Before the summer months heat up and you take some much-needed time off, let’s spring into action with our intentions and strategies to make 2021 a great year in our personal and professional lives.

As small business owners, we often have so much going on with work/life balance that we tend to neglect finding the time, energy and focus to actually grow our businesses. On top of that, the last year has tested us personally and professionally like never before – making growth seem unrealistic.

At SBS Accounting & Advisors, we want to be your trusted advisors for finding you powerful solutions to set and meet your goals, experience long-term growth, and find the kind of balance that makes you happy and healthy – even when the deck seems stacked against you.

To help achieve this, here are our 4 spring cleaning tips for personal and professional growth, and know that our SBS team is here for you every step of the way.

1. Take Self-Care Seriously

When running in a million directions as business owners, we tend to forget about the importance of self-care. When we don’t take self-care seriously and aren’t proactive about it, we tend to form unhealthy patterns and get out of the mindset needed to perform at our best and reach big success and growth.

Running and transforming our businesses takes a great deal of mental and physical strength. When it comes to your self-care, find what works best for you. That may be meditation, stretching every morning, working out, resetting before each day, carving out time with loved ones or just taking a break. Whatever you choose, be consistent and intentional about it so that you can take care of yourself, destress, recharge and get to a better place.

2. Being a Transformative Advisor for Your Clients

At SBS, our mission is to build transformation for you and your business – something we are constantly striving to achieve. We know how critical it is to get your books in order and automate your accounting processes, but we also know that’s not enough. Taking care of your back office needs is essential, but so is proactively planning your future and being the kind of  advisor who you can trust every step of the way.

We want you to be a transformative advisor for your customers, too. While we would love to help you put an action plan to this process, we also have a few suggestions that you can work on right away to help.

• Customer relationships – The relationships you have with your customers will determine how much they trust, respect, and value you and your business. Try to connect with each one by getting to know them and forming a genuine connection. Providing them this level of personalized attention, and showing them how much you care about them, will go a long way toward not only reaching business growth for both parties, but also establishing your integrity and a rapport that is invaluable.
• Go the extra mile – Constantly strive for delivering more. It’s okay to celebrate wins and accomplishments, but don’t stop there. Keep moving forward and find even more solutions to their everyday wants and needs.
• Be their coach – While you want to be a transformative advisor to your clients, you can help them be one for their customers, too, by being their coach/mentor. As you connect and develop a rapport, they will value your advice. Be willing to guide them through difficult situations or important decisions with their own customers. That is truly a powerful, full circle relationship.

3. Tap into Our Advisory Services

The SBS advisory services division is designed to help you understand your numbers and data, and leverage these tools to meet your goals and strategize for long-term growth.

We have tools and strategies we implement to take you to the next level, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and cash flow management. Check out these key resources, and don’t hesitate to contact us today to lay out a plan to specifically help transform your business.

4. Take Control of Your Finances

Knowing where your business stands financially – at all times – is an absolute must. By making sure your books are up to date on a more frequent basis, we can ensure that you know what your true balance is, and if all outstanding deposits and checks are entered into your books. You’ll also know your credit card balances and month-to-date profitability.

When our SBS team has a picture of your full financial situation, we can then work to consistently meet your goals and address your concerns. In doing so, we will come up with solutions that help you take control of your finances and grow your business.

An example of this can be found in one of our recent blogs about effective church financial stewardship. While it’s geared toward churches, I believe some of the key points addressed in the article will resonate with everyone.

Ready to Grow?

While this list doesn’t represent all of our spring cleaning visions for a memorable 2021 for you and your business, we feel it’s a good start. So, if you’re ready to start your action plan, or have any questions, contact us today. We’d love to hear from you and will keep striving to help you grow personally and professionally.

As small business owners, we have so much on our plate that we tend to forget about, or neglect, our purpose and our mission. At SBS Accounting & Advisors, our greatest joy comes from seeing you happy and successful.

