New website and niching - It’s all about the clients
How do I do better?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed sometimes. There can be so many demands on our time between work and home. Often finding time for us in what time is leftover. I’ve definitely felt overwhelmed in my life and it’s not a fun feeling. Towards the end of 2022 I started to feel overwhelmed. Not only overwhelmed, but I was not seeing an end to the busy. There didn’t seem to be “light at the end of the tunnel”. It was like tax season all year round. I was working weekends and 10 hour days. My biggest problem was that I never felt like there was enough time for each client. You’re so busy moving from one fire to another that you don’t feel effective. At least not as effective as you want to be for your clients. On top of that you feel drained.
I’ve felt this way before and just “powered through it”. Sometimes in specific situations that works, but powering through is not a blanket solution for a business or business owner. CPAs are especially prown to the “powering through” solution. When I started my career and for many years the model was to work a ton of hours and it was worn as a badge of honor. Wisely I think the new generation of CPAs is looking for a new model.
I had help along this journey. A CPA friend of mine here in town has been a great mentor. He’s done an amazing job building his practice and formed a great team. Sometimes you need help with the journey and that was the case for me. Geraldine Carter has been an amazing coach. For the CPAs reading this I can’t recommend her program enough. I’m grateful for her insight and ability to help me see what I value and an alternate path to achieving a professional life with less stress and better results for my clients.
How does this relate to you and your business? Working a ton of hours is not a solution for poor, inefficient systems, too few employees or too many customers. All of which create that feeling of overwhelm. The good news is that you can solve capacity issues, customer demand issues and fix inefficient systems. Also tied into this solution is your goals both personally and professionally. Where’s your balance between hours at work, compensation and personal time away from work? It’s important to ask that question? What is success for you? Is it collecting the big paycheck or a slightly smaller paycheck and being at your kid’s soccer game or spending time with your friends? I’m paraphrasing but Paula Pant says you can have anything you want just not everything. Life is about choices. The idea that you can have anything you want just not everything has really stuck with me. The very statement forces you to make choices.
What did I do?
Niching - I'm specializing to serve you better. Not everyone knows that I owned a landscaping company for about 10 years. I built it from scratch going from mulching, planting and weeding by myself to running 4 crews with over a million in annual sales before I sold it. The education I received being a business owner on top of my 20+ years as a CPA put me in a great position to serve contractors and landscapers. I will continue to help my existing clients. I’m so fortunate to have so many great people and businesses as clients. The future growth of my practice will be focused on serving contractors and landscapers.
In my life I made some changes over the past 2 years that have also made a huge positive impact.
Exercise - I carved out an hour or so in the morning everyday for exercise. I alternate days between some weight training and aerobic exercise. I chose the morning because there were so many excuses after work that more times than not, exercise just didn’t happen. Exercise is now just a part of my life and I can’t imagine a day without it.
Cooking - Not for everyone I understand, but it’s given me the power to control the quality and healthiness of the food I’m consuming. I’m decent at cooking and I actually enjoy it.
Sleep - I’m still working on this one. With my spouse’s schedule and mine, getting a full 8 hours of sleep can be a real challenge.
Friends - Making time for social connections is so valuable and has brought so much depth to my life. Having people in your life that you share with and challenge each other has been huge.
Travel - Whether it’s a trip to another state or another country travel has expanded my outlook on life in countless ways. It also makes me appreciate home even more.
You may have some great additions to this list or even subtractions. It’s a personal choice. You’ll find your own path. If you’re searching for somewhere to begin and are really feeling overwhelmed, I’d start simple. Carve out 10 or 15 minutes in the morning and the afternoon to sit alone with your thoughts. No phone, no email, no interruptions. You’ll be surprised what impact this can have. The most important thing to do is something! Doing nothing guarantees you’ll stay in the same loop.