5 Business Tips for Accounting Professionals

In this post you’ll learn the business tips for accounting professionals follow to stay on track when there’s a lot to be done, when life gets in the way, when you feel like there’s no time for growth, or stopped doing things you enjoy.

1. Keep your why in mind to stay motivated.

You started your firm because you’re passionate about helping your clients with their financials. It’s rewarding to see the results of your work. Especially, when they express their appreciation.

Your drive to help others is natural; it’s part of who you are. But when you get busy with the not-so-pleasant aspects of running your firm, then a strong purpose keeps you going.

A productive and focused accounting professional is also a mindful one.

Start your day by acknowledging that you do work you care about. Then take another moment to reaffirm why your work matters. These things set the tone for your day.

Do you follow a mindfulness practice? If you’re first getting started, then try various types. Before you sit down in front of your computer, go through your emails and get busy with your daily activities, take a moment to consciously connect with your purpose.

Some accounting professionals prefer to meditate first thing in the morning. Others journal each day. A couple of my clients prefer to set an intention for the day during their morning shower.

So when various activities pull you in different directions throughout the day, reconnecting with your purpose grounds you. This helps guide your various decisions throughout the day.

Your why is like a beacon of light that keeps you from straying off your path. It’s the core reason you’re growing your firm.

A personally meaningful purpose turns your day-to-day activities into your contribution to the community, to help people, to be a creator instead of consumer, to make a difference.

2. Take care of yourself and the business success will follow.

All the business tips in the world won’t matter if you aren’t in top shape.

When you make a call, answer an email, attend a meeting, or work directly with your clients, you need to be present with your mind, body and soul.

Your energy, your enthusiasm, and your clear mind directly affect your performance. When one of these is off, then you’re entire game gets thrown off.  Unfortunately, too many accountants, enrolled agents and bookkeepers end up neglecting their health or spiritual well-being at some point.

Stop cutting corners

So where do you cut corners? This includes getting enough sleep, giving yourself breaks from your workflow and even giving yourself credit for achieving a milestone.

I’ve spoken with self-employed firm owners who haven’t taken a vacation in years. They stopped following their daily exercise routine. Or instead of the family eating healthy meals together, they’re now opting for fast food because it’s convenient.

Taking things too seriously and doing nothing but work is dangerous. Don’t sacrifice your personal health, emotional well-being or important relationships.

Success loses its meaning when the other significant aspects of your life are neglected.

Success loses its meaning when the other significant aspects of your life are neglected. Read full post. #getpaidwhatyoureworth Click To Tweet

Structure your business so you enjoy what you do, remain productive and highly creative. Make time for self care, spend time with your family and do fun things that have absolutely nothing to do with your business.

3. Believe in yourself.

The top business tips for accounting professionals are worth repeating. So if you’ve heard this before, then consider this a reminder. Remain confident in your abilities and trust the process.

Confidence and trust are a powerful combination.  They will help you overcome the challenges that would normally throw you off your path.

The unexpected challenges

Success is filled with unexpected challenges. Many accounting professionals eventually quit, because they view all hurdles as roadblocks. But what if you reframe that perception? Instead realize that you aren’t given any challenges in life which you’re unable to overcome.

Your desire and determination to pursue your purpose keeps you from straying or calling it quits. This applies to you – whether you’re strong willed or easy going.

Let’s face it, there will be people who attempt to discourage you. They’ll challenge your vision, question your intentions and loudly wonder who do you think you are to achieve that thing. Don’t listen to them.

And when things don’t go as planned, or you mess up, don’t allow doubt to drag you down. Dwelling on all that went wrong for too long keeps you focused on the problem. Ever notice how negativity drains your energy?

Desire and determination matter. Fear or uncertainty will appear; it does for all of us. Don’t allow these things to sabotage your vision.

A positive mindset will help you move forward instead of submitting to doubt or apprehension. You’ll recover more quickly when you’re fully committed to your vision.

4. Practice active listening.

Active listening is an important technique that applies to all areas of your life, such as relationships, self-improvement, family, career, and more. Let’s see how it can be applied to the success of your business.

Miscommunication happens all the time. What we think someone said and what they meant may be two different things. It’s something we’ve all experienced.

So active listening means you’re truly paying attention to what’s being said. Verbal communication, however, is only part of a conversation. There’s also tone of voice and body language. Most accounting professionals, however, overlook the importance of body language.

Even what is left unsaid can lead to miscommunication. That’s because your clients may be uncomfortable saying what they really mean.

Your clients want to be heard. They want you to pay attention to them.

Your clients want to be heard. They want you to pay attention to them. Read full post. #getpaidwhatyoureworth Click To Tweet

Listen carefully to what your clients are saying. Reach out and ask what they struggle with, where they need improvement, and how you can help.

They might not always express their problems and desires clearly. Active listening is an advanced skill which deepens your relationship with your clients.

5. Stop waiting for the right time.

Naturally, you want everything to go perfectly in your firm. Perfectionism, however, causes things to take more time than necessary.

That’s because it slows you down. Obsessing over the last final touches, or reviews, doesn’t usually make that much of a difference. It consumes precious time that could be spent doing things that either advance your business or bring in more money.

One of my clients, an enrolled agent, writes weekly blog posts because she enjoys educating her followers. Since she never had enough time in the day, she’d work late into the night after the kids went to sleep.

Hours were spent in an attempt to find the exact right words. She didn’t want to offend anyone, or be controversial, so she obsessed over her posts. The thought of receiving negative comments kept her awake at night. It often took over eight hours of her time before a new post was published. The process exhausted her.

Well, we changed her approach. That’s because her time is precious. We reduced the total time spent on blogs. Instead of perfection, she learned to pursue excellence. Sometimes this meant going with good enough instead of perfect. Her desire for change was greater than her need to remain in her comfort zone.

She now has more than enough time to grow her team, offer trainings and work directly with clients.

Apply These Business Tips for Accounting Professionals

We shortened the amount of time it takes to complete projects. First, we reviewed her work flow. Decided what was working and what was not working, and then we cleaned things up. Next, we developed a schedule to optimize her time.

Perfection is costly, causing tasks to take longer than necessary. She learned to go with good enough. Instead of postponing things because they haven’t been perfected yet, she now makes adjustments and improvements along the way.

Make these business tips your mantras. Write these down. Post notes in visible places as reminders. A focused mind, when concentrating on the right things, knows no limits.

Follow these business tips for accounting professionals to avoid burnout. Decide to run your firm instead of having your firm run you. Right NOW claim your FREE RESOURCE to earn more while lightening your workload.