Blazing Your Own Trail

by

Pam Newman Morin

It\’s that time of year where we as business owners all start to reflect on how the current year has played out and wondering what the future holds for us. Change is the one thing that is inevitable in life and in our business. We have to be able to adapt to survive. We don\’t want to just tag on to the end of the line and hope for the best, we want to be at the forefront and ensure that we are blazing a new path. What are you doing to blaze a new path for your business?

As an accountant and business advisor, I work with lots of clients in a variety of industries and sizes of organizations. Here are 3 key traits that stand out for the clients who are blazing their own trails:

Constant Learning – Learning happens in so many ways. It is not enough to go to one class or earn a degree. You have to have the approach that you are a sponge and absorb as much information as you possibly can at any time the opportunity presents itself. You may not see a direct connection with the value of that experience or information, but everything you engage in broadens your scope of knowledge and makes you a better business owner, employee, and general citizen. Never be too busy to learn something new each day. Our team is constantly learning new things about business, accounting, technology and more because it makes them able to share that information with clients.

Team Mentality – Though you are awesome, you can not possibly be everything to your business. Surround yourself with a team that is just as awesome as you are. This will allow you to focus on what you are really meant to do. There are lots of things we can do, but that doesn\’t mean we should do them. We only have so many hours in the day and we need to assess what are the best ways we should be spending them? I know how hard this can be, it was hard for me. Remember, the team concept can be incorporated in lots of different ways including hiring employees and contractors, as well as partnering with other businesses to create cohesiveness. I have incorporated a combination of employees and outside professionals in our business to find the right mix. We work with a lot of our clients as their outside resource for accounting and bookkeeping so they can focus on other mission critical aspects. They know the level of professionalism and service we bring to the table allows them more free time then if they hired internally for those positions. Every business has a different mix of needs and potential solutions.Though once you find the right team members, your quality of life has just improved as you are now able to choose how you spend your time!

Embracing Technology – If you are not embracing technology, then you are going to be left behind. The good or the bad is that technology is here to stay and it is constantly changing the way we operate in the business world. You can\’t stop the ever changing aspects of technology; you can only choose how you are going to engage in it. Will you be proactive and embrace it or will you be reactive and potentially suffer from it? I am far from being the technology expert, but I do try to learn and embrace it constantly. I have great appreciation for the impact it can have on my business and my clients. We recently upgraded our whole business server to the cloud so that it was easier for our staff and our clients to have access to their QuickBooks® information. It hasn\’t been without lots of training, a few bumps and bruises, but I would do it every day if it meant serving our accounting and bookkeeping clients most effectively. What can you do to serve your clients better with technology?

Blaze your own trail. Assess where you are today and where you want to be next week, next month, and next year. You are 100% in control of your own future.

About the author: Pam Newman Morin, MBA, is a Certified Management Accountant, Author, and Advanced Certified QuickBooks® ProAdvisor. She is the President of RPPC, Inc, which is an Accounting Firm that specializes in QuickBooks® services. For more information: Website is

rppc.net/

Twitter @RPPCInc, Follow us on FaceBook at QuickBooksPam, YouTube Channel is RPPCInc, or call 888.536.9690

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