The 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 moreAn accountant walks into a bar . . . No, it’s not the beginning of a corny joke. It describes a visit I once made to a client. Her books were in shambles. She was bouncing checks right and left. She never had as much money in the bank as she thought she should. And …
Read moreAfter the holiday shopping and celebrations of December, January often shines the cold light of reality on a new year—highlighting how prepared you feel for it. In the world of small business, that includes having a budget. Last month, we looked at how your company defines mandatory and discretionary spending. Many of you replied that …
Read moreContinuing the saga of “time is money…” Last month I wrote about how important it is for the small business owner to know exactly how his/her time gets spent – billable or non-billable, sales development or staff development and list goes on. This month I want to dive into tracking time at the company level. …
Read moreI’ll cop to walking on the fastidious side of the street. And as someone obsessed with the accuracy of numbers, I’ll confess that high attention to detail might run deeper in my veins than it does in yours. I get paid to produce ART after all. ART stands for Accurate, Reliable, and Timely financial information. …
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