Success usually grows out of information and good experiences. Because businesses change over time, entrepreneurs must ensure that their practices are relevant to their operations. So consider some of these options.
Outside Bookkeeper
Entrepreneurs who handle their own bookkeeping and have someone else smooth out the inaccuracies later may find the lag time too long to get decent usable data for analysis and decision-making. Improvements in the bookkeeping process may be necessary.
You could hire an in-house bookkeeper, but the less costly solution is using additional outside bookkeeping services. Outside accounting professionals will have fast and easy access to your financial data if you use electronic data sharing to securely transmit data backup files.
Evolve to the cloud
However, a more advanced technique is operating your accounting program, such as QuickBooks, on a cloud platform. The data is therefore available immediately to you and your financial team. The changeover will cause a short-term procedural interruption and extra cost, but the results deliver an efficient low-cost solution for the long term.
The ability to upload files to a cloud environment also improves convenience for outsourcing more tasks. For instance, you can hire freelance talent from anywhere to write promotional materials or new website content. Their work is simply uploaded to the cloud, from where you can retrieve it.
Form management
You can manage your forms much more efficiently through the cloud using, for example, Google Drive. By storing commonly used forms on Google Drive, you need only print them as needed. This function permits you flexibility, as a document can be modified quickly and put into use almost immediately. You’ll save money by printing only what you need at the time, and having fewer forms to stock also reduces the amount of storage space required.
Execute revised pricing
Consumers usually appreciate a straightforward price with no extras. Therefore, you can improve customer relations by initiating flat pricing that eliminates shipping charges, as well as the fees you incur and pass on to purchasers.
This can increase sales without implementing cost-cutting measures, most of which you’ve probably already used in the past. When your price is slightly above the average price of your competitors, this tends to create a perception of higher value on the part of consumers.
Additionally, your corporate image will benefit from the increased “goodwill” that usually results when you introduce straight-forward pricing. And that can’t hurt sales, either.
To make informed decisions on options such as revising your pricing structure, you will need reliable financial information, and perhaps the perspective of your accounting professional.
