Three Essential Business Roles for Success and Balance

In his book, The Rebel Rules: Daring to Be Yourself in Business, author Chip Conley describes what investors look for in a management team when considering providing startup money to new businesses. He says your management team should consist of a “brain trust that includes a passionate visionary, a ‘get-your-hands-dirty’ operator, and a responsible, finance-minded executive.”

Even if you are never going to seek venture capital money to fund your business, this tidbit of advice makes a great strategy question to consider for your business, especially if you are an entrepreneur. Do you have these three roles in your company?

Six Tips to Grow Your Business in 2020

Looking for fresh, effective ways to grow your business in 2020? You've come to the right place. In today's market and during these difficult times, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd, gain new customers or clients, and increase your company's revenue. Note: We said difficult, not impossible! Below, you'll find six fun, easy tips to help you achieve your goals and make your business bigger and better as it enters the new decade.

Mobile Accounting? It’s Here, Now

That's right: The future is here! Now that it's officially 2020, it may be time to jump on that accounting app bandwagon if you haven't already done so. The exciting news is you can actually do a lot of your accounting tasks from your phone instead of your computer.

One of the most important parts of managing a business is making sure there is enough cash to keep the business going.  As a business owner, you probably have a very good idea how much cash you have in the bank at any time. The smaller your business is, the more likely you are to keep a close eye on cash. 

When you pay a bill in your business, are you 100 percent comfortable that the bill payment is correct and justified? Is there ever a chance that that bill is fake or fraudulent?  What about duplicates?  With so many fake bills being mailed to businesses these days, it makes sense to think about controls you can put into place to reduce the risk that you might write a cheque out of your hard-earned profits that should never be written. 

Did you know that you can add apps to help increase the functionality of your core accounting system? The process will save you time and frustration. It is because every business is different that you may—and likely will—need these add-on features that aren't already included in the accounting system you currently use. That's where the apps come in: They provide a deeper functionality in the areas you need them. Take a look below at some examples we've put together.

As we welcome in a new year (and maybe a new decade depending on how you count them), it’s a perfect time to reflect on the trends that will impact us and our businesses. Here’s a list for your consideration and reflection.

The account on your income statement called Cost of Goods Sold can be confusing to non-accountants. In this article, we’ll attempt to de-mystify it and explain how it works. 

You've received them—probably more than once—and every single time, they're painful, tedious, and unsolicited. Robocalls . . . Need we say more? You can experience a robocall, or an automated telephone call delivering a recorded message, on both a personal and business phone line. From scammers scamming to political parties politicizing, these calls can get in the way of your daily business activities, stop productivity, and simply annoy the life right out of you.

Having repeat customers is essential to many businesses, and the key to keep clients coming back is to provide them with great customer service. Here are five ideas to rate your business’s savvy when it comes to serving customers well.