• How many bank accounts do I really need?

    | Categories: Business Coaching , Cash Management , Profit First

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    Wait What? Am I telling you that you need more than one bank account? Yes, I am!! Remember how our grandparents did finances? The paycheck got cashed, and the money came home and was put into separate envelopes: Rent, Food, Clothing, etc. Well, this same idea can be employed in your business. We help our clients set this up into what we call our Profit First Cash Management System (PFCMS). As money comes in, it gets allocated to various business accounts. The point is to have the right amount of cash in the right place, at the right time. In the basic system…

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  • What the heck is a Sales Funnel?

    | Categories: Business Coaching , Business Tips , Future Financial Planning , KPIs , Sales

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      Funnel cakes, funnel clouds, sales funnels, there are funnels all around us… You’ve probably been hearing this term used a lot lately, along with a sales pipeline. There are many confusing definitions surrounding this area. A sales funnel and a sales pipeline are really two things describing one thing: So let’s land the plane here and make it simple.  A funnel in real life is a mechanism consisting of a wide open top with an open narrow open bottom. It is a concentrating device that takes in a lot at the wide top, but only allows a small amount to come out at…

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  • There isn't a person alive who can make a single lead pencil

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Tips , Profit First

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    The famous economist Milton Friedman once once made this observation. This article is all about understanding how to make your business system function more effectively from a cash management point of view. There is no way we can make a pencil. Why? Well silly, think of all the skills needed between wood working, making the eraser, the lead, paint, lettering, the metal part holding the eraser. So you see, even though a lead pencil is a rather simple instrument, we can’t make one on our own. We need all the materials and equipment to do it. Your business is no different.  When looking…

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  • How do I know if I have enough in my tax account?

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Growth , Profit First

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      If you’re involved with our Profit First Cash Management System (PFCMS) you’ll recognize why we are asking this question.  PFCMS is intended to make sure you have the right amount of cash, in the right place, at the right time. When it comes time to make tax payments, it feels GREAT to know you’re already covered by having the cash ready. The Best Way To Eat an Elephant!! What’s the best way to eat an elephant? Most people think it’s best done a bite at a time. And that’s why we have you set up a separate bank account to collect tax. We…

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  • Did you think we were done talking about business implosion?

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    As more information becomes available, it turns out that there were some definite warning signs about the submersible that imploded recently. Had the participants paid attention to certain warning signs, they might have been able to avoid the disastrous consequences that occurred. Last month we talked about business implosion. This month we’d like to talk about a few telltale warning signs you might want to be aware of. Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs… Someone should write a song about that, right? Hey, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get annoyed with the sheer number of signs we are subjected to when driving…

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  • Are cash flow problems draining your business revenue?

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Cashflow , Revenue

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      It all depends on which world you’re in… What’s that you say? That doesn’t make sense to you? Well, it might if you think about it a little. When we experience cash shortages, our behavior changes, and sometimes it’s not always for the better. Let me introduce you to two different worlds: The Cost World The Throughput World The Cost World In the Cost World, we are very focused on costs. We look at every single expense and try to reduce it. We also tend to be obsessed with allocating all costs against the production of income.  But isn’t that a smart thing to do? After all, that…

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  • Is Your E-Commerce Business Profitable?

    | Categories: advertising , Business Coaching , Business Tips , Cash Management , E-Commerce , Inventory

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    Well, is it? If you are struggling a little with that let’s talk about how to turn that around. Online businesses have two main challenges: Inventory Management Promotion/advertising Management Really both of these areas stem from the same core problem. What’s that you say? Allright, I’ll just say it again. In order to have a successful online business, you only need to solve one problem. What is that one problem? Cash Management! So what are you thinking at this point? You probably want to ask, “Ok smarty pants, why do you think that’s the problem?” Fine, I’ll tell you… Inventory Management What is the definition of inventory? Most…

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  • Who is your ideal client/customer?

    | Categories: Customer , Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      Have you ever asked yourself this question? There are several reasons this is important: Do you like your customers? Some we really like, some we tolerate, some we dread every time the phone rings. So in other words, some customers suck up energy and some give us energy. Which can you do your very best work with? Duh… The Pie Is Usually Big Enough I love pie, don’t you? Let’s compare your market segment(s) to a pie. Every market pie has a certain size. It’s impossible to serve the entire market (or eat the entire pie). It’s too big, or at least it should…

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  • Does Reviewing Your Financials Sound Really Intimidating?

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Tips , Cash Management , Future Financial Planning , Profit First

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      It’s ok, you can be totally honest with me. And I will be honest with you, too.  Most business owners hardly ever look at their financials. There are several reasons for that: The financials are not very accurate It’s difficult to read the financials because they are so messy looking It’s difficult to understand how those financial results ended up on the financials The info on the financials is too old to be useful How in the world can you implement our Profit First Cash Management System (PFCMS) without accurate financials? Answer: It’s almost impossible.  Let’s look at your financials one by one. You good with that? Let’s…

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  • Is there a recession coming? Oh, well let's ask our economists!

    | Categories: Business Coaching , Business Tips , Recession , SWOT Analysis

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      Such a question!! And the answer changes about every 15 minutes. Some economists say yes, some are not so sure. Isn’t it strange that we keep listening to disciplines that never have to be right? Economists and weathermen! People we love to hate!! So what should we do about this? Here are two steps you can take NOW to minimize the impact of a recession on your business. Interested? Yea, I thought you might be…  Step 1: Get out a 4 burner stove and put a pot on each burner. Yes, I’m being serious!! Each pot represents a market segment in your business. You…

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  • Do You Know Your Business 3 R’s? 

