Tori Farmer, CPA’s Post

Partner: So we promised the client to get them a calculation by end of week. Please take care of it. Staff: But I celebrate Christmas with my family. I was planning to be off for the holidays. Partner: Please get it done. I, once again, am horrified (not surprised) when stories like this find their ways into my DMs. If you are a partner and this is how you treat your staff, I want to hear nothing from you and your firm about the "pipeline" problems. You are the problem. Just because you do not celebrate a holiday or you do not believe in being home with your family does not mean your staff, manager, senior etc need to do the same as you. "But but Yuri, client service comes first. We are the business of client service!!" No. Manage your client's expectations. A client who waits until the last minute to send information about the year-end planning should not be prioritized over your staff's vacation/family time. If it is really that pressing, pick up that laptop sitting next to you and do it yourself. My PA (public accounting) Friday posts have gathered a rather large audience and I get DMs sharing wild stories. If you want an avenue to vent send me a message and I will anonymously share a post like this on the next Friday. Reddit and Fishbowl are full of lovely stories like this but I am sure you guys got your own. This industry needs to wake up and realize that practices like the above are the reason people are fleeing in droves. Focusing all of our efforts on the silly 150 credit requirement is great but this is the REAL problem. 🎤 #PAFriday #saucy #publicaccounting #treatstaffwell

Dream. Believe. Dare. Do. - The Walt Disney Way! Today is Own Business Day. I love owning my own business, but its not for everyone. 22 Years and 9 days ago I started to Dream about creating a Specialist Pension Scheme Audit business. After speaking to some Pension Scheme Trustees and Advisers I started to BELIEVE there was a gap in the market. In January 2003, I took the next step and DARED to DO It and by March 2003 I was a Registered Auditor. I started winning clients, got some amazing feedback and won (or got short-listed) for some National Awards which made me BELIEVE even more. I said 'NO' to a lot of other accountancy business and roles and stuck to my DREAM. All the time I kept DOing, and then hired some team members and the DOing increased. ✅ Small baby steps, but we kept moving. We failed fast. 😱 Learnt and tried again. 😀 Assure UK and Progress Accountants now serve over 500 clients across the UK and we keep growing by going through the same process. 💹 A massive thank you to all the clients, team members and suppliers that have worked with us in the past and currently. 🙏 Thinking of starting your Own Business? 🤔 Here's my tip, 'Write a Business Plan' to highlight where you need to focus. 💡 #OwnBusinessDay

FRIDAY WRAP-UP: I'm about to start my Friday wrap-up as I look forward to the weekend. Below are the things that I typically do on a Friday afternoon: - Make a list of the to-do's that are incomplete and draft a list for next week - Listen to all voicemails and respond to the ones that can't wait until Monday for a call back. - Prep for my Saturday Life Coaching and Elder Care Consulting meetings - Look at the week ahead to see what tasks I must do over the weekend to be prepared for my meetings and coaching sessions - Go through the business cards I accumulated from the week's activities to make sure we are connected on LinkedIn and that I take the appropriate action I promised when we met. Add the contact to my database. - Organized my work space - Look at my goal board (and Quickbooks) to determine if I was on-track or off-track for the week, and make adjustments accordingly. - State my gratitudes for my clients and the people I encountered this week, sending the positive vibes for the challenges they are facing or for the goals they are striving to meet. What else do you do that helps you complete your week? #purpose #focus #lifecoaching #eldercare #seniorcare #assistedliving #seniorliving #memorycare #habitstacking #habits #friday #quickbooks #qbonline

