When you think of impact, you might think of the big bang, or the lunar landing, or footprints in the sand. You might conjure up images of water balloons going splat on a hot sidewalk or the impression you make with a heart shaped cookie cutter in a rolled out batch of sugar cookies. 

Or maybe, like me, you think of the difference you make in …

One of the gifts of this whole Covid-SIP (Sheltering In Place) experience has been clarity of insights. I think the concentration of our lives as we work and live in confined spaces (some more confined than others) has helped us sharpen our vision. It has helped us really appreciate some of the little things, like the electric teapot that keeps on giving, the scent of candles, a comfortable chair, our electronic devices (and chargers when we can remember where we …

Image via Choreograph on istockphoto

What was your first day at work like? Did you show up to an empty cubicle or worse, one filled with someone else’s stuff or a computer with cables hanging out in all directions? Were there drawers filled with old pens and rusty paper clips? I have been that new employee on day one and it really makes you wonder if you made the right decision.

Think about the effort we put into finding the right employee, finding the next customer, or getting a new …

 Image via istockphoto, Stock photo ID:859765108 by NicoElNino

Choosing a new software product for your business is intimidating at best.

While it is hard enough to find a solution that has the features you require, it can be even harder to compare different pricing models, delivery options, maintenance packages, and even to assess the skill and reliability of the people who will be charged with implementing your solution. So where should you start?

Here are some items to consider: 

Walk through your existing processes, documenting …

Of course, producing great wine requires hard work and dedication, careful attention to details, and a lot of help from Mother Nature.  It takes years to plant, harvest, ferment and eventually, bottle wine that is worthy of being shared at a special occasion. As people who spend our days tracking down the components of costs that go into each bottle of wine and helping winery owners make sense of the numbers, we certainly don’t take the business of making wine lightly.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the lighter side of the business.

Many successful wineries …

As blossoms begin to bloom and the days become warmer, we can happily acknowledge a new time of year.  That’s right, it’s Spring Cleaning Season.  As you break out the dusters, mops, and the never-ending line of cleaning products to clean your floors, drawers and closets don’t forget one additional place to clean — your computer. Odds are that, like me, you have never done a full clean-up of your technology.

One night, in a fever of spring cleaning I decided to tackle my own computer. I was tired of …

Up in the North Pole, Santa Claus is busy checking his Naughty and Nice list for the second time this year. Afterwards, he will be helping the elves do a quality control check on the new toy trains and bicycles that, in just a few short days, will be placed under the tree for all of the good children of the world. How do I know this? The Santa Tracker, an application that allows you …

I had the pleasure of attending another incredible tech conference this week. Sponsored by XERO, a cloud accounting solution provider, the event was held in San Francisco on Pier 27.  First, can I just say how fortunate I feel every day to live in such a gorgeous part of the country? Wow.

I don’t think I will ever get used to the variety of  experiences (not to mention changes in temperatures) that exist within a short radius of Napa.  The event was beautifully situated in one of the most scenic areas …

There are certain tasks that no one in your winery wants to do.  Okay, maybe there is someone who gets a real thrill out of filing Form 5120.17 in your winery. But they are the exception and please, please, be kind to those people.

But for most people dealing with high volume, highly regulated or low reward transactions, automation is the answer. Sometimes you  automate  the transactional stuff (sales tax), but you just can’t stay on top of the rules (compliance), or the payment deadlines, or the darn form changes (payroll).  In other cases, there …

Note: this post originally appeared on LinkedIn. 

Calendar courtesy of Frye’s Printing, Napa, CA

Do you suffer from tax season deadline confusion? Let me help you gain some perspective.

While it gets confusing at times figuring out which United States income tax return is due when, it is far easier than figuring out the date of many springtime religious holidays, festivals, or celebrations. Here are just a few events to consider:

For those who celebrate Easter, a complex bit of calculus is necessary. I was raised Catholic …