Blogs

COVID-19 and Your Investments

By Mark Metzler posted 2 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The middle of a raging pandemic might seem like an odd time to be discussing investments, with most people assuming it is not a time to invest, preferring to hold onto their money.  With much of the economy slowly recovering from lockdown, and parts of it about to go back into restricted operations due to a second wave of infections, the outlook is rather grim. In this pandemic’s initial stages, stocks took a turn for the worse. However, they have shown significant improvement of late, indicating that this is as good a time to invest as any. After all, everyone wants to grow their money, plan a retirement, and pay for their children’s education. Here ...
0 comments

How to Reduce Your Cost of Sales

By Mark Metzler posted 2 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
For any business, marketing and sales can be scary, and yet the cost of sales is such an important aspect of any business. Every sales business knows that the sales force drives revenue.   Even small changes can have big consequences, and a sales company must know how to reduce expenses while still maintaining those resources needed to protect revenue and future growth. We look at ways to reduce the cost of sales.   Making CRM simpler   Customer relationship management (CRM) can be a big expense. It manages and analyses a business's interactions with customers. Through email, live chat, marketing materials and social media, a business learns ...
0 comments

Joint Home Ownership After a Divorce

By Mark Metzler posted 2 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
With the decision to divorce comes a myriad of financial implications that need to be addressed prior to its finalisation. During the early stages of the separation, options regarding the house should be prioritised. It is arguably one of the most considerable investments a couple would have made during the marriage.  Several factors should enter the discussions when it comes to making the right choices. Among them are the legal and financial ramifications of your joint ownership of a property before the divorce and how things will work afterwards. Dividing the home There are four main choices a separating couple can make related to their jointly-owned ...
0 comments

Seniors at Tax Time: Vital Tips You Need to Know

By Mark Metzler posted 4 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Tax season is generally stressful for all adults, and seniors are no different. You must keep your tax affairs in order so that you remain in good standing with the IRS. The last thing you need is to be slapped with a huge penalty that you cannot afford to pay from their retirement funding.  Given the rising cost of living, you need to conserve every cent you can to enjoy your golden years. One way of doing so is taking advantage of the tax benefits you’re entitled to.  Get help for free There’s no need to worry about paying someone to do your taxes if you’re over the age of 60. You have access to Tax Counseling for the Elderly ( TCE ), where ...
0 comments

5 Ways Retirees Can Make Money from Home

By Mark Metzler posted 4 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Retirees are able to leverage their years of work experience to make a living from the comfort of their homes. This is particularly helpful during the current COVID-19 pandemic when it is dangerous to work outside the home if you’re over a certain age. Older adults are finding many creative ways to supplement their income.  Tutor online Various websites provide platforms for retirees wanting to share their experience online and make money doing so. On Chegg Tutors, freelancer tutors can mentor international students in specific subjects through virtual sessions . Getsetup is another platform where older adults can make money teaching their ...
0 comments

Equipment You Can Count on When Working Remotely

By Mark Metzler posted 5 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Together, COVID-19 and the Internet has opened up a world of work opportunities to work from home, whether full-time or with a flexible schedule.    The number of people working from home has surged and with good reason. While the coronavirus rages on, a person can be safer, more comfortable and less irritable at home. However, there are still some essentials to ensure your remote office doesn't do the opposite – make you agitated and frustrated.   Remote offices need to be professionally rigged out   To conduct business in a professional manner, your home office needs all the right furniture and equipment to do a thorough job. ...
0 comments

Use a Human-Centered Approach to Improve Contact Center Productivity

By Mark Metzler posted 11 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Pushing your customer service agents to work harder won’t necessarily improve customer experience. It is more likely to erode it if agents are tired and overworked.  Agent attrition and performance are usually the top challenges in a contact center. If you want your agents to connect better with customers, you need to help them build their skills.  Fortunately, modern contact center technology helps to streamline service and make it more efficient. Agents can use the right tools to better their performance, offer improved customer satisfaction and be more fulfilled.  Make customer information readily accessible Customer service agents who have ...
0 comments

