Author: Stephen Huck

Leadership Skills in a New Business

Entrepreneurs are considered leaders with vision and exceptional ideas that take the strengths of their company and employees together to achieve the organization’s goals. Leaders of a new business usually handle the responsibility of the success or failure of the business upon themselves, and the most prominent risk faced by the company is serious business debts.

But, numerous examples of failures of new companies in the corporate world show us that there is a difference between entrepreneurs and capable leaders. Many entrepreneurs have great ideas, but they lack the necessary leadership skills and proper bookkeeping to execute these ideas with adequate team management.

The central role of a leader in a start-up is not just generating ideas. A core leadership skill is taking the team and organizational resources currently available to execute the plans. Team building is another essential skill that leaders must possess to make their company a successful endeavor.

Decision Making Under Stress

The most significant strength of any leader of a new business or a start-up is the ability to make crucial decisions in a short and limited time. Scientific research by experts at Harvard indicates that true leadership capabilities are determined when they are under duress. For example, how well does a leader handle their serious business debts?

Procrastination in leaders is not an ideal trait for running a new business smoothly. The leader needs to be vigilant and close to employees in critical times. Keeping the employees close and explaining the principles of proper bookkeeping to them makes for excellent leadership skills. 

Managing Teams in the Initial Stages of New Business

A significant strength of a new business leader is the art of managing people in teams to help the company achieve its goals and objectives. The difference between a failed venture and a successful one is selecting the right side. When the new start-up business is going through turmoil and faces the dangers of serious business debts, sometimes the leader will be aware of how their team members regard their individual personalities. Still, in stressful situations, people’s reactions are different.

Without proper guidance from the leader, the team will collapse and eventually cause the company to fail. Instead, the main strength of the company and its leaders is to use the skills of each team member in different environments.

Irreplaceable Traits of a Leader

The leader of any new start-up must rely on their skills and tend to focus and improve their decision-making skills because these traits are unique. Another critical aspect of the company’s strength is to stick with the founding team of the company when facing severe business debts.

Managing debts and similar critical business scenarios brings about the best and the worst traits of teams and leadership. It is essential to rely on the strengths of each team member and communicate the problems wisely.

Communication Between Team Members

The communication skills of a leader in a new business are necessary because the leader must be able to communicate all of the necessary information needed for proper bookkeeping. The strength of a successful leader is to align the dominant and distinct features and abilities of their teams.

The team must feel comfortable sharing their ideas to make the new company successful. For this purpose, the roles assigned to groups must be flexible and according to their abilities. Developing a new venture in the current volatile corporate environment is necessary for the leader and the team. The focus must be on getting new clients and adding more business while focusing on minimizing serious business debts. Customer retention as a core strength of a new company depends on adequately communicating the client’s needs by business leaders to their team. Some client needs are complex and need more communication between groups and the leader.

The Bottom Line Conclusion

Effective leadership is essential for new business ventures; the undeniable fact that skilled leadership leads to better team management. Proper team management is a major strength for a new business to overcome challenges. The company’s success is just a fraction of good performance by the leader, but it is more dependent on the role of team members and their efforts. 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.

The Vital Role of Small Businesses in the Economy

Small businesses are the steadfast backbone of our economy, acting as a vital source of employment, innovation, and community engagement. They not only create jobs for countless individuals but also foster new ideas and products, ensuring that money remains within the local communities. The absence of small businesses would leave our economy struggling to maintain its vitality and resilience. However, many people conflate the terms “small-business owner” and “entrepreneur” despite the fact that while both run small enterprises, their leadership styles and operational philosophies are quite distinct. Entrepreneurs often embrace significantly higher risks in pursuit of groundbreaking opportunities, whereas small-business owners prioritize stability and consistent operations.

Understanding Small-Business Owners

A small-business owner is someone who takes on the responsibility of organizing various corporate processes and assumes the inherent risks that come with running a business. Their primary goal is to create a profitable enterprise, aligning with the definition set forth by the Small Business Administration (SBA). This agency is dedicated to supporting small-business owners in their pursuit of success, providing essential resources and services for those seeking financing.

While the SBA possesses a keen focus on aiding small businesses, it is essential to recognize that owners typically function as owner-operators. This means they tend to concentrate on immediate sales and operational tasks, often exercising caution when it comes to broader strategic initiatives. They are less inclined to take bold risks, favoring decisions that ensure steady, incremental growth rather than drastic shifts in direction.

