaining cleanliness helps avoid the growth and spread of bacteria, unwanted bodily odors, and unkempt appearance. Washing the body daily, the hair every other day (can vary depending on hair type), and teeth at least daily. When coughing or sneezing, turn away
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Solve Workplace Quandaries in These Four Basic Steps

December 17, 2019

Some workplace problems are simple. With others, though, the right decision isn’t always as obvious as you would like. If you follow the four-step process described below, you may be able to resolve workplace problems effectively. Evaluate the information. Don’t jump to conclusions. Find out what’s happening (or what happened). Who was involved? Is the source of your information reliable? Do you have all the relevant facts? Consider the people involved. How might your decision affect the relevant stakeholders? Think of your employees, their co-workers, the organization, the community, etc. What issues are important to the people who will be
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Importance of a Positive Attitude

December 10, 2019

Surrounded by negative people in your office? Feeling like you might be the negative one? Here are three reasons why it is important to have a positive attitude and how you get there if you find yourself or your employees always looking at the darker side of things. Creates Healthy Office Culture: A positive attitude lends itself to a healthy office culture. People will enjoy coming to work each morning and look forward to starting their work day in a positive atmosphere. This will also lend itself to more employees helping each other out and being there for each other instead of just racing to
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Grow Your Brand and Your Business With a Great LinkedIn Profile

December 3, 2019

LinkedIn is the world’s largest business network. Prospective clients and vendors check out LinkedIn profiles to see who they are preparing to do business with. Clients, especially, want to feel confident in and comfortable with the accountant and trusted advisor they are going to begin working with. Your profile matters, especially if you want it to act as your 24/7/365 sales contact point. Most LinkedIn profiles are like everyone else’s profile, mainly because most people copy them from the others, or because they gear them towards basic facts rather than towards helping to market you and your business, and its
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Building and Retaining Superstar Performers in the Workplace

November 26, 2019

What is the best way to build a superstar team? You can pay top market salary, offer unique incentives, incorporate flexible schedules, provide more benefits, or give employees the option to volunteer for a few hours in the community without a loss of pay. According to Forbes, all of these are frequently listed as ideal features of employment. So to attract and retain superstars, you need to do something, right? Right. However, you may not have the budget to increase pay or offer more benefits, or you may not have the manpower to enable staff to work from home or
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Ask Questions That Open Job Candidates Up

November 19, 2019

The purpose of an interview is to discover whether a candidate is qualified for a job. It’s also your best chance to learn about the candidate’s personality and attitude and how well they would fit in with your organization’s culture. Here are some questions that will help you explore these areas: “What are your career goals?” The answer will tell you about the candidate’s level of maturity, planning ability, and focus on achievement. “Tell me about your first job.” You can find out a lot about the candidate’s work ethic by listening to their early job history. “What do you
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Make Sure Your Team Understands Your Words

November 5, 2019

Whether you’re talking to an employee or addressing an important client meeting, the basic rules of communication in the workplace apply. Make sure you’re getting your message across by following these guidelines: Become the other person. What does your listener want to hear? Expect to hear? Need to hear? Anticipate how your audience—whether it’s one person or hundreds—may respond to your message so you can tailor your words appropriately. Be sure to speak their language and avoid accounting jargon. Know what you want. Don’t describe a problem unless you know what you expect the other person to do about it.
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Going the Extra Mile For Your Clients Isn’t As Hard As You Think

October 8, 2019

In today’s sharing and gig economy, almost anyone can fill the roles of “client” and/or “provider.” This means more opportunities and more competition for today’s accounting firms. It’s easier than ever to engage with clients, but the accessibility comes with a downside; the competitive climate makes it more difficult to make an impression without risking getting lost in the noise. That said, there is one clear-cut way to distinguish your customer service from your competition and that is to remember two words: YOU MATTER. This simple phrase can serve as an unofficial mantra that your client will appreciate not by
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