Welcome To February!

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February is here and it will be filled with all things love. 

The month of love.

I like to think of it as the month for self-care for myself & my business. This month we will take a look at ways that you can measure how well your business is doing through financial reports and goal setting. So get ready to take the temperature of your business and don’t forget to eat an extra piece of chocolate for me. 


Keep IT Sunny!


January Roundup!

Time sure does fly!


Are you still focused on your New Year's resolutions?

Are they already tossed aside?

Don’t be too hard on yourself. You still have time to jump back on the wagon.  If you need to figure out your “why” check out this Ted Talk by Simon Sinek. 

This month I shared tips for being a successful entrepreneur and encouragement to crush your goals. I hope you had a chance to check out the posts and apply them to your life. 

January is pretty much in the record books but we still have plenty of time to reboot our engines that will take us toward the track of success. 


Keep IT Sunny~


Ready Set Get Your Goals Done!

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I hope the first part of 2024 is treating you well. 

Last week I shared success tips about some of the habits of successful people like Warren Buffet and Steve Jobs. Today I want to share a previous post about goals and defining what exactly is a goal.

Check it out and I hope it provides you with the tools needed to make this first month of 2024 a true home run for you.


Keep IT Sunny


Are You A Successful Entrepreneur?

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What Makes Warren Buffet Successful?

What made Steve Jobs Successful?

What do successful people do to make themselves successful?

According to Inc.com the most important thing that makes people like Warren Buffet wildly successful is that they take time to, “Think more & do less.”

They Think


And Read


And Think


And Create

In a world of distraction, it might be a challenge to get quiet and stay still. 

There is a goldmine waiting to be unlocked.

IF

You can be still, read, think, and create.


Keep IT Sunny!

Welcome to 2024!

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Happy New Year!

You made it!

I hope you had a lot of fun on New Year’s Eve no matter how you spent it. I love the beginning of a new fresh year to turn the page on the past and step forward into the present.

If you are like most people you are starting to think about those pesky New Year’s resolutions. Well, I like to re-think this whole concept as goal-setting opportunities instead of resolutions that might not stick. One of my favorite things to do is declutter my surroundings so that I can start the year off organized. 


What about you?


As I was perusing and clearing out my inbox, I came across this article from Apartment Therapy about decluttering methods. There are some true gems in this article that I can’t wait to use especially the Core 4 Method. Take a peek when you get a chance. 

January is a great time to reorganize your surroundings and your business finances.

You knew that was coming right? 🙂

Are you ready to FINALLY cross the arduous and no-fun for you project of decluttering your books off your to-do list? If so then let’s have a virtual coffee chat to see how I might be a resource for you. 

Keep IT Sunny~


End of The Month & Year Round Up!

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I can’t believe this is the last week of 2023 and next week we enter into a new year. 

Are you ready?

Did the year turn out better than you thought? Did you crush the goals you set for yourself?

I am excited about all the new possibilities the new year will bring. As the year draws to a close and we begin planning for 2024 it is important to:

STOP

SLOW - DOWN

AND

REFLECT

Many times we can run through the whole year as if we are in a race and end up at the end of the year feeling unfulfilled. I know this has happened to me on occasion. I need to review the post I wrote called, What Is On Your Mind to see how I can improve my mindset so I can’t stop feeling so hurried but I digress. :)


My challenge to you is to press pause a few times during the holiday season to journal and reflect on the wins, challenges, and learns so that you can make next year a better year than 2023. After you have reflected on the activities of the past then think about starting to plan for 2024 for your business and personal goals using this process:

First create S.M.A.R.T. goals, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Next, try this process to measure your progress:

7 - measure your goal in one week to see how you are doing.

30 - measure your goal in one month to see how you did for the month.

90 - measure your goal as a milestone to see if you crushed it. 


I encourage you to try this method to help you to stay focused on your goal attainment. If you are looking for more tips around goals check out the post that I wrote this month. 

The end of the year is fast approaching and we can set ourselves up for success by slowing down to reflect on how the year went, create S.M.A.R.T. goals for 2024, and use the 7, 30 & 90-day approach to measure progress. 

Happy New Year & Thank you for reading~

Keep IT Sunny!


Tis The Season To Crush Goals!

