Author: Complete Controller

By: Jennifer Brazer

Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.

Fact Checked By: Brittany McMillen

Advantages and Disadvantages of Subsidiarity

Subsidiarity isn’t just a fancy term that policy wonks throw around. It’s a principle that has the power to transform governance across politics, businesses, and local communities. At its core, subsidiarity is the idea that decisions should be made as close to the people affected as possible—at the lowest level of authority that can handle the job effectively. Whether you’re considering how a city addresses its potholes or how the European Union decides on trade policies, subsidiarity shapes everything from decision-making speed to community engagement.

Like all foundational ideas, subsidiarity offers significant advantages and undeniable challenges. Let’s explore this principle, cutting through the fluff and getting straight to how it works and why it matters.

What Is Subsidiarity?

Subsidiarity traces its origins back to Catholic social teaching, where it emerged as a call to empower local communities over centralized institutions. However, the concept has since evolved far beyond religious doctrine. Today, subsidiarity informs governance models worldwide—most notably in the European Union, where it ensures decisions are made at the most appropriate level.

In simple terms, this principle opposes “bigger is always better” thinking. Instead of leaving everything to national governments, corporations, or remote headquarters, subsidiarity promotes letting local leaders, teams, or communities make decisions first—only escalating them upward when absolutely necessary.

This sounds great on paper, but how does it play out in the real world? The results, as you’ll see, are mixed.

Advantages of Subsidiarity

Faster, smarter governance

When decision-making power rests in local hands, things move quickly and efficiently. A national agency may take weeks—or even months—to decide whether a rural road repair project deserves funding. In contrast, a town council understands the issue immediately and can spring into action.

This approach also produces smart, tailored solutions. Take health services, for example. Local providers can design programs that address both regional health concerns and cultural nuances, something large-scale systems tend to overlook. During natural disasters, decentralized governance proves even more lifesaving—local authorities can mobilize resources more nimbly than a centralized response.

Community engagement and ownership

Let’s face it: most people hate decisions being handed down to them by someone who doesn’t know their challenges. Subsidiarity flips that power dynamic. Residents are brought into the process, making decisions alongside their leaders.

When people feel heard, they show up and take ownership. Whether it’s setting a school district’s budget or zoning for a new park, subsidiarity keeps governance personal and participatory. As someone who built Complete Controller to empower small businesses, I’ve seen this principle in action. Businesses thrive when local teams are equipped with decision-making authority—they know their markets better than anyone else.

A safeguard against over-centralized power

Centralized systems may look efficient on the surface, but they’re prone to bloating, corruption, and monumental disconnect. Subsidiarity spreads power across multiple levels, creating a healthy balance and reducing the risk of systemic failures. Democracy wins when local voices outnumber bureaucratic top-down dictates.

I’ve worked with entrepreneurs all over the country, and one thing’s certain—problems are easier to solve at the granular level. As the CEO of Complete Controller, I’ve seen how decentralizing bookkeeping tasks, for example, reduces mistakes and enhances accountability. Subsidiarity’s power exists in this same distributed logic.

Disadvantages of Subsidiarity

Communication breakdowns

Passing authority to lower levels sounds seamless, but without clear coordination, it can create chaos. Who’s responsible for what? When governance spans multiple layers, you need meticulous organization to avoid overlap or conflicts.

Take highway systems, for example. If regional leaders decide where roads are paved but fail to coordinate with neighboring towns, you could end up with a beautifully paved road leading… nowhere. Local leaders may also lack the training needed to handle complex issues effectively.

Uneven playing fields

One sobering reality is that not all regions have the same resources. A town with a wealthy tax base can provide world-class public services while its poorer neighbor struggles to patch potholes. As subsidiarity decentralizes power, it risks exacerbating these inequities.

We see this in small businesses, too: Companies with stronger financial backing invest in better tools and processes while smaller competitors struggle to keep up. This inequity is why I stress accurate financial reporting—you have to know your resources before making strategic decisions.

Local power, limited resources

Even the most empowered communities can’t deliver results without proper funding, staffing, or expertise. Imagine a school district tasked with building new facilities on a shoestring budget. Deciding locally doesn’t magically make money appear—it must come from somewhere.

