Accountant
What Small Business Owners Can Learn From the Olympic Games
After years of waiting, the Olympic Games were back with us once again and concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony on Sunday night. Whether you are the type of fanatic who tuned into London for every sport, or the kind of viewer who watched the highlights and medals on the evening news, it’s hard not .. read more
Aug
4 Strategies to Increase Sales Revenue Growth and Become Your Customers First Call
Is it possible to implement strategies to increase sales revenue growth with very little marketing? Customers calling you 24 hours a day nonstop, more business than you can handle and no need for a large marketing budget? The answer is, yes, it is possible. This only happens when you become what I call, the “Customers .. read more
Aug
10 Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Business and/or Yourself
Have a compelling response to the question “What do you do?” or “Tell me about yourself” Make it brief and interesting. If you only have 30 seconds, give them enough of an idea about what you do so that they seek you out to hear more later. Even in a situation where you have more .. read more
Get the Most From Your Star Salespeople
1. Get rid of commission ceilings. Caps on commissions incentivize salespeople to sell to the quota and then stop. Without them, you’ll likely see increased revenue and happier salespeople. 2. Offer over-achievement commissions. For those who surpass their quotas, increase the commission rate. This will keep your stars working hard during the fourth quarter, which is .. read more
How to Handle Customer Complaints
All companies depend on customer feedback to make their businesses better and increase customer satisfaction. Yet, customer complaints take up an inordinate amount of time and money, and the complainer doesn’t often get what he wants. Here are three tips for expediting the complaint process and keeping customers happy: • Understand the full context – .. read more
Meet another team member at Avid Partners
Martina Walsh: Martina joined Avid Partners in February 2011 and brings with her a wealth of experience in administration and customer service. Originally from Portlaoise, Martina has worked in both the manufacturing and service industries. She believes that it is important to have an understanding of the Client and their industry to help ensure a .. read more
Jul
Meet Aoife – another member of our Team at Avid Partners
Aoife Connolly: Aoife joined Avid Partners in February 2011. After leaving school she undertook a two year accounting Technician course and then followed on to a degree in accounting which she completed in May 2010 in IT Carlow. Aoife’s current position in the firm is accounts assistant where her main responsibilities are assisting in the .. read more
Jul
Put Yourself in Your Customers’ Shoes
If your company is looking to innovate, don’t waste time analyzing market research reports and delving into customer data. What customers say they will do is not necessarily what they end up doing. Instead, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Observe them using products and watch for frustrations they may not even notice. Don’t delegate .. read more
Jul
Live your Mission, Don’t just state it
The problem with most mission statements is that they are full of jargon and platitudes that apply to any company, not just the one they were written for. Don’t wring your hands over the wording: focus on action instead. A mission statement is an abstraction. A Company on a mission is inspiring. Think about what it .. read more
Jul
Develop the 4 Qualities of an Inspirational Leader
Leaders need vision, energy, authority, and a natural strategic ability. But those things don’t necessarily help you inspire your employees to be their best and commit to you as a leader. Here are the four qualities you need to capture the hearts, minds, and spirits of your people: Humanness. Nobody wants to work with a perfect .. read more
Jul
Construction Sector C2 Issues
Construction Sector C2 Issues The revised electronic arrangements which see a Principal Contractor getting a direction from Revenue as to the appropriate rate of withholding tax deduction applicable to payments to a sub- contractor are now in place for 4 months. The rate previously applying in 2011 was deemed to continue automatically until the .. read more
Jul
Facebook Advertising
Many of us have a Facebook profile. Most of us are aware that Facebook presents businesses with an opportunity to connect with potential customers. Few of us have worked out how best to utilise Facebook as an effective business development and marketing tool. One way to use social media to market your business is by .. read more
Jul
Extended Filing Date for 2011 Tax Returns
Plan now for November – The extended filing date for 2011 Tax Returns via ROS will be the 15th of November, 2012. This is still a few months away but it is important that steps are taken now to quantify a Client’s liability. In the first instance, this will allow adequate steps to be .. read more
Holiday Time!
Many business owners and managers strive to ensure employees use their allocated holiday time. It is commonly the case, however, that these owners and managers fail to use their own holiday allowances. One reason that some owners and managers struggle to take time off is that they feel “wedded” to the business – they simply .. read more
Jul
Cloud Storage Solutions
According to a leading I.T. consulting firm, the personal cloud will replace the personal computer at the centre of users’ digital lives by 2014. So what will the impact be for businesses, and what products and services are likely to be made available in order to service the move to cloud computing? Well, the impact .. read more
Jul
Engagement with Revenue
Many businesses will have recently become aware that Revenue are becoming increasingly efficient at enforcement of debts owed to them. This relates to both personal taxes and business “fiduciary” taxes such as VAT and payroll taxes, which a business collects and passes to the Collector General on a periodic basis. This has been especially pronounced .. read more
Jul
Meet another member of our team – Aisling
Aisling Lambe Aisling joined the team at Avid Partners early 2011. Having qualified as an Accountant Technician in 2003, Aisling then furthered her studies at Griffith College and qualified as a Certified Accountant in 2007 having trained in a medium size practice in Naas. Aisling has over 9 years experience working in an accountancy practice. .. read more
Jul
Get Your Colleague’s Attention
To capture any audience’s attention, you must frame your message properly. Whether you’re making a presentation, composing an email, or talking with your boss, here’s how to convey your idea: Start with what you want – Busy colleagues don’t want to wait for the punch line. Provide the most important information up front. Explain the .. read more
Jul
3 Things to Assess Before You Back Down
Leaders who take on huge challenges and win are lauded. But recognising when a challenge is too daunting or risky is equally heroic. Here are three ways to evaluate whether you should step up or back down: Assess the odds. You need to know what you are up against and be realistic about your chances of .. read more
Jul
3 Ways to Externalise Your Focus
Companies that are too inwardly focused often miss important happenings and opportunities in the market. Use these three ways to get your company to look outward for customer insights, competitor moves, and market changes: Listen to customer-facing employees. Frontline employees are your ear to the pavement. Value them, ask them what they hear from customers, .. read more
Jul
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