Tag Archives: resources

Perspective: A Number Story

Posted in Accounting, Bookkeeping, Budgets, Financial Planning, Home Business, MONEY, Personal Finance, Small Business, Small Business Finance, Strategy by

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Our observations can be limited by our experience.

For example, recently an architect gave me suggestions for elements to include in a new website that I will launch soon for DeborahFoxCPA.com. His design-eye expertise is invaluable to me. I told him, “You can see things that my eyes do not. I look, but do not see the same detail as you do.” His reply was priceless, “Of course honey this is why we help each other – you see numbers I can’t see LOL.”

Perspective matters.

Numbers tell a story – in our financial statements and on our tax returns. I look for opportunities to make a difference in the story and so can you.

As we approach the end of the year, now is a great time to review the “Big Picture”.

You are the Chief Financial Officer of your home or for your business. You are in the driver’s seat.

Step away from thinking about “working in your business” and focus upon “working on your business”. Think about what you could do to make improvements. Focus upon strategy. Not compliance.

Compliance is filing a tax return. It is what we have to do to comply.

Strategy is about making a difference before you file the return or issue the next financial statements.

Here are 3 ways you can make a difference in your financial story:

  1. Review your financial performance:
  • Are you allocating your budget resources (time and money) for the best use?
  • Compare budget to actual results
  • Compare year-to- year results; identify what changed. Why?
  1. Use financial ratio’s to uncover patterns:
  • Are there areas or activities that are underperforming?
  • Do certain activities provide little value or return on your investment?
  • Can you change your mix to provide more value for you?
  1. Generate new insights:
  • Can you find new opportunities?
  • Can you make changes that would reduce your risk?
  • Could some help from a different perspective find value for you?

 

Henry David Thoreau said, “It is not what you look at that matter’s, it’s what you see.”

What I could see, changed, after I reviewed the architect’s suggestions for my website. Likewise, his perspective changed, too, after I helped him.

We all have gifts we can use to make a difference for each other.

I hope this blog post might have made a small difference for you.

 

Thanks for reading.

To your success,

Deb

Deborah Ann Fox, CPA helps Small Business Owners & Individuals build and protect their financial wealth. She can help by being your financial compass while you captain your ship.

Debbie offers free 30 minute no obligation consultations. We can discuss/resolve via a mix of e-mail, phone, virtual, and in-person communications.

http://www.debfoxfinancial.com 

Call 619-549-2717

E-Mail me @ debfoxfinancial@gmail.com 

Twitter: @debfoxfinancial

Facebook: Deborah Ann Fox, CPA

Financial Literacy – No App for That, but…

Posted in Budgets, Cash Flow Management, Financial Planning, Personal Finance, Small Business Finance by

Over the past few years, we have heard or said “there is an App for that” and indeed, from a financial literacy perspective, there are applications for:

  • Mobile Banking
  • Budgeting
  • Cash Flow Management
  • Investing Loan Calculators

These are helpful but currently can only help us so much.  There are resources to help fill in the gaps such as:

  • The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has a free community service program titled 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy.  http://www.360financialliteracy.org . The goal is to help people make smart financial decisions at every stage of life.  Information is included for both personal finance and for small business owners.
  • Feed the Pig: www.feedthepig.org was designed to encourage 25-34 year olds to take control of their personal finances.

Poverty-Action.org has a paper titled Keeping it Simple: Financial Literacy and Rules of Thumb http://personal.lse.ac.uk/fischerg/Assets/KIS-DFS-March2013.pdf .  The research suggests that reducing complexity can improve effectiveness. Rather than teach double-entry accounting, working capital management, and investment decisions to some business owners, Rules of Thumb could be used. Most of us use some of these in our personal life, but as a country we do not do a very good job in practice.

The Council for Economic Education: Survey of the States 2011: The State of Economic and Personal Finance Education in our Nation’s Schools http://www.councilforeconed.org/news-information/survey-of-the-states/ includes a lot of information that is important for our kids, ourselves, and our economic future.

We are all busy and we usually only seek information when we need it; i.e. “just in time education”.  Some people like to learn on their own and for you, I have provided some on- line resources. Others like to learn with someone and for you, perhaps, I can be your partner. As Benjamin Franklin said, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. Please let me know if I can help.

Email: debfoxfinancial@gmail.com

I hope this information helps to empower you to navigate life’s uncertain financial seas. Life is meant to be good; enjoy.