Have you ever taken on a cleanup job, trusting the client when they said, 'It's not that much work,' only to find yourself facing a mountain of issues? We've all been there. That's why we don’t use a one-size-fits-all flat rate for cleanup work. You never know how much-hidden mess you're stepping into. Always do an upfront assessment. And if the job requires more, charge more. Value your time, skills, and the effort it will take. Don't sell yourself short by underestimating the task ahead.

Welcome back to our channel, where we dive deep into the challenges and triumphs of the accounting world. Today, we're thrilled to present a special episode featuring the insightful Geraldine Carter, a beacon of innovation for accountants, accounting firms, and CFO service providers looking to transform their work life. Are You Overworked and Underpaid? If you're an accountant or firm owner drowning in endless hours of work, dreaming of a manageable 40-hour workweek (or even less!), this episode is a must-watch. Discover how Geraldine Carter leverages her engineering mindset to tackle the pervasive issue of overwork in the accounting industry with practical, innovative solutions. What You'll Learn: • The Power of Niching: Find out how specializing can not only reduce your workload but also increase your firm's value and appeal. • Pricing Strategies: Learn how effective pricing goes beyond just increasing your rates—it's about aligning your services with the value you provide, leading to better client relationships and higher profitability. • Efficiency in Delivery: Geraldine shares groundbreaking tips on streamlining your service delivery to maximize productivity without sacrificing quality. • The Role of Mindset: Discover why a strong, positive mindset is critical for making significant progress and how mindset coaching can propel you and your firm forward. We're eager to hear from you! After watching, drop a comment below sharing one change you plan to implement in your practice to reduce work hours or increase efficiency. Remember to like, share, and subscribe for more insightful content designed to empower you in your accounting journey. Check out our YouTube page for the video version of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thefinanceaccountingshow2679 ============= Connect with Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businesstalklibrary/ Website: https://www.bizprofitsecrets.com/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TLTurnerGroup Email: contact@tlturnergroup.com

What if the reason your new hire is struggling isn’t their fault, but yours? 🤔 Imagine this ... You’ve just welcomed a new team member, and you’re eager to see them shine. 🌟 But things are already slipping through the cracks... deadlines are missed, communication is muddled, and frustration is mounting. 😣 📌What went wrong? Here’s the truth: Many businesses struggle to retain talent because they skip a crucial step... Setting Up Guardrails! 🚧 📌What are guardrails, and why do they matter? Watch the video below for a detailed description that covers the following points: - ⏰ Time Boundaries - 💬 Open Communication - 📚 Resource Sharing 📌As a leader, your role isn’t just to delegate tasks—it’s to create an environment where your team can thrive. 🌱 👇 What “guardrails” have you found most effective in supporting your team? Let’s discuss in the comments! 💬

You NEED the Sound On for This 🤼 As much as we like to think that our staff is very mature and beyond being petty, the reality is, jealousy is a real part of human nature. 😒 Now, you might say be thinking , “My staff is the exception”...  That’s not true! They still get jealous. Some just manage their jealousy better than others.😁 As leaders, we can't control whether or not someone gets jealous, but we can control whether or not we contribute to an environment that makes jealousy more likely. Here are a few recommendations followed by some practical examples: 🔹Avoid the comparison game when giving feedback to your staff.  👉🏽Example: Don't say things like, “Why don't you do it like Tiffany or Allen?”. When you’re pointing out that someone is not isn’t doing something well, the last thing they want to hear is how much they suck compared to someone else. (You may not say they suck but that is what they may perceive). 🔹Spread the love, but don't idolize. When your staff does something good, praise the act, but don't make the praise about them as a person. 👉🏽Example: If Jamie figures out an innovative way to meet her deadlines faster, praise the act of innovative thinking. If others hear you praise the act they can see Jaime's actions as an opportunity to learn. If you spend all your time praising Jaime for being an innovative person, others will be reminded that they aren't 'Jaime the innovator'... This could lead to future resentment and once that resentment grows, guess who might be the recipient of the fallout.   🔹Use the Golden AGE (Average, Good, Excellent) approach. People should compare themselves to the progress of their own development journey and not each other.  👉🏽 At TLTurner Group, we created the Golden AGE approach after realizing that some of our staff were stuck in this cycle of comparison. Not surprisingly, they compared their worst qualities to the best qualities of others. In noticing this, we used the Golden AGE approach to create a personalized development plan for each team member, to help them go from Average to Good to Excellent. Now they don't compare themselves to their peers, they compare themselves to the potential of their own development journey 📈. There's a lot more to say on this topic so listen to our new podcast "The Golden AGE of Business", where we’ll be having a new conversation each week, diving deeper into the Golden AGE approach.  In the meantime, what do you do to avoid creating an environment of jealousy in your organization? Let us know in the comments section 👇

