If you’re paying your contract bookkeeper $55 an hour, does it make sense to have him spend an hour working on getting a credit of a few dollars on yA common misperception among small business owners is the idea that every business cost must be pushed to its lowest limit, and that costs that are considered unfair, outrageous, or uncalled for, must be fought, no matter the cost. This is often referred to as the “principle” of the thing. Principles are all fine and good, and where would we be without them? However, we’re in business to make money, not change the world by forcing it to conform to our standards. Too many small business owners don’t take into account the value of their time, nor the value of their employees’ or contractors’ time. If you’re paying your contract bookkeeper $55 an hour, does it make sense to have him spend an hour working on getting a credit of a few dollars on yonsidered unfair, outrageous, or uncalled for, must be fought, no matter the cost. This is often referred to as the “principle” of the thing. Principles are all fine and good, and where would we be without them? However, we’re in business to make money, not change the world by forcing it to conform to our standards. Too many small business owners don’t take into account the value of their time, nor the value of their employees’ or contractors’ time. If you’re paying your contract bookkeeper $55 an hour, does it make sense to have him spend an hour working on getting a credit of a few dollars on y are all fine and good, and where would we be without them? However, we’re in business to make money, not change the world by forcing it to conform to our standards. Too many small business owners don’t take into account the value of their time, nor the value of their employees’ or contractors’ time. If you’re paying your contract bookkeeper $55 an hour, does it make sense to have him spend an hour working on getting a credit of a few dollars on y our standards. Too many small business owners don’t take into account the value of their time, nor the value of their employees’ or contractors’ time. If you’re paying your contract bookkeeper $55 an hour, does it make sense to have him spend an hour working on getting a credit of a few dollars on y If you’re paying your contract bookkeeper $55 an hour, does it make sense to have him spend an hour working on getting a credit of a few dollars on your cell phone bill? On a bill for materials? Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to just pay it and move on? And what value do you put on your time? Would your time be better spent building your business, making more sales, building your infrastructure, than in chasing a 2 dollar overcharge?

Egregious mistakes of course need to be dealt with, and costs that are consistently incorrect on an ongoing basis. But if you’re so wrapped up in the minutiae of your business that at the end of the day you can’t see what you’ve done to generate revenue, perhaps it’s time to consider how you spend your