FRIDAY'S STORY TO INSPIRE - Are You Guarding A Concrete Slab?

Happy Friday . . Today's story to inspire is a thinker . . . this can be applied to anything, even business finances and personal finances.  How??  Read and I will share a couple of examples after the story. .

Are You Guarding A Concrete Slab?

There was an army barracks that had on its duty roster 4 soldiers to guard at all times a concrete slab in front of the barracks. The soldiers changed shifts guarding the slabs for many years. Different commanders came and went and the tradition continued.

After many years, a new commander was assigned to the barracks. Amongst the things he did was asking why things were done the way they were. When he asked why soldiers were guarding the slab, he was told, "We've always done it this way. It's our tradition. Our former commanders instructed us to do that."

The commander was adamant on finding out why. He went to the archives to look for answers and he came across a document that had the explanation. The document was very old.  It had instructions written by one of the retired commanders who had even passed away.

The new commander learnt that over 80 years ago, the barracks wanted to build a platform where events could be performed. When the concrete slab was laid, wild animals walked over it at night before the slab would dry. The soldiers would fix it the next morning but when evening came the same thing would happen. So the commander ordered that 4 soldiers should guard the concrete slab for 3 weeks to allow it to dry. The following week the commander was transferred to another post and a new commander was brought in. The new commander found the routine and enforced it and every commander that came did the same. Eighty years later the barracks continued guarding a concrete slab.

What beliefs, attitudes, traditions have you carried on that were relevant to certain people or a certain time and they are still being carried out by you? Is your opinion about yourself, people of a different race, the opposite sex, certain business opportunities, new products etc obsolete? Question the status quo.

Sandras Phiri

I told you it was a thinker . . . how are you guarding a concrete slab? 

 

Are you managing cash by going online every day?  Or do you have a system in place that supports you with consciously planning cash for business or personal finances?  During hard core crunch times, do you react or respond, because "that is the way you have always done it?"

Ask yourself, what needs to change? What needs to be looked at from a fresh perspective so an old belief pattern stops?  Can you see how the "concrete slab" is an old belief?

Here is today's action plan - Jot down one or two areas in your finances, business or personal that you want to change.  For example, create a check register in excel  (I offer a 12 month check register) and start tracking your cash.   What are the recurring charges on your credit card statement that has been on there for months or years and your not using? Start monitoring utility bills to see how much your using and spending.  Is usage going up? Are there inconsistencies? Check it out.  Create a spreadsheet to compare the costs sided by side for a rolling 12 months. What do you see?

If you want help, reach out and ask. If you believe that you can figure it out, yet everything stays the same, it's time to ask yourself - How is that working for you?  Stop watching the concrete slab and make a change to move forward. I woud love to support you with moving forward.

Have a questione-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Supporting you with moving forward.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

CFO Made Easy

Friday's Story to Inspire - Good or bad . . right or wrong .

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." ~ Katherine Graham

 Children are often told that they are good or bad when what is meant is that their behavior is seen as pleasing or not pleasing.  When the idea of being good and bad is planted deep into consciousness at an early age, it leads to a belief that we have two parts, one good and one bad.  such a belief divides us against ourselves.  f we believe that we are half bad, we cannot really believe that we are one with Divine. This causes major conflicts, the symptoms of which are guilt, shame and a feeling of being unlovable.

The now-famous Dr. Albert Ellis, a pioneer in the field of cognitive therapy, eloquently stated, "We are always doing the best we can, given that we know what we believe."  Believing this invites us to easily understand why we behave the way we do and why change is often difficult.  Many years ago, this insight led me to the realization that I am neither good nor bad; I just am.  we are all beings acting in accord with what we know and believe.  The good news is that we can and will change what we know and believe, and we will always act accordingly. "Change your thinking, change your life" is much more than bumper-sticker wisdom.  by  Bob Luckin

As you read today's story to inspire what thoughts came up for you?  How can you internalize this concept to allow yourself to move forward in your business? In your life?  What if there was no "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong". From my perspective we make choices.  A choice is a choice, not a label.  Why do we feel we need to label ourselves or others?  Labeling sets our world to make us feel ok about ourselves.  When in fact we are ok exactly as who we are, (without the labels) and where we are in any given moment.

