Well, hello there. Can you believe it’s Monday again? How was your weekend? We had perfect Spring weather just before the first day of Spring, and there has been tons of snow ever since. I have stopped trying to make sense of our Canadian climate. I want to talk about software today. Not a specific software tip but a broader discussion of the importance of accounting software. New bookkeepers worry about what accounting software to learn. QuickBooks or Xero? Sage or FreshBooks? Learning them...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read
Allow me to reintroduce myself. Or, rather, this newsletter. I’ve been writing this for a long time. Well, as long as you count how long since the first time. Until recently, it wasn’t going out very consistently. Hopefully, the quality of writing has improved over the past 10+ years. If nothing else, the topics have changed. When I moved my business fully remote in 2010, I was trying to figure everything out. Where to find clients. What software to use. How to market myself online. Over a...
about 1 year ago • 4 min read
This week I’ve got a quick message for you. I don’t know if and what holidays you celebrate. Today I’m (hopefully) taking the day off to spend time with my family. I wrote something last week that I plan on sharing on LinkedIn later this week. But for those who stay away from social media, or who just don’t happen to follow me, I wanted to share this here as well. It includes a bit of a challenge for you as we get closer to 2024. Whatever you’re doing this week, I hope you get a chance to...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Being an overnight success is a myth. You can get famous or, more often, infamous, overnight. But you don’t get successful that quickly. Unfortunately, we’re flooded with stories about people who are younger and less experienced than us who are making millions and achieving all of their goals. The stories make us feel like failures. We’ve been working hard for years. Where’s our success? What these overnight success stories don’t highlight is how long it really took. It doesn’t show the...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
I wrote this week about how much I hate pointless meetings. That Bookkeeper @thatbookkeeper What I learned today. I don't hate meetings. I hate pointless meetings. And so many meetings are pointless, It makes me hate the good meetings too. 5:0 AM • Dec 7, 2023 0 Retweets 8 Likes Read 1 replies The only thing worse than a pointless meeting is when it’s your fault. Here’s my assumption about the people reading this. You love numbers. You love digging into reports and finding hidden stories. You...
over 1 year ago • 5 min read
Getting through Q4 feels like a test of physical and mental endurance. Anyone else? Starting your own business has so many benefits. more control over your schedule no salary cap to your potential earnings more control over the people you work with But, as you know, it comes with some downsides. Burnout is at the top of the list and doesn’t get enough attention. Despite what the hustle culture will tell you, it’s not a badge of honour. Yes, you might have to work evenings and weekends. But...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
There’s a good chance your inbox has been bombarded by desperate pleas for your attention and money these past few days. The phenomenons that are Black Friday and Cyber Monday have continually expanded their scope. For a while, I was removed from the madness up here in Canada. It was just a US experience in the beginning. I’d hear about Black Friday sales. I would feel jealous about the amazing discounts on offer. The jealousy would quickly fade as I watched people fighting each other to save...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
Numbers don’t lie, but they can deceive. I’ve started a series on LinkedIn that I’m calling What Music Can Teach Us About Bookkeeping. On one hand, it’s a way to find a way to talk about music that doesn’t mess up the algorithm. On the other hand, I love finding new ways to approach the topic of bookkeeping, business, and life. One of the recent lyrics was from a Jay-Z song called Reminder. The lyrics are simple. “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.” For someone who spends so much of his day...
over 1 year ago • 4 min read
I’m on a bit of a roll with blatant hypocrisy. Last week, I covered marketing, which is not one of my strengths. Today, I’d like to talk about time management. I would normally count this as one of my strengths. But it’s very early on Monday morning as I finish writing this. Not only that, but I’m starting late because I’ve spent the weekend getting caught up on client work. Despite this series of failures, or maybe because of them, I think it’s important that I cover the topic this week....
over 1 year ago • 5 min read