That’s why local governments and organizations must apply meticulous, effective bookkeeping practices and build partnerships. Sometimes, subsidiarity works better as a collaborative tool, blending local agility with centralized support.

Case Study: Subsidiarity at Work in the EU

The European Union is an excellent modern example of subsidiarity in action. Decisions about trade agreements, international relations, and matters requiring cross-border collaboration are made centrally. Member states handle localized issues like education and healthcare.

This balance allows countries like France and Finland to tailor their policies while still benefiting from EU-wide standards. It’s a practical application of subsidiarity, backed by rules introduced in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.

However, not everyone is thrilled. Critics argue the EU sometimes holds too much control over what should be sovereign matters for member states. Achieving perfect balance remains a challenge. For more, check out the EU’s principle of subsidiarity.

A Local Win: Portland, Oregon

Here’s subsidiarity at a hyper-local level: Portland’s neighborhood associations provide an excellent example of empowering communities. These groups address zoning, public services, and beautification projects by working directly with residents.

This hands-on governance keeps policies grounded in real needs. For example, when Portland leaders plan bike lanes or green spaces, they don’t do it in isolation—they partner with local voices to ensure solutions fit their residents’ priorities. It’s community-driven democracy in action.

Solving the Resource Equation

One consistent challenge with subsidiarity is funding and manpower. How can cash-strapped towns pull off the big projects they’re assigned?

The answer often lies in collaboration—whether that means finding state or federal grants or developing systems for efficient finance management. Just as entrepreneurs diversify income streams, governments must diversify funding approaches. Many resource bottlenecks can be avoided by building budgets based on real data and scalability principles.

Key Takeaways

Subsidiarity forces governance to get closer to the people it affects, breathing life into the principle that those who are most impacted by decisions should hold the greatest say. When done well, it’s a recipe for faster responses, tailored policies, and flourishing local democracy. However, challenges like inequities, poor coordination, and resource shortages remind us that subsidiarity has its limits and must be implemented with care.

For policymakers, businesses, and even thought leaders like me, subsidiarity offers lessons that apply across the board: trust your frontline to lead while building solid systems that link strategies from the bottom up.

Are you ready to scale decision-making smarter, not larger? Let’s talk about tailored governance strategies for public or private settings. Reach out for expert help from the team at Complete Controller.

FAQ

What is subsidiarity in governance?

Subsidiarity means making decisions at the lowest level of authority capable of addressing them effectively.

How does subsidiarity work for the EU?

It involves balancing centralized decisions and delegating local governance tasks to member states—for example, the EU manages trade, while national governments oversee education.

What are the main advantages of subsidiarity?

Faster, more responsive governance, community engagement, and decentralization of power.

Why can subsidiarity create challenges?

Poor coordination, funding inequities, and resource shortages are ongoing concerns.

How can subsidiarity benefit communities directly?

It empowers residents to shape policies that reflect local needs, creating stronger buy-in and loyalty.

Sources

• Complete Controller: “Advantages and Disadvantages of Subsidiarity.”
• Catholic Moral Theology: “Subsidiarity is a Two-Sided Coin.”
• CAPP-USA: “The Principle of Subsidiarity is Critically Important.”

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

January, after the end of 2015 and closing your business’s annual accounts, it is time to take stock of the year on work and our suppliers.

Undoubtedly, one of our most vital providers is our tax service agency, where we have deposited all our accounts, invoices, and others. For this same reason, it seems almost impossible to leave it.

However, we will see that changing to other advice is amazingly simple and can have many advantages. But let us start at the beginning.

1. What are the main reasons to change counseling?

There are many of them, and everyone has their own, but some of the most frequent are:

• I do not receive a good service considering what I pay.
• You are paying for a service that I do not use or need.
• Increase in price for services that were not included and of which they had not spoken to me.
• He has messed up on several occasions, some more important than others, but I have already lost confidence in them.
• Bad service; I must chase them or call several times to talk to them.
• They do not meet deadlines on time, leaving me little time to prepare my accounts.
• They do not inform me of the latest changes in legislation and how they can affect me. I must ask.
• They take a long time to post the invoices, and I do not know the actual situation of my business well in advance.
• It does not matter how my business fares.
• I do not feel calm. I must revise your work if you have filed taxes and payroll.
• They do not provide me with information about my company when I ask them, bills I have already given them, or balance sheets. I do not have an accurate pulse of my accounts.
• They do not inform me of subsidies or bonuses. I always hear that others have benefited, and I have not.
• They have committed some serious faults, such as filing a tax wrongly. What has even brought me a penalty?

