Focus CPA

Personal financial planning stresses the importance of paying yourself first. Financial experts recommend that a person prepare for the future by putting money away for savings and investment. The rest is available to spend. Let’s take that same logic and apply it to business.

Everyone has a story! I started FOCUS CPA because of a challenging time in my life. In the late 90’s my best choice was to close a business. It was a very painful time, financially and personally. Now I want to make sure that no one else goes through that same experience. I take what I do personally. I know it’s just business, however business is made up of people.

“Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things.”

Every day we make decisions – some are important and some are trivial. In my line of work, we base decisions on data. However that is only one perspective of the issues – other factors that affect the outcome are involved. Factors such as internal desires and outside forces, which are not measured with facts and figures.

Life changes quickly and it feels like it is moving faster every day. From a business standpoint the rapid change tosses opportunities and challenges faster and faster, in unique unexpected ways. If we know where we stand, where we want to go, prepared to move, keep an open mind and ready to take a risk we can take advantage of the situation.

Each year I write down what I expect for the upcoming year and review what happened last year. This year I started recalling the successes that our clients had. … I got to see a “one of a kind” Porsche, experienced a fast luxurious ride in a Tesla (a high end fully electric car), saw pictures of a staff retreat that was held on a beautiful resort in the Philippines, one client was very excited about sharing Disneyworld with her granddaughters and two clients purchased new businesses this year.

The beginning of the year is a good time to review last year’s results and plan for this year. A financial budget is a tool that is available to help guide and design your future. It can tell your story before it happens.

I gave up on New Year resolutions years ago. I review my goals and establish my resolutions every month, or at least attempt to.

Those choices create the life we live. Our family, friends, coworkers, employers, commercials and all our life experiences have an impact on the choices we make. Our self-confidence, determination and beliefs, both life affirming and self-limiting, also play a key part in our decisions. Personally I think it is a mystery how it all falls together.

It changes my focus to family and friends. I have a tendency to live in facts and figures, so holiday parties and family gatherings challenge me. Instead of fighting it, I embrace it. I take time to spend with family, to slow down and enjoy the season. I allow it to warm my heart.