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business , Business Coaching , Business Growth , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    In school, our parents and grandparents studied the 3R’s. Do you know them? Reading, Righting, and Rithmetic. There is even a song about it called “School Days.” How about putting a more modern spin on it? 'Reading' “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” This has nothing to do with eyesight. I’m talking about your openness and desire to see what really needs to be seen in your business. It’s easy to see things like our daily tasks (Send an email, make phone calls, etc). But how good are you at reading your business? Do you have a clear picture…

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  • Shutting down your business

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business , Business Coaching , Business Tips , GST , Tax

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      We love to focus on profit and business growth. But sometimes (for all sorts of reasons) we still need to shut down a business. This needs to be done and planned well.  It will take several months and the steps will vary based on location and situation. The following steps are designed for a Canadian incorporated business, but the general steps may be similar in other locations as well. Cease Trading. It's important to have all operations completed. If you’re still accepting orders or doing the odd job this will stretch out this process. Make sure that your website reflects your non-trading status (we recently had…

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  • I’ll Make Them An Offer They Can’t Refuse…

    | Categories: Business Coaching , Business Growth , Business Tips , Management

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    One look at my name and you’ll know that I have an Italian background. You should also know that I’m from Chicago, and yes, I really do have an Uncle Vito. So I speak with some authority when talking about a “Mafia Offer". What is a mafia offer? It’s an offer too good to refuse. And it’s one of the most powerful ways of increasing sales and margins at the same time. The problem: We constantly hear from customers that their biggest concern is cost. I’m not about to suggest that cost is not important. But focusing sales efforts on beating the competition…

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  • Setting business financial goals for 2023

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Growth , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      Businesses tend to progress more consistently if the owner sets financial goals and makes a plan to achieve them. The new year is a natural time to decide what you want to achieve and how. With that in mind, read on to learn the steps for setting financial goals for your business for 2023. 1. Review and evaluate your 2022 goals You’ve got to see where you’re coming from to know where you can realistically go. At year’s end, review the goals you set last year and use your numbers to see how your business measured up. Whether or not you met your…

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  • Is Your Contracting Business Running Out of Fuel?

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Growth , Business Tips , Future Financial Planning

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      CashFlow is the Fuel That Keeps Your Business Running For contractors, the idea of cash flow management can seem overwhelming. But with the right strategies, you can ensure that your business has the necessary funds to cover expenses and remain profitable. With Profit First, you can learn how to manage your cash flow so that you always have the right amount of cash in the right place, at the right time. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at how Profit First can help contractors make sure their businesses stay solvent and profitable. Understanding Cash Flow Management for Contractors and Specialty…

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  • There are none so blind as those who cannot see…

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    What is always in front of you but can’t ever be seen?  Yup, the future. None of us have a crystal ball where we can clearly see the future. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be response-able to meet any challenges that are thrust upon us. Sounds simple? It is simple, but it’s not easy. Preparing for the future requires 2 things: A Plan Discipline to execute the plan First the plan  What components should be in your business plan: A 3-5 vision statement 1-year strategic objectives 90-day Rocks 3-5 year Vision Statement This is a statement of clarity. We recommend a compound sentence that covers the following: Revenue targets Market segment(s) Product/…

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  • How to improve your inventory process

    | Categories: Business Coaching , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

      A business that involves inventory is exciting to set up, but it also comes with its share of challenges. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by inventory management. Adopting some helpful tools and strategies will make the inventory management process much easier. Read on for some tips on how to improve your inventory processes. Use barcodes It’s typical for a small business to start out with simple price tags because they’re inexpensive and relatively simple. Something quickly stamped out of a pricing gun or even handwritten is common. However, there will come a time when this practice starts to hurt you. The margin…

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  • Five Frogs are sitting on a log….

    | Categories: Business , Business Coaching , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    “Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four DECIDE to jump off. How many are left? Five, because deciding is different than doing.” What is the meaning of this riddle? Allow me to state the obvious. Just because four frogs “decide” to jump off the log doesn’t mean any of them actually jumped.  Does this ever happen in your business? A decision is made to go in a certain direction, or take on a particular project. Everyone is smiling and nodding their head at the meeting. But afterwards nothing happens. Why???  Commitment. Deciding IS different than doing. Ask yourself these questions. Does everyone have: Clarity:…

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  • How much you should raise your prices

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Growth , Business Tips

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    Few business owners enjoy breaking the news of an upcoming price increase. However, when you own a business you have to deal with ever-increasing costs. Although inflation is an unpleasant part of life, it is still part of life. Price increases are inevitable for a sustainable business. If you want to stay afloat, you’ll have to do them – and regularly. Read on for some tips on how to determine how much you should raise your prices. Company costs The type of business you run will determine how much it costs to stay in business. If you’re service-based, you will need to…

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  • 5 common payroll implementation errors you can easily avoid

    | Categories: Building Strategy , Business Coaching , Business Growth , Business Tips , Organized Financial System

    Blog by Fuel Accountants

    Upgrading or changing your payroll system comes with a ton of wonderful benefits. Saving time and money, making everyone’s lives easier, and better integration are all good reasons to consider a change. But if the switch is mishandled, the results can be catastrophic and lead to long-lasting problems. Read on for some tips on how to avoid a disastrous payroll system migration. 1. Give the project the time it needs It’s true that people may enjoy coming to work. But for most people, earning money is the main reason they seek out employment. Our jobs make the world go round, and support…

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