Barry, owner of an electrical contracting business, was frowning at the reports on his desk. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at me. “When we talked a week ago, you told me last month’s income was the best month of the year so far,” he said. “But when I run the reports, it looks …
Read more“We hate keeping track of time,” the business owner told me, shaking her head. “We really suck at it. But I want to know how efficiently our employees are working. I’d also like to see how our billable hours stack up against our competitors. Isn’t there another way than tracking time and labor dollars?” What …
Read moreWe’ve all been in situations where we thought we made a clear request. “How much did we have in sales last month?” “What did we spend in overtime on that project?” “How do our profits look so far this year compared with last year?” When the information comes back, we know it doesn’t look right—but …
Read moreThe owner of a marketing communications business—let’s call her Christine—was sitting across from me. She cradled her head in her left hand and sighed. Then she looked over at me with large, pleading eyes and said, “My people have never been busier. But in the 10 years I’ve led this company, never have I struggled …
Read moreYou know you’re an accountant when — during the turkey dinner, holiday shopping, and assorted festivities — your brain turns to budgeting. That’s on my mind a lot right now, as our firm guides clients through exercises and calculations to give them a detailed forecast of revenue and expenses for next year. Does the thought …
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