What You Should Focus on in December
The holiday season can prove stressful for business owners who are just trying to survive until the New Year. But we suggest you take advantage of this most wonderful time by following 12 key tips intended to help you acquire new clients, secure more business, and create more loyalty with employees. Last week we covered the following six suggestions:
1. Wish your clients a Happy Holiday
2. Send holiday cards
3. Schedule employee vacation time
4. Plan company celebrations early
5. Get in the spirit
6. Bring your website into the festivities
This week we’ll discuss the final six of our 12 Days of Business:
7. Practice seasonal marketing
We understand that in December you are extremely busy with year-end, but you can target prospective clients at the beginning of the month with seasonal marketing. Take some time to brainstorm your holiday promotions and then delegate the final project to a trustworthy staff or family member so you can focus on billable hours.
8. Acknowledge your employees
December is the time when many employees receive bonuses. Small businesses and firms are generally unable to provide significant monetary rewards to their staff; however, you should make the effort to acknowledge your gratitude in some way. Consider gift certificates, paid time-off, or some other giving gesture.
9. Don’t offend
Remember, not everyone celebrates Christmas, but some other holiday like Kwanza or Hanukkah. You may consider remaining impartial in your advertising, mailers, well wishes, etc. by simple saying “Happy Holidays.”
10. Schedule your time well
Once you plan all the holiday festivities you should schedule the rest of your time so that you have enough to actual perform the accounting functions for which your clients have retained you. At some point you must move beyond holiday preparations and attend to the business of billable hours.
11. Balance your personal and business lives
Perhaps these 12 tips have been overwhelming. In reality, you can only do so much. Once you’ve determined which of these 12 suggestions are feasible for you to implement, you must then see that your personal and professional lives are in balance this year. The holidays are also a time of family and you must be sure to enjoy quality time with them this season as well.
12. Develop a New Year strategy
While New Year’s resolutions have become somewhat passé, it’s still good business to develop goals and strategies for the upcoming year. If you haven’t already, schedule some time to consider what you must focus on in 2009.
Most importantly, take time to enjoy the holidays. They do come but once a year, and it would be a shame if you didn’t revel in the season for a bit.Building Your Business is a Great Strategy for the New YearAnd Universal Accounting Center can help! We’re offering a big holiday package intended to enhance any bookkeeping service or individual ready to start one. You’ll attain the three things all business owners need to achieve true success: professional certification, marketing know-how, and enhanced service offerings.
Professional Certification
Accounting firms fare better when they provide specialized services. Small-business accounting is a specialized service that will appeal to a large target market. Most accountants are trained in big business accounting, which doesn’t address the unique needs of small business owners. When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper program, you receive specialized training in the day-to-day accounting tasks required by small businesses. Not only that, but upon completing the course, you will have the opportunity to earn professional certification, demonstrating to clients your newfound expertise.
Marketing Know-How
Regardless of how good your services are, you won’t secure quality clients without employing effective marketing techniques. And without clients, your business won’t go too far. The Universal Practice Builder program will train you in 12 marketing strategies designed to help you secure 15 to 25 qualified leads per month! Additionally, you will be guaranteed a $30,000 increase in annualized billings in just one year. That is 10 times the cost of this special holiday package! Talk about a low-risk investment with high returns.
Enhanced Service Offerings
In addition to offering small-business accounting, you will also be able to provide QuickBooks services. Our QuickBooks Made Profitable program will teach you how to use your QuickBooks skills to attract even more clients! You’ll learn how to leverage your time, meet more prospective clients and offer services that will enable them to reduce taxes, increase profits and put more money in the bank.
Get a jump start on the new business year by enrolling in these three programs, today! You’ll be giving lots of gifts this season. How about giving yourself a gift that continues to give, in profitable returns, year after year? Enroll now!
