What’s Getting In The Way Of Your Business Grow?
It’s a simple question to which I have an in-your-face, dead simple answer. What’s getting in the way of your business growth? In one word…YOU!!!
Remote vs. Virtual – What’s The Big Deal?
What’s the difference? Remote. Telecommute. Cloud. Virtual. Terms that are used interchangeably but don’t really mean the same thing. Here’s what I mean:
Independent Contractor Versus Employee
This seems to be a perpetual topic for small business owners/entrepreneurs and with the focus of the most recent speech by President Obama being on job and job creation, I thought it appropriate to (re)visit this topic. (more…)
Why You Need To Start Outsourcing Now
So you started a business…against the odds and against all the statistics about business failure. But I have a secret to tell you and I’m sorry that I’m the bearer of bad news but you’re still in danger of failing. Why? Because if you’re a solo-entrepreneur who does everything, you really don’t have a business – you have a hobby or a part-time/side job.
So how do you break free of the hobby/side-job trap? Stop doing everything, stop wearing all the hats (marketing, bookkeeping, sales, building your widgets). Stop being a Jack-Of-All-Trades, Master-Of-None …or Jill-Of-All-Trades. Just STOP!
Most new business owners (and even veteran business owners) get nervous when thinking about not doing everything themselves. Automatically thinking that the only way to stop doing everything is to hire an employee… the cash register of the expenses racking up starts sounding off in their heads & the budget starts going all wacky but it that’s not necessarily the case. There is an answer, in my opinion that answer is…Outsourcing.
I know it is scary and it might feel like a big step but outsourcing non-essential tasks to a virtual assistant or a freelancer might be the saving grace for both you and your business.
Here are a few suggestions/tips for outsourcing:
- Get Organized – set clear expectations, it’ll save you and your freelancer some heartache in the long run
- Task Oriented – find a freelancer that works by task not time spent on the task
- Do What You Love – if you love it, have a passion for it, even if the task is non-essential, do it… and get rid of everything else on your plate
Remember to do what you love… and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Have some outsourcing stories or suggestions… don’t be shy! Join the conversation and leave a comment.
Joyce is a CPA who has spent the better part of almost 20 years honing her craft as an accountant with companies in the Greater Baltimore-Washington, DC area – growing, mentoring & managing accounting teams. It’s this experience that she brings to the Common Cents services & training programs, including QuickBooks Basics.
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Cloud Computing – Are You Ready?
What exactly IS cloud computing? As I understand it and in it’s simplest terms, it’s remote software hosting. If you’ve created and stored a document or presentation using Google Docs, then you’ve been exposed to a version of “the cloud”.
Why is this important? As a SME (small/medium enterprise), why should you care? Well, to be honest – it kinda levels the playing field, making it so that the small guys can play with the big boys – at least when it comes to IT. By using remote software hosting/utilizing the cloud, SME’s can do things they couldn’t afford to do before – such as – allowing their employees & contractors to telecommute.
Allowing and encouraging telecommuting is just the beginning of the snowball effect that the cloud can bring. Telecommuting can lead to not only outsourcing your IT functions but now that your staff (employees & contractors) spend less time in the office, they can share space… if they share space, you need less space. Instead of providing 1 desk/1 office space per person, you may be able to cut back to 1 desk/1office space for every TWO or THREE staff members (referred to as “office hoteling”). So in addition to saving on the capital expenditures on IT… converting those to operating costs, you can also save on the overhead costs of office space, computers, telephones, etc. How big the snowball gets is up to you.
Enough about the other benefits…back to the cloud itself. Here are some IT benefits to The Cloud…
- Reduced Costs – instead of buying all the hardware/software yourself, you pay a provider incrementally (monthly, quarterly, yearly) – therefore lowering the “cost of entry”
- State of the Art Hardware/Off-Site Backup
- Increased Mobility – staff is no longer tied to the office or their desks
- Greater Flexibility & Security – SME businesses don’t necessarily have the most secure internal infrastructures when it comes to IT; with the use of the Cloud, these same businesses can reach and exceed compliance & industry security standards
- Automation & Shift IT Focus – Using the Cloud, the SME no longer has to focus on server updates, maintenance, backup issues or software updates.
Are you ready for The Cloud? The choice is yours… but I’m ready to take the leap. And I taking my clients with me … even if I have to drag them there, kicking and screaming!
