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Archives for September 2020

Don’t Insult the “Bookkeeper”

“You are the bestest bookkeeper I’ve ever had,” the client said proudly.

Bookkeeper, you say?

Gee, I thought we were more than that.  Bookkeeping is just one thing we do for them.  

Now, ok, I’m not really mad—just a little miffed.  I realize that they do not necessarily understand numbers. That is why they have hired us.  However, maybe if I explained a bit of what comprises a company’s financial picture, it might be an eye-opener.

bookkeeper

Among the things, here is a list of services needed to run a business’ finances (and the list of what we do).  Tasks such as these do represent “bookkeeping” type services.

  • Pay bills  
  • Send invoices to customers
  • Collections management

Other services outside of simply paying bills and collecting customers’ receipts go beyond “bookkeeping” tasks.  We are degreed accountants with years of experience.  Solutions, as in part of our company name, means you will get better quality services outside of bookkeeping. 

So, before we start calling names (“bookkeeper”) let’s take another look at that list and your whole financial operation.  You will be glad you did.  By the way, this client has had “bookkeepers” in their past and what a mess that so-called bookkeeper did to their books. Ouch.

We are proud of the work we do and our clients’ success.  We are pleased to be part of that success.  Because when they are successful, we are successful.  We handle accounting from the back office to the board room.  Period.

 

The TFO Team

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Building Trust With Clients

It is the most critical item in any business relationship.  If you don’t have it things will never work between you and your client.  Or your partner. Or anyone around you.

It’s trust.

That’s right, good, old-fashioned trust.  Being believed and being true to your word. As the dictionary defines it: “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.”

When it comes to business, trust is especially important when it comes to financial matters.  Without trust, knowing the truth about your finances is unstable and with that unstableness comes a complete lack of faith in the operation of the company. A withdrawal happens and things fall apart.

We’ve seen that happen when we engage a new client who has lost faith or trust in their previous financial services partner.  Our job not only becomes one of reviewing and repairing the books and systems, it becomes one of earning the trust of the client.  While we weren’t the ones who lost the trust, it is up to us to step into the role and be “trustworthy” in our own right.

We gain and keep trust in a number of ways:

  • Being forthright and honest. The truth is always best.
  • Come to the new client with references from trusted sources of theirs.
  • Being clear. Get to the point.
  • Sharing experiences and ideas.
  • Acting as an advisor and peer rather than a “doer.”

There are variations of this list, of course.  This just happens to be our list.

We are in the business of keeping our clients and partners in business.  If you are looking for a financial strategist to partner with you in growing your business, contact us.

-The TFO Team

 

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