When this happens, we are often tempted to continue with our consultancies and gestures for the laziness that involves making the change. This change is much easier than you think.

2. When is the best time to change management?

You can generally change tax advice anytime, but January and February are the best times since a new fiscal year begins. The accounts of exercise by the same advisor facilitate the transition between your management and the advisors.

3. How do I make the change of advice?

It is straightforward. Once you sign up with the new advice and communicate it to the old, your further advice will tell you the information you have to ask your senior advice.

4. Things to consider when choosing a new advice

This depends on your type of business, the complexity of your accounts, and the service you want, but the factors you must consider are:

• Pay only for what you need and no more; if you have few monthly bills, what does it cost you to pay more for a service that they will bill you for or unlimited advice when you do not use it?
• Possibly growing within the same consultancy, ensure that even if you start with a basic plan, the consultancy can offer you everything you may need as your business grows.
• Be able to talk with your advisor before hiring to see if there is a feeling.
• Transparency in contracts that is clear what comes in and what does not.
• Without clauses of permanence, that you can go whenever you want, nothing is worse than being tied to a bit of advice you no longer trust.
• Suppose they offer you something more than the others, a bonus or a gift. It is an equal price if one gives you a program of accounting and billing, courses, or anything else because it is a plus to consider.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Our relationship with money begins to forge; without realizing it, we learn everything about how our parents handle it. Much of what we know can be good or bad. Neither they nor we are to blame. They did the best they could within their means.

Improving Your Relationship with Money

Being adults is when we begin to put into practice everything we learned. We understand what works and what does not, but the worst mistake we can make is to keep doing the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. Here are some tips so you can improve your relationship with money.

1. Money is medium. It is not the end

Earning money to treasure it or put it to work to accumulate more is not the primary purpose. Money helps you achieve goals and dreams; it should never be the end of having a lot of money. You can also use it as a future investment for the retirement period. Remember that investing real cash in assets will never give you what you want. You should invest your long period’s earned money in different investments.

2. Learn the meaning of income

Any amount that enters your accounts or portfolio at the end of the month is considered. It includes the income from salary, an ordinary entry, and extraordinary ones such as gifts, bonuses, or donations. When you know the actual value of a payment, you will spend it on valuable things rather than wasting them. The proper use of income will never put you in financial danger.

3. Learn the meaning of expenses

Everything you spend, from debt payments to liabilities and purchases, is considered an expense. It is money that comes out of your accounts and wallet and that is recovered. Expense management always demands a proper plan with complete financial understanding. First, make a good schedule and set aside your necessary expenditures. Estimate how much money you can save. Then, figure out how much money you will have for savings. If you can manage all these things together, especially your saving purpose, you must cut your additional expenditures.

4. Money helps to achieve happiness

Money is not happiness. You may not have managed your money well if you do not consider it that way. Money can help you achieve any goal you set. If you want to open a business, buy a car, go on vacation, etc. Everything is completed with money.

5. Recognize the importance of good administration

Money management is the key to getting rid of your debts and making money yield. It does not matter that you earn little money. It is wasted if you gain a lot of money but poorly manage it. Similarly, you will acquire more debts if you don’t make a lot of money and spend it carelessly.

6. Find the enemies of saving

The leading cause you cannot save is that you have found other ways to use your money. Some of them are ant expenses and phantom expenses. They are small and invisible, but little by little, they end up with their salary.

7. Set financial priorities

Who is happier and has more or the most minor needs? Many of the purchases are not necessary. Perhaps the media has been responsible for making us believe that we need everything they offer. The more things we have, the more worries and expenses we have.

8. Regarding savings

No matter how much money you earn and how many debts you have, it would be best to always think about saving and set aside a certain amount of money month by month. It does not have to be much; it should be constant.