The challenges faced by small businesses are starkly reflected in statistics: approximately 50% of these enterprises falter within the first four years, while a staggering 25% fail within their inaugural year. Moreover, around 76% of small business owners report encountering significant marketing hurdles as they navigate the increasingly complex landscape of online platforms available for advertising their goods and services.

Private companies continue to represent the bedrock of economic stability, providing essential services and goods. On average, businesses with fewer than 5,000 employees maintain a modest workforce of about 13 individuals. Additionally, the demographics of small-business ownership are shifting; currently, around 51% of small-business owners are over 50 years old, while only 16% are younger than 35.

For many employees, the transition to larger industries brings clear advantages. Employees at companies with over 100 employees typically earn about 31% more than their counterparts in businesses with fewer than 100 employees. The evolution of financial management has also prompted a shift in how small businesses operate—more than 50% now enlist the expertise of a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or controller to oversee their financial accounts.

In 2014, the IRS evaluated a staggering $2.1 billion in civil penalties against individuals filing business income taxes. Out of the 1.09 million penalties issued, 47% were due to late payments, while fewer than 0.5% stemmed from inaccuracies.

Addressing the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship

The entrepreneurial landscape reveals another pressing issue: only four out of every ten new entrepreneurs are women. This gender gap has slightly widened since the mid-1990s despite the encouraging presence of grants and programs aimed at empowering women-owned businesses.

Distinguishing Small Business Owners from Entrepreneurs

At the heart of small-business ownership lies a clear and compelling vision: addressing specific challenges faced by their communities. Small-business owners possess a profound understanding of their ventures and target markets, allowing them to cater effectively to the needs and desires of their customers.

These individuals value stability and predictability; they thrive on understanding what lies ahead and proactively preparing for it. Their decisions are calculated and methodical, often grounded in detailed financial records that guide their path forward. While the outcomes may not always be monumental, they consistently strive for progress, ensuring the resilience of their operations.

Small business owners are often preoccupied with immediate objectives. They create detailed daily and weekly to-do lists, manage their teams, build relationships with customers, and actively engage in networking to attract new clientele—all while keeping the wheels of their operations in motion.

Emotionally, small-business owners forge a deep connection with their enterprises. They are frequently hesitant to sell or transfer their businesses to anyone outside their family, as they prefer to maintain control over the daily decision-making processes and operational intricacies that define their work.

Concluding Thoughts

For those new to the business realm, the terms “entrepreneur” and “small business owner” may appear interchangeable at first glance. However, a deeper examination reveals that these roles are far from synonymous. Both groups share the common goal of self-employment and profitability, but they fulfill different functions within the broader economic landscape. Nearly every country relies on the tenacity and creativity of small-business owners to nurture a vibrant economy, while entrepreneurs push the boundaries of innovation and drive economic growth further. 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.

Employee theft of inventory and supplies and the unauthorized use of equipment, although not as recurrent as cash theft, can do major damage to small businesses. In some cases, a non-employee conspirator may be involved, including a dishonest vendor. Although cash is the ideal target for employee theft, supplies, inventory, and equipment are alluring as well. These frauds range from a box of paper clips to the unauthorized use of expensive furniture or equipment. The following are common types of employee misconduct relating to non-cash properties:

Unauthorized Use of Equipment

Employee unauthorized use of equipment can be a major loss for small businesses.

The Fraud: How about that great snowblower the company bought to clear sidewalks and the parking lot for customers? Employee Joe David decided it was better to “borrow” the company’s new tool to do his driveway than to buy or rent one of his own. While doing his driveway, his neighbors wanted to hire him to do theirs as well. Why not? Joe, the potential entrepreneur, ran the snowblower all weekend, using up all the fuel and eventually breaking the machine. There was no way the boss could clear the sidewalk and parking lot for his business Monday morning as he couldn’t get that new snowblower started.

The Flaw: Trusting employees. Leaving keys or easy access to valuable equipment. No formal policy stated or enforced.

The Fix: Set strict policies and limits for employees and enforce them. Physically secure valuable equipment. Employees may not only misuse your business equipment but may make your assets prudently “disappear.”

Inventory Shrinkage Can Be Reduced

Dealing with employee theft of inventory, supplies, and equipment can be an on-going struggle, depending on the type of workforce and turnover present in your organization.