A SLAP IN THE FACE from my boss inspired my webinar tomorrow.. But let me explain. Back in 2014 I was working as a CPA at this firm and I was one of those that actually enjoyed crunching numbers but I dreaded the long, draining hours and there was no worse time, then tax season. During the infamous tax season stretch I was literally pulling 60 to 70 hour weeks which not only took so much from me, but also my family, which I value above everything else. After one of the most grueling tax seasons I have ever experienced, my boss had promised me a raise and finally the big day was here. Buzzing with anticipation, thinking this was the reward for my endless hours and dedication to the firm. 👀👀But when I saw the amount, it felt like a slap in the face. Far from a reward, it was a wake-up call. It showed me it was time for something new… Taking the biggest leap of my life, I quit and started my own bookkeeping business. It was terrifying, stepping into the unknown, but it led me to the freedom I had been craving. I was finally in control of my time, my work, and best of all, I was there for my family. As my business grew, so did the number of people reaching out, wanting to know how they could change their lives too. I realized my journey wasn’t just about finding my own freedom; it was about helping others do the same. So, if you’re feeling stuck, overworked, and dreaming of more control over your life, consider this your friendly slap in the face. It’s scary to think about change, but sometimes, it’s exactly what we need. And I'm here to tell you, it’s possible. ♥ This is why I created this special webinar- packed with so much value to give you everything you need to win! You can choose the best date/time for you, your pick: 📅 July 25th 10AM CST: https://lnkd.in/dhGrMD-d 📅 July 27th 10AM CST: https://lnkd.in/dsGXCMyk P.S. If you’re looking to SKIP THE LINE, go ahead and skip the line by connecting with a team member now! Get chatting about your roadmap today! https://bit.ly/3VSQMsV 👣 If you’re looking for that nudge to take the first step towards a life you love, this is it. I’m here to help guide you through it, just like I did for myself and others students. #financialfreedom #workfromhome #entrepreneur #bookkeeping #workanywhere #makemoney #makemoneyfromhome #6figures #entrepreneurship #workathome #business #makemoneyonline #startabusiness

You Will Not Believe What Happened in Quarter 1....... Hey everyone! New month, new quarter, new goals... Can you believe it's already April? Time really flies when you are busy winning, am I right? This past quarter has been incredible for me, and I wanted to share some exciting news! If you have been following me for a while, I remember in January I mentioned how I always struggled to finish books? And most of you gave me tips and tricks to ensure I read my books from start to finish. Well, I finally joined a book club, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer! Having people to chat with about what I am reading actually keeps me going. Plus, the book we are on right now, "I Am Too Pretty To Be Broke, and Other Lies You've Been Telling Yourself" is FIRE! Speaking of winning, guess what else happened? I am now working with a few more clients as a bookkeeping consultant! That's what has been keeping me busy this past month. Now I'm working with awesome clients and I am loving the daily challenges and learnings. I am feeling super motivated to crush my goals for this year. But hey, this isn't all about me! How are your business goals going so far? Did you hit everything you set out to do in Q1? No worries if not, it happens to the best of us! The important thing is to figure out what didn't work, and needs fixing, then you keep moving forward. Are you feeling stuck and overwhelmed by your finances? Change starts with YOU! What are you most excited about for Q2? Tell me in the comments below! P.S. Tax season is coming in hot! Don't let messy books cause you stress. If you are ready to ditch the financial chaos and gain some peace of mind, let's chat in the DM today! I remain Brenda Okanja, BCOM, CPA(K) , your favourite #bookkeeper. #newquarternewstart #bookclublife #networkingwins #taxpreptime

A SIMPLE MESSAGE WITH A PROFOUND MEANING We are nearing the end of the second month of year 2024. How time flies! For most accounting folks, I am certain that they are busy sweating it out for the year-end closing (for companies with 31 December year-end), while the auditing chaps would "scramble" to provide the needed assurance before the Partners sign off on the audited financial statements. I am pretty sure many of us, from all professions and not just accounting and auditing, had worked hard over the past years and would continue to do so in the years ahead. Of course, there are exceptions and people who do not subscribe to this theory, but let's focus on the norm for today's post. I am someone who strongly believe in working hard (and smart) to provide for ourselves and our families. Of course, there are other reasons as well such as climbing the corporate ladder, achieving early financial freedom, etc. However, while we continue to do so, let's not neglect the close ones in our lives. They include our furkids as well, since they are also family. Now look at the picture. Does this resonate with you now? Does this make sense? Note: This post is not to encourage you to take your work lightly. Rather, while working is important, it is essential for one to find the right balance. There are people (pets included!) who need our attention as well. Hope you get the gist and know what to do when you get off work later! Have a great week ahead, folks! #worklifebalance #workhardplayhard #donotneglect #familyiseverything #petsarefamily