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Christmas is just around the corner and the atmosphere here in Las Vegas is filled with all things holiday season.

I am sure it is like that where you live too.

:)

As I peruse online and listen to my favorite podcast on podcast addict the theme of goals is swirling around. It makes sense because the new year is right around the corner and those pesky resolutions are waiting to be made. I heard a concept today around crushing goals from one of the best motivational speakers out there, Dr. Eric Thomas a.k.a The Hip Hop Preacher who shared this method:

1 day, 7 days, 30 days & 90 days

The focus is on starting your goal on day one and then measuring it on day 7. Next, you would continue to measure your progress in 30 days, and in 90 days that would be your milestone period. It’s such a good idea. Many times we start with zeal and vigor towards achieving our goals and then we get sidetracked by life. The goal gets placed on a shelf to nowhere. I am going to give this method a try. I encourage you to do the same.

If you are looking for more tips & tools around goals check out the posts I wrote below about it. 

How To Set Goals That Are Achievable In Life

Are You A Goal-Getter?

Merry Christmas Early & As Always Keep IT Sunny~

What Is On Your Mind?

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We often get inundated with images, chatter, and endless distractions that fill our inboxes. There is noise coming from every direction and it can be hard to get clarity to think. As business owners we carry a lot on our shoulders: making sure customers are happy, making sure our team is happy, and making sure we are happy. Yes, this might seem overwhelming, but it is reality, so we must do all we can to protect our mindset. What do I mean?

According to Forbes.com, “Mindset is everything.”Success should no longer be thought of in terms of job title, money in a bank account, and how many degrees are completed. Today's leaders understand the most critical component of career and life satisfaction is their mindset.”


You are a leader. You are a business owner who contributes and influences the community that you reside in. Every time you show up as a representative of your business how you display yourself is a reflection of your business brand. So yes, mindset matters. I won’t give you a ton of tips to review but I will give you 3 tips that might prove useful. 


  1. Find something inspirational to re-energize your focus toward goals. This could look like reading or listening to an audiobook about someone you find interesting to see how they overcame some challenging moment in their life. I love listening to motivational speakers and faith-based sermons. 

  2. Focus on the small practical goals that you can accomplish and then reward yourself for completing them. For me, this might look like setting a timer to complete a small project and then once I am done I reward myself with a nice stroll outside and a delicious dessert treat later.

  3. Get quiet and practice gaining clarity around your thoughts. Yes, this means turning off your phone, TV, and any other distractions. I know this might seem easier said than done but give it a try. If you can’t find quiet in your home then leave for a nice walk outside and enjoy the fresh air. I love putting on YouTube soundscapes of nature sounds or just turning everything off and listening to my thoughts. Do what works best for you.


The world is full of distractions and chatter. It is so important as business owners that we diligently and deliberately carve out moments to regain clarity. When you feel drained and frazzled try finding something to get inspired about, set small goals that have rewards attached to them and finally get quiet to collect your thoughts for the journey ahead.

Keep IT Sunny~


Welcome To December!

Photo by Boris Pavlikovsky: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gifts-with-pine-leaves-5499125/

We have finally made it to the end of the year.

I hope this year has been prosperous and productive for you. As we start to celebrate the holidays and plan for 2024, I encourage you to reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened this year and how you have impacted your customers. This month, I will focus on mindset, goal planning, and gratitude.

Keep IT Sunny~


November Round-Up!

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This month was filled with a lot of joyous occasions and thankfulness.

I hope you found time to be quiet and reflect on what truly matters to you as we roll into December. If you have time check out this post that I wrote this month to help move your business forward.

As we wind down the year I am excited about writing out my goals for 2024 and for all the new beginnings ahead. 


Keep IT Sunny~


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Today you will receive numerous emails for Black Friday and other emails wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. Have you stopped to think about what you are truly thankful for? I have. Every year it might look different but the sentiment is the same:

Gratefulness!


I am thankful and grateful to have good health.

I am thankful and grateful to have my faith in Jesus as the bedrock of my life.

I am thankful and grateful for my family and friends.

I am thankful and grateful for my business and the clients that I get to serve. 

I am thankful and grateful for my furry friends. 

The list is endless but the most important thing is to remain in an attitude of gratitude not just today but throughout the year.