The Fraud: Inventory can shrink due to plain old robbery, phony receiving reports, and unauthorized write-offs of old accounts receivable.

The Flaw: Depending on the industry you’re in, there is guaranteed to be some natural shrinkage in inventories over time due to minor errors of one sort or another. But large discrepancies are almost always due to fraud. Even during a physical count, a fraudster employee can use empty boxes, etc., to fool an auditor into thinking there are more units on the shelf than there are.

The Fix: As with other types of employee fraud, a formal policy of segregation of duties, strict supervision, voucher accounting, and all relevant internal controls must exist and be enforced at all times.

Physical counts should be recurrent and detailed, sometimes on a surprise basis. Nothing should be taken for granted. Reconciling bookkeeping records with sales invoices periodically is a good way to test the records. Frequent assessment of the perpetual inventory records is a must. Examination of financial statements to mine for margins, turnover rates, increases in costs of goods sold, and criminal receivables should be done monthly. Another type of employee fraud is committed to fake sales or purchases and often requires the support of an outside accomplice.

Protect Against Fake Sales and/or Purchases

Fake sales made by impostor employees may go to a phony customer or a real one who is an accomplice.

The Fraud: The property could be “sold” to a fake company with a phony purchase order and invoice and shipped right out of the warehouse to a storage facility that the fraudster employee rented to receive them. The goods can later be sold for cash, the invoice voided, and the inventory record doctored. Or, perhaps an employee is in a unique position to manipulate purchasing and receiving systems.

The Flaw: As is commonly the case when it comes to fraud, the reason these frauds happen is attributable to the lack of separation of duties, lack of supervision, and lack of overall internal controls.

The Fix: It bears reiterating that a formal policy of separation of duties, strict supervision, voucher accounting, and all relevant internal controls must exist and be enforced at all times.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, fraud is inevitable in many organizations. Regardless of the size of the fraud allegation or the individual involved, the organization should consider having a documented policy of how fraud allegations will be investigated and resolved. 

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.

Internal fraud can happen to anyone; no business is immune to it. Companies in the US lose over $500 million annually due to internal fraud. Here are some signs of internal fraud and responses.

Unjustified Transactions

Any unexplained and unjustified changes in bookkeeping records are a definite warning sign of internal fraud. If there is a decrease in revenue despite continuous payments from the business bank account or if there are various pending payments for long periods without any justified reason, then there is most likely something suspicious happening. Also, if there is an unexplained increase in expenses and a sudden decrease in profits, it means that money is draining out of the company to a place where it is not supposed to go.

The Over-Efficient Workaholics

An accountant who is a fraudster will go to any extent to hide his or her crime. They often want to work off-hours when everyone has gone home. Another sign is that they refuse to go on leave or use any vacation time. They often try to take work home. All of these activities are red flags and need to be addressed. Keep an eye on such workaholics. Unfortunately, there may be an underlying reason for working such odd and extreme hours.

Unexplained Satisfaction

Fraudsters try to hide their working documents and processes from managers and others. If any manager or other employee tries to get involved in their work, they become offended. They give unsatisfactory explanations and answers on any fault.

They are overprotective. They work alone and don’t like any involvement or interference. Records maintained by them become inaccessible and untouchable to others. When asked questions, they become strangely defensive. They know that the records will expose their crime, and their answers will be suspicious and unrealistic.

Financial Stress

If an accountant is facing any financial stress in their life, there have been cases when they plan internal fraud to fulfill their needs. Any unexpected financial loss such as divorce, mortgage, or debt acts as the trigger for internal fraud. Know your employee by taking time for small discussions with them about their current situation. By doing this, you can detect any sudden change in their behavior and activities.

How to Respond to Internal Fraud?

A business owner should know how to respond to internal fraud. Whether the one committing the fraud should go through an internal investigation or be handed over to law enforcement should be a decision that you are prepared to make.

A forensic accountant should be consulted for an expert opinion.  They will investigate and interpret your financial information. They will analyze the amount of loss due to fraud, collect all shreds of evidence, preserve them, and prepare a summary of the lawsuit. They will suggest a policy to prevent fraud in the future.

Termination is the minimum consequence of internal fraud cases. Along with termination, other penalties enforced by a lawsuit are necessary to make it an example that fraud will not be tolerated in your company.

How to Investigate

An internal investigation should be exhibited in such a way that your employees, partners, public, and donors trust you and your investigation. No question on the credibility of your investigation should be raised. Hire experienced fraud investigators to ensure that your investigations are handled according to law and be sure that there is no violation of legalities.

