Don’t Be Scared…

Each and every one of us is faced with decisions and challenges daily. It’s up to us to decide if we want to choose the ‘Road Less Taken’ or settle for mediocrity. I’ve come this far by choosing the road less traveled, thinking ‘out of the box’ and always seeking out new opportunities and challenges. I suspect it may be due to my Sagittarianism, since I am always actively on the lookout for new and different things. I’ve learned through the years not to settle for mediocrity and most importantly, not to be afraid or scared of challenges.

 

Many of you know that I met my husband through an online service. It’s a scary thought to many people to actually meet someone online, not knowing where they’re coming from or what their intentions are and whether they are being honest with you. It was a journey that I decided to undertake with utmost caution and hope for a happier, more fulfilling tomorrow. Guess what? It worked.

 

Another example of not being scared, was my decision to ‘break the cord’ with Corporate America, venturing out on my own and launching my Bookkeeping and Virtual Assistant business. I always had a sense of financial security and comfort working for large companies. I quickly settled into this environment, because I was safe. I always felt that I had so much more to offer and no matter how much I tried to ‘climb the ladder’ or how hard I worked, I always found myself back in the same place. After twenty years, I decided to make a change, go back to school and find a career that was fulfilling to me. Granted, I was petrified of leaving my comfort zone and venturing out, without anyone holding my hand. In retrospect, I should have made that decision 19 years ago – but I was scared.

 

Meeting new clients at their location is always an unknown. Many times you worry that there is not going to be that initial chemistry or spark. You might even start to ponder whether you are equipped to take on this client’s project or answer their questions. There are many other unknowns: pricing; scope of work; personality traits; timeframe of project, etc. However, you can’t let fear take the best of you. My best advice is to walk in with your chin up, listen carefully to what the client has to say, always make eye contact and exude confidence. Once the initial meeting has taken place, you will feel more at ease knowing what is to be expected of you and what the task entails. The unknowns will slowly begin to melt away and then it is your time to shine.

 

The only way to move forward, be happier and accomplish your goals is not to be scared of trying new things. Hesitation, procrastination and fear will hold you back, and I don’t want to you to be held back. There is so much out there to learn and experience! Try a different dish at a restaurant, jump into a conversation at a social function, learn how to swim, ask someone to join you for lunch, say ‘hello’ to the person next to you at the supermarket.  Don’t be scared…

 

Cecilia Parish
*******************************************************
Professional Bookkeeping & Business Services
‘Profit Through Organization’
Phone: 1-610-295-0245
Fax:     1-484-335-4410
e-mail: cecilia@professional-business-services.com
website: www.professional-business-services.com

Professional Network: www.linkedin.com

Why I Love Being a Virtual Assistant…

This month marks Professional Bookkeeping & Business Services’ (www.professional-business-services.com) one year Anniversary! I am happy and pleased that my business is doing well, and that I made it past my first year! Becoming a Professional Bookkeeper and Virtual Assistant (VA) was one of the best career decisions that I have made.

 

It all began with a Press Release (www.pr.com/press-release/81746), a wonderful, supportive husband, a great deal of independent study and a few bumps (not many) along the way.

 

There are many things that I love about being a VA. First and foremost, the flexibility it offers, so that I can attend to important family/medical matters without hassle (remember, for the most part, doctors office hours are typically limited between 9a and 5p on weekdays). Secondly, taking care of myself by incorporating an exercise routine at times when the gym is not overly crowded (and being able to take my preferred class during the week) is satisfying.

 

I typically start my work day very early, and I work through mid afternoon. More often than not, I keep going until the evening hours (simply because of my workload). This is a decision that I made. I want my business to succeed, so I always go above and beyond what is expected of me. I have always been a hardworking, diligent, focused worker, so I take my business very seriously. Being my own boss is wonderful. I tend to be my own worst critic, and I strongly believe that you always ‘get’ what you ‘put into it.’ I also believe that ‘what goes around comes around’ but that’s another blog.

 

I have the flexibility to work essentially anywhere that I have an internet connection. Not having to sit in a confined area for eight hours is the best.

 

Meeting new clients, learning about their businesses and helping them grow their businesses is completely rewarding. It may sound silly, but driving to client sites on a beautiful Spring/Summer/Fall day is refreshing and it allows for an occasional break. In my younger days, I admit I would have probably kept driving to the nearest recreational facility. Now that I’ve learned the reality and importance of keeping up with mortgage/car/credit card payments, things are much different.

 

I enjoying running my business and juggling the all important tasks of: Accounting; Marketing and Productivity. In owning a business, you see how all of these facets come together in a real world. You develop a strong appreciation for Marketing practices, cost-savings measures, budgeting, customer relations, etc.

 

Interacting with other VA peers is fun, because you know that you’re not alone. Joining professional networking groups allows you to share ideas, concepts, practices, learn and have some fun. During the past year, I’ve learned more being a VA than I ever did working in an office. As a VA, you are faced with daily challenges and surprises that simply make you stronger and more knowledgeable. It’s your choice, you can run with it, or be defeated.

 

Granted, there are days that you are not feeling well, or maybe you are ‘not at your best’ one day. Being a VA allows you to step away, take some time to regroup, maybe go for a short walk, take an aspirin and then come back to your office completely rejuvenated and recharged.

 

One of the best perks of being a VA (especially if you live remotely) is working from home during snowstorms. You don’t have to risk having a terrible accident on icy roads, to get to an office.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences as a first time Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant and Bookkeeper. It has been a rewarding year, and I look forward to owning my business and helping my clients for many years to come.

