|
|
|
|
| Upcoming Free CD on Marketing
Marketing is one of the key activities any accounting firm should undertake on a consistent and focused manner.
In Part One, Chris Frederiksen, Chairman of the 2020 Group Worldwide, discusses the role of Marketing, defining what marketing is in comparison to selling and how to get your firm focussed on this area. We will look at what is important to Clients and dispel the notion that quality means anything to them.
Chris will expand on Contact Management Systems or Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM's), Client Satisfaction Surveys and marketing and collateral materials you need to develop to give your firm a competitive edge.
Look for it in your mail by the end of February.
|
 |
Official Call for ICAO Council Election Nominations
|
Nomination Process and Deadline
Nominations are now
invited for the 2009 Council election. Nominations, including those
submitted by fax or e-mail, must be received at the Institute by not
later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 6, 2009. Nominations must be in
writing, signed by two members, and must have the assent of the
nominee.
As always, 2020 will assist any members running for council.
|
|
|
Wooden USB Drive with Post-it Dispenser
Have you ever been sitting typing on your computer and then thought, "Damn, I
wish I had a Post-it connected to my computer right now."? No, then you and I have
something in common.
The Darumouse Memo2ry is without a doubt one of the more stupid flash drive adaptations I have
seen in a long time and I am someone that uses Post-it notes (or cheaper generic
versions of them anyway). I do not know what flash drives and post-its have in
common that would require a mashup product, but there is no denying that it is different.
Price: $30US for the 2GB flash drive - for a positive review, click here. |
|
Charity Initiative
2009 Tax Season
Accountants Who Care
|
The new charity initiative for Accountants in Canada has been formally released and registrations are coming in from across the country.
In this initiative, firms can set up their own contribution per return or a lump sum which will be donated half to a local charity of your choice and the other half to 2020's charity of choice Opportunity International . OI provides micro-financing and support to poor entrepreneurs in Third World countries.
Click here for Registration or go to our website to download the registration form plus other material including desktop signage and a local community press release.
For more information please contact Peggy or call 905-891-8546
| |
|
|
|
|
 The
Canadian Innovator |
Greetings!
The busy season is upon us and everyone is keeping their pencils sharp to get through it. While few truly enjoy the amount of work that has to be pushed through in the next 10 weeks, it really is an opportunity to develop better relationships and deliver more services beyond the tax season and for years to come. Use some of our reception desk checklists from the 2020 website to market the breadth of your services to your tax clients. They may not be aware you provide services they need.
Our Leadership article this month is on Maintaining Perspective in Difficult Times.
Our next full-day seminar is scheduled for May 8, 2009 and it is entitled Maximum Impact - Leadership that Inspires. It is a full day of speakers on leadership including Tony Blair, John Maxwell and Jack Nicklaus. Check out the article and links below.
As always, we have a new inspirational movie for you to think about how your team can work better together. It is entitled:
|
|
Maximum Impact - Leadership that Inspires
May 8, 2009 - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
The Old Mill Inn, Toronto
|
 Join 60,000 attendees in 500 satellite locations thoughout North America with a single vision:
Inspiring Change
By attending the Maximum Impact Simulcast on May 8, 2009, you have a rare opportunity to leverage the collective mindshare of 10 great leaders of our time. These renowned speakers will place you in the craftsman's workshop, hearing wisdom and experiences from the world's best. The event is broadcast LIVE to The Old Mill, Tronto, ON and no other training event offers the credibility, applicable content, and cost-effectiveness of the Maximum Impact Simulcast presented Live via the Web from Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2009 speaker lineup includes
At $300 per person, this is a wonderful opportunity to earn 7 hrs of motivating PD plus invite your key clients to attend this session along with the elegant
OId Mill Dining Experience.
For more information on the event and the speakers, click here
Limited Seating is available.
|
|
Leadership -
Perspective
- Justin Pinkerman (Leadership Wired)
|
| Distraught over massive financial losses incurred during the past year, Adolf Merckle scrawled a suicide note to his family and wandered out the door into a dark, wintry night. He made his way for the railway where he stood by the tracks and waited in the cold. Spotting the headlight of an oncoming railcar, he threw himself under the train and took leave of this world.
As tragic as the suicide was, it would not have received worldwide press apart from one shocking fact: Adolf Merckle was valued at 9.2 billion dollars, ranking 94th on Forbes 2008 list of the world's richest persons.
It can be hard to fathom the extent of Mr. Merckle's wealth, a billion dollars being such a staggering sum. Think of it this way, 9,000 people could each win a million dollars in the lottery, pool their money together, and still have less money than Mr. Merckle was worth. Or, the entire nation of Haiti (8.5 million people) could work for two and a half years without accumulating income equal to Mr. Merckle's portfolio.
Two Pointers to Keep Perspective When Problems Persist
1. Gratitude
Leaders enter dangerous territory when they neglect to be grateful for what they have, and instead begin to fear losing what they've accumulated. The blessings of life surround everyone, but the person is rare who allows its simple benefits of life to fill his or her soul. Yet, the choice presents itself to anyone: accentuate the positives or dwell on the negatives. For the complete article, please download here. |
|
Worthwhile Canadian Iniative
Fareed Zakaria
World View, New York Times
|
 The legendary editor of The New Republic, Michael Kingsley, once held a "Boring Heading Contest" and decided that the winner was "Worthwhile Canadian Initiative". Twenty-two years later, the magazine was rescured from its economic troubles by a Canadian media company, which should have taught us to be more humble. Now there is even more striking evidence of Canada's virtues.
Guess which conutry, alone in the indurstrialized world, has not faced a single bank failure, calls for bailouts or government intervention in the financial or mortgage sectors. Yup, It's Canada. In 2008, the World Econominc Forum ranked Canada's banking system the healhtiest in the world. America's ranked 40th, Britain's 44th.
Canada has done more than survive this financial crisis. The country is positively thriving in it. Canadian banks are well capitalized and poised to take advantage of opportunities that American and European banks cannot seize. The Toronto-Dominion Bank, for example, was the 15th largest bank in North America one year ago. Now it is the fifth-largest. It hasn't grown in size; the others have all shrunk.
So what accounts for the genius of Canadians?
Common sense.
To download the rest of this interesting article, click here. |
The next two months are the greatest opportunity for you to increase your business beyond your tax services for your clients. As you prepare your clients' tax returns, look for areas of weakness or opportunities that you can consult with them about their businesses or financial situations during the slower summer months.
We will be keeping a low profile for the next month or two as we know you are busy. Keep in mind the Maximum Impact event in May and we hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Peggy Tyers
2020 Canada
| |
|
|
|
|