A prompt decision needs to be made by the business owner, internal audit, board of directors, and forensic accountant alone or in combination. The decision-making authorities should address the size of the fraud, the target of the investigation, how to recover the loss, and other risk factors.

Interview all of the parties, i.e., vendors, customers, and employees. Review all relevant records. Preserve the evidence as early as possible because documentary evidence is key for investigations. Forensic accountants and IT personnel should be hired to do investigations in the best way to ensure that you handle them thoroughly.

Conclusion

Internal fraud should be investigated in detail to produce evidence for legal prosecution.

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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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.

A business credit score reflects the ability of a business to pay back a loan. It is rated on a 0 to 100 scale. 

Calculating Your Business Credit Score

Your business credit score is calculated by using the statistical algorithm, designed to measure several traits of your company and financial history.

Among these factors are:

• Credit use ratio
• Payment history
• Length of credit history
• Unpaid debts
• Public records, such as bankruptcies, liens, and judgments
• Business size
• Business risk

Some of the factors are similar to calculating a personal credit score. However, many factors are different in building business credit scores.

How to Build and Improve Business Credit Scores 

1. Get a business credit card or line of credit

Of course, the first step in building a business credit score is to get a business credit card. You can also get a line of credit for your business. Be sure that you are getting a business credit card for your business financing, not a personal credit card for your individual finances.

2. Separate your business and personal expenses

This is not only important for avoiding accounting mistakes. This is also essential in building credit scores for your business.

3. Select your supplier and lenders with an eye on your business credit

Many small businesses have incomplete business credit accounts because their dealers and money lenders don’t report costs to the business credit unions.

4. Pay your bills on time or, better yet, in advance

If you want to make sure that your business credit score is high, then you must pay on time. A delay in payments ruins your business credit, and a delay in payments from your company affects the cash flow of other businesses. This is the same as when your clients do not pay you on time, and it affects the cash flow process of your small business.

Much of your business rating depends on how you pay your suppliers and other contractors within an approved time frame. If you pay in advance or on the spot, this practice will make your business credit even better. Your suppliers and contractors will further put remarks like “prompt,” “pays early,” etc. 

The reason for such nice additional remarks is that every business needs a prompt cash flow for its running. Other companies might also be going through cash flow problems. Early payments or payments done on time significantly reduce cash flow problems.

Your business credit score is used to measure the lending and credit risk linked to your company. A good business credit score shows that your company can manage debts and finances efficiently.

5. Utilize credit, but not too much

Your business should utilize the credit score it has, but make sure not to overuse it. If you continue utilizing your business credit score for your business operations, it will be beneficial. You will keep building and utilizing some of your credit scores. It is just like taking a loan and paying it back promptly. It builds trust in your business’s ability and financial stability. But, consuming all of the credit score or too much of the score means your company is not financially stable and is relying on the credit score it builds over time.

6. Fix errors on your business credit score report

If there are errors in your consumer credit report, there is a fixed process for disputing them. However, for business credit report errors, there is a different process everywhere. Every bureau has its procedure for disputing business credit errors. You can submit disputes electronically.

Conclusion

Using a business credit card or line of credit helps to build your business credit score. You have to build and keep improving your business credit score by making on-time payments, using the business credit card, and continue utilizing some of its scores to your benefit. All of these steps build a better and more trusted image of your business.

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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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.

Business owners frequently grapple with the unsettling reality of fraud and theft, predominantly instigated by their employees. This risk has significantly escalated with the rapid advancement of technology and the dynamic nature of the global marketplace. According to extensive research, organizations typically incur an alarming average loss of 5% due to fraud each year, with internal employees accounting for a staggering 85% of serious fraud cases. Given these troubling statistics, it becomes imperative for organizations to devise and implement comprehensive, multi-layered fraud prevention strategies. Below, we outline effective plans and policies designed to combat fraud and employee theft within your business.

Cultivating a Strong Corporate Culture

A well-defined corporate culture serves as the backbone of an organization, outlining the procedures and policies that dictate employee conduct. Establishing a transparent organizational structure that specifies reporting systems, clarifies the roles of accountable individuals, delineates the segregation of duties, and defines job responsibilities and regulations is essential. Additionally, employing the right individuals is crucial; thorough background checks on applicants’ past employment and educational history can help ensure that trustworthy candidates are onboarded.