9. About the use of credit

Credit can be your best ally or your worst enemy. It can help you build wealth if it is appropriately managed. You can also sink it into debt if you use it to waste. You can also be a credit card user, but you will have to pay all your bills on time for the best credit history on your credit score. It will make you eligible for any loan amount.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Most budgetary specialists suggest that you have somewhere close to a quarter to a half of a year of everyday costs in your backup stash. The three-month rule is, by and large, suggested for individuals in salaried positions who have safer work. The half-year suggestion is for individuals with less steady work or winning variable earnings.

If you fall into the subsequent class, a pay decrease may be more probable than a real employment misfortune. A “just-in-case” account can be utilized to help spread your essential everyday costs when your salary has decreased. Typically, you will have to reconstruct your record when your salary increments. The fundamental thought will be to develop the history during high-acquiring months, anticipating low-salary months.

The size of our emergency fund is not a minor issue. If it is too small, we risk it being insufficient, but we will be leaving idle money to invest to reach our financial goals if it is too large.

 

 How Large Should Your Emergency Be?

Many finger rules try to tell us what size our fund should be for emergencies.

Many experts in Personal Finance point out that a good fund for emergencies should ideally comprise between 3 and 6 months of our monthly income. Others think it is better to be between 9 and 12 months.

When I see this type of rule, I always start thinking about why there is a divergence of criteria. Why 3 or 9 months? Why not seven and a half months?

Let us face it: the contingent event may fall anytime at us. History has shown that businesses have shut down in seconds because of inadequate emergency funds. Since not all companies are massively stable, emergency funds keep us from inconveniences regarding our finances. We should set aside enough funds to cover any drastic that may befall our brand anytime.

 

 The Emergency Fund for You

As I have always said, personal finances are that private. Therefore, the ideal size of the emergency fund should be based on your situation and needs. How are you financially? How much money do you require every month? Ask these questions, and then decide!

It is not the same for a person who has a stable job, lives alone, has no debts, is an independent contractor with no fixed income, has three children in private school, pays the mortgage, and has a debit balance on their credit cards. Both need an emergency fund of vastly different sizes.

 

An Emergency Fund for People with Formal Employment 

People with a steady job in a stable company may think that they will receive a liquidation equivalent to three months of integrated salary in case of loss of employment, plus 20 calendar days per year worked. This cushion gives you peace of mind to find another job, although we must admit that it is not easy to find another job quickly and pay a similar salary in Mexico. That is why we need our emergency fund as an additional cushion.

Suppose one is used to paying his credit card’s entire balance each month and does not have durable consumer debts. In that case, it may be sufficient to maintain an emergency fund of at least the equivalent of between 1 and three months of spending: an amount that makes us feel comfortable to face any extreme situation.

 

 

An Emergency Fund for Independent Professionals or Commission Agents

Nevertheless, independent professionals who have income from fees do not receive a settlement if they lose one of their clients. Then, they do not have any mattresses, but they can substitute that source of income.

On the other hand, depending on the type of work, there may be times of crisis during which several months pass without significant income. Therefore, from my perspective, independent professionals should think about having an emergency fund of at least the equivalent of 6 months of their current monthly expenses, if not more.

In this situation, we should consider having a mattress of at least three months of current family spending, which allows us to avoid a sudden income loss. But it is perfectly possible to have a situation of urgency just when one loses his income; those three months are insufficient. You can think and keep money equivalent to the deductibles of our insurance, as described above.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

If you intend to generate more traffic to your website, then Pinterest may be your most helpful method besides other marketing practices. While it may seem relevant to a B2C business model, visual marketing is best for almost every market type. Most people may not consider Pinterest to be a social media tool, but there is no denying that it is one of the most significant platforms for developing organic results. It can bring relevant and organic traffic to your website quite quickly. Simply, Pinterest is a platform for users to find relevant content using visuals or media. The best way is to think of Pinterest as Google but more collaboratively and engagingly. 

While you do not essentially need followers to increase your awareness on Pinterest like other social media platforms, it does have its share of value for the pins you generate on the visual content shared. Hence, it is right to think of Pinterest with its blend of visual SEO for better engagement. 

