Newsletter Blogs

As we ease back into the rhythm of work after the Thanksgiving holiday, it's important to remember that an “attitude of gratitude” isn’t something that should end when the turkey runs out. Being grateful and saying “thank you” is something that we can keep up all year long. In fact, picking up the phone or…

About 10 years ago I had some discussions with the owner of a company interested in learning more about Proforma. After a few conversations, he decided to maintain the status quo and not move forward. Fast forward 10 years. I get an email from a consultant telling me that the owner of that company has…

Ask the Accountant… Question: Can I save changes to field widths that I have made to screens in QuickBooks Premier? Answer: Yes! Make the changes to the field widths on your screen. Leave the screen open, and go to: Edit > Preferences > Desktop View > Click “Save Current Desktop.” That should save your field…

For those who attended Printing United Expo in Atlanta, GA, you likely came away with your head spinning. The show covered over 1 million square feet of floor space and showcased 811 exhibitors (including Wise) in categories ranging from commercial and industrial printing to large-format, labels and packaging, and promotional products. Attendees were treated to…

Recently I had a great conversation with a very successful distributor owner. He is only in his 50s, but is ready to sell his business. He has made great money in his years in the business. No doubt he could make much more. When I asked why he does not keep growing the business and…

As a distributor, you are looking to be a problem-solver for your clients. If you can come up with a solution, you become the hero and deepen your relationship with the account. Since we know that a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to 25% to 95% increase in profitability (Bain & Co.), these…

We have all heard the saying that “experience is the best teacher.” While sometimes it may be true, I believe that far more often experience is not the best teacher. First, I’ve met thousands of distributors and sales reps whose sales are very low. Sometimes they will tell me that they have been in the…

Ask the Accountant… Question: If I use SAGE for my presentations and orders, why do I need QuickBooks? Answer: SAGE Online has a comprehensive system with search, presentation, CRM, project, and order management system capabilities, to name a few. They are not, nor do they want to be, an accounting system. You will not be…

The truth is that the older we become, the more accomplished we become, the more we hesitate to be terrible at anything. Like a recent Wall Street Journal article stated, “Many of us are terrible at being terrible.” The truth is that if we want to learn a new skill, we need to be willing…

Ask the Accountant… Question: I just got off the phone with QuickBooks/Intuit. They told me that QB has filled all the gaps between QBO and QuickBooks Desktop so the switch into QBO would be easy. Is that true? Answer: Be very careful when analyzing software. The standard answer from a salesperson with software is that…