I learned long ago that I could not do everything or be everywhere at once. I discovered I needed to develop an SBS team that not only has my purpose and mission in mind, but that also loves who we are and what we do, as well as you – our valued customers. After all, now more than a decade after launching SBS, I can truly say that we would not be here without your unwavering support and trust you’ve place in us. I am so grateful for this, and consider all of you, and my team, part of my extended family.

At SBS, our hope is that you reach this in your business as well. It doesn’t happen overnight and it’s a continual effort, but it can help you find the inner peace you search for, and help elevate your business and your customer relationships.

In this article, I want to touch on some of the ways we’ve been able to create the harmony and drive it takes to find our greater purpose and carry out our mission – making sure you are happy and growing by delivering powerful solutions to your everyday needs.

Here’s our tips on how to grow better, together, through inspiration and intention, and know that we are always here to help you in any way, or just be a sounding board for anything you are thinking or feeling.

Let your staff be themselves. It’s tempting to think your way is always the best way, and your staff must act or handle things a certain way, but that’s a losing proposition. Instead, let your staff be themselves and let their personalities come through. Listen to what they have to say and let them have a voice. You can still offer your best guidance and direction, but they need to feel that they matter. Otherwise, they likely will grow resentful, and will be more likely to not carry out your message or remain in your business for the long haul.

Be willing to delegate. At first glance, delegating might imply that someone is too good to do less valuable work, when in reality, it’s a humble and wise act that either says “I’m not the best person to do all of these things” or “I can’t do everything at once.” Beyond that, it builds confidence in your team to accomplish something and be proud of their feat, while also helping your customers and your business.

Be grateful, humble and hungry. Stepping over someone is a big no no, ego is a turn off, and too little passion will halt growth and success. At the same time, too much passion is not always necessary. Just stay true to who you are and lead with humility – much like King Saul did in the Bible. He had an unassuming nature, but was still able to show leadership qualities by being himself.

As business owners, we must be the living embodiment of our business. Everything we do, say and feel outwardly should always have our best interests – and the best interests of others – in mind. So, be sure to be grateful for what you have, and the people in your life who support and help you. Also, be humble in your success and in life because no one likes someone who is arrogant and self-righteous. If you want inspiration from a humble leader who did great things, look at King David. He was the youngest of his siblings and often overlooked, but became one of the greatest leaders in the Bible.

And, be hungry! You must always strive to do better, do more and never settle – even if you achieve success and feel you’re on cloud nine. A successful business owner must always look forward, and be hungry enough to achieve continual growth in their business and in life.

Connect with your staff and your customers in an honest, authentic way. When your intention is to back your customers and staff  with as much transparency as possible, you create valuable connections for life. When you show how much you care about your team and your customers, it can establish a level of respect and likability that goes a very low way toward growth and prosperity. So, get to know your customers and your team, and reach out to let them know you are thinking about them. With your team, celebrate wins together and show some praise.

Deliver great customer service. As small business owners, we must always be present and always be looking for powerful solutions for our customers. When it comes to you, we aim to deliver powerful solutions to your everyday needs. Remember your business mission and work with your team to carry it out.

Tap into those who inspire you to be a better person and business leader. Who, or what, inspires you? These people and things will drive you in your business and your life. For me, it’s my customers, my family, my team and my faith.

Want to Put These Strategies into Motion, or Just Want to Talk? We are Here for You!

I hope that some, or all, of these tips resonate with you in some way. At SBS, we are big believers of doing everything together to fulfill our greater purpose and carry out our mission.

I hope that you are able to do the same and would love to discuss strategies and plans to make this happen. If you’re ready to get the ball rolling, or just want to talk, reach out to us today. We’d love to hear from you, and we will keep striving to help make your lives easier and help you grow personally and professionally.

As a pastor or church administrator, do you ever feel overwhelmed by the details of managing your church’s finances? Are you worried that you might forget something or make a mistake? Is the weight of the responsibility of managing your church’s finances heavy on your shoulders?

Chances are, you will say yes to most or all of those questions, but you may also feel that it’s your burden to bear and that you have no choice.

At SBS Accounting & Advisors, we understand that managing your church’s finances can be confusing and complex, but also critical to the church’s financial and operational success.

