As a Business Consultant in addition to a seasoned accountant with over 20years plus in the industry – Randall Dang is an avid reader of the Harvard Business Review. Most recently an article discussing remote workers caught his eye. Many of Randall Dang’s clients are small business owners who staff remote workers, here is an excerpt from the HBR:

“Stay in Touch with Your Remote Workers to Catch Potential Performance Issues

One of the challenges of managing people from afar is having a good sense of how they’re performing. Virtual workers may be more prone to loneliness and loss of motivation, which can result in compromised performance. Since you don’t usually get the opportunity to pick up visual cues or have impromptu conversations with remote employees, make an extra effort to see how they’re doing. Stay alert for signs of burnout by checking in regularly. Since this won’t happen spontaneously in the hallway or cafeteria, schedule frequent conversations by phone or videoconference. Pay attention to virtual employees’ tone of voice and other signals that can indicate their level of engagement. Consider asking directly about how they’re feeling about work so that they know you care.

Adapted from the HBR Guide to Performance Management”

Simply managing in house staff can be a challenge for business owners- add the challenge of the remote worker and you find yourself wondering what steps can be taken in order to preserve the remote worker/management relationship.

Randall Dang is well versed in solving many challenges such as these. His clients understand that his experience combined for his love of the industry make him a perfect choice to analyze their company’s needs.

Randall Dang is not only your Accountant, he is a trustworthy business advisor with the tools you need to keep your business running smoothly.

 

Whether you’re looking to hire an accountant for your small business or to help you manage personal finances, what qualities do you look for in an accountant?

As an experienced accountant and having worked for several clients, accountant Randall Dang understands that many clients have certain traits they want to see in their accountants. After all, the accountant will be helping you with finances, offering financial advice, and advising you on major decisions. That being said, it’s important that you find an accountant you feel comfortable and confident in. You want someone who you trust and can rely on. Here are some tips for picking the right person to help you:

They’re Experienced

A suitable accountant should have at least five years’ experience. This demonstrates that they are knowledgeable and practiced. As Randall Dang explains, an accountant generally specializes in a few areas to offer various services to clients. Find an accountant who specializes in the services you need. For example, if you need them to help manage your business’s finances, they should have previous experience helping other businesses. If you’re looking for an accountant to help with your personal finances, they should have experience working for other individuals like yourself.

They’re Great at Communicating

There are a lot of fancy terms used in accounting that the average person isn’t usually familiar with. While it’s great that an accountant is experienced, you also want to be able to communicate with them on a level that you understand. You want to be able to use them as a resource, ask them questions, and expand your knowledge.

They’re Available When You Need Them

Some people only need an accountant once or a few times a year. Others tend to turn to their accountants more frequently. Ensure the accountant you select can and will be available when you need them. Also, how will you communicate or get a hold of your accountant when you need them? Are they only a phone call away or do you have to schedule a time to come in?

You’re Comfortable Discussing Important Details With Them

Since you’re going to be discussing your finances with your accountant, emphasizes that you need to feel comfortable in doing so. If you feel intimidated or aren’t at ease discussing financial information with your accountant, you should look for another one.

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They Answer Your Questions
Finances and taxes are complex subjects so it’s more than understandable that you will have questions to ask. The right accountant doesn’t just handle your finances but will answer questions and make sure you understand everything.

In the United States, tax season is just around the corner. Although Randall Dang is an accountant from Canada, he understands that small business owners in the United States might feel overwhelmed around this time of year as they get their paperwork in order to file their taxes.

 

Filing taxes for a business is much more cumbersome than filing taxes for a household, but going through that paperwork and reading that fine print can be worth it in the end if it helps you save a few more bucks. If you are new to filing taxes for your business or you would like a quick reminder crash course, here are several things to keep in mind:

 

Hire a Tax Accountant: If you are uncomfortable filing your business taxes, it can actually save you a little money to hire a tax accountant like Randall Dang as a tax accountant can spot potential deductions and credits that you might not be aware of. In addition to that, he or she can help you avoid an audit, which can result in fines and penalties if there is any evasion found.

 

You Can Deduct Expenses for Home Office: There’s a myth out there that a home office deduction will lead to an audit. This couldn’t be further from the truth. However, you have to use the term home office as the IRS would use it. You can’t use a home office deduction if you are laying on the couch on your laptop. You need to completely devote a space in your home to your business for it to count.

 

Keep Extensive Records When You’re Traveling: The IRS likes proof. It also wants to give you money for your business travels, but only if you can provide records. Every time you travel for business purposes, be sure to record the mileage, toll and parking expenses, and the purposes of the trip. At the end of year, you can add it up and see a nice deduction.

 

 

Although Randall Dang is a huge New York Yankees fan, he still recognizes the success the Blue Jays have had in the past two years. They were able to make it to the ALCS for the second year in a row after a red-hot end to the season. We all saw the Edwin Encarnacion blast that put the Blue Jays over the Orioles in the Wild Card game. Then the Blue Jays continued their streak in Texas where they beat the Rangers pretty soundly, outscoring the favorites 22-10. However, they ran into a buzzsaw in Cleveland and now are home once again.

 

So where do the Blue Jays go from here. Obviously, Randall Dang, an accountant from British Columbia, would love to see them take a step back and allow the Pinstripes to take back their position at the top of the American League. However, he knows that the Blue Jays will always be a threat. They just have too much talent. At the same time, though, it should be an interesting off-season for the Blue Jays. They will have a lot of decisions they’ll need to make.

 

First and foremost, they’ll need to worry about several of their biggest stars. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Michael Saunders are all free agents this year. They combined for about $30 million on the Blue Jays’ books this year, but that number will surely go up if they want to stay in contention and sign all three. They could save and only sign one or two, but that could be a risk – especially if Saunders has another big year.

 

In addition to that, the Blue Jays have several big contracts on the books, so they don’t have as much flexibility as other teams. Therefore, it should be an interesting season for Blue Jays brass to make sure their team can make it back to the ALCS for a third straight year.