Here, we will discuss some ways to help you generate organic traffic and boost your reach in marketing. 

Optimize it for SEO

Optimizing your title page for SEO is the most essential and straightforward method of boosting engagement. Even though the title page is the title of your website, it impacts SEO rankings. Rework your title to include keywords with descriptions and hashtags to generate more audience. The simplest solution is to ensure that you give people what they seek and include your name in the keywords. 

Research the Type of Images Your Industry Needs

Once you have optimization going on, you must bring visuals according to your niche or industry. Creating industry-related and pin-worthy images is essential to make your presence known online. You can find that out by looking at the pins related to your industry on other pages and checking their click-through rate. 

A high-quality photograph representing the product gives a user more reason to engage. Another essential aspect is that visuals display statistics and facts on topics and emphasize a section within the content. 

Encouraging Visitors to Pin Images

Pinning images works the same way as sharing or liking posts on social media. While dedicated users may pin images, you cannot expect everyone to do the same. This is where your encouragement of pinning images comes in handy. Pinterest offers a few ways to pin images in the form of buttons or additions to website pages. If your website is based on any CMS like WordPress or WIX, then you have directions to allow the pinning of images using features or plugins. 

Whenever visitors visit your page, these buttons will allow them to share those images on their social media pages, further boosting your engagement. Ideally, offering a hover button on each page allows the feature of a static pin to generate and share favorite images. 

Optimize Boards, Pins, and Profiles for More Engagement

Just the same way you optimize your content for SEO using headers, titles, and meta descriptions. Optimizing your profiles, boards, and pins works in the same manner. Think of it like a search engine where you need to replace keywords with pins and boards. 

Assume that your business is related to shoes, then you need to put images of the latest trendy footwear and optimize those images with relevant tags. Similarly, add industry-related keywords and descriptions to ensure you gain a maximum boost in engagement.

Promote on Other Social Networks

Another way to increase your engagement on Pinterest is to share the visual content on other social media platforms. Every social platform has millions of users who can become your potential audience if appropriately engaged. This is where your sharing skills come in handy. You can ask your current followers to share your images with their network to create a chain of engagement. The more followers you have, the better your chance of getting high pins on your profile.

Let your imagination fly on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook so your visitors can easily find your pages. 

Final Word

Generating pins on Pinterest is not accessible if there is no proper plan to engage your audience. The above points give you more than enough ways to boost your shareability and engagement for better clicks. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Each time, different societies become more concerned about the environment. Considering the latest scientific studies on climate change and its possible consequences, it is not for less. Therefore, the green economy is one of the sectors with tremendous growth and acceptance in the market.

Many companies with professional careers are trying to adapt their products and services to these ecological requirements. New ones are being created around a series of business ideas based on caring for the environment, with which they achieve high profitability percentages.

 

We Present You the Presents

 

• Alternative sources of renewable energies

It presents as one of the future’s leading businesses, but I dare say it is already in the present. Due to global warming, fossil fuels are coming to an end. Investors who are aware of the problem are beginning to invest in all types of renewable energy. The sale of solar panels and energy turbines are two types of businesses that rise like foam.

 

• Ecological transport

The countries of northern Europe are pioneers in this sector promoting this type of vehicle; some governments have even established restrictions on their citizens in this regard. Therefore, it is an exciting emerging market. Current vehicles emit smog, further damaging air pollution and enhancing climate change. The rental of bicycles and electric motorcycles, or exclusively electric taxi companies in Holland, can be innovative business ideas.

 

• Green consulting services

If you are thinking of undertaking green, surely it will be because you have a broad knowledge of the subject. The green consult can be a robust input for other companies that want to join the ecological movement but do not know how tot is your chance to offer green consulting services to guide and advise others to take the first steps in the sector.

 

• Organic or recycled clothing

Recent studies show that many of the skin problems the population suffers are due to various chemical agents, including the clothes we wear daily. There are already some brands of 100% organic materials, recycled and free of aggressive agents, and it is already usual to see how consumers turn labels over to read their origin and components. One idea would be to create a green garment business for little investment.

