I was a painter at one point in my life. I painted houses for 2+ summers while in college and then started doing internships in the accounting world. Hard work, lousy pay and lots of laughs with good friends pretty much summarize my painting career. However, like most other things in life I learned a valuable lesson from painting houses.
My boss taught me all about ladder movements. The more you have to move the ladder the less time you have to actually paint the house. Therefore, you not only set the ladder in a strategic spot you also do as much painting as you can from that spot. Essentially I learned a lesson in being efficient.
Efficiency and accounting go hand in hand. My entire life is devoted to being efficient. When you have a bunch of errands to run (bank, grocery store etc) do you think about the route to take? Sadly I can’t run multiple errands without thinking about the most efficient way to get them done. First, I consider the route that will allow me to take the most right hand turns. Next I consider the time of day and traffic I am likely to face at my various stops. Lastly, I have a list of stops and things I need to get done at these stops. That way no time or money is wasted while I accomplish my errands. The result is maximum efficiency in getting things done, which allows me to focus on more important things in life. (Yes even I think I am a dork based on the above paragraph but it’s just the way I am).
Is the accounting for your business as efficient as it could be?
Send your accountant to hit the bank and get some office supplies. When they get back ask them how many left turns they took? If it is more than one email me.