Before working with Sarah* she was doubting how she could balance her business, make a big enough profit for her lifestyle changes and still meet her goal of travelling a couple of times a year. She was a bit deflated and wondering if she’d bitten off more than she could chew. She felt that her accounting system did nothing to assist her - but at least it was there! The first thing we did was look at her accounting system and help her understand what was going on. We made it work harder and made it work for her. We talked through how to review her financials. How to spot issues. Already Sarah* saw that she’d not been using the program to it’s potential – and that her current position, although not where she would like, was at least clear. The next step was a game-changer… We built a Budget using the new accounts and built a customised financial model around HER business. We then caught up for Quarterly Forecast Reviews in order to keep the trajectory clear and to tweak where she was going off track. And the focus paid off. The custom reports and the work that we did helped Sarah to focus on her dream clients rather than get lost in servicing “everyone”. Sarah* had all the smarts – but just didn’t know how to apply it; didn’t know how to improve – and just needed a bit of direction. As a result… Her profit has grown significantly for 2 years running - AND she’s both travelled and booked in more travel… and her plans for next year? Well she’s already booked in the next Budget and is really starting to believe in herself and her business on a level she didn’t think was possible. If you feel the challenge and need some support DM me and let’s get you rolling! #coaching #budgeting #KPIs

March Madness ⚡️⚡️⚡️ Nothing like the first of the month ENERGY! The first two months of the year were a bit rocky. My number one focus this month is to level out before getting too far ahead. Here are our top 3 goals this month at Visionary Accounting Group 1. Get all client accounts caught up. I’m raising the bar and increasing our standard of excellence. We’ve been a bit complacent and in all honesty working outside of our process. As you can imagine, it created issues for us where delays happened, clients were unhappy, and staff couldn’t keep up. That changes this month. 2. Get our new bookkeeping team onboarded. Our staff challenges over the past year were enough alone to make me want to quit but we’re trying something new so here goes nothing! 3. Open registration for the first Accounting for Good virtual conference. This has been a labor of love but one that I can’t wait to introduce to the world. I’m challenging myself to a level of focus I’ve never achieved before which requires me to take care of myself. My top 3 personal goals this month are: 1. Gym 3x a week 2. Stick to a consistent work and home schedule with strict off and shut down times 3. Finish reading one non business book Here’s to the start of a great month!

I used to dread 17:15. Why? It was the moment when either my husband or my children would - and without fail - ask me, what’s for dinner? At that point, I wanted to shout at them, “no idea, you make it”. You see, I was suffering from decision fatigue. 😩 After making all the decisions in the business that day, I had nothing left for my poor family. 😢 Why was it that everyone, including family and friends, wanted a piece of me and for me to make a decision? Oh, how I wished I had another business adult who would share the load. Sound familiar? This is a fairly normal state of affairs for an accounting firm owner (or bookkeeping or tax firm owner) whose firm is growing. It’s also highly probable that the firm needs to be restructured. In my webinar tomorrow, I’ll be explaining that when you feel overwhelmed and that everyone needs a piece of you, it is likely that your firm needs to be rejigged. I’ll be explaining a number of the classic mistakes that many firm owners fall into that plonk them into a special kind of hell that seems only to be reserved for business owners. There is still time to register for the FREE Webinar tomorrow (17th April) at 10:00 (UK time) we will be talking about how to go from overwhelm to balance. We’ll even share the secrets of how other busy accountants like you have regained control and now have 8 hours a week to work on their business. Link to join is in the comments... It appears that meal planning on a Saturday stopped the 'what's for dinner question'. Although occasionally, I do need to remind them "it's on the board". Any other weekly meal planners here? Anyone like the menu at The Townsend Residence this week? #StartupToGrownup #scaling #scalingup #accountingandaccountants

I get asked all the time by non accountants why you are offering to help accountants with profitably in their firms? Aren't they the numbers experts? I completely agree for many numbers is their area of expertise. The truth of the matter is accounting firms are no different than any other business. There are many moving parts outside of the numbers such as staffing. What are their areas of expertise? How do I price for the value I bring? When do I hire and when do I outsource. All these areas and more are what business owners face every day. If you are an accounting firm owner who wants to increase your profits with out selling or adding new clients this event I am hosting on October the 17th is for you. See below for more details. #people #processes #profits #accountants #cpa