This sector specializes in babies and children in recent times due to the fragility of their immune systems and the increase in allergic processes.

• Biodegradable packaging

Indeed, we all have it in our homes with several of them, as it becomes increasingly fashionable to manufacture packaging that respects the environment. The consumer understands it as an added value to the product. Wraps, bottles, and boxes could be some proposals. There is still a sizeable, uncovered niche in eco-friendly packaging with hardly any competition, so it is an attractive idea.

 

• Ecological supermarkets

In practically all the towns, there are already ecological supermarkets where you can make an alternative and healthy purchase due to the demand for this type of product. The supermarkets realize this change in consumer preferences, and some already have full aisles of organic food.

Offer the same items as any other supermarket but with an ecological certificate that guarantees the conservation of properties, nutrients, the lack of scarce handling of food, and ultimately, products that also respect the environment (without the use of plastics), many of them lacking containers and with the sale in bulk.

• Ecological cosmetics

For the same reason as the textile sector, the skin is the body’s largest organ through which everything we put on top is filtered or applied directly. The cosmetic industry, where large amounts of money move, is increasingly launching more lines of products made from plants and natural essences.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

It is essential to know how to negotiate successfully or learn techniques that allow us to increase our sales, so we must learn to recognize when a theoretical deal is slipping from our hands when we must put all the meat in the spit. 

Convincing someone is not an easy task, especially in terms of selling. Creating a need, pitching your product, and convincing someone you do not know is a lot of work. You can only get better at it with practice. Here are five everyday situations that we must focus on that should trigger all alarms. Let us get straight into it.

Our Potential Client is Indifferent

Clients interested in doing business with us should ask us questions, be curious, and express their concerns about unclear points. In this sense, our potential client does not need to reject our proposal outright to understand that reaching an agreement is impossible.

It will be enough to observe how he does not ask us any questions; he barely intervenes or assents to everything we say. If so, we should consider whether we should go forward or understand that we are not interested in what we have to say.

A Clear Deadline is Not Established when Deciding

For any commercial, closing a sale as soon as possible is crucial. The longer a decision process takes, the more chance our prospective client will finally choose not to close the deal.

Establishing short deadlines and encouraging quick decisions through discounts and special offers can reduce time.

Negotiate with a Person Who Does Not Have Decision-Making Power

It may be that the process of negotiating with a potential client begins with a person who does not have a high degree of responsibility within the company or who has no power to decide on the matter that interests us.

The company is perfectly normal and, in theory, does not have to mean anything negative. However, suppose after some previous conversations, we cannot establish contact with someone who can make decisions. In that case, the time may come to consider if they are interested in us.

Our Price is Extremely High

One of the main objections we can find during the negotiation process is that our price is extremely high. They will tell us they can find a similar service/product at a lower price than our competition.

Suppose this is true, and we are not in a position or do not want to lower our margin. In that case, we must worry about offering added value, negotiating the payment terms, or offering a lower price in the first order in exchange for re-adjusting the price in a later one, assuring us that Yes, a minimum of orders.

They Ask Us For a Proposal Before Negotiating

If a potential client, before sitting down to negotiate with us, asks us for a proposal or, even more, the offer that we can get to do, the chances that it is a “market study” are high.

In this case, the usual thing is that the customer is comparing prices of several manufacturers, so it is not for more than we are the ones who take the first step. Before sending our proposal, ask about the criteria the company will consider beyond an adjusted price.

All in All

It would help if you made your customer feel like there is no one out there better than you who can fix their problems. Create a need, pitch surrounding that need, and make a sale. A sale is closed on 50% luck and 50% dedication. You cannot convince someone to listen to you without your hard work and skills. Make sure your tone is engaging and professional; your energy makes them want to hear you at least out. You have that set; there is no stopping you!

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Immersed fully in the summer months, we know that your sales will decrease unless you dedicate yourself to selling ice cream or floats in the form of unicorns or flamencos.

Therefore, you must avoid incurring debts that hinder the maintenance of your economic activity or future survival in the summer period.

Here are a series of tips to avoid the debts that may appear and return after the summer with the “duties done.”

Take Good Management of Your Accounting

It is the first step, and, apart from being mandatory, updating your accounting will help you know the details of your business and the health it enjoys.