Keep IT Sunny~


Are You A Goal-Getter?

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Are you a goal-getter?

According to Hive.com, “A goal-getter is someone who continuously sets and consistently accomplishes their specific goals.”


Most of us start off strong at the beginning of the goal-setting process and then we kinda fall off. 


We can be inspired and learn how two very famous people stayed on track toward their goals.


During my research, I learned that Beyonce stays motivated toward reaching her goal of receiving an Academy Award by keeping a photograph of one by her treadmill where she can see it every day. 


Similarly, Michael Jordan stayed motivated toward his goal of becoming a professional basketball player by keeping the memory of the rejection he received from his high school basketball coach because he was too short. After being told he would never play at a professional level, he trained even harder and visualized his name in a professional locker room. As they say, the rest is history. 


Today I want to spend some time looking at 4 simple steps that I call the Roadmap to Goal Success! Prepare, Plan, Execute Reflect


Step One: Prepare Your Mind for Success - You know the old saying, Garbage In, Garbage Out. You can’t put new positive information into a mind that is filled with negativity. The way I approach this is by reading the Bible and watching motivational speakers every morning that will inspire me to reach for my dreams. This ensures that I am ready for the next step.



Step Two: Make a Plan - Start to visualize and brainstorm what you want to accomplish. What does the end result look like for you? As an entrepreneur, my goal is to create services that add value and help other entrepreneurs make their businesses a success. What does your vision look like? Have fun with it. 




Step 3: Execute - I think this is a step that many of us get stuck on. I know that I have.  Sometimes I can get stuck in the “getting ready to get ready phase” and stall on carrying out the plan for my goals. A good way to get out of this cycle that I have found is to break up my plan into smaller manageable activities that I can easily accomplish. This helps to build momentum. And like Nike says Just Do It! 



Step Four: Reflect - This is the key component to making sure you stay on the road to success. It’s like giving yourself a report card. In my entrepreneurial journey, this could look like taking feedback from my clients and applying it to improve my services. Also, I look at my “wins” and “learns” daily to see how well I am doing as a business owner as I work to pursue excellence. 


In Summary, goal-setting and goal-getting are the key components to achieving success in your life. We can take inspiration from Beyonce and MJ that as talented as they are they still used tactics to keep them motivated toward their goals.

We all have set goals and gotten lost in the sauce as we work toward accomplishing them. I challenge you to start today on your journey to crushing your goals by following the 4 steps on the Roadmap to Success: Prepare, Plan, Execute Reflect

I will leave you with a quote by Dr. Eric Thomas, one of the top motivational speakers in the world who commands $100K to $200K per speaking engagement and started off homeless and eating out of trash cans as a teenager.


“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you will be successful”!

Keep It Sunny~

How To Set Goals That Are Achievable In Life?

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Goals

That word is so powerful. To some, it can lead to energetic excitement that inspires them toward success. 

For others, it can lead to stress, confusion, and anxiety. My goal is to be in the first group and to take you with me. Let’s first start with a definition.

Merriam-Webster defines goals as, “The end toward which effort is directed.”

That sounds simple enough. 

The first step is figuring out what you want your end to be and what kind of effort you are willing to put toward that end to obtain it. 

Here are some steps to help you along the way.

  • Step One: Have fun and brainstorm what you are trying to accomplish. 

  • Step Two: Take your brainstorming results and organize them into goal buckets; 5-year, 3-year, and 1-year buckets.

  • Step Three: Write down what you would need to accomplish within the next 12 months to help you toward your 3-year goal.

  • Step Four: Break down your goals into smaller chunks so that you can start to track and measure your progress.

Goals are the foundation of achieving success.

It is important to have fun and brainstorm some ideas, then get clarity around them, and create a roadmap plan that starts with your long-term, semi-long term and short-term goals. Finally, it is important to break everything down so that you don’t become overwhelmed and can track your progress.

Don’t forget to celebrate your wins.

Keep IT Sunny~


Welcome To November!

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok: https://www.pexels.com/photo/text-5552810/

Have you ever signed up for a course or training and never finished it?

Have you ever thought why am I in business this is so hard and felt like giving up?

We have all been there, but the thing that separates successful entrepreneurs from those who are not is execution. This month I want to look deeper into what is needed to help us execute our goals better to achieve success.

