Why maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important for business owners

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The following blog was adapted from Heather Mason’s video “Why maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important for business owners”.

Without our health, our productivity in business and in life is limited. I was faced with this reality in 2019. When my physical health limited my work productivity, I was forced to take a step back from my workload and focus on my health. Because of this, I had feelings of guilt and fear. I felt like I was letting my clients and the team down.  But in the end, it forced me to open up and share my feelings, which led me to learn that not only am I  not alone but that many others shared similar fears and struggles.

This is why maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important for business owners.

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small business borrowing

Why Running Our Own Small Business Allows Us to Help You Better

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The following blog was adapted from the video “Why Running Our Own Small Business Allows Us to Help You Better”

Let’s start with a moment of truth. 

Heather Mason never envisioned running her own small business. It was the need for a job that started her down the path to open an accounting firm.

Kim Miller always envisioned being an entrepreneur and had been for 6 years before she and Heather aligned and merged. 

The partnership of these two fantastic women and the growth of Mason Miller has had its ups and downs, but in the end, they have built a strong and successful small business.

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Face Your Financials

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Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to See Your Accountant

The following blog was adapted from the video “Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to See Your Accountant”

PROCRASTINATION…

We all procrastinate those tasks that we hate. We usually hate the task because we lack the comprehension or the skill set required to feel good about completing the task. Procrastinating almost never makes the task go away, instead, it usually makes the task more difficult as deadlines and goals are missed and stress levels are heightened.

That’s why we want to talk today about why you shouldn’t procrastinate about coming in to see us for your accounting, bookkeeping or consulting needs, because we get it, talking about the nitty-gritty of your business’s financials IS sometimes scary. But in the end, having a better understanding of your bottom line will lead you down the right path to success.

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Reviewing your processes every couple of years may be key to saving you time!

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“Why am I doing it this way?” a client wondered when we met to review her business’s bookkeeping and accounting process.

Times have changed, but she had stayed with a tried-and-true bookkeeping method she had learned 13 years before when she had started her business. She was doing a Daily Sales Balancing entry in Excel from information printed out on her cash register tape. She thought “why fix what isn’t broken”?

Time – that’s one reason.

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Connecting Your Accounts, Software & Your World

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“You mean I will never have to save my paper receipts again if I just use this app to snap a picture?” our client said to me with both fear and relief as I demonstrated how to use a new receipt app. He just couldn’t believe that one of his least favourite things to do was suddenly replaced with a snap.  

If you have nightmares thinking about filing paper receipts or you are still carrying around a wallet or purse stuffed with receipts, it is time to wake up to a new day and a new way to manage your receipts, all while keeping the Canada Revenue Agency happy. 

It can be hard to let go of old, tried-and-proven ways of doing business – paper trails and filing receipts. You might worry that the CRA won’t be satisfied and your new way of work will come back to haunt you at tax time or later, with an audit. But rest assured, the CRA understands the need to move faster, at the speed of business, and technology is a key part of that. Of course, the CRA has rules – but they’re easy to follow; you can read more at CRA’s Acceptable backup Guidelines.

Today’s new tools that are already in the palm of your hand can transform the way records are kept and money is managed.  Read more

Conferences: The Many Returns on Investment

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By Jennifer Dolmage – Bookkeeper at Mason Miller Accounting & Taxation

 

Conferences might seem like the professional equivalent of a field trip mixed with a dash of a holiday getaway, at a price tag that can seem somewhat steep. 

The time and money you invest in having your staff attend a conference, however, often yields dividends far beyond the time to escape the office. Conferences pay an incredible return on investment. 

I attended an industry conference with Kim (1 of the 2 partners at our firm), where we quickly discovered and experienced several dividends. 

The first is the most obvious: It’s rejuvenating. It renews your enthusiasm and gives you the energy to face what awaits at the office. Why? As industry speakers share their stories, they make you and your team feel better equipped to better serve your clients. 

In our industry, conferences are where we learn about new products and software – and this learning goes beyond reading about it. As well as case studies from industry leaders, conferences include trade fairs – demonstrations and product trials – and discussions. 

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INFOGRAPHIC – A Visual Guide To Understanding Your Balance Sheet

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Do you get stuck looking at your balance sheet, wondering where your business’ money is?

 

We’ve heard it before, so we’ve created an easy to understand infographic to help guide you through your balance sheet to better understand where your money is.  Read more

How financial literacy can grow your business

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Understanding how money works – and how to make it work more effectively – can transform your bottom line. Seeing how money flows and changes value over time gives insights that support decision-making for your business.

As accountants and bookkeepers, we helped Grand Floors see money strategically, the way they see flooring; working and flowing from room to room to create something more valuable than just the total of the pieces. Read more

5 Ways to Get Unpaid Invoices, Paid

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Unpaid invoices can be the bane of an entrepreneur’s existence. You have to waste valuable time and resources politely chasing after people who owe you money.
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