Keeping track of your expenses and income shows you your strengths and threats because you can easily observe what you are failing and improving. Or what part of your business is doing better, and you should invest more effort and resources for profitability.

We know that accounting takes time, and they are not always prepared to face it, but the summer months can become an excellent time to catch up.

Know Your Business Model Thoroughly

When an activity starts, uncertainty is the general tone. That “the movement demonstrates walking” means you must live in a business until it stabilizes and picks up pace.

But once your path is already marked, you are more than capable of knowing what expenses are necessary and what is leftover so that your activity marches properly and avoids debts.

The lower activity of the summer can be a good ally when sitting down with a paper and a pen and putting on the table (with the greatest sincerity) how your business is—the good and evil.

The conclusions of that analysis should lead you to plan the investment of time, money, and effort in what is going well to give you benefits. In the same way, you must open your eyes to not waste more energy and capital on what is preventing your business from growing without offering profitability or pushing you to contract excessive debts.

style=”margin: 0in; text-align: center;”>Avoid Unnecessary Expenses

With the first and second points, you can avoid unnecessary expenses by keeping good accounting records and thoroughly knowing your business model.

In a straightforward example, if you are a grocer and the analysis of your business has shown you that the trend is that your sales are reduced in July and August by 20%, notify your supplier and do not buy a raw material that will spoil. They will be safe losses, and you will stop investing or saving efficiently.

If you determine that the packaging (or packaging) you put on the product you sell is more expensive without contributing to the user experience, rethink if your expense is necessary.

Try to Save

There are things within a business that you cannot control, from a catastrophe to the breakage of machinery or customers’ non-payment. That is why it is so interesting to look for, from anywhere, the ability to save. And I know that the self-employed do not have it easy at all.

The advantage is that if you can create a “cushion” when the unexpected arrives, you can face them without needing to resort to loans that will force you to assume some interest and, therefore, increase a debt you could eliminate with the savings.

If You Already Have Debts

If you already see yourself with the “water around your neck, ” you must face the dreaded debts … The first thing is to analyze the situation. Breathe, and write down each and the amount of them.

Once you have them clear, order them from minor to major. Face the situation by paying the “easiest” (the smallest) first because that will make you feel relieved and encourage you to continue working to cancel the rest.

If you already have debts contracted, it is best to go back to review points 2 and 3 to see if you can restructure your business model, eliminate capital flight points, and find unnecessary expenses that you can do without (at least during the period in which you settle your debts).

After reading this article, you should see a unique opportunity to catch up with your business in the summer. Take advantage of less busy times to take stock and do self-criticism. From this reflection and analysis, you reinforce with benefits that will accompany you in the future and feel strengthened when “the return to school” arrives.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Branding is essential to any business, whether you are offering services or products. One cannot underestimate the worth of a branding strategy and its benefits in effectively reaching out to clients. A good branding strategy helps an organization achieve milestones and high profit margins.

Organizations research the latest opportunities and constantly develop new branding strategies because it is one of the most crucial pillars of any successful business. Below are some valuable tips for building an effective branding strategy:

Describe Your Brand Identity

A branding strategy depends on an individual business and its brand identity. Therefore, the first thing any organization needs is a complete analysis of its business and brand identity. For that, you have to create a list of questions and inquiries regarding marketing, such as:

• The company’s mission and core values
• The company’s three words description
• The company’s unique identity in the market
• How is your company different than the industry?
• How do you want to design a Brand’s Visuals?

Once this is complete, it becomes easy to establish clear targets and determine the track you must follow to develop a unique brand.

Set Your Brand Objectives

When a company’s analysis is completed, and the brand’s unique identity is developed, you must fix your brand’s aims and objectives. A brand’s purpose and goals differ from company to company or product to product. If a brand sets a target to lead the industry, the branding strategy will be charged accordingly. If a brand has established objectives to interact with customers through any medium, branding strategies will be developed per that requirement.

Describe Your Target Audience

The audience is the primary motivation behind any branding. Therefore, your branding should be audience-oriented. Before setting any branding strategy, the target audience should be determined by answering these questions:

• What are the interests of your audience?
• Where is the audience located?
• What age group are you targeting?
• What are their thoughts on your brand?
• What are the ways to attract them to your service or products?

