For a good portion of my life, I have put a lot of effort into my inner work. And still at times I want to “be right” far more than I want to “be happy.” I notice this, anytime I take a side, become insistent, or find myself complaining.
Here are some of the Advantages of “Being Right”…
- It keeps us striving to be perfect and building our reputation.
- We are admired by others who also want to “be right” — until we make a mistake.
- We need not waste our time trying to understand others’ opinions.
- “Being right” bonds us with others that think as we do.
- “Being right” keeps away those that disagree with us.
- We have something that makes us unique and exceptional.
- We can pat ourselves on the back for our achievements.
- “Being right” makes us feel we are contributing to society. If we take a stand and fight for what we believe is right, the world is a better place.
- We get our self-esteem from feeling superior to others.
For more information on “Being Right” see Vickie Champion’s next blog on the Disadvantages of “Being Right.”
Every where you look someone is changing their career. Bookkeeping and accounting is one of the hot industries. A good bookkeeper can save you stress and make you more money. But with the market now flooded with bookkeepers and accountants, how do you know your hiring someone who can deliver?
I interviewed three legitimate bookkeepers. Here’s their advice on what to look for when hiring a legitimate accountant for your small business.
1 Lucinda Lintz of www.AiBz.com says…
- Legitimate bookkeepers are accredited and/or certified in QuickBooks products among other accounting software such as Peachtree and Quicken.
Lintz is certified in The Intuit ProAdvisor program, which she says has taken great pains to match the necessary bookkeeping and accounting skills with the QuickBooks products (the accounting software that is used by 80% of small businesses). Some accountants are great at knowing accounting, but know very little about QuickBooks and how it operates, Lintz said.
Find Quickbooks ProAdvisor Profile here:
http://proadvisor.intuit.com/referral/proadvisor_profile.jsp?proadvisor_id=16920
Find a ProAdvisor here:
http://proadvisor.intuit.com/referral/
- A legitimate bookkeeper will provide you full monthly financial statements. This includes a balance sheet, an income statement (otherwise called a profit & loss sheet), in addition to a sales report detail, if applicable.
- A legitimate bookkeeper will reconcile ALL balance sheet accounts every period against the statements; examples are bank statements, credit card statements, loan balances, etc. In addition, the income statement will be reviewed for proper coding of accounts.
- A legitimate bookkeeper will bring to your attention any questionable entries, transactions, or data. This allows you to identify potential problem areas.
- A good bookkeeper will not hesitate to consult with more experienced accountants/CPAs and research issues on behalf of their client.
- A legitimate bookkeeper documents all requests for information and, as needed, provides written documentation to support the counsel they give.
- A legitimate accountant answers phone calls and emails promptly.
- Anyone who is legitimate in this industry will have a secure working environment so that sensitive financial information is safeguarded and stored with the utmost care.
To find information about other business related topics look in Vickie Champion’s Quizzes, Articles, & Audio section.
Just recently, three of my business coaching clients has delayed firing their website designers. What a mess! Money and time down the drain. Don’t put the success of your business in your website designer’s hands.
Here are some Signs it’s Time to Fire Your Website Designer…
- Your Website Designer doesn’t do what they say they will when they said they would.
- Misunderstandings are common.
- You put your business on hold waiting for them.
- You are afraid how he/she will react to your requests.
- They get an attitude if you give them monthly additions or changes.
- They have a glazed look when you ask them about meta tags or SEO.
- They don’t give you options when they can’t do what you want.
- They always have excuses.
- Your website is not picked up by the search engines.
- They don’t return your e-mails or phone calls in a timely fashion.
If you even have ONE of these signs, seriously look at firing your website designer. I learned years ago that a big reason entrepreneurs fail is because, “They hire too fast and fire too slow.”
I’m lucky. For over ten years, I have had a great website designer, Dave Stott at www.Internet6.com. See the previous blog for more information on hiring website designers.
At every networking event, I meet website designers. Everyone seems to have a knack for designing websites and wants to earn extra money doing it.
I’ve been lucky. I hired website designer Dave Stott from Internet 6.com when I started business coaching and life coaching more than 10 years ago. He knew what he was doing then and even today he keeps updated on everything concerned with the Internet.
I asked Dave how a business owner finds a capable website designer with so many out there. He told me that when interviewing potential candidates think about these things:
- Did the website designer ask you about the purpose of your website? Is the purpose to bring in more business, as a 24-7 catalog for existing customers, or as an online extension of your day to day business?
- Did they listen or talk? Now that they know what you want, can they offer suggestions?
- Does the website designer have other sites they’ve developed that used similar processes? Did the designer have examples of sites on the internet that are being used right now? Especially useful are websites that include contact information so that you could call the web site owner and see if they are happy with their website — (hint, hint.) If the designer can’t show you a few examples of their work, or if they are reluctant to have you call clients, that should raise a red flag.
- Ask them if you can see a sample of the home page before the site is completed. This saves them unnecessary time and you money.
- Are they knowledgeable about search engine optimization (SEO)? Having a website is like owning a restaurant on a cul-de-sac — you don’t really get a lot of drive-by traffic. You have to let people know you’re out there. This is usually done by having search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) index your site and show your web address when someone searches for your product or service. SEO should be a fundamental part of the website construction, not an afterthought.
- How much will it cost and what does that cover? Anything that would add costs, such as stock photography or special fonts, should be discussed upfront. What kinds of changes are allowed after your website is designed is important to discuss as well. How many times, for example, will they rebuild the home page to get it just right? Do they charge a flat fee, or is it based on hours?
- Once the site is launched do they guarantee it will work? If it doesn’t, then what?
- Will they be available to maintain the site? Your site is up, people are visiting, but it still is going to need updates. Nobody likes a stale website. If the person who built the website and is intimately familiar with it is willing to update it, what are their rates? If they don’t do maintenance, what are their recommendations?
To check out Dave Stott’s handiwork and for upcoming tips on knowing when its time to fire your web designer, www.VickieChampion.com.
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