Why Your Marketing Needs to be Analytics-Driven

By Mark Metzler posted 16 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The best companies are backed by amazing marketing tactics. In particular, analytics is a great way to go above and beyond the traditional marketing scheme. Let us take a very close look at why your marketing needs to be analytics driven. Personalized experiences To start things off, analytics leads to more personalized experiences. You'll be able to target consumers on an individual level and see how they respond to certain offers. This leads to higher sales on your end. At the same time, consumers love this personalization as it makes them feel worthwhile and valued. A little goes a long way. If you can send a personalized breakdown of purchases ...
0 comments

6 Tips to Boost Remote Work Performance

By Mark Metzler posted 06-30-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Selling is not a simple task as it may sound. Even on a regular day when you are facing your buyer, things might get complicated. Remote selling is increasingly growing in popularity to become the new normal. You get to connect with your clients through various virtual forms such as chats, calls, emails, and video calls. This means you would have less face to face time, and the conversations may lack personal appeal. Remote selling may be complicated, especially for sales leaders. Following up on the progress of your employees may be difficult due to lesser visibility of the firm's interactions and team's progress with prospects. Amid the challenges that ...
0 comments

Reasons Why A Healthcare Organization Might Need SOC 2 Compliance

By Mark Metzler posted 06-30-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Healthcare professionals are bound by patient confidentiality. A doctor who discloses personal data can be under review and even lose his licensing because of being unethical. Therefore, it is a distant thought that doctors would purposefully breach this trust relationship they have with patients.  Although that is true, the system used by the healthcare organization may be the single point of failure. Can SOC 2 compliance intervene and ensure that patient personal data is secure? Are healthcare organizations required to conduct a SOC 2 audit? The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) that oversees the implementation of SOC 2 compliance states ...
0 comments

IMA Riyadh Chapter cordially invites you to Attend "Communication in the Digital Age ''

By Dareen Bin Mahfood posted 06-30-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
     IMA Riyadh Chapter is pleased to invite you to attend one hour CPE a webinar titled :   Communication in the Digital Age     Overview about the topic: Excellent Communication skills are very important to any strong and effective leader.The higher a person is on the organization leader.the more the need for strong communication skills.Good Communication is critical to assure understanding,conduct day to day business and motivate and persuade others.   Topics include: - Business Communication methods . -Tools on effective communication . - Video Conferencing  -Business Emails' Technics and ...
0 comments

Gleim materials 35% off through July 10th

By Trent Kramer posted 06-27-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Gleim is offering 35% off of their Premium Review System through July 10th. Orders can also be placed online at Gleim .com/IMAChapter or by using your chapters custom ordering link ( gleim .com/IMAMinn ). Please note that the 35% discount will be displayed at check out and not on the initial welcome screen.  This is an exclusive offer for IMA Minneapolis Chapter members and isn't available to the general public. The Minneapolis IMA Chapter has partnered with Gleim to ensure your success on the CMA exam! Nearly 40 years ago, Gleim set the standard for CMA exam review. Today, as an industry leader and IMA Strategic Partner, we continue to dedicate ...
0 comments

How to build a successful B2B Brand

By Mark Metzler posted 06-26-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Most companies that implement the Business-to-Business (B2B) strategy do this to develop lead generation. When applying the B2B marketing strategy, there are several factors you need to understand the concept. First, the B2B products require you to make a more substantial investment and have a long sales process. These products and services have a higher learning curve, their evaluation process is extensive, and the buying decision links to many different individuals. Steps to building a successful B2B brand Once you decide to implement the B2B brand, you can look into a demand generation agency . This agency can help generate more sales leads, ...
0 comments

How to Manage and Motivate Older Employees

By Mark Metzler posted 06-23-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
One of the challenges of a manager is motivating employees. Getting people to joyfully work for you can be a headache. Once you understand the mysteries of human personality, however, motivation becomes easy. Human personality is most simply categorized by the Myers-Briggs type system. This system of cognition identifies how people process information. Once you know how your employee's process information, you can more readily encourage them in their work. Myers-Briggs Types and Motivation The first core motivation group is traditionalists. The ISTJ likes details and tradition. They are excellent workers. You motivate them by increasing their responsibility ...
0 comments

