Evolve Financial Services’ mission is to help small businesses streamline and improve their processes so that they can save money and grow their business. We put our clients at the center of our business. We want to build a long-term relationship with our clients. Any accounting firm can step in when there’s a problem, but a partner will be with you every step of the way to help you look ahead for new ways to excel and proactively address potential problems before they become reality. That’s what Evolve Financial Services will do for you.

As Fred LaCerra, St. Juliana Grade School football coach and mentor, says “Never be complacent. If you’re not improving each and every day, you’re regressing – there is no being stagnant.” Many companies find themselves in a comfort zone, where they can easily maintain a status quo. They fear trying to take their business to the next level and leaving that comfort zone. Evolve Financial Services will give you the tools and data you need to have a thorough understanding of where your business currently is and have a clear vision of where it can go. With accurate, up-to-date financial information and outstanding business tools and processes, Evolve Financial Services will give you the confidence to take your business to its full potential. As hockey great and NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

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Health insurance and paid time off, including vacation time and sick leave, are routinely identified as the two most important and valued benefits. But to give yourself an edge over the competition in attracting and retaining the best and brightest, look beyond these.

In a 2013 poll conducted by Monster.com, 69 percent of respondents said having a flexible work schedule was the most important non-financial benefit. Having a flexible work schedule allows employees to have some input into when and where they work and helps them balance the demands of work with their family lives. Offering flexible schedules as a benefit demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being and satisfaction. Small businesses in particular can benefit from offering flexible workplace options. Studies have shown that employees report being more productive and focused at work and are less likely to look for another job within the next year when they can effectively balance work and family. They also tend to have better overall health and less stress.

There are several different types flexible work benefits:

Flex time allows employees to shift their work hours or days to accommodate their schedules while still working a specified number of hours per week or pay period. This could include flexible start and end times or compressing their work week into fewer days. Flex time allows employees some control over their work schedule. Studies show that flexible schedules reduce work-family conflicts and lead to improved function and performance at work. Another benefit of flex time is that it allows employees to commute outside of peak traffic hours or, in the case of compressed work weeks, spend less time per week commuting.

Telecommuting allows employees to choose where they work. Employees may choose to work from home or another location exclusively or they may choose to work from another location only at certain times and spend some of their time on-site. Allowing employees to telecommute eliminates the commute and can save your company money on office space, office supplies, equipment, and utilities. It can also expand your potential labor pool if you are willing to hire employees to telecommute from outside of your immediate area. Technology has played a key role in the ability to allow employees to telecommute. E-mail, Skype, texting, phone, and internal discussion boards have made it easier than ever to maintain effective communication from a remote location. To make telecommuting successful, you need to set specific guidelines in advance, such as any on-site time requirements and required office hours. Set specific, clear goals and establish communications guidelines. Telecommuting may not work well for all employees. For telecommuting to be successful, the employee must be disciplined and be able to self manage.

Job sharing allows two part-time employees to share one full-time position. In most cases, the two employees work on alternating schedules, such as alternating days or weeks or alternating morning and afternoon shifts. Job sharing provides your company with diversity of skills and continuity of coverage. One employee can cover for the other during vacations or days off. To make this situation effective, good communication and teamwork between the two employees is essential. Communicating schedules and responsibilities for each person to the rest of your employees is also important.

Part-time positions are a great way to attract or retain employees who cannot work full time for various reasons, including family obligations or health restrictions. Part-time positions allow employees to balance work and family or pursue an education.

Obviously not all positions are conductive to flexible work arrangements. But with the right employees in the right positions, flexible work benefits can be a win-win situation that will keep your employees happy, less stressed, and productive.

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Many fear change, but embracing change can lead to new and exciting opportunities to improve your products, your processes, and your customer service. Taking a fresh look at your business and questioning why you do things the way you do can help you identify opportunities for growth and improvement.

As the world changes and evolves, so do the needs of your customers. You need to understand your customers’ needs and adapt to meet those needs. For example, more and more customers are demanding mobile access. Many prefer to receive communication via email rather than by phone as in the past. Customers have come to expect faster service. Evolving to meet these needs can be challenging, but it can also provide new areas of opportunity and growth.

Technology is another rapidly changing area of business with which you need to keep pace. Many times the need to adopt new technology is driven by customer needs, such as those previously mentioned. But embracing evolving technology also tends to lead to improved processes, productivity, and service, all of which has a positive impact on customer satisfaction and the bottom line. In many cases, new technology can streamline processes and even eliminate manual tasks, freeing up staff to focus on more important endeavors.

Don’t forget about your employees. All the new technology and processes in the world aren’t going to be successful if your staff isn’t properly skilled to use them. You need to provide your employees with the tools and training necessary to fill in any gaps between their current skills and those necessitated by evolving job requirements. Training, whether done in a traditional classroom setting or through online learning, equips your employees with new skills and knowledge that will allow them make valuable contributions to the success of the company.

One area of business that never fails to change is accounting processes and regulations. In particular, tax laws shift and change every year, often growing in complexity, making it a challenge to keep on top of them. This is even harder for small businesses with limited resources. Failing to keep pace with these changes in accounting and tax regulations can cost your business, making it imperative for businesses to be properly equipped to keep up. Many businesses look at their financials at the end of a year and use them only to gauge performance for that year, but when properly employed, financials and accounting can help direct you and provide guidance for the future and growth opportunities.

Change, while necessary, isn’t always easy. Many times the changes create challenges to overcome before the benefits are realized. Evolve Financial Services can help you access your current practices and implement changes that will help your company evolve and keep pace with the ever-changing business world. Call us to schedule a consultation.

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