here’s what you’re looking for: sandi smith leyva

5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

if you’re a sole practitioner or small-firm operator, you’re probably very good at what you do – or you wouldn’t be in business today. but when it comes to marketing and selling yourself, well, many of us didn’t voluntarily sign up for that part.

more on small-firm growth strategies: when your business card works against you | 10 ways to ruin a website | 4 steps to weather any economic storm | want to be stress-free? use your strengths | ‘time problems’ don’t exist | could you use more energy this tax season? | 15 items for your ‘business bucket list’ | 3 ways to plug your firm’s money leaks

as a matter of fact, some of us are resisting – kicking and screaming – marketing ourselves. so no wonder, for some of us, business is slow or not growing at the rate we’d like.

read more →

are you making any of these 12 common errors?

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

the lowly business card: we don’t give it a second thought before we get the thing printed up, and we just do what everyone else does.

many people, new in business, get the business cards printed before they’re really ready to, which causes many of the mistakes i list below. experienced or new, you’re missing huge opportunities to let your business card take some of the work off your shoulders. we may take it for granted, but i feel that your business card is one of your most important pieces of marketing collateral – and the most underutilized.

more on small-firm growth strategies: 10 ways to ruin a website | 4 steps to weather any economic storm | want to be stress-free? use your strengths | ‘time problems’ don’t exist | could you use more energy this tax season? | 15 items for your ‘business bucket list’ | 3 ways to plug your firm’s money leaks

here are my suggestions for how to get your business card working as hard as you do. if you want to play along, pull out your business card, and see if your card is guilty of any of these first four no-no’s. read more →

you get 8 seconds to make a first impression. does your firm’s site measure up?

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

you can indeed get more business, more clients and more profits from your website. but not if you make these common mistakes!

more on small-firm growth strategies: 4 steps to weather any economic storm | want to be stress-free? use your strengths | ‘time problems’ don’t exist | could you use more energy this tax season? | 15 items for your ‘business bucket list’ | 3 ways to plug your firm’s money leaks

whether creating a new site or updating your existing site, here are some common pitfalls to avoid.

read more →

and 3 to avoid.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

according to an article published in harvard business review, three scientists, ranjay gulati, nitin nohria, and franz wohlgezogen, conducted a study to discover the strategies that generated the most – and the least – profits in lean times.

more on small-firm growth strategies: want to be stress-free? use your strengths | ‘time problems’ don’t exist | could you use more energy this tax season? | 15 items for your ‘business bucket list’ | 3 ways to plug your firm’s money leaks

first, here’s a list of surefire ways to kill your business:
read more →

24 ways you may be better than you think.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

how many times a day do we tell ourselves with the little voice in our head that we’re falling short of the ideal we have for ourselves? “i forgot to add the salt, so i ruined the recipe.” “i’m not good enough.” “i was mistaken.” “i’m not smart enough.” “i didn’t get picked for the finals.” “nobody likes me.” and so on.

more on small-firm growth strategies: could you use more energy this tax season? | 15 items for your ‘business bucket list’ | 3 ways to plug your firm’s money leaks | how to work the same hours and make more money

read more →