If you love your bookkeeper, do this…

It’s that time of year again, where flowers and candy are everywhere and the whole world seems to be talking about love. Cupid is nice and all, but as bookkeepers, you can show us you love us in some very specific ways that Hallmark doesn’t even make a card for. If you love your bookkeeper (and we know you do), then these are the perfect ways to show it:

Angela Hall 2/12/25 Angela Hall 2/12/25

These towels led to a financial epiphany.

I recently did a little refresh of my bathroom. Got a new rug, added a shelf, changed out some decor–nothing huge, just a little update. In the process, I realized that I didn’t really have hand towels that matched that bathroom. I have towels I could use in there, but nothing particularly remarkable, and definitely not worthy of company. As I was explaining this to my Mom, saying that I thought it would be “okay” to buy nice towels in case I had guests, she said something that got me thinking…

Angela Hall 1/30/25 Angela Hall 1/30/25

Gain Clarity: Employee Reviews

The last bit of January at MB is a little like working in Santa’s workshop. Lots of tinkering to get all those 1099s out by the deadline & double checking lists for the big show of tax day. It’s a great reminder that a little bit of preparation saves lot of stress down the road.

That said, we want to take this opportunity to encourage you to do a little preparation when it comes to your employees & get those reviews scheduled! I know it seems like an extra task, especially if you don’t have any performance complaints, but there are some big time benefits:

Angela Hall 1/22/25 Angela Hall 1/22/25

Need a tool to help you gain clarity about your business?

A great way to gain clarity and plan for the future of your business is to do a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, and it’s an exercise to examine internal and external factors that affect your business. We did one at our staff retreat last summer and it was really interesting to see what the team had to say. If you don’t have employees to participate, think about your customer’s viewpoint, or ask a trusted friend if they have any input. You’ll be surprised at what others see.

Amy Esp 1/15/25 Amy Esp 1/15/25

Reflection + Planning

I love living in a place with seasons.

I can't imagine living somewhere that's always tropical and sunny no matter what the season. When the days get short and cold, I appreciate the natural rhythm of a little bit of slowing down and hibernation. This year especially, I've become a little bit of a winter hermit. Bundled under my blankets reading my book or working.

I also appreciate that this time of year gives me space to contemplate the past year and look forward to the next year. I have a variety of different New Year exercises that I like to do as part of this process. Some of them involve reflecting on the previous year and the successes and failures of that year. Other pieces are forward-looking, with intentions and goal setting.

Angela Hall 12/31/24 Angela Hall 12/31/24

Stuff I’m Focusing on in 2025.

This time of year is always a time for reflection and an opportunity to adjust your mindset for the upcoming year. Resolutions are soooo last year (and generally make you feel bad if you fall short). Resolutions are more about “fixing” your perceived failures and not about building a better life. Instead, I’m calling this a…shift in focus, and I’ll be concentrating on habits and mindsets that make me feel better in all aspects of my life.