It's time for a reality check ... 🛑 Don't Glorify Unnecessary Struggles 🛑 There's a pervasive mentality that glorifies unnecessary struggle – the idea that enduring hardship somehow builds character and is a rite of passage. 🙅‍♂️ But here's the truth ...there is no extra reward for doing things the hard way... Now to avoid confusion let me be clear I am not implying that everything should be easy, instead what I am encouraging is this... When there is an easier option that will get you to the same destination don't choose the hard one just because Instead here is what I recommend for anyone that is in pursuit of something: 🟢 Be clear about what you really want 🟢 Find others who have already made progress toward that same or similiar goal 🟢Learn what went well, what didn't go well, and what they wish they knew during their pursuit 🟢Use your newfound insight to make things alot easier and more productive for yourself, 🟢 Show some gratitude for how they helped you Also a little bit of emotional-mental health advice: Don't think that your success and progress is any less valuable because you didn't struggle like everyone else.. the Goal is to make progress toward the thing you want not to create unnecessary struggles along the way.

Leaders should definitely adopt this approach.... Empowering Teams with the Right Tools and Proven Patterns 🦰 I’ve experienced the magic of seeing my team become super efficient in a short period of time, after we started giving them a clearer picture to follow. ✨ One of the wisest things that we did is before I asked a team member to take on a completely new responsibility I did the following 😎 1️⃣Say; I am asking you to do something new and I don't expect you to be perfect on the first time (depending on the mood of the meeting I may joke and say now on the second time perfection is somewhat expected) 2️⃣Explain: Since this is new for you I will walk through an example or two that will give you a picture of how the process can go and how the end result could look (we also record this walkthrough as well) 3️⃣Set a follow-up meeting after they have had some time to try on their own so we can review their questions, tweak the process, and ask them based on your own effort how would you make this process better By taking this approach my staff gradually becomes more mature, aware, and confident to operate independently. How do you approach empowering your staff to become confident, mature professionals? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 💬 #accountingandaccountants #management #decisionmaking

It is time for your staff to start fixing some of their own problems As a leader, one of the biggest temptations is to step in and fix problems for your staff but what we should do is ..... Learn to Step Back and allow them to use their intellect and skill to solve the problem (when the situation permits) 👣. When we implemented the Golden AGE in our firm some of the things that it allowed us to to do was : 1️⃣Encouraging Independent Problem-Solving and Exploration. 2️⃣Challenge the team to create better processes moving forward 3️⃣Reduce the number of problems that the leaders had to get pulled into Here’s how we achieve that: ✅Taught our staff how to identify early signs of future problems. 🚀 ✅Challenge them to come up with potential solutions for their common problem 🌱 ✅ Asked them to present their potential solution to the team during our monthly team meetings and answer questions about their approach💡. As a leader, our job is to help the people we lead mature into more productive professionals but that won't happen if we solve all of their problems for them.

Don’t Be Ashamed to Pivot! (From Push-Ups to Pivots) 🚀 Have you ever believed something was great in theory, only to find the reality of executing would be way more than you were ready for? 👎😒 We've all been there (whether we admit it or not 🫣 ). So, giving yourself the grace and space to change the plan is the most important thing. Here are some things to consider: ✅ Flexibility in Goal Setting 🔄: Instead of sticking rigidly to the original plan, always leave room to pivot. ✅ Honest Sounding board 💼: Identify people who can give you honest feedback and tell you if you are changing because it's easy or making a wise adjustment. ✅ Bounce Back: ⛹🏽‍♂️Just because you are saying no to the original idea today doesn't mean you can revisit this goal when you have grown, developed, and built yourself up for it. Here is a true story: Based on our 2024 forecast, our revenue should be higher than it is now. Back in March, I took a hard look at my leadership and team and realized I failed to prepare the team for what our business and their workload would look like as we moved toward that overall goal. Once I realized this, I had to take my attention off of the GROWTH goals and refocus on building up my team. We streamlined some processes, implemented some tech tools, and rebuilt an individual development plan for each staff member using our Golden AGE process. In making this change, the temptation to beat myself up or feel ashamed was there, but I realized that it's okay to be honest about where you are and then reroute your path to move forward in the best way possible. Thanks, @Jody Grundden, @Scott Scarano, and @Dan Luthi, for the helpful conversations. Your wisdom helped me more than you realize. #accountingandaccountants #decisionmaking #business #entrepreneurship

Are You Overlooking the Obvious Solution❓ 🛑 One of the most powerful questions that you can ask is this "Is their a better way to do this?" 🧐 🌟Far too often we waste too much energy doing things the complicated way in the name of progress or hard work, but truth be told we are doing more damage than good. 🌟 Here is a list of things that happen when you choose the complex or the simple to get to the same outcome: 1️⃣Exhaustion you and your team could waste your best energy and be too tired to deliver when you need the energy the most 2️⃣Neglect when you are spending time overcomplicating things you aren't spending time adding value to your team, your clients or your community 3️⃣Regret after you do it the hard way and realize that the result wasn't worth the effort, a feeling of sorrow about missed opportunities can really creep in fast Here are some steps you can take to improve your approach: 🟢Take a Breath: 🌬️ Pause and reassess the situation from a fresh perspective. 🟢Clarify the outcome: 🔍 Get a clear picture of what you are actually trying to achieve. 🟢Seek advice: ⚙️ If the project is big seek tips from others, when it comes to streamlining two people that I reach out to are Korey Cournoyer & Kristen David. Remember, there is no extra reward for "Choicing the most complicated option". ✨ ---

