Smart Ideas and Resources to Increase Your Earnings Potential
Today, I just want to share a quote from one of America’s most admired motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar.
Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a great heart.
Simple, be who you are, do what you say, and do it with a smile. You will look happy and achieve much more.
Are you a professional that started a business in bookkeeping, taxes or financial services and have now a few month a slower period? What do you do to keep yourself and any staff busy and paid now all income tax returns have been filed? What other activities does your business offer besides finishing tax returns filed with extensions? Do you advertise to get more clients? Do you send out mailings to prospective customers and hope they need a professional accounting service?
Here are some ways how you can add additional revenue or find future leads for your business:
Off course it is also a good time to reflect on your business and look at how you stay in touch with your clients. Maybe you need to write a few articles for your website or your blog. Perhaps you need to find a new way to market your services.
Maybe thank your team for their hard work and brainstorm on things that can improve for next tax season, how work can be more productive or what the firm can do to have off-season work. You might reward them with a gift card or a special team event.
However, the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself and your team is to take a few days off and unwind before you start looking into any of the above mentioned ways how to stay busy after tax season. You will have a fresh perspective and lots of energy to use the down time wisely.
Let me know what you think of the suggestions offered and what you do to make the most of the down season.
Photo credit: Stuck in Customs / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Have you filed your 2012 Income Tax return yet? Or do you wait till the last week because you have so many receipts and expenses that you want to itemize and need more time to gather all the documents?
Volunteer Income Tax preparation program
For the past 7 years, I have prepared tax returns as a volunteer in the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. All volunteers have to pass several tests before they are allowed to participate in the program. Local colleges and community organizations partner with the IRS to provide free income tax returns to people that earn less than $51,000 and need help completing their tax return.
I became a volunteer while studying for my Bachelors degree wanting to get real life experience in an area that was part of my education. Now I have a fulltime employment as a senior accountant at a private corporation, I want to use my knowledge and expertise to help others in an area that for many people is complex and boring. In my view, taking classes and studying for the annual tests keep my skills sharp and increase my understanding of tax matters such as Earned Income Tax Credit or Education Credit. VITA volunteers can assist in filing of Form 1040 and schedules, however specific elements of certain forms can be out of scope as not all volunteers have completed the advanced certification level.
The most used tax form
So, if your salary falls below the above amount you can get your 2012 tax return done for free at one of the participating locations which are often at libraries, community centers or schools. You can find a list of VITA sites in Broward county on this website: http://www.cscbroward.org/eitc.aspx or dial 211.
What you need to bring
Before heading out to one of the sites it is good to take a look at the following list of items:
All returns prepared at the VITA site are reviewed by a specially trained site coordinator or supervisor before the return is electronically filled. These reviewers have extensive experience and catch any errors. Most volunteers are people that like to help others and do this in their spare time. At some sites you can make appointments, but most sites are open only for certain hours and provide tax help on first-come, first-serve basis. Since the utmost attention is given to each client and their tax return, at busy times you might have to wait a bit.
Identity protection
Last year, many newspapers and other media reported about increased numbers of tax returns filed with social security numbers that had been stolen. Here is a link to a presentation on this subject matter for professional service providers such as CPA’s, tax preparers, financial advisors or attorneys.
Some ID protection programs can assist people in discovering suspicious activity and help them when they are a victim of ID Theft. Nowadays, just being careful is not enough anymore. ID theft can happen in many ways, so the more protection, the better.
My advice: Take charge of protecting your identity. The Federal Trade Commission has helpful information on their website http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0272-how-keep-your-personal-information-secure .
If you prefer assistance then find a trusted and stable provider that monitors the different types of information for fraudulent activity. Better safe than sorry.
‘Life happens’ as they say. Sometimes, things do not work out the way you intended. When I thought about creating a blog, I imagined to write at least twice a month, but as you notice I hardly manage just once a month.
Time is precious, a thing that never comes back and therefore I live each day to the fullest. However, there are times that so many activities and events compete for what to do first. To be able to prioritize at work, but also in your personal life, is a sign of an effective and efficient work style. Many jobs require this skill and high achievers know how to perfect time management.
But you still can live a happy life if your to-do-list does not get shorter and some items are never ticked off done! A mentor or good friend can keep you accountable when you want to achieve a special goal in your career or conquer a specific business or personal objective. A good way to begin the journey is by planning properly and doing one small step at the time. A written plan gives specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T.) actions and allows keeping track of the various components involved.