Join me on this journey.

Keep IT Sunny~


October Round - Up!

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The spooky month of October is coming to a close.

I hope you got some of your goals accomplished and are all set for the final two months of the year. I can’t believe this year is almost over. This month we looked at ways to keep your business on track for success and why using budget & cash flow reports in your business can be helpful. 

I hope these posts were helpful and that you found ways to apply the concepts to your business. As we move forward toward the end of the year we will start to take a look at year-end business bookkeeping items that you want to have buttoned up so that you can be ready for tax time.


Keep IT Sunny~


Should I Use Budget & CashFlow Forecasting Reports In My Business?

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As a small business owner, I understand that you most likely did not get into business to look at budgets and cash forecasting reports. 

You probably would rather chew paper than think about those words and I certainly would understand. Let’s start with defining exactly what both of these words mean.

According to Nerd Wallet, “ A budget is a way to balance income, expenses, and financial goals for a specific length of time.” I think of it as a roadmap for your business finances that helps you stay in control.

In the same spirit, “A cash flow forecast according to Business.vic.gov.au, involves estimating cash coming in and going out based on past business performance.”

Why Should You Care?

There are a ton of benefits to using these reports regularly in your business: 

  • Resource Allocation

  • Financial Planning

  • Tax Planning

  • Cash Flow Management

  • Risk Management

  • Goal Setting

  • Cost Control

  • Performance Management

The list could go on but I think you get the idea. 🙂

There are numerous benefits to utilizing budget and cash flow forecasting reports in your business. It can help you to stay in control of your finances, make informed decisions, and help overall with meeting the goals you have for your business.

Keep IT Sunny~

Is Your Business On Track For Success This Year?

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We are in the 4th quarter of the year and by now you should understand how your business has performed thus far. 

Or maybe you don’t?

According to the SBA and Investopedia, “33% of small businesses fail in the first two years and around 50% go belly up after five years. The most common reasons are running out of money and the inexperienced management of business operations.” You don’t have to become a statistic.

As a service-based small business owner, it is uber important to press pause on delivering those world-class services and start to assess how well you are doing right now in your business. This is where the financial review can come in handy.

What Is A Financial Review?

According to Princeton University, a “Financial review is an overall review of your organization’s summarized financial activity.” This review should include your profit and loss, balance sheet, and statement of cash flow. 

You are probably wondering what exactly to look for. The list can be long but the simple answer is trends. The data on financial statements can be used for a variety of things but the most important item to take into consideration is trends. 

What are good trends that you want to see on your business financial statements?

Income Statement a.k.a. P&L

  • Increasing revenue over time in a measured steady manner.

  • A Gross Profit that is heading upwards and is stable.

  • The operating expenses should not exceed what revenue you are generating.

  • Your Net Income should increase over time and remain positive. 

Balance Sheet

  • Your current assets should be highly liquid if you need cash to handle business matters. 

  • The total liabilities of your business which include the current & long-term liabilities should be decreasing.

  • Positive asset growth should show that your business is growing in the direction of your business plan.

Statement of CashFlow

  • The business should show positive operating cash flow under the “operating activities” category. 

  • The cash that “flows’ into your business should in large come from your customers and not other means like debt financing.

As busy service-based business owners, we truly care about making sure that our customers are taken care of. In contrast, we often forget that our businesses are the most important customer. We must ensure that our finances are in order and that we are on track to meet the financial targets and business objectives we set for ourselves.

The best way to do this is to stay on top of the financial health of your business by looking at trends on the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. This activity will help navigate around any challenges that might arise and help to plan for success in the upcoming year. If your books need a little bit of attention feel free to reach out to me for help.

Keep IT Sunny~

Welcome To October!

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Fall is officially here and all things pumpkin and spice scents seem to be in the air. I love the fall season here in Vegas because it is a signal that cooler weather is upon us and we can all go outside to play without sweating to death. 

🙂

The fall season is also a great time to start planning for next year in your business. This month we will look at two main areas that should be on your to-do fall financial planning list. The first item that should be on your list is a year-end financial review of your finances. The other area that should be on your list is budgeting and forecasting. I am excited to dive into these areas and provide insights that will help you fall into next year with a solid plan in place for your business finances.