Ever wondered what separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest? 🤔 It's not the flashy offices or the hefty capital—actually, they are just following a simple playbook ... Here's the playbook: 🟩 Understanding Problems: Empathy is your secret weapon. What keeps your customers up at night? Dig deep, walk in their shoes, and uncover those pain points. 💭 🟩 Finding Solutions: Once you've got the puzzle, it's time to get creative. Whip out your brainstorming hat and craft solutions that make life easier for your customers. 👌 🟩 Profitable Business Models: Ah, here's the game-changer. It's not just about solving problems—it's about doing it in a way that generates sustainable revenue for your business. 💰📈 Figure out the sweet spot where empathy meets innovation meets profitability ... That's where the magic happens! ✨🎩🌟 For example here is our playbook: 1️⃣ Financial is overcomplicated for busy law firm leaders who want to be more successful 2️⃣ Practical bookkeeping and CFO reporting that makes sense 3️⃣ Monthly bookkeeping + CFO reporting at a very attractive price What does your playbook look like? Let us know in the comments section! 💬 #accountingandaccountants #entrepreneurship #smallbusiness

Are You Focusing on the WRONG Problems in Your Business? 🚨 Running a business is hectic, so It's easy to get caught up in the wrong challenges and miss real opportunities. 🏃‍♂️ Here are three tips to keep your focus sharp: ✅ Identify Core Challenges: Regularly review your business goals and pinpoint the main obstacles standing in your way. This helps ensure your efforts align with your vision. 🔍 ✅ Prioritize Opportunities: Not all opportunities are equal. Learn to differentiate between a good & great opportunity 🎯 ✅ Stay Agile: You have to have some flexibility in your priorities especially when circumstances outside of your control pop up 🤸‍♂️ ✅ Delegate & Communicate: Fight the urge to do everything yourself and ensure that you are communicating to your team when priorities changes or are updated. What’s one challenge you’ve faced that turned out to be a distraction rather than a real issue? How did you refocus your efforts? Let us know in the comments below! 💬 #accountingandaccountants #accounting #business #entrepreneurship

Don’t let ONE BAD DECISION turn into blazing chaos! 🔥💥😱🌪️🔥 When people (including myself) make a bad decision the temptation to just react is very high and if we are being honest our initial reaction probably isn't the best next step for the situation.  For example, let's say you made a bad hire, so now you have a person on the team who is the wrong fit for the role or the company. You know it's not the right fit but somehow you try to convince yourself that "it will work itself out" or maybe they just need some more time". Deep down you know what the right next steps should be but in the moment you just reacting to all of your service-level feelings instead of really letting your wisdom come forward to help guide you to what is next.  This is why you should use something like the Golden A.G.E. approach.  Here is an example of hiring and how the Golden A.G.E. approach can work: 1) Identify what Average, Good, and Excellent would look like for a new hire within their 1st, 2nd, 3rd week on the job (average shows up on time ready to work, good offers to get involved to learn their job quickly, Excellent comes in with some ideas about how to help make things better) 2) At the end of each week ask yourself what level is the person performing 3) If the staff member is below or barely at the average level of performance chances are this is not one of your great hires so don't just react, and let your wisdom guide you on the next steps Yep, we've all been there, and it all started with ONE poor choice. Here’s a tip that helps us avoid unnecessary chaos in our firm: ‘Before you dive headfirst into the unknown, arm yourself with a litmus test!’ 🧪 Let's talk strategy ... 🎯 It could be a simple checklist or some soul-searching questions—whatever works for you. The point is to give your idea a good, hard look before you commit.🧐 Make sure your idea can withstand scrutiny 🔬. Because let's face it, a failed litmus test could spell disaster. Here are 3 in-house secrets from our own checklist: ✅Critical Questions🔍: We ask ourselves:       "Does this idea even make sense?"       "Are we onto something good or just setting ourselves up for trouble?" Ask yourself the tough questions. ✅Reality Check⚖️: We weigh the pros, cons, and potential fallout. We evaluate our ideas, gauge the feasibility, implications, and consequences  ✅Decision Time⏰: If our idea can't pass the litmus test, we reconsider our course of action. After all, one bad idea can lead to a catastrophic chain reaction. So, before you dive in headfirst, give yourself the gift of a solid litmus test. Your future self will thank you! 😉 Do you have a litmus test that has worked in your business? We’d love to learn from you in the comments below! 💬