Getting Your New Business Up and Running

By Mark Metzler posted 04-27-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Starting a business is a dream come true for many people. However, it is not without its difficulties. Many companies go under within the first year of being started. This is a frightening statistic, and you shouldn’t want to be a part of it. Most analysts agree that there are several pitfalls that can cause a business to fail. Chief among them is poor planning. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Here are four things you should do to get your business off the ground: Do market research Your business needs to fulfill a customer need, and you’re not going to know what customers want or need without doing some research beforehand. This includes ...
0 comments

Chapter Election Results 2020-2021

By Trent Kramer posted 04-16-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Below are the results of the IMA Minneapolis Chapter 2020-2021 elections:  President – Trent Kramer, CPA, CMA Vice President – Heath L. Hertel, CMA, CPA (also a Council Delegate) Past President – Ms. Lianne B. Loeks Munson, CMA, CSCA Director of Communications – Michael James Ruth, CMA Director of Student Membership – Mike Schmitt, CMA, CSCA Director of Social Media – Tara Gantter, RTRP Secretary - Rudy Hershberger Treasurer – Ms Shari L Nepper, CMA VP of Membership - Bhavesh Parekh, CMA, PMP, ACMA (also a Council Delegate) Director of Education –  Andrew Galas, MBA Director of Technology - Ryan Blazei Director of Events - Randy ...
0 comments

Gleim CMA Exam Prep Special Offer

By Trent Kramer posted 04-07-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
Gleim has a special offer on CMA exam prep through April 26th Gleim recognizes the value of IMA Chapters and so we are providing IMA chapter members with a special offer.  Save up to $650 when you order the 2020 edition of Gleim CMA Premium Review!  As a Strategic Partner of IMA, we are also providing  30% off of CMA exam entrance fees! Our latest edition covers 2020 CMA exam topics and is equipped with SmartAdapt™ technology which personalizes your review and eliminates the guesswork in studying. In our latest edition, you'll also enjoy:     • Even more videos covering the toughest topics and providing question walkthroughs     • Enhanced books ...
0 comments

Free Access to IMA Resources

By Trent Kramer posted 04-07-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
The IMA is offering members and non-members 90 days of free access to multiple resources.  This includes CPE, the CareerDriver assessment tool and much more.  Non-members can get free access for 90 days. There's a couple great online self-study courses with a combined 30 NASBA CPE.  Aside from doing 2 ethics CPE, these first two offerings satisfy the annual requirement: IMA Data Analytics & Visualization Fundamentals Certificate ™ : New! Now through April 30*, learn how emerging technologies are driving change across businesses and develop new skills in data analytics and visualization. Earn an IMA professional certificate, a digital badge, ...
0 comments

How To Market Your Accounting Services To Other Businesses

By Mark Metzler posted 02-20-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
When you run an accounting business, you should market your company to other businesses in the area. You can use marketing tips to create a presence for your company online or in your local area. Each of the options listed below will make marketing easier. Also, you should consider how to combine marketing tactics to make your business as visible as possible. Create A Social Media Your company should have a social media marketing plan. You can sign up for every social media platform that is available. When you sign up for these accounts, you can post anything you want to each platform. Social media can be used to post information about your ...
0 comments

What Compliance Posters Do I Need at My Business?

By Mark Metzler posted 02-10-2020
Be the first person to recommend this.
An employer who has one or more employees has to post state and federal law posters in clear view for their employees. These laws are designed to protect employees who may feel unsafe or mistreated at work or discriminated against while applying for jobs. The following are the types of posters that should appear in every workplace. Federal Minimum Wage The federal minimum wage law protects workers from earning less money than they deserve. This is the minimal amount that every employer is required to pay an employee for non-volunteer work. His or her salary varies based on education and work experience. The state minimum wage varies in each ...
0 comments