Real Stories

Anticipation

Posted on: Aug 21, 2008

Posted by: CoachMike
Member since: Aug 11, 2008

Mike Crosa, CPA QuickBooks Coach Ocala, FL
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The Story

How many of us go through life reacting rather than trying to anticipate
the conditions or situations that can affect us? How many of us are constantly running
ourselves ragged putting out fires that seem to occur on an almost daily basis
and that require our undivided attention to solve. The result is unfinished
tasks, wasted time and lost opportunities.
When you think about it, changing from a reacting attitude to one of
anticipation is not difficult, if you have the proper tools and use them.

As entrepreneurs, our accounting and bookkeeping reports are our tools
to start anticipating rather than reacting in our business. If your records have been kept up to date,
and they should be, if you are using QuickBooks™ you could look at last year’s
data for clues as to what might happen this year. For example, you have a healthy balance in
the checking account and you have had your eye on a new SUV or the vacation you
have been promising yourself. But before you make the commitment to buy that vacation
or car, you remember your coach saying to anticipate rather than react, so you
review last year’s business statement for this period and you notice that there
was a large outlay for insurance. This year it is coming up next month. If you had reacted rather than anticipated
you might have well used the extra money for that car down payment or
vacation. The result? You would have had another fire to put out.

An incident occurred the other day that brought this home to me. I was at a gas station waiting to have some
minor work done on my car and I noticed a man with his son changing a
tire. The man was crouched in front of
the tire with his tools laid out on the ground at his side. His son who must
have been 12 years old was standing next to the tools with a blank look on his
face. The father looked at the boy and
then at the tools. The son at first
ignored him but when the father looked at him again, the son in an exasperated
manner said, “WHAT”! The father pointed at a tool and the son gave it to
him. He removed the hubcap and once
again looked at his son and then at the tools.
This time the son threw up his arms and again said WHAT! What is it you
want? The father rose up and I thought
he was going to belt him. But he didn’t.
In a calm manner he put his arm around the boys shoulder and asked him,
“How long have you been helping me”? The son answered him “Six months”. The father then asked him, “Don’t you think
it is time you started to anticipate what I need rather than reacting”?

©Mike Crosa CPA,
QuickBooks Coach 2008

Mike Crosa CPA and QuickBooks Coach consults and conducts training sessions to
individuals, groups and associations on using QuickBooks to better run and
manage successful business.+

Visit his website www.businessprofits.com
and subscribe to Profit Nuggets a newsletter with tips on using QuickBooks more
efficiently. You can also call toll free 877-538-4392+