“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 (NIV)

With Thanksgiving and cold weather right around the corner, it’s tempting to focus on feasts, football and bundling up on the sofa watching your favorite holiday movies. But, I think we often lose sight of the true meaning behind what the holiday is all about: Giving thanks to those that mean the most to us.

The powerful Scripture above expresses the importance of always being grateful and thankful, and with Thanksgiving inching closer, there’s no better reminder to be thankful than right now.

Our first tendency may be to acknowledge the things we are thankful for, but as humans and small business owners, it’s more than that. It’s about thanking those that matter most to us, and delivering something to those people to express how thankful we are for them.

Being Thankful for Customers 

It’s easy to get so caught up in our day-to-day activities that we forget to express thanks to our customers and clients. After all, our businesses wouldn’t function without them, and certainly wouldn’t grow without their support and dedication.

At SBS Accounting & Advisors, we are so grateful and humbled by your amazing support and loyalty, and constantly strive to bring you great customer service and ensure you are happy and successful. While this is one way to show how much your customers mean to you, there are other ways, too.

A grand gesture may come to mind, but sometimes, a client or customer just wants to feel appreciated and noticed. You would be amazed how far a simple, kind gesture really goes. Certainly, you can send some of your most loyal customers a nicer gift, or all of your customers a gift of food, but a handwritten thank you (yes, those still exist!) can go a long way.

Being Thankful for Staff

As an owner or manager, it’s impossible to be everywhere and do everything at once. Part of being a great leader is realizing the importance of delegating tasks to your staff, and training them to perform at the level you expect.

With that said, your staff deserves to feel appreciated for the hard work and dedication they put in to represent and grow your business. If you don’t show them some thankfulness and appreciation, you could risk losing your best employees.

Gratuity, such as a big bonus or a special award or gift, may come to mind. That works if you can swing it, but you can also scale down and provide encouragement or praise for a particular job they’ve done or a feat they’ve accomplished. Sometimes, staff just need to know you care and appreciate the time and effort they put into your business.

Being Thankful for Family

Work/life balance is a constant struggle for many small business owners. Many of us work to provide a better life for our families, but sometimes we do so at the expense of not seeing them enough.

I know that personally, family means everything. I have four children and an amazing wife who support me no matter what – and each one brings such joy and completion to my life. It’s a constant challenge, but I’ve been able to make time for little league games and family vacations – memories I’ll always cherish and so grateful I didn’t miss.

It’s important that you also find a work/life balance that works for you. At SBS, we are always looking to find ways to help you achieve this, through powerful solutions to automating your workflow, taking care of your books and more.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss strategic ways to create the work/life balance you need to spend more time with your loved ones.

Thankful for the Greatest Gift

When it comes to giving thanks and honoring those that mean the most, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for me, cannot go unmentioned. Without Him, I’m not sure where I would be.

I am so thankful to Him and His sacrifice on the cross for my sins. The strength and wisdom He gives me every day is something I am so thankful for, and the assurance that one day I will be with Him for all eternity.

Happy Holidays and Thank You! 

I hope that you see the importance of thanking those that matter most, and follow through with some of these suggestions. Of course, if you need any help in doing so, we are always here for you.

From a personal standpoint, I want to thank all of you for your amazing support and loyalty to SBS. As you may know, we recently made some big announcements and changes to our company, and your outpouring of support on social media has meant so much to my staff and myself.

Our 13-year journey would never have been possible without your trust and belief in us, and we are so excited to continue this journey and continue striving to grow your businesses and keep you healthy and happy.

We hope that you have a great holidays with your friends and family, and would love to hear about it when you get back from this much-needed break!