I can understand how this may be a stretch for you, yet I invite you for one day, to remove  "good" and "bad", "right" and "wrong" from your vocabulary . .and just allow what shows up to be.

For example, when working on your business or an area of your personal life something does not go the way you planned, step back and say, "wow, that is not what I expected", then let it go, move forward.  There still may be the urge to label it as "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong' yet just notice what you learned and the feeling you were left with.  this is allowing . . allowing you to be with where you are in that moment.  Notice and let go of the "label" and just be.

This is just another way of doing things in business and in life.  Because YOU are the CEO and CFO of your business and of your life.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

CFO Made Easy  

BABY STEPS - STEP 3 OF A 4 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

"Gross revenue means nothing if, at the end of the day, you have no operating cash." ~ MIKE MICHALOWIZ

For a good twenty plus years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at the privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step three for managing cash is using a 52-week cash flow projections.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash receivables coming in and cash payables going out. Cash Receivables are listed at the top. You can create a variety of categories for cash coming in.  Examples, receivables from various areas of the business, coaching, products,, events, and seminars, etc.  Cash going out categories, inventory, then list your various vendors if that is how you want to track purchases. Commissions, payments to contractors, weekly or bi-weekly payroll, plus normal monthly expenses, rent, utilities, electricity, natural gas, phone, internet, water, lease payments, car payments.  The 52 week cash flow spreadsheet is a cash story book, it tells you where you have been, how you performed and the variances that have occurred, which will allow you to realign how you are managing cash.  At the end of the spread sheet it tells you if there is lots of cash left over for the following week, or not enough to cover you, so then you can plan to borrow or adjust what will go out.

You can purchase the weekly cash flow management tool to your right for $225, equal to $4.33 a week, which is equivalent to less than one Vente latte.

Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business and life. This is a tool used to see where you are and where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly.  Cash is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.

Business's fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

As I have shared in earlier posts, create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look at and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Get in to action, invest in yourself and your business. Purchase the weekly cash flow management tool and get cracking on managing your cash. If you have any questions please leave below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

PURPOSE IS A GUIDING LIGHT . . . . .

"A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere." ~ Joyce Myers

I am an avid reader of the Science of Mind magazine. Each message speaks to my heart and soul. Below is one daily reading I want to share with you.

Are you, YES YOU, moving forward with discovering your purpose?  Is your heart and soul nudging you?  Whatever that looks like for you.
Just a quiet little reminder. Enjoy!

Purpose

Sometimes, it is difficult to figure out purpose.  Too often, friends are willing to tell you what they think your purpose is, especially when it serves them. I have found something interesting about purpose: all I need to do is decide what my purpose is and be 180 degrees away from it. Once you set an intention to find your purpose, however, the universe will conspire to guide you. The only thing you can do wrong is to do nothing.

Purpose is a guiding light. You must not forget your purpose, but don't allow your purpose to tether you. Choose a purpose, and don't be attached to having it be the right one. Choose nothing, and the universe knows you are not yet willing to play. (SOM, August 4, 2012)

So, are you playing? or are you not yet willing to play? Share your passion, your purpose below.  . GET IT OUT!.  . Scream it to the world. .  we are waiting to hear your voice. Your soul is waiting for you to play.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

BELIEVE IN YOU!

This morning as I was reading, I came across this short gentle reminder.

Notice and realize YOU are the CEO of your life and business and the CFO of your life and business.

Your strength and effectivness increase as you believe in yourself and your ability to grow from the experiences you have in life. Look upon challenges as opportunities to learn and apply your knowledge and your magical touch. ~ Doreen Virtue

Warmly -

Debbie
Chief Heart Officer
CFO Made Easy