Knowing You Have an Accountant on Your Side
“Is it just me, or do the holiday lights seem to twinkle a bit more brightly this year?” I couldn’t help but ask my wife as we drove to her company’s annual Christmas party.
“It’s not the lights, dear. It’s a change in you. Last year, you missed December entirely because of the long hours you kept trying to close out the books, restructure the budget, prepare for tax filing, and all the other accounting tasks you were attempting to do on your own. You were doing all these things on top of running your business, and consequently, you were stressed and exhausted. Even when you were in the room, your mind was working spreadsheets, product orders, and budget tweaks, so you weren’t really with us.”
“I think you’re right. Finding an accounting team that was truly invested in my company’s success took such a load off my shoulders. I had no idea I could come to the end of the year with peace of mind and enjoy the fun and celebration of the holidays. This may be the first Christmas I’ve been truly present for in a decade.”
Lighten the Load
If that anecdote feels relatable, it’s time for a change. Hand off some of your worries, and rejoin the joy and celebration of the season you’ve been missing out on. Does this seem impossible? What if we told you that doing so is not only good for business, but it’s also good for your health? It’s true! Financial worries can lead to stress, anxiety, insomnia, physical health problems, and depression, all of which will impair your ability to conduct your business well.
Overworked and exhausted business owners find that running their businesses is all-consuming. To keep it healthy and growing, they miss experiencing the beautiful life that motivated them to launch their business in the first place. Over time, working at this level can lead to a sense of entrapment, build resentment, and eventually lead to burnout.
As a small business owner, you know all about wearing multiple hats and bearing that tremendous mental burden of providing for the needs of your family. Additionally, you feel a sense of responsibility toward your employees who depend on the health of your business to provide them with work as well.
The first, and highly effective, step to finding peace of mind while running your business is taking a step back and looking objectively at your areas of strength and struggle, as well as the time you devote to each aspect of your business.
- What are your entrepreneurial gifts?
- What areas of business management do you find challenging?
- What interferes with your ability to complete your work?
- How much time are you spending “putting out fires” and doing tasks that impede your effectiveness?
Most entrepreneurs are not in business because they love to sort payroll, process tax forms, or analyze financial data. Because this is not their area of strength, it may require excessive hours to slog through the tasks, only to find they have significant errors or entirely missed some documentation that was required.
Inviting the financial experts at Hayes and Associates to join the team promises a great return on your investment. Not only will your books be in excellent hands, but our full-service business consultancy can help you grow your business, prepare for the future, and make next year your most successful one yet…all while you enjoy more time with friends, and family, and see those holiday lights sparkle.
Invest in Your Peace of Mind
It’s no secret that running a business can be challenging, exhausting, and isolating at times. That’s why delegating your finances to an accounting team is so vital. With the time that decision will free up, you can turn your attention to your company’s greatest asset…you!
Need some ideas to dissipate your stress and rejuvenate your entrepreneurial spirit? Try a few of these:
- Get outside and move. Whether you hike, jog, bike, garden or do any number of physically active outdoor tasks, you’ll doubly benefit from the sunshine and the movement.
- Focus on a single task at a time. If you’re conversing with your spouse, be fully present. If you’re eating, concentrate on the tastes and textures you’re experiencing. If you’re at an event, be engaged in what is happening around you.
- Sleep. As a nation, we’re sleep deprived, with more than a quarter of us clocking less than seven hours of sleep a night. Sleep is not a luxury…it’s vital to our healthy functioning.
- Pay attention to your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Allow yourself to have downtime, a hobby, or some fun. We are not automatons, capable of working at all hours of day and night. When we balance our work and play, we are more fully alive and have more to bring to our work.
- Establish boundaries. Turn the phone off at mealtimes, family times, and when you are trying to rest. Define your work hours and stick to them. Of course, emergencies do occur from time to time that will require your immediate attention, but this needs to be an exception, not the rule.
- Start your day with a plan, prioritizing what is most important. Evaluate your time regularly to see that you are using it effectively.
Beyond Business Services
While we love helping businesses grow and thrive, we also work alongside families and individuals to help them build their personal portfolios and estates. Knowing your family is provided for and secure no matter what the future holds will give you unparalleled peace of mind.
Whether you wish to protect the legacy you’ve built over a lifetime, want to start a nest egg for future dreams, or seek to plot out a pathway to financial security and a robust future, Hayes and Associates are your financial allies. Our success comes from helping you achieve yours. Give us a call and learn more.