Creating an Anti-Fraud Policy

An effective anti-fraud policy is not just a document but a foundational element that articulates the definitions of fraud and outlines its prevention and detection procedures. This policy should be clearly communicated to all employees, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of deceit. Employees must also understand the steps they should take if they suspect fraudulent activities within the organization.

Safeguarding Physical Assets from Theft

Implementing random and surprise audits

Alongside scheduled annual and quarterly audits, introducing unannounced audits can significantly reduce the likelihood of employee theft and fraud. The unpredictability of these audits serves as a powerful deterrent, encouraging employees to adhere to ethical conduct.

Segregating duties for inventory management

Segregating the responsibilities of inventory management staff is vital to fortifying against potential fraud. By ensuring that one individual issues purchase orders while a different person receives the stock, you create a system of checks and balances that minimizes opportunities for deceit.

Installing security cameras

The strategic placement of CCTV cameras in inventory storage areas can play a critical role in monitoring employee behavior and deterring theft. The mere presence of surveillance can discourage wrongdoing.

Restricting access to inventory areas

Limiting access to inventory storage areas to authorized personnel secures valuable assets and promotes accountability. These areas should be securely locked after hours, with keys distributed solely to designated individuals.

Combating Check Tampering

Securing blank checks

Blank checks should always be secured and locked away until they are needed for bookkeeping purposes. This precaution helps prevent unauthorized use.

Regularly reviewing bank statements

Monthly reviews of bank statements represent a proactive strategy to identify potential fraud, especially concerning tampered checks. Anomalies in transaction records can often reveal foul play.

Preventing Expense Reimbursement Schemes

Mandating receipts for expense claims

Employees should be required to submit legitimate receipts for any expenses they wish to claim for reimbursement. This practice ensures accountability and traceability.

Establishing a clear expense reimbursement policy

A documented policy detailing reimbursable expenses is essential. This policy should clearly outline covered expenses, and each employee must receive a copy to ensure understanding.

Conducting comparisons of expense reports

To enhance oversight, designate different employees to review and compare expense reports submitted by their peers. This collaborative approach helps confirm the legitimacy of claimed expenses.

Preventing Billing Schemes

Maintaining an approved vendor list

Developing a list of approved vendors is critical in shielding the organization from fraudulent billing. Conduct thorough research to verify the legitimacy of each vendor to avoid inadvertently engaging with fraudulent companies.

Establishing a price list for vendors

Vendors should provide a list of approved prices for their goods or services. This measure helps protect the organization from overpayment and ensures fair pricing.

Requiring signed receipts for transactions

To facilitate transparency, checks should only be signed when accompanied by a signed receipt for the corresponding product. This practice encourages accountability and thorough record-keeping.

Protecting Cash from Theft

Requiring management approval for sensitive transactions

All sensitive financial transactions should be conducted only with explicit approval from a manager. This oversight helps safeguard against unauthorized access to funds.

Receiving monthly account statements

Frequent updates and reviews of customer accounts allow for the timely detection of discrepancies or fraudulent activities within the cash flow.

Implementing duty rotation practices

Regularly rotating employee duties and encouraging annual leave can deter theft. These actions create an environment where employees are less likely to engage in dishonest behavior due to the increased risk of detection.

Utilizing bank lockers for cash management

Reduce employee access to cash handling to further mitigate the risk of cash theft. Payments should be directed into the company’s bank account, minimizing employees’ physical handling of cash.

Conducting surprise cash audits

Regular, unannounced counts of cash against receipts can quickly uncover discrepancies and illuminate any potential theft.

Installing video surveillance in cash areas

Video cameras located in sensitive cash handling areas can serve as both a deterrent and a monitoring tool, helping to prevent theft.

