Desert Health News - May-June 2024
www.DesertHealthNews.com May/June 2024 Financial Health The Valley ' s Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 17 www.millermehr.com We are a team of innovative consultants serving the Greater Coachella Valley. We help relieve the burden and mystery of accounting and taxes. Our industry expertise includes accounting, tax planning, and accounting systems setup and training for high-net-worth individuals, businesses in health care, transportation, restaurant, retail, real estate, non-profits and more. Using Cloud based technology streamlined for businesses and individuals, we will help you to: • Strategize to minimize your income taxes • Get out from under piles of paperwork, clean up your books, and get back to growing your business • Banish any stress over payroll, billing and tax preparation • Setup computerized accounting systems and software applications • Always know and understand how your business is performing • Make better decisions by having access to reliable financial information and guidance Trusted Specialists for Businesses and Individuals Proudly serving a number of Desert Health clients (760) 779-8946 74-710 CA-111 #102 • Palm Desert info@millermehr.com • ww.MillerMehr.com Steven J. Miller, CPA, Partner Helena M. Mehr, Partner www.beaconpointe.com Where will your future take you? 73-833 El Paseo Drive, Suite 102 Palm Desert, CA 92260 beaconpointe.com Michele T. Sarna, CFP ® , AIF ® Managing Director, Partner Phone 760.932.0930 msarna@beaconpointe.com Provided as information only and should not be considered investment, tax, or legal advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any type of investments. Asset Allocation, portfolio diversification, and risk strategies cannot assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. Form ADV contains important information about Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC, and may be viewed at: www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Build strength and security through understanding your financial picture–where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there. Let us help you through your financial journey with comprehensive financial planning. YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH By Michele T. Sarna, CFP ® , AIF ® If you are like most businesses with employees, you run into the challenge of motivating your team. Often, both decision makers and employees try to solve the problem with a raise - more money. But, if you goal is exceptional customer service and you need to motivate your staff to be more engaged, you might consider taking a page out of the Steve Jobs’ handbook. There is a lesser-known story of Jobs that just may help you motivate your employees in a way you have yet to consider. Jobs was able to convince the president of Pepsi, John Sculley, to leave the lucrative global company to join his start up, Apple. He didn’t try to lure him with more money, more exciting products or even a bigger and better brand. Apple was a very young company, and Sculley would have to be crazy to leave Pepsi for Apple…but he did. Why? Because Jobs focused on Apple’s mission. After weeks of trying to convince Sculley to join his company, they were sitting on a balcony overlooking Central Park and he said to Sculley, “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?” Jobs gave Sculley a mission worth his time, talent and commitment. Sculley left Pepsi, and the rest is history. What mission are you giving your staff beyond the paycheck? Great customer service tends to flowmore naturally when accompanied by a mission-based culture. If you are creating a healthy community culture, then you are fostering an environment where people know they are making a difference in the lives they encounter. I’ve had the good fortune of assisting Harley-Davidson with their customer service efforts. They understand how to give their team a mission beyond their paycheck, especially at the retail level. You may know that Harley-Davidson does a lot to benefit military veterans. What you probably don’t know (because they don’t advertise it) is that Harley-Davidson retailers send free care packages of their brand swag, such as Planning for a summer vacation? Here are some financial tips to help keep your budget intact. It’s always best to plan early; research where you’d like to go, and then start a savings bucket specifically for that vacation. Ideally, big trips should be well thought out a year in advance. This will allow you to take advantage of airfare deals and price alerts. If you have a credit card that earns miles, investigate the deals offered and sign up for low fare alerts. Some major credit cards will lock in the airfare price and credit you if the cost goes down after purchase. Once you know the destination, explore housing options to see whether a hotel, home rental or all- inclusive resort fits the budget best. Compare the security deposits and cancellation and cleaning fees of home rentals to the resort fees, etc. of a hotel room or all-inclusive resort. Create a trip budget. Food, drinks and excursions can add up quickly. Decide on the must see/must do excursions and earmark funds for them. If you are staying in a home rental, plan for one or more meals a day to be made there. Also, pack light to avoid baggage fees. Airlines allow for a carry-on and backpack or purse. Before you head out for a new wardrobe, go shopping in your own closet. You may already have everything you need to take on your trip. Be wary of souvenirs, and set a dollar limit on how much you want to spend. Remember, you will have to pack all those trinkets to bring home. If you are traveling out of the country, be mindful of the exchange rates. Consider purchasing some of the local currency before travelling. If you need to purchase more while abroad, check your bank’s international fees. Some banks reimburse exchange rate fees when using their debit card. You may also consider splitting the money up into envelopes to keep track of your spending as well as placing them in your carry-on luggage and in your purse or wallet for additional safety. If you are heading to Europe, a recent tip from the Today show suggested booking the cheapest flight you can find, regardless of the destination. Then, take a train to your desired destination. Once in Europe, costs are significantly lower traveling from country to country. If you plan to use a credit card, try to pay it off in the