11 tips for a better conference call

Whether you’re hosting a conference call or taking part, these tips will help you make the most of your virtual meeting.

1. Dial in on time or a few minutes early, if you are the organiser. A lot of conference calls waste the first 5 minutes with constant beeps and interruptions from latecomers. Try InstantMeeting from Plantronics.
2. Think about your background noise. If you can’t take the call from a quiet place, use a noise-cancelling headset for when you are speaking and put it on mute when you are not.
3. The power of your voice. Stand up for important discussions, this will help to project your voice.
4. Don’t ever put your phone on hold. You will probably subject the rest of the call to your hold music or beeping.
5. Remember to un-mute your headset when you want to talk!
6. Send a pre-call email to all participants outlining the agenda, dial in details and any material they need to read.
7. Keep to the agenda and on time as much as possible
8. Participants should keep contributions as concise as possible. No one appreciates a rambling monologue!
9. If you want everyone to follow the same presentation – try screen sharing.
10. Focus on the conference call. It is easy to be distracted with emails/Facebook/online shopping, etc.
11. Close the call with a clear summing up of next steps and follow up with an email with action items for participants.

Photo credit: wildxplorer

Now it's time to make it the most productive and comfortable space you've ever worked in: 

source: worksnug.com

Choosing an Accountant: Simplifying the Process

Trying to choose an accountant can be enough to make anyone’s head spin, especially if it’s your first time. With your finances vulnerable to their professional expertise and skill, many business owners are terribly afraid of making a disastrous mistake and putting their earnings in jeopardy.

In truth, it’s far better to be apprehensive about such a choice than it is to approach it with complacency. Your accountant will have access to your most delicate business dealings, and you need to know that you can trust them to take care of you and your enterprise.

If your search has begun, then here are a few tips to help you choose the right professional for you…

Gather Recommendations

One of the most effective ways of finding a suitable professional is to turn to your contacts and see whom the people in your network would recommend. There is no better commendation than one that comes from a person you know and trust, so if someone has a candidate that they would like to put forward, it’s worth your time to contact them. Although their actual suitability will largely come down to your personal preference, recommendations are still a useful place to start, and you know from the outset that at least one of the candidate’s clients thinks highly enough of them to tout for business on their behalf.

Assess Their Experience

You may want to gather some additional candidates to add to your list through internet recommendations or reviews, but once you have a suitable number of options to explore, a good way to whittle them down is by looking at how much relevant experience they have. As a business owner, you need someone who can prepare tax returns, and complete and archive financial documents for companies with a similar revenue and structure to yours. Additionally, they must be able to use any relevant software instrumental to your bookkeeping methods, such as cloud computing or Excel spreadsheets. If they already have clients in a similar sector, then that’s one more tick in the relevant box.

Check Their Certification 

Once you have a preferred accountant, it’s important to check their certification before you commit to anything. A country specific central body will regulate all financial professionals in your region, and to be included on their register, accountants will have to possess relevant qualifications and uphold the highest professional standards. This means that when you choose a name that features on their list, you always know that you’re getting the most for your money, and that you’re working with an individual or firm that you can rely on.

Find your perfect accountant today by following these three simple steps.

source: 20smoney.com