Conclusion

Establishing robust fraud prevention measures is vital for your business’s security and integrity. By implementing and adhering to the plans and policies outlined above, you can create a vigilant environment that significantly reduces the risk of employee theft and fosters a culture of honesty and accountability. 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 company is growing and evolving on a day-to-day basis. Our primary purpose is the standardization of the full-charge bookkeeping cycle, which has moving parts that vary by industry and client needs.  Bookkeeping has multiple options; the challenge is to define best practices and choose the one best for the company. At first, we added to the process manual for each role within the company. We made sure the processes had accountability points where a person outside of the process would be aware if it weren’t completed or proper. Our manuals became robust, and there was no way to ensure that the staff members in a given role had a working understanding of all the material. We applied these tools for knowledge management, and our knowledge share is now more efficient and exciting than ever:

Training Videos – We created a series of training videos to help orient new staff members or those entering into a new role within the company. They are supported by outlines on which we require our trainees to make notes and give them to their supervisor. This does the following: we are reaching the visual and written learners, we are ensuring that videos are being watched all the way through, and we are mining information about the content and the trainee. If we keep seeing the same questions pop up on those outline notes about a given subject, we know we need to improve our training in that area. If we see inconsistent or off-subject notes, we know that the trainee cannot learn this way, be meticulous, or stay on point – all indications that the role may not be a good fit for them.

Testing & Continuing Education – After they have watched all the videos and taken one long read through the process manual that applies to their role, we give them an open-book test. All the answers are searchable within the manual, and this practice helps us to get their head into the manual, using it as a reference guide and bringing attention to the details of critical processes. Since our process manuals are continually evolving, continuing internal education is critical. Our staff answers a quick set of continuing education questions every month that set them up for success in their roles. Some processes occur once a year, so the continuing education questions are a great way to refresh their knowledge about how to handle seasonal tasks properly. Of course, we also include questions about the new or changed processes so they come to attention. This has been effective in reducing requests for support in tasks that are already outlined in the manual, increasing our staff efficiency.

Management Brainstorming – We have five levels of accountability within our company: Data Entry, Bookkeepers, Controllers, Operations, and Executive staff. At all levels, we have talented, experienced, and highly educated people who love the company and want to see us become more valuable, more efficient, and more effective in the market we serve. I believe that executive staff who do not recognize the talent of their team and instead ‘dictate from on high’ miss out on great feedback and have a hard time creating the passion that fuels collaboration and personal responsibility. If a staff member is always carrying out someone else’s wishes and doesn’t have the opportunity and encouragement to share their thoughts and ideas, they won’t be excited about their workplace. We offer a forum for brainstorming where our management-level team members air concerns, discuss potential solutions, work through processes that aren’t working, and discover untapped opportunities. Our non-management staff is recognized when they bring a good idea to the attention of management, and they get a bonus if implemented in part or whole.

These strategies have drastically improved knowledge management within our small business environment, and they are affordable – we were able to create all our training and tests in-house by the people who are closest to work. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to be effective. 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 a company that has grown into a nationwide presence over the past decade, we at Complete Controller take pride in being the first ones to acknowledge the benefits of a virtual workplace. Our team has never been restricted to cubicles, time-consuming commutes, or structured 9-5 workday schedules. Our entirely cloud-based workplace has proven to be highly effective. Here are some of the benefits of a virtual workforce, and what you should look out for:

Keep Costs Down

As accountants, we are always mindful of our expenses. One of the most significant benefits of having a virtual workforce is the considerable savings on leasehold improvements, rent, and overhead expenses. By not having a physical office, we can direct those resources to other critical areas of our business. Additionally, having a virtual team allows us to access a wider pool of talented professionals, regardless of their location. This way, we can hire the best fit for the job, regardless of their proximity to our office. Overall, the freedom and flexibility that comes with having a virtual workforce are highly advantageous for our business.

Keep Morale Up

By keeping it virtual, we are naturally more concerned with work product than work time. We already know how long it takes to do the work, so we can determine if a staff member is struggling and give them the training or support they may need to get up to speed. If their work product is excellent, they can have a job for life, no matter what life changes may occur.

Hire Smarter

A virtual workforce allows us to select from an entire nation of talent. This virtualization of the workforce breaks open the talent pool and brings potential employees from all over the world. Our recruits are hired solely on their merit and abilities, so we do not care about how they dress, what ethnicity they are, or where they live. Since we are dealing with people’s money and sensitive documents, we chose to hire within the U.S., but other types of businesses can draw from an even larger talent pool.

Knowledge Share in Real-Time

We are comfortable conversing and collaborating via email and have learned to clean and extract written knowledge and make it available on the group level. This allows for the quick evolution of the process and the continuous knowledge to be shared within the roles in our organization. To support the quick identification of data, every team member should understand the organization’s mission and core values. The main objective is to be able to share knowledge and best practices in real time, which can positively influence every team member’s workflow.

