don’t take them for granted.
by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide
we have many resources and need to recognize that. and we need to treat each with its own importance. even if you did everything yourself, you’d still need to rely on your tax software company, fedex and the postal service, stationery supplier, computer consultant, the internet and email, cell phone provider and copier/scanner machine. and that’s just a few of the resources we rely on. managing your resources well creates an aura of security and consistency to your practice.
more: more services for your tax clients | keep these tax clients while you have the chance | what makes a good tax season client? | 5 tax review keys | 5 steps for tax season success | 12 ways to have more fun this tax season
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but there more. and they are often overlooked. or taken for granted. here are some more resources that need to be managed:
staff
“i know what i mean” is a common thought when people tell others what to do. but, does the person who is going to do the work know what you mean? when you have people working for you it is important they know what to do. your instructions must be clear enough for them to be able to do what you want them to do.
systems, processes, checklists and training are other ways to manage staff and control what they do and how they do it. so are oversight, review and quality control procedures.
quality of clients
having good clients is important. nasty or mean-spirited or unhappy clients determine the pulse of how your practice breathes. the type of clients also creates feelings. good clients = good feelings. bad clients = bad feelings.
you spend plenty of time at work – shouldn’t it be done with nice people?
suppliers
suppliers are your partners. treat them courteously. you are their clients – act the way you want your clients to act with you.
some suppliers are more of a partner than others. the people who respond and repair your hardware or software are more valuable to you than the paper supplier, so treat them in that regard. you having a bad day doesn’t mean you should try to see that those interacting with you also have a bad day
partners
have the right people as partners. partners are joint owners in your income production. it is important to be in sync and to share each other’s thoughts on essential practice, staff and client management issues.
arrange regular time to talk about the business – don’t get so caught up working in the business that you lose sight of working on the business. tax season is a period where serious discussion time needs to be scheduled and spent and i suggest doing it out of the office. so much is happening so quickly that some time needs to be spent catching your breath and discussing what is going on. an hour and a half to two hours set aside every other week will not cause any practice to cease production, but can be a great pick-me-up.
family
your spouse and children are resources. if you don’t think so, what happens when you need to work on something extremely critical on a weekend or late and cannot attend a planned family event? how they react can set a tone for how you feel about doing what you need to do.
the family of your staff likewise are partners in your endeavors. if staff goes home upset and transmits that feeling, you have people you don’t know and can’t control telling your “valuable” staff person that maybe it is time to look elsewhere. contrarily, if you can contribute to making the family feel good you will have a chorus singing praises about you. some things you can do are
- pay well,
- make sure your staff go home happy at night,
- make sure they are excited about what they learn and do,
- occasionally send flowers or plants to the spouse or partner of a staff person thanking them for “lending” them to you,
- spring for a gift card for dinner at a fancy restaurant or get theater or sports tickets,
- give a floating day to take off for a family event or
- have summer family picnics.
friends
true friends you can share thoughts, let off steam, act yourself and not have to be “on,” or just have fun with are an important resource, if for nothing else than your mental health.
referrers of business
these are valuable resources and they need to be made to feel appreciated. sometimes it is another professional who does the referring and it is difficult at best to be able to reciprocate. tell them you appreciate what they do. send them an occasional gift – not an expensive one, but something that shows you care. an example is to get an attorney a framed limited edition print of the signing of the u.s. constitution, an autograph of a supreme court justice they seem to like, an old law book or patent or presidential commission. you can also try to get them autographed copies of a new book written by a famous jurist or attorney. use your ingenuity to come up with something – the important thing is to show you care about them.
your office
the physical space is important. room to work quietly, meet with clients, interact with partners and staff, and spread out allows work to proceed efficiently and get done the way it should when it should.
messy surroundings and desks make it harder to work, and convey feelings that you are not in control. it also condones messiness. i once saw a sign on a messy desk that said: if a messy desk is a sign of a messy mind, what is an empty desk a sign of?
many people have meetings in sterile conference rooms, so don’t need to keep their desks neat should a client drop in. however, your other constituencies see it – partners, staff, family, friends and suppliers.
office decoration or conference room
conference rooms either do not show off a personality or show one that is corporate. your individual office should reflect your interests and personality. i like seeing people’s offices – it is a small window to who they are. one or two prints on the wall, a statue or a book lying around can tell a lot about who they are. further, not seeing anything personal can also tell you who they are. what about an office with no books?