R.W. Ramsay & Associates, Ltd.

Focus on others

Rich — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:08:46 +0000

The best way to maximize your influence and at the same time improve your own situation is to forget about yourself and focus on others. In uncertain times, people tend to withdraw but will always appreciate attention shown to them.

When you focus on others, you will help them to transform their negatives into positives and they in turn will be grateful and helpful to you. This contribution will assist them and will shine back on you as well.

To illustrate this theory, think about how the holiday season tends to bring out the best in people and think about how good you feel when you give a little extra.

12/31/09 Tax Deadline

Rich — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:33:07 +0000

IRS Reminds Car Shoppers about Tax Break: The IRS reminded car shoppers that they have until 12/31/09 to take advantage of a tax break that may not be around in 2010. Individuals who buy a qualifying new vehicle (which includes new passenger autos, light trucks, motorcycles, and motor homes) can deduct the state or local sales or excise taxes they paid on the first $49,500 of the purchase price. This break is available whether the buyer itemizes deductions or claims the standard deduction, but is reduced for joint filers with modified adjusted gross incomes (MAGI) between $250,000–$260,000 and other taxpayers with MAGI between $125,000–$135,000. News Release IR-2009-119 .

2010 Standard Mileage Rates

Rich — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:30:23 +0000

Beginning 1/1/10, the standard mileage rates for using a vehicle (including an auto, van, pickup, or panel truck) will be 50 cents per mile for business purposes, 16.5 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile for charitable purposes. The standard mileage rates for 2010 reflect lower transportation costs, so the new rates are slightly lower than last year’s rates. A taxpayer using the business mileage rate treats 23 cents per mile as depreciation in 2010. However, a taxpayer cannot use the business mileage rate in certain situations (such as for vehicles used for hire, or five or more vehicles used simultaneously) or if the vehicle was previously depreciated using a method other than straight-line (such as MACRS, the Section 179 deduction, or bonus depreciation).
News Release IR-2009-111 and Rev. Proc. 2009-54, 2009-51 IRB .

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

Rich — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:07:49 +0000

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them, that’s why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. Grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’
4. Enjoy the simple things. Worry about nothing. Pray about everything.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, But by the moments that take our breath away.

Balancing Customer Service with Personal Needs

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:07:24 +0000

Making sure you offer customers better value than ever in a down turning cycle often means increasing workloads and tight schedules – frequently combined with some reduction of team numbers. It can seem that there are not enough hours in the day to get the work done, let alone striking a healthy work-life balance.

The good news is that it is possible, but it takes commitment to your own health and wellbeing. After all, if you become inefficient through weariness and lack of enthusiasm then the very goals you are seeking for your business will drift out of reach.

Set up email filters

Decrease the amount of time and stress spent slugging through masses of mail. Use your email program to filter spam of course, but even newsletters and joke mails from friends can be auto filed to folders for perusing later.

Turn off email and the phone for set hours

Most of us feel nervous about taking this on - there is a perception that we must be permanently and constantly available. But you’ll be surprised at how effective you can be if you schedule in a designated hour or two each day where you deal only with urgent work. Your emails and calls will still be there to pick up later.

Set a time to eat

Skipping meals and eating on the run leaves you tired and physically predisposes you to unwanted weight gain. Neither is very helpful to conducting your business efficiently. What‘s more, it robs you of precious time for your brain to mull and think, so you lose the chance to tap into your creative energies. Abandon the computer, get up in time to have breakfast at home – and try to eat at least one meal a day with family or friends.

Schedule breaks in your schedule and take them!

Accept you need breaks, different sorts of breaks from short to medium to long ones. Short breaks of 10 - 15 minutes allow for a cup of coffee, reading the paper or taking a short refreshing walk. Do something that relaxes you in a medium length break - workout at the gym, visit a friend, have lunch in the park, read a book. As for longer breaks – try to schedule a day away from the business at intervals, for no reason other than to take a break.

Call a friend

Keep your problems in perspective by chatting with a friend. If you can’t meet, then give them a call.

Outsource or delegate

Look at outsourcing necessary but non-core tasks e.g. bookkeeping and recruitment. Reduce your workload by delegating tasks to team members – you don’t have to be a jack of all trades, and they might appreciate the chance to learn new skills or vary their daily work.

Practice saying ‘No’

If you can’t do the job without unnecessary stress, learn to say no, or put a reasonable time frame on the delivery of the work.

Our time is the only thing we truly own in life - Gift yourself more time

Work out how long the task will take and then add some again. By allowing yourself more time you’ll reduce stress, avoid overloading yourself. Better still, you might end up delighting your customers by delivering ahead of schedule, and you will avoid disappointing them by falling behind on your promises.