 

Cecilia Parish

• *****************************************************

Professional Bookkeeping & Business Services
‘Profit Through Organization’
Phone: 1-610-295-0245
Fax:     1-484-335-4410
e-mail: cecilia@professional-business-services.com
website: www.professional-business-services.com
Professional Network: www.linkedin.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is QuickBooks Really Worthwhile?

Absolutely!  As a Bookkeeper, I find myself praising Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks, for creating such a wonderful tool to help small business owners get a handle on managing their finances. Not only is QuickBooks user friendly and easy to follow, it allows you to get a quick, concise, real-time picture of your company financials. QuickBooks can essentially show whether your business is improving, which items are selling (by tracking inventory) or what changes are needed. You can keep track of deductible expenses (for tax purposes) with QuickBooks by recording expenses when they occur.

 

When I first started using QuickBooks, I was amazed by how much power a little software program can actually have. No more painstaking days (and nights) of updating spreadsheets trying to keep track of invoices that have gone out, how many bills are due and how much is due for the month. No more manually typing Customer Statements, paid Invoices, Purchase Orders, Estimates or Payroll, hoping that you’ve done it all without errors. Running reports, another powerful feature that QuickBooks offers, helps users run forecasts comparing current year figures with prior years figures. Graphs and pie charts are easily created with just the click of a button.

 

If you have any questions regarding QuickBooks, its features, need training or need help setting up a Chart of Accounts for you company, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the number listed below.

 

I am always happy to help.

 

Cecilia Parish
*******************************************************
Professional Bookkeeping & Business Services
‘Profit Through Organization’
Phone: 1-610-295-0245
Fax:     1-484-335-4410
e-mail: cecilia@professional-business-services.com
website: www.professional-business-services.com

Professional Network: www.linkedin.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start the New Year off Right – Hire a Bookkeeper!

January is the perfect time of the year to hire a Professional Bookkeeper. Start the year off on the right foot and say goodbye to those days of guessing whether your business has made a net profit for the month, or trying to guess how many receivables are outstanding. Working with a Professional Bookkeeper will help you: stay on top of your finances; follow-up on outstanding invoices; be prepared during tax time; determine your company’s working ratio and working capital each month and much more!  Working capital essentially measures the margin of protection for current creditors and reflects the ability of a company to finance current operations.

Audits are fairly common and quite frankly, unavoidable.  You can rest assured that if you are audited, your Bookkeeper will quickly have all the documentation and backup necessary to make the process as smooth and seamless as possible. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to maintain accurate, up-t0-date records of your business.

Wouldn’t you like to know exactly where your business stands financially, so that you can make prudent business decisions? Another wonderful benefit of outsourcing your Bookkeeping includes having more time to focus on your business. Do some comparison shopping on current vendors to lower pricing, do some market research and determine what customers are really looking for, evaluate and improve upon your current Marketing strategies.

Cecilia Parish
*******************************************************
Professional Bookkeeping & Business Services
‘Profit Through Organization’
Phone: 1-610-295-0245
Fax:     1-484-335-4410
e-mail: cecilia@professional-business-services.com
website: www.professional-business-services.com
Professional Network: www.linkedin.com

Tips for Creating a Filing System and Eliminating Clutter for 2009

The year is quickly coming to an end, and you find yourself surrounded by piles of paper everywhere. Does this sound familiar?  Why not start the New Year with a brand new filing system that is cost efficient, will eliminate clutter, help you to organize important documents and help you find what you are looking for instantly.
 
Some of the best practices that I have found to be helpful are listed here. Purchase a laminated accordion filing folder with 26 sections (typically, they come with alphabetic sections A-Z and in various colors). A laminated folder will last longer, and you will be able to adjust labels easily by peeling them off with out damage to the folder itself. This accordion folder will be your ‘active’ filing folder for the year. The folder takes up a minimal amount of space underneath your desk (it is expandable) and it will help you find what you need quickly.

 

 You can start by sorting the paperwork that you currently have into piles (ex. phone bills, auto insurance payments, mortgage payments, credit card payments, insurance, automobile, telephone, bank statements, cable bills, etc.) and label each section of the accordion folder accordingly, in alphabetic order. Many times I find myself too busy to file, so I tuck a small basket underneath my desk for things that need to be filed later. Once a week, usually on Saturday mornings, after I have my cup of coffee, I will do my filing. This typically takes me less than five minutes. Remember to always file the most recent papers towards the back of each section. It is important to keep up with the filing, at least once a week, so that it doesn’t become overwhelming. Follow this system until the first week of January. In January, I empty out the accordion folder and revamp each section, one at a time. While I revamp, I staple documents with multiple pages and remove the credit card advertisements and courtesy checks towards the back of the bills (all of this paperwork is not needed and it creates a bulky filing situation).  I take each section, put a rubber band around it and archive it (alphabetically) in a large plastic storage container in the basement. I use a large plastic storage container to guard against potential dampness or water damage.

 

Note: I am also in the habit of opening my daily mail as often as I can, and eliminating junk mail immediately.  If you put junk mail aside to be reviewed at a later day/time, it will easily multiply. I recommend keeping important documents such as insurance policies, passports, birth/death certificates in a fire safety box, or even in a safety box at your bank.
 
I hope these tips will help you get more organized, eliminate clutter and help you to create a filing/archiving system, so that you can focus your time on more important tasks. This system works for me, and I am happy to say that I never get overwhelmed with paperwork.

 

 Happy organizing!

 

Cecilia Parish
*******************************************************
Professional Bookkeeping & Business Services
‘Profit Through Organization’
Phone: 1-610-295-0245
Fax:     1-484-335-4410
e-mail: cecilia@professional-business-services.com
website: www.professional-business-services.com

Professional Network: www.linkedin.com