In this blog post, we discuss six must-know tips for managing your church’s finances.

We must first understand that this is about more than just money; it’s about being a good steward of the resources that God has given you. In order to do that, you must first view it as God’s money, and then adopt his mindset for handling money.

1. Save money. It’s important that you have a safety net built into your church’s finances. This can only happen if you purposely set aside money for the future. As we have seen recently, anything can happen.

At any point, the government can step in and tell you to close your doors, a natural disaster can happen and you can show up with unexpected damage to your property, and, God forbid, your church could split and you lose half of your tithing members. On the flip side, the inverse can occur, where you explode in growth so rapidly that you find yourself needing to expand immediately.

No matter the circumstance, if you don’t prepare in advance, you may find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of having to cut salaries, lay people off, or perhaps even end up having to borrow large sums of money from the bank with interest.

The easiest way to save money is to build it into your budget.

2. Learn the fundamentals of budgeting. A budget is a wonderful tool that can be used to make sure that you aren’t overspending in some areas and underspending in others. It will also help you to plan for the future. Just as in your own personal life, it’s a good idea to create a budget for the church.

A budget in its simplest form is a statement that you will not exceed spending a certain amount in a specific area of ministry for the budget year. This can be expanded by adding multiple line-items within a ministry to further track what is being spent and how.

A budget will help you not overspend within an area, while also helping you expand other areas. For example, as you tighten the financial reigns on one area, you can free up resources to fund another area.

It’s always a good idea to build a little cushion into your budget, so that you don’t exceed what you bring in for the year and so that you can save a little and set it aside for whatever may come in the future.

As simple as budgeting is, it’s not possible if you do not keep track of your donations and expenses.

3. Keep track of donations/expenses. If you are not currently doing this, I can’t stress it enough – please start doing this now! When it comes to taxes, you must have a record of what you are bringing in and what you are spending.

There is plenty of great software on the market to help you with this. For example, we can help customize the Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks Online to ensure you’re properly keeping track of donations.

If you are already doing this, then you know how it can help you plan for the future. Obviously, in ministry, we can’t become expectant of donations, as they are reliant upon the fortune of others and their own spiritual walk with the Lord. But, keeping track of donations – aside from the legal ramifications – will also help you to plan future budgets. And, tracking expenses, as explained in tip #2, will help you to manage what is being spent and aid you in your effort to not overspend and to save money.

No matter how you look at this, managing the church’s finances is a weighty responsibility, and we want to encourage you to be transparent with those on your leadership team.

4. Offer transparency with your leadership team. The Bible teaches us this in Proverbs 11: “Where no council is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.”

Transparency with your leadership offers you several benefits. First, you now have accountability. All too often, people in leadership and authority of finances fall prey to the temptation of cheating the system. The best way to combat this is to offer accountability. Not only does this prevent those in charge of the finances from doing something they shouldn’t do, but it also gives the church members comfort in knowing that there are other people checking on the finances and making sure that everything is being handled above board.

Second, you now have access to more wisdom and knowledge. As questions about finances arise, you now have a resource pool to ask questions and seek answers from. These leaders can aid you in your search for the right way to handle whatever financial decisions may come your way.

Third, you’re no longer the only person responsible. This means that if questions arise about any decisions that were made, there are now others who can answer those questions, too. You no longer have to be the only person with the answers.

No matter how many people are involved in helping make financial decisions, one of the best rules you could ever follow is to make sure to have thoroughly vetted every decision. Never make a decision based on an assumption.

5. Don’t make financial decisions based on assumptions. There’s a common saying associated with making assumptions … don’t worry, I won’t repeat it here. But, suffice it to say, doing so tends to leave the people who made the assumption not look so good.

When dealing with the overwhelming decisions of your finances, it can be tempting to move forward on a hunch, or because of an assumption of what the future might hold. But, as mentioned, this is God’s money, and we need to handle it with care and in the way that he would handle it.

Because God is not the author of confusion, we should seek clarity before making a decision. It may take extra time, but vetting out a decision is always the best course of action. I am not saying that you need to remove faith from the matter of finances. Nothing in life is certain, aside from death, taxes, and the return of Christ, so there will always be an element of faith in making a decision. But, what I am saying is that when there is an answer to be found, go find it before making the decision.