Keep IT Sunny~


How To Have Sustainable Growth & September Roundup!

Many of us started our business out of a need to solve a problem or a passion for a skill set that we have. I started my business to use my background in accounting and administration to help service-based entrepreneurs create & sustain a business that they love so they can create the lifestyle of their dreams. I am a one-woman shop and look forward to growing my business but I want to do it smart.

According to a joint study shared on Entrepreneur.com, “Roughly two-thirds of the fastest-growing startups end up failing. Research from California State University also showed that companies that had fast revenue growth performed worse, long-term than their slow-growing counterparts.”

I am sure these business owners had the best of intentions and were super-excited to scale their business to increase revenue and jumped right in. We can learn from their mistakes by applying the 5 steps below as we move along the business scaling journey.

Step One

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals. I shared in a previous blog post that SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Step Two

Take time to do market research on your industry and the competition to gain a better understanding of your competitive advantage or threats.

Step Three

Know your numbers. It is super important to understand where your business stands financially so that you can make good decisions. Additionally, creating a detailed business budget and financial projections are also must-haves in your business toolkit.

Step Four

Create efficiencies in your daily operations and use technology to reduce labor on repetitive tasks.

Step Five

Provide excellent customer service to your customers and ask for their feedback to improve your services.

There are many more things to consider when you are thinking about scaling your business. If you take your time and give some thought to the steps above you will be miles ahead of your competition as we sail out of the month of September. As usual, this month went by fast. People say that time flies when you are having fun so that must be true.

I truly enjoyed kissing summer goodbye and moving forward into the fall season. I hope you had a fantastic summer season and were able to get some things accomplished. This month I talked about 3 Ways To Create Measurable Goals and How Busy Entrepreneurs Can Continue To Learn New Things. If you have time for a few quick reads check them out and remember the tortoise won the race.

Keep IT Sunny~

How Busy Entrepreneurs Can Continue To Learn New Things

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Has anyone heard of a company called Blockbuster?

https://news.airbnb.com/store-manager-lists-worlds-last-blockbuster-on-airbnb-for-local-residents/


I remember growing up in Detroit and going to my neighborhood Blockbuster on a Friday night to peruse through the aisles looking for a good movie. This is where all the fun happened in my neighborhood on a Friday night.

 Fast forward to today and BlockBuster is gone.


It has turned into a cautionary tale of what can happen when you allow your business to become complacent and stagnate. 

Your business becomes obsolete.


In the case of Blockbuster, according to the Business Insider article, “Blockbuster: The rise and fall of the movie rental store, what happened to the brand,” was their inability to learn new things and shift their business offering in a different direction. The company started by David Cook in 1985 in Dallas was based on the brick-and-mortar video store experience and worked very well for a long time UNTIL…..


The market changed.


Instead of taking a hint from the market that was quickly changing from going to the video store to rent a movie to watching movies on demand in their own homes, David failed to learn the new thing that was going on and well the rest is history! The craziest thing is all Blockbuster had to do was buy Netflix which was the dominant player in the market at the time. This would have helped Blockbuster pivot by learning a new thing.

I know you might be thinking well I am not Blockbuster and I am too busy to learn new things. 

Well, both are true.

But the cautionary tale is still the same. If you CHOOSE to stay stagnant and not learn new things your company might die a slow death as a result. This has been proven. However, if you do decide that you are ready to make space to learn new things that can move your company forward then I have a few ideas for you below.

  1. Network, Network, Network

  2. Take an online course via Coursera or another platform on a subject that interests you and apply the key principles to your business.

  3. Read books and gain a blueprint about how other successful entrepreneurs have done it before you and apply those principles to your business. Audible is a great way to do this. 

  4. Attend conferences, lunch & learns, webinars, or seminars that are about learning soft skills like relationship building or communication to learn ways to add your personal touch to your business offerings.

  5. Benchmark from another business in a different industry to learn the key methods they use to stay competitive and implement those strategies in your business. Think Whole Foods, Starbucks, and Apple. 

The list is infinite but the bottom line is the same. Just because you are a busy entrepreneur doesn’t mean you can stop learning new ways to evolve your business. If you don’t do this then one day you might be gone with the wind just like Blockbuster.

Keep IT Sunny~