Simple stress busting secrets to creating a first class support team in any business

Stress and an occasional sense of overwhelm is a normal by-product of a successful business. Yes, we are lucky to have all the opportunities that the business world presents to us. And yes, at times, it is impossible to make wise use of our time and resources. So, the result is inevitably: Stress! We differentiate between primary, situational, short-lived stress and long-term, accumulated levels of stress. The purpose of this article is then to help you instantly with the first type of stress. To give you tools you already possess but we all don’t utilize enough. In addition, my High-Impact Business Coaching Formula allows you to grow thriving businesses while creating rich, balanced lives and with that eliminate the second type of long-standing, highly damaging stress. Yet, this is not an overnight process as any transformation takes time, effort and commitment. So then, this article is about allowing you to find instant relief. To find ways to bust your sense of “too-much-to-do” immediately, within seconds. I am going to start you off with a somewhat strange statement: “Believe it and you’ll see it”. This seemingly bizarre concept is now part of a highly success stress-reduction program at the Stanford University School of Medicine. For further education I recommend “Stress Free For Good” – 10 scientifically proven life skills for health and happiness” by Dr. Fred Luskin and Dr. Kenneth Pelletier. One interesting fact about the mind is that the brain has absolutely no actual connection to reality. It relies on chemical signals from other organs to decide what's happening out in the real world. The fact that the brain is ignorant of reality is precisely what makes it so susceptible to suggestion. Harvard's Professor Jonathan B. Cohen showed that imagining performing an activity, and even just seeing someone perform it, fires the same neurotransmitters and the same pathways as actually performing the activity! In sports, visualization has been considered an essential tool for decades. In a 1984 survey of the 235 Canadian Olympic athletes preparing for the Games, 99 percent of them were using imagery. "There's no one who doesn't use imagery," says Rebecca Smith, a clinical research assistant in sports psychology at the U. S. Olympic Training center in Colorado. No professional athlete has ever won first place by visualizing coming in last and yet we do this so often in our business world. Since the principle is called: “Seeing the good in others”, what comes to mind for you? The saying is old but listen to it again: “Seeing the good in others”, is about seeing it in your mind’s eye, isn’t it? How often do we prefer to blame others for our stress? How often do we love talking behind somebody’s back more than finding the good in others? So, then how does that affect our leadership abilities? Since this concept of “Seeing the good in others” coincides with chapter five in my book: The Art of Succeeding by Design” which deals with leadership, it should come as no surprise that our ability to see the good in others is a highly effective trait as the leader of your small business. Why? Well, think about it. If we could regularly let go of our judgmental tendencies and make a 100% commitment to taking responsibility for our lives (which means NO blaming, ever), combined with an ability to see the best qualities in our team members, what would that allow us to do? Yes, you would see different results. Why, because as our attitude changes, our thoughts change, our body language changes. Those working for you will feel safe and when feeling safe, there is no limit to creativity and productivity. Do you notice the disabling effects of stress on YOUR performance? It is not any different for your staff. They also get stressed and even more stressed when feeling criticized and judged. It impedes their ability to work in their highest performance zone, for you. I guess, you are figuring out what I am proposing here. Yes, a win-win situation! Seeing the good in others allows your stress level to go down since you consistently trust that things will get done and that everybody does their best, your positive actions based on this great attitude influences your brain, and as a crucial consequence your employees or support staff can keep working in a stress-free environment giving their best in turn. Secret number 1: Practice your compassion. Put yourself in their shoes just for a second. Do you really know what’s going on their lives? Do you know if they are deadly scared of losing their job? Do you know if they feel empowered and equipped to do their job right? What do you know about their battle scares of life? This does not mean being permissive and lowering your standard of performance. No, quite the opposite. By you setting the stage for an environment where fear and stress is not the driving force, you invest your time very wisely. Having a staff that lives with stress and fear is a waste of your money. Nothing gets accomplished, no new ideas come up, no responsibility is taken when fear and stress is present. If you want to create a team that is loyal, productive, innovative and equipped to take your business to success in a climate where an A+ team will be harder and harder to find, your efforts to practice compassion is essential for sustainable business success. Ok, with that out of the way, I want to give you another 10-second secret: It’s smiling. Yes, you heard me right, smiling. So smile right now, hold it for 10 seconds. Really smile, laugh! Do you feel better? I do. If it makes you feel better, how do you think the recipient of this smile feels? How do you feel when you encounter someone who just for the fun, throws you a smile? Yes, I thought so… pretty good. Ok, practicing compassion and smiling more often, more randomly, more just for the fun of it, is then good for business, good for employee retention and good for your stress-management. The funny part is that you already knew all this, right? We do and still, at times, we forget. Why? Because we are stressed. Yes, that’s why. One of my clients reported that she has attracted a much “nicer” clientele since her attitude changed and another client reported that “seeing the good in people” has significantly lowered his anxiety. Remember, as far back as Napoleon Hill, the famous author of “Think and Grow Rich” said: “Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.” Like they say: War is not the way to peace, peace is. Don’t let your thoughts take you to a war zone driven by fear and doubt. Let your attitude guide you to thoughts that make you feel connected and you will reduce your stress level and make others feel safe and cared for. There is no possible negative outcome and lots of potent positive outcomes. Do we need scientific proof for that? No, just give it a try tonight in the check-out line at the store or smile to someone at a red light, especially when you feel tired, burned out, foggy in your head. I can promise you that even a quick smile back will help your attitude at home with your family or your friends. Don’t waste a minute, practice all of the above or maybe just one but do it and do it often. Stress-busting is guaranteed.