If you know and understand your target audience and their circumstances correctly, you can set an effective strategy that will generate results.

Consider Your Industry

Branding strategies differ based on industries, so it is possible that a method that is useful for one sector does not benefit the same way in another sector. Therefore, you need a well-organized strategy that supports your industry and business simultaneously. 

Before setting a strategy, you can look for a competitive analysis of other contestants in your industry. This will assist you in finding new opportunities within your target market.

Ways to  Build a Brand

It takes time to build a brand visible in the market that perfectly targets customers and creates opportunities for interactions. To increase the trustworthiness and status of your brand within the audience, you will need effective visual content and brand in practical ways.

Visual content

Numerous research studies suggest visuals are easier to process and attract people more than text or audio alone. Therefore, experts consider visuals a significant component of any marketing and branding campaign.

Visuals not only advertise your product or service but also help create a unique identity of your brand that stays in your customer’s subconscious and relates him to your brand accordingly. Therefore, whenever you design visuals for a branding campaign, make sure to cover your business’s aspects in its theme.

Practical branding

Branding and advertisements should be relatable emotionally, physically, and mentally, human, and practical. Customers should trust and believe in what you are marketing to them.

The best method to attract your customers is to figure out the issues they encounter in their daily routine and develop a solution. Once that has been determined, you have a place to market your brand as a solution to meet their need. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

As per a common assumption that everyone is creative and thoughtful, we can easily say that anyone can produce a business idea and have the necessary skillset and knowledge to run it and succeed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a massive shift from conventional business and the job sector towards home-based businesses. Due to this pandemic, markets, industries, established companies, and even economies face a downside. Due to the restriction on social gatherings and the implication of social distancing, businesses face a scarcity of clients and customers, hence no or fewer sales.

During these circumstances, people consider working on their thought business ideas and transforming them into actual entities. These business ideas are good and have growth potential as well. Others may not be as good, but they can still generate enough revenue if properly polished and channelized.

Regardless of whether your thought is incredible, there is a significant contrast between having an excellent review and doing a fruitful new business.

The question is whether people have what it takes to be successful business owners or entrepreneurs.
On the off chance that the appropriate response is accurate, at that point, you must realize how to take a thought and transform it into a new business. For people or families who are not into any business or have not run any company before, it isn’t easy to start a business. While sharing their success stories, successful entrepreneurs mention that the first few years of their entrepreneurial venture were challenging. Creating something from scratch and building a whole empire out of it is a difficult task.

Here are guidelines and tools you can use and follow before thinking of starting a home-based business of your own.

Producing an Effective Business Plan

The primary step everyone should follow before beginning with a conventional or home-based business is devising a fully functional and compelling business plan. A business plan is a composed depiction of your organization’s future.

Show What You Must Do and How You Intend To Do It

Regularly, these plans lay out the initial 3 to 5 years of your business methodology.
The strategy should be the main thing on your rundown since you will utilize it to assist you with a portion of the rest of the means.

Right People Will Always Better Guide You

Of course, it is a question of the fact that everyone needs professional advice and guidance before beginning their small home-based business venture. Relevant people can guide you on which industry is booming and which sector you should start your journey in. There are also other questions that they can advise you on, for example, if you need a little staff for your home-based business or not. Workers might help, as running everything on your own can be stressful, and you can quickly lose your tempo.

Just the Right Amount of Capital is Necessary

First, you must determine which industry you want to operate in and how much capital you need to begin your venture. For that, you can also get expert advice, and once you have gathered enough funds for the initial capital, you can start with it. The start-up costs will shift from industry to industry, so your organization may require financing depending on the circumstances. For a tiny, low-maintenance start-up with no hardware, worker pay rates, or overhead to stress over, it might cost you under $10,000.

Create a Website if Necessary

Business sectors run well on conventional marketing techniques, but as technology has evolved, every business markets its offerings through digital and electronic media. Every company has its website to sell its products and services, and online stores have them on sale. Just check on your idea of whether it requires a website, and if it does, get one created.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.