Focus CPA

We encourage small children to write a letter to Santa telling him what they want for Christmas. Personally, I don’t recall ever writing one, my mom always had a better idea of what I wanted than I did, at least until I was 10. Now as I sit down and create a current list the items are drastically different than when I was much younger. This list is complex with concepts more than things. So I hope Santa is listening.

For me Christmas means family. It is a time for me to shift my thoughts from the financial success of work to the heart and soul of family. For without family why work so hard? The hardest challenge is to let go of expectations and go with the flow. Family as I grew up with is not family as I experience it today. When I was less than 4 feet tall I recall waking up at 5:00 am sneaking down the staircase to see what Santa left behind.

For many business owners cash flow is a struggle. Business runs on cash. Even credit cards and PayPal eventually convert into cash. The best kind of cash comes from the customer. It doesn’t have to be paid back unless you don’t hold up your end of the bargain. Keeping to the basics you have four common sense choices to increase cash flow:

It is easy to be grateful and thankful for the good things we have in life. It is much harder to appreciate the bad things that happen to us.

Can you image playing a football game and never knowing the score? Financial statements provide owners their financial score. To keep the business financially healthy it is important to review your financial statement once a month. The challenge is that many don’t know what to look for.

My recent trip to Kenya was a great example of the power of people. In September my boys and I went on an African Safari in Kenya. Some very key people made our trip extra special..

Are you starting a business or revitalizing an existing one? Think of the newly hatched sea turtle. The egg is buried in the sand on the sea shore, far enough away from the ocean to be safe from the tide. Once it’s time the turtle emerges from the shell, amidst the many other baby turtles, and makes a run for its life to the ocean. Only 1 out of 1000 sea turtle hatchlings makes it to adulthood.

When frustration sets in it’s a good time for me to take a step back. To stop, take a deep breath and look around. Stop and feel the sun shine, listen to the rain drops, watch for the friendly smile or ask for a hug from a loved one. My frustration usually comes from trying to force a solution or find the answer that I want. In general, my life isn’t going my way.

RING, RING… I picked up the phone. “Mary, we can barely pay the bills. We haven’t gotten paid in three months. We have worked so hard and invested all our money into this business. We need to find a way out – will you work with us?” Panic was in their voice. The business owners were watching their life savings drain away.

Go for the gold! Finish Big! Both are great clichés to live by. Putting yourself out there, taking a risk, fighting the fear and seeing what you can accomplish. When Nike came out with the slogan “just do it” I took it as my tag line. I love to plan and organize. I love to make lists. The action part is my challenge. So “just do it” has expanded my life experiences.