Build a Culture

One of our values is the promotion of “Autonomy– Independence without Isolation.” By facilitating collaboration and knowledge shared with each member of our team, we are empowered to make smart decisions. We encourage exchange between team members on a technical level as well as a social level. Although some employers may view it as a waste of valuable time and resources, a great deal of bonding occurs during ‘water cooler’ or ‘coffee break’ time together. Through these virtual interactions, loyalty is developed, and our team is greatly enhanced by glimpsing into one another’s lives beyond the workplace.

Conclusion

Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and larger corporations continue to move in the direction of total office virtualization. It is the smart choice for most service businesses, as the business ‘community’ continues to become a web of interdependent experts that support each business size and type. Businesses today have unprecedented access to expertise outside of their geographic area at a lower cost than ever before due to quick access via the Internet. You can be assured that they will continue to move away from choosing the local in-office standard and begin to move towards a virtual environment. This virtualization opens a world of possibilities for sales, expertise, and employee talent pool. 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.

I am the CEO of a small business, and learning the art of delegation has proven to be the most critical lesson to my company’s growth, workplace satisfaction, and work product standardization.

What was the best advice you’ve gotten about delegating work? I was mentored by an executive at the Coca-Cola corporation who taught me that, to grow my business into a national brand, I must create a reliable and consistent experience for the end-user. Why are customers loyal to Coke? They are loyal because they like it. Naturally, they expect it to be the same every time they buy it. They would be disappointed if it weren’t. I had to handle my brand the same way. But how was I to grow my small bookkeeping business with three bookkeepers and 30 clients into a national brand that delivered a reliable product and service? By delegating the work to the team and making it easy to duplicate.

What made it so valuable? When I fully adopted her way of thinking, it made my refusal of non-conforming clients easy. Instead of trying to change our processes to meet their needs, I was able to tell them that I did not believe we would be able to meet their needs. Thereby eliminating any clients that were looking to run the show themselves, deviate from our established standards for quality, or make demands that caused us to be inefficient. That left me with a client base that valued our service and was pleased to work with us. It also helped me to define for our sales team what we do and what product our clients can expect when they engage us. This training on the sales side helped us to avoid unfit clients in the future. Now, we were ready to grow….but how was I going to teach all those Bookkeepers how I wanted the work done? I couldn’t do it one at a time, so I created precise instruction sets that were combined to become our operating manuals for the positions within our organization.

How would you rate your ability to delegate? Why? My ability to delegate is excellent. I think a major hurdle to delegation is the idea that ‘I can do it better and faster, so I may as well get it done.’ Of course, you can, but that is a self-defeating and task-oriented mentality. What happens when that same situation arises again – as surely it will repeat itself if your department or company is growing – and this time you don’t have the bandwidth to get it done? Now you have become the problem – not the solution. I always suggest my managers do everything at least once so they can understand the concepts and steps involved in any given task. Once they know it, they need to create an instruction set and delegate the task. When we delegate, we either record it in a manual or instruction set or record the training in video format, which can be shared with anyone who needs to do that task in the future. Yes, this takes a lot more time than doing it yourself, but it is much better for the team and the company.

What do you wish you could improve about your delegation skills? I need to be careful to express the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ when I delegate a task. I find that if I explain the purpose behind the task, team members will carry the torch and be more studious about quality and timeliness. They take ownership of it, and often, they will improve upon the instructions to make the task more efficient or find overlap benefits in other areas.

What do you have trouble with? What have the consequences been? Since ours is a small business, I have the propensity to wear all the hats. I want to know what’s going on in every area, and I want to learn about each facet before I decide who is best for the job. The cure for this is to remember that I have qualified, intelligent, dedicated staff members on the team, and they want what’s best for the company as well. When I resist the urge to be involved and instead delegate the learning curve and team selection decision to someone else, the flow begins again, and we can move forward on more fronts than ever before.

How do you choose the right person to whom to delegate a task? One of the keys to delegation is the creation of Quality Control checks that allow you to decide if the work is completed properly and on time. Good, strong QC checks will help you avoid a culture of micro-management. I will typically choose the person who can do the task most efficiently, and then I will select another person to whom they have to be accountable. The accountability partner receives data from the task performer, and the sign that something is amiss is the absence of communication or data. In this passive role, that person can oversee a multitude of tasks and offer support when and where needed to get something back on track.

Once you build the processes and QC stops for each position, delegation is not a problem, and the future growth of a department or business is reliant on adding new clients and new team members.

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.