Cpas vs. non certified accountants clearing up the confusion

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone asked me what the difference is between CPAs and non-certified accountants. Essentially, non-certified accountants can simply hang up their shingle and open their doors for business. There are no educational requirements. If they want to prepare taxes, most states require a certain number of qualified hours of study plus continuing education hours each year. By contrast, CPAs have usually majored in accounting in college; sat for CPA exams covering theory, practice, auditing, and law; worked for an established accounting firm for two years; and, acquired five hundred hours of auditing time to earn their certification. In addition, they are required to complete a certain number of hours of continuing education to maintain their license. Whoa! Why is it that one individual has to go through rigorous testing and on-the-job training to become certified to practice accounting and another can practice accounting without any formal training? It has to do with the concept of “free enterprise”. Remember the old adage, “Caveat Emptor”? It means, “Let the buyer beware”. In other words, it is the buyer’s responsibility to choose a qualified professional. But, there are some legal restrictions that define the range of services that can be performed for certified and non-certified accountants. For instance, there are three main types of financial statements that can be prepared by accountants: (1) audited, (2) reviewed, (3) compiled. Only a CPA can prepare an audited financial statement. This process requires the CPA to methodically examine and test the financial records of a company. A report is then issued by the auditing accountants stating whether they found the information contained in the financial statements to be presented fairly, in all material respects. In addition, only a CPA can prepare a reviewed financial statement. The review process is less involved than an audit but some testing is done to verify information. The CPA issues a report describing the scope of the review, its limitations, and findings. Both CPAs and non-certified accountants, including bookkeepers, can prepare compiled financial statements. A report is issued with compiled statements indicating that no auditing or review methods were used and that the financial statements were compiled using information provided by management. This means that, if you want to have your financial statements audited or reviewed, you must have a CPA perform that work. Obviously, those services cost more than a compiled financial statement. Your circumstances may dictate a need for such services. For example, it may be a requirement for a bank loan to have your financial statements audited. Or, other partners or stockholders may insist that the books be audited or reviewed in order for them to feel secure in their investment. Usually, these are businesses that have a substantial net worth. Most small businesses will never need to have their financial statements audited or reviewed. Market conditions have brought on the use of non-certified accountants because, characteristically, CPAs charge more for their services than non-certified accountants and bookkeepers. CPAs are also bound to follow precise standards when preparing financial statements, driving their costs higher. They have to conform because the State Board of Accountancy (regulatory agency that issues the certificates) periodically reviews their work and, if certain procedures are not followed, the practitioner’s license could be put in jeopardy. At the same time, many small businesses have limited funds, so naturally seek ways to save on accounting fees. Many small business owners do their own books during the year. They then try to get a financial statement prepared as quickly and inexpensively as possible by a professional at the end of the year in order to file their tax returns. A non-certified accountant can prepare a simple financial statement that amply provides the information necessary to file a tax return. This is not to say that non-certified accountants will use any information that is given to them. At minimum, deposits and cash disbursement information should be verified by a bank reconciliation. A good accountant will question the client for some kind of documentation if the figures seem unreasonable. In most cases, banks accept a compiled financial statement, prepared by an outside accountant, whether a CPA or not. This has created the so called “turf battles” in some states between CPAs and non-certified accountants. These battles have been fought all the way to the states’ supreme courts. Usually the issue involved is the use of “commercial free speech”. This is because some CPAs don’t want non-CPAs to be able to call themselves “accountants”. In some cases, they don’t want non-CPAs to be able to even use the word “accounting”. In Maryland, CPAs lost the battle. In California, a compromise was reached whereby non-CPAs are required to disclose that they are non-certified on any literature where they refer to themselves as an “accountant”. Bookkeepers are unaffected because it is understood that a bookkeeper is not a CPA. In California, there are approximately 20,000 non-certified, independent accountants. They like to call themselves “independent” because they are free from the restrictions of the state boards and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Most of these 20,000 people also prepare income taxes. The bottom line is that in all professions one finds individuals who provide varying degrees of quality work. All lawyers must past the bar examination. That doesn’t guarantee they will be good lawyers. It is no different with CPAs. There are good ones and bad ones. There are expert CPAs and inexperienced CPAs. Obviously, it is the same for non-certified accountants and bookkeepers. It is simply a matter of human nature.