This is that limbo week when the only things that seem to happen are the things that need to happen, and we remain checked out of everything else. So in that spirit, this will be another short entry before we jump fully feet first into 2023 next week.

But first – let us spend a little bit of time on that ‘need to happen’ idea.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will encounter many advertisements pitching us products that will help us eat better, lose weight, quit smoking, etc. All these things may be good (possibly even great) to do for ourselves, but not many of them add up to ‘needs’ and we also know how (not) powerful is the lasting strength of any New Year’s resolution.

I bet that most business owners reading this, however, do have some ‘need’ that they should address in their business. Is there some information not quite right with some agency, is there some bit of correspondence you have been procrastinating answering (possibly even if there is a penalty attached to not doing so), have you not gathered W-9s from contractors you will need to send a 1099 to next month, or is there absolutely anything else that you know has to be done but is just such a boring, mundane task that you haven’t been able to gather the will to complete it?

Well, then this week - when you aren’t doing all that much else - could be a good time to get it done. That way even if it eats up all the will you have for real work for that day, it won’t affect much else.

And then you’ll be much more ready to have a Happy New Year!

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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I am aware that no one really is into doing anything too deep this week.  You are probably already at least a day into simply counting down the hours until your last day of work before the holidays. But don’t’ worry, this is a judgment-free zone.  In fact, you deserve it!

This time of year doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone and it isn’t celebrated the same way by everyone. Putting all that aside, though, I think we can all agree that taking a moment to step back and just relax is welcomed by everyone.

The holidays have been a weird time for many over the past few years. In some ways, this year may feel a little more normal than the last two, but then again, 2022 has still been more than a little weird.

So let that also speak to the universality of how we all deserve a moment to recharge. Whatever else this time of year means to you, let it mean that your inner peace is valuable and that you should allow yourself to take the chance to embrace it. Whether it is something that happens by yourself or with family or friends, take it however you can.

Happy Holidays!

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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​It is still going to take decades until we can fully and properly assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the world, but there are some definite changes that one can already discern. One of those is how quick and widespread was the growth of working from home. Even there, however, the final judgment of what kind of a shift that became will need time to fully determine, but I think it is safe to say that it definitely started a serious trend of more people working from home than had before the pandemic.

Whether this is a good or a bad thing will depend on many things, most of them personal. Someone’s general personality could go a long way to determine whether working from home is a positive thing for them. Beyond that, different industries worked better in that environment, and even certain jobs within those industries were easier to transition to home than others.

With so much variance, maybe it is not surprising then that Forbes recently ran articles titled both “Why Working from Home Could Come to an End,” and “Why Working from Home Could Be Here to Stay.” I am not going to go into the merits of either article here, for frankly, there is probably significant amounts of truth in both viewpoints.  What I do want to discuss about them, though, is the increased choice this gives people.

And that choice goes beyond the chances for more people getting a chance to work from home. This even extends to the businesses and services that we interact with. After all, even doctors have figured out ways to give the best care they can to patients through virtual appointments. That can remove a barrier for some people who should seek help to still do so without the anxiety that going to the doctor’s office causes. So if doing more virtually allows some people to get more done, that’s great.

This can also open business opportunities for some who may not have felt comfortable doing so before. It can be intimidating to think of what it could take to get a business off the ground. If you can figure out some ways for how to move some entrepreneurial ideas forward from your own couch, though, maybe that can help get you closer to your dreams than you were able to before.

Then again, maybe you are someone who thrives off face-to-face interaction and are finding the lack of in-person meetings to be stifling. There can be opportunity for business owners there, too, where you can make that desire and urge for closer personal ties your specialty.

​Overall, what I think this should tell us is that questions do not need to have only one answer. And in fact, when they are allowed to have multiple acceptable answers, that may only provide more opportunity and more good for more people.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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I was about to start this blog by saying that it is a new season for scammers. I think it is time, however, that we come to accept that all seasons are a time for scammers, they just change their message to make it hit a little harder depending upon what else is going on in the world.

This is why more people are hearing from more fake charities this time of year as the scammers try to take advantage of the general goodwill amongst people during this holiday season. Now please don’t take this as a warning as to why you should not be giving any money to charity. Instead, just let it serve as a warning to maybe not donate to that charity you never heard of that contacted you out of nowhere. Instead, give that money to a reputable organization that you trust.

This season also comes with a lot of shopping, with more and more of it happening online every year. For the most part, this is nothing but a wonderful convenience, but a little vigilance can help you out here, too. If you follow a link to a website where you are considering making a purchase, take a moment to look at the address bar and make sure it is legit and that the link did not take you to some site that’s only set up to look like one that is more well known. In addition, if you receive emails and/or texts concerning issues with recent purchases, do not follow those links to address any potential issue. Instead, sign in to your actual account through the actual website and see if there is any actual issue that needs to be addressed. So many of those initial messages are just phishing for your information, opening you up to being further scammed once they have obtained it.

Finally, although not specifically holiday-season related, there seem to be a growing amount of scams perpetrated by people claiming to be from some institution (right on up to the IRS)  that is seeking to have a debt settled through the purchase of gift cards. Just know that any legit financial matter will not be handled in this way – gift cards are not really forms of payment.  Take a second to wonder why someone would want that instead of a check, and then know you can safely end that correspondence and walk away without having lost any money.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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