As we headed into the New Year, and now that we’re there, I’m having the same conversation with many of my clients. Too many business professionals are still doing their bookkeeping by hand! And they are paying for it through lost time that could be otherwise used to generate more income; new products or services or programs. There is truth to the saying that time is money, and this is a perfect example of that.

Then, for those who don’t have a centralized, electronic means of organizing their expenses and income, the time necessary to prepare for taxes is another huge time zap! New Year should be a time for things to COME, not constant reflection of such questions as ‘what WAS that check for?’

Years ago, my accountant suggested I borrow his QuickBooks software and start entering my business revenue and expenses in it. It was much easier to use than I had expected, and helped me actually see sources of income and expenses and make necessary business decisions more appropriately. And it certainly made my accountant’s life easier! I used his software for years, too, before I finally bought my own. Today you can even manage your accounts with an online version of QuickBooks!

Last year I took it a step further and hired a bookkeeper. That is now 2-4 hours a month that I can now spend on building my business instead of taking care of the busywork of business. I actually SAVE money with the use of a bookkeeper because she charges less/hour than I do!

So, as you take stock on how to become more efficient and grow your business, look at how you’re tracking your income and expenses and figure out how to spend more time doing what you love to do and less time on the busywork of the business.

Interested in more articles to help grow your business? Come visit my business article page on www.meg-enterprises.com at http://tinyurl.com/8tyz2e

Margie

Today I have some comments on New Year’s Resolutions. Do you make them? And, if you do, how does that work for you? I view Resolutions in the same light as diets: Something to go “on”, only to end up discouraged and go “off”. Why do we do that?

For people who strive to lose weight, only to struggle from year to year to year, they often live in the land of ‘someday’, rather than in TODAY. The only ‘today’ that they experience is when they wake up and promise themselves that “today I will do better”…

But what happens when they are NOT ‘better’? Often they end the day as all the previous days – feeling a sense of failure. They started out great, but…. And then they go to bed again feeling guilty!

Isn’t this the same thing that happens with Resolutions?

Why not do something different? And here I’m going to diverge into two separate topics: Health and business, again.

Business is the easier topic, actually. This is where goals can be made and action plans created. Starting something new in the New Year is a great time! But it doesn’t have to be a Resolution… beyond maybe a Resolution that this year you’re going to make it REAL! So, for that business, sit down and write out what you would like to accomplish this year. If you’re just starting out, or in the THINKING stage, what minimum action will you take? If you already have a business, what new product, service or direction would you like to take it this year? It might be something as simple as cutting expenses or tracking income and expenses better! It might be something as challenging as moving in a new direction. Regardless, it does need to be written out on paper to help solidify your plans.

Health is a more challenging topic. As a health professional, I have spent years helping clients achieve their health and fitness goals. Many are successful, but some continue to feel challenged and unsuccessful. We discuss that topic of ‘one day’, with the focus of feeling better and living healthier. What we do NOT do, however, is discuss the option that it is OK to feel a sense of failure and fear that they may never ‘get there’. We view ‘today’ as something to get past, rather than something to actually live in and be ok with. We continue to encourage to think positive and investigate what holds them back from achieving that elusive goal of ideal health and weight. What if they were to really sit with where they are, right now, at this very weight or health condition. And what if we stopped trying to IMPROVE where they are for awhile? Instead, just trying to appreciate it for what it is. You know: “It is what it is”. It IS what it is, afterall! We can’t pretend it otherwise…

Why do I bring this up when I’m talking about Resolutions? Perhaps we should consider the concept of allowing people to accept what their life is like right now and stop focusing on the future until they have actually accepted their present situation. What if people were allowed to ‘wallow’ if necessary, and come to real grips with where they are right now? For health challenges, this makes sense. For business challenges, I still believe that setting goals and action plans help move us forward. But health is more personal and involves so many more emotions.

There are many successful people who still struggle with their weight! If you are one of them, I’m sure you’ve had some conversation with yourself about this. The two seem totally separate, somehow. But are they, really? What I often hear is, “I don’t have time.” Hm; there’s that time management issue, again!

But it’s more than a time management issue. It’s a self-care and self-acceptance issue. And it’s an attempt to put one aspect of life aside in favor of another. However, it’s been my experience that people, women especially, who struggle with their weight and health, no matter how successful they are in business still don’t feel successful.

What does success look like to you? And, instead of making a New Year’s Resolution, what can you do to start facing what you’ve tried to ignore and help yourself move into that person you ARE, rather than the person you want to BECOME.

Margie