Easier said than done. I’m working on my next post, but I want it to be very good. I guess I have high expectations of what the result should be. And that can hinder the progress of any undertaking.
What do you do to stay on track?
Here is a quote from Jim Rohn:
“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.”
Are you ready for 2013?
I am excited about the New Year! Are you feeling the same way?
I just know this will be the best year I had so far. I feel good about what I’m doing with my life and I am in great shape physically.
Today, January 1, 2013 I invited some friends to my house for a New Year’s brunch which I prepared partially last night. Five years ago, I started this tradition on New Years day and people love to come out. It is such a nice start of a new year, meeting friends and making new acquaintances. Here in Florida, it was a gorgeous sunny day, so we had the patio doors open and sat outside for a while sipping mimosas or drinking Dutch beer. A neighbor graciously helped to clean up the house afterwards, so I have some time left for my blog….
My resolutions for 2013:
**I want to be a great friend, sister and daughter;
**I want to be more outgoing and meet new people, complete the Advanced Toastmaster Bronze certificate, and attend social gatherings of the local Dutch club or other cultural events;
**I want to stay fit and active, go to the gym, walk another 5K and join people that like the outdoors;
**I want to eat healthy, do a cleanse and work on my sweet ‘tooth’;
**I want to grow professionally, by looking for more effective ways for recurring tasks at work and finish some projects which I started in 2012.
**I want to inspire fellow female accountants in attending a dinner meeting of the local chapter of the American Women Society of Certified Public Accountants and assist the affiliate in finding quality speakers for these events.
**I like to sharpen my skills and every year I challenge myself to complete the different tests for Volunteer Tax Preparer of the VITA program. This service provides free tax returns for low income families and seniors. I am committed to be a VITA volunteer again for the 2012 tax return season.
**I want to be more assertive and confident when approaching people for participation in my business as a partner or a customer. My goal is to become a National Director by June 2013.
Just some thoughts about what I will be working on in the New Year. However, I like to seize the moment and am always looking for ways to improve my life and become a better person. I’ll keep you posted…..
Do YOU have any goals for 2013? Let me know what you think!
Christmas is almost over. I went to Potential Church last night with my neighbor. Pastor Gramling had a great theme for his Christmas message: Believe again! Life is happening and sometimes you get caught up in personal circumstances such as illness, tragedy or discouragement. Don’t be blinded trying to hide your sins as Jesus was born to save people from their sins. I really liked one sentence that Pastor Gramling used to explicate the reason for Christmas:
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)
My Christmas wish for all is to live well and enjoy a good life in abundance of love, wealth and success.
Anyone can attract abundance in his life by changing his mind and attitude to a positive state on things that are happening in his or her life. Believing that your desire for abundance is good and worthy, especially if you see it as sharing with others. Eliminate all the negative thoughts that keep repeating in your head, but instead believe in your success and feeling good about yourself.
Once you are in this positive mind set you find that you see new opportunities, can inspire other people to live in abundance and be part of the shift of prosperity. Believe in your potential and take action today. You can empower others and help them achieve their dreams.
Today is also a day to recognize all the good people in your life, to be grateful for the safe place you call home and to appreciate the healthy body that lets you live life to the fullest. Be Blessed.
Merry Christmas and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
Tonight is the Night! It is now or never to start a blog. At the moment, I just don’t know yet what the topics will be. My interests are so diverse and I really do not want to pin it down to a theme or a specific industry. I believe that I am a smart person that loves to help people of all walks of life. Often indeed friends or coworkers stop by to hear my opinion on a current issue or a personal matter. I have an open mind set and am curious about many aspects of life and welcome sincere feedback.
In short, you just have to come back once in-a-while and see what is on my mind and keeping me busy.
Do you have a vision for retirement? This assessment will get you started to see the possibilities in this Next Chapter in life. https://marialucassen.kartra.com/page/Assessment
This list contains a selection of inspiring podcasts about Retirement, some excellent books that provide useful information, and a variety of websites that will help you navigate the planning of your Next Chapter and make it the best time of your life!
Let me know if you have any suggestions of resources I should include.
https://marialucassen.kartra.com/page/Resources_list
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