the path to a conscious business

what did you do yesterday to move closer to your dream?

by matt solomon

in my last post, i talked about what it means to have a default accounting practice. the biggest problem with a default practice is that it leaves you unsatisfied and unfulfilled. you’re hungry for something greater, but you don’t know what that could look like or how to get there.

more: are you running your practice by default? | invest in the right guidance | tap into your gold mine | your secret weapon for exponential profits | step into the role of a business advisor | shift your practice: stop depending on compliance work | take the nine-point practice checkup | three ways to leverage today’s uncertainties for renewed growth
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we talked about awareness as a critical first step in creating change inside of your business. i want to take that idea one step further and introduce you to the concept that has the ability to transform your practice and your life: consciousness.

consciousness is being in the courageous state of making choices. those choices include

• what kind of work you do,
• which clients you choose to engage,
• selecting the team you use to support you and
• the direction you choose to take your practice.

consciousness can also be thought of as presence or mindfulness. it’s not only being aware of your choices, it’s consistently making decisions that support your vision and help you reach your potential.

sounds simple, right? in one sense, it really is as easy as it seems: every day, every choice you make should move you closer to the things you want for your practice and your lifestyle.

the tricky part is that you are probably highly accustomed to operating on an unconscious level. that’s how you get a default practice in the first place: not carefully considering your choices and letting your business just happen to you instead.

this is the point where i often hear objections from accountants. there’s definitely a feeling in the profession that clients simply don’t value the work that they do. i’d like to suggest that this is not in fact a client problem. it’s an education problem, and more specifically, it’s your education problem.

think back to when you were younger. the ideas of education, value and compensation were clearly linked together. the more education you had, the more you were valued and the more you were compensated for that value. if you had a summer job in high school, you probably didn’t earn a very high wage. once you graduated and went to college, you could probably make a little more working a part-time job. with your college degree, you were able to get a position that probably came with a significant salary increase. at first, the track you were on brought you increased success. you were able to work your way up, learning and growing, and seeing your income adjust accordingly.

but at some point, your learning stopped its upward climb. sure, you continue to get your ceus, and maybe an extra credential or two, but you are largely relying on your existing skill set when you come to work every day. and the skills you have are usually enough to provide tremendous value to your clients in an advisory role. the trouble is, you don’t know how to communicate that value effectively.

that’s where you need additional education: learning how to price, sell and deliver. otherwise, you aren’t serving our clients at the highest level possible, and you’re not getting paid according to the value you can really provide. if you are sitting on a mountain of gold but don’t know how to mine it, what’s that gold actually worth?

there’s got to be a better way. declaring that to yourself and claiming it for your practice is the first step toward building a conscious business. you can work with clients you love, do work that fulfills you and have plenty of time to spend with your loved ones.

the second step is to make the decision to educate yourself. remember that this education needs to be about communicating your value to clients. a two-hour online class or a couple of blog posts aren’t going to cut it. find a program or course that resonates with you and commit to it. dig in deep and challenge yourself to learn all that you possibly can. get serious about finding that better way forward.

finally, you’ll need to take actions that move you closer to your dream every single day. this is where you put your knowledge into practice. it’s also when fear and self-limiting beliefs are the most likely to kick in, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself engaging in some self-sabotage or resisting action.

the path to a conscious business is less a straight line and more of an evolution. the most difficult part is getting started, but just by reading this post, you’ve done exactly that.

take action

start by making a declaration that there has to be a better way. you can do some journaling, make it a daily affirmation or choose any other method that works for you.

posted on december 8, 2020