Doing this, along with the other tips I have shared in this blog, will result in you and your church’s finances being handled with integrity.

6. Operate with integrity. Our witness and our integrity is important to God. How we conduct ourselves, and how we handle the tasks we have been given here on earth, is important to God. This is true for handling his money here on earth, too.

Operating with integrity is not only pleasing to the Lord, but also pleasing to those you are serving at your church. We must remember that while the church’s finances belong to the Lord, they were supplied by the members of the church. They have given it to the Lord and are asking you to steward it wisely. When you operate with integrity, you are pleasing the Lord and giving confidence to those who gave in the first place.

Even when you have adopted the mindset of God for handling his finances, it’s important to remember that you’re still operating within man’s system here on earth. And, in America, there’s a lot of laws that you can get tangled up with. That’s where we come in.

Ready to Take Control of Your Church’s Finances? We’re Here to Help!

At SBS, we would love to speak with you and discuss how we can help you and your church serve God and use his finances legally. We want to come along side of you and aid you, as you walk through the legality of the financial system, with the goal of serving God and spreading the work of his ministry.

If this interests you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we hope that everyone gets the chance to connect with their loved ones during these challenging times.

Valentine’s Day is all about chocolates, flowers, love letters and fancy dinners, but at SBS Accounting & Advisors, we want to take some time and share what we would love to see happen in 2021 – for you and the world around us.

Here are our 5 wishes for you, your loved ones, your business and the world around us.

Wish #1: All of us to Rebound Personally and Professionally

Even for the most positive and optimistic person, the last year has been difficult. It’s tested our mental health, put a strain on our businesses, challenged our work/life balance like never before, and literally forced us to question every decision – and step – along the way.

When trying to manage such heavy issues, we believe it’s best to not only have someone to talk to, but someone who will support and guide you, and help you and your business survive and move forward. At SBS, we want to be that person for you. Your happiness, success and well-being are what matters to us the most.

Wish #2: All of us to Take Self-Care Seriously

With all the adversity and roadblocks the last year has presented, never has our self-care and well-being mattered more.

To get through these unprecedented circumstances, it takes a great deal of mental and physical strength. So, whether it’s meditation, taking time to stretch in the morning, working out, resetting before each day, carving out time with loved ones, taking breaks or something else, find the time to do what you enjoy that helps you work on your self-care, destress, recharge and get to a better place.

Wish #3: All of us to Treat Each Other Better and Care for One Another

Taking care of ourselves isn’t the only way we’ll get through this; we must care for those around us to get through the pandemic and other struggles of the past year.

We must all be better people and better citizens to benefit the great good of humanity. When we all love each other and truly care for one another, we can come together and achieve great things.

Wish #4: All of us to Stay Safe and Overcome Our Fears

At SBS, we pray each day that you stay safe and get what you need to overcome.

We all have fears, but we must all overcome those fears to persevere in these trying times. The most successful business owners are those who are willing to face their fears and overcome them. Life’s current challenges are no different.

Wish #5: All of us to Build Resilience

As devastating and terrifying as the last year has been, this won’t be the last challenge we face. As small business owners, we must learn to adapt and see these challenges as opportunities to grow.

Because this isn’t going away any time soon, we can’t just wait this out. As leaders, we must move forward and be proactive. At SBS, we strive to do this for you, helping take you to the next level by providing powerful solutions to your everyday needs.

You are Not in this Alone – We are Here for You!

While we hope Valentine’s Day offers some much-needed time with your loved ones, we are looking at the bigger picture at SBS. We want you to be happy, healthy and prosperous – both in your life and your businesses.

I hope that these Valentine’s Day wishes for 2021 resonate with you, and know that you are not alone. We want to be a team that you can talk to about anything, lean on for guidance and support, and help get you through this tumultuous time.

So, if you just want to talk, or look at putting proactive plans in place to grow your business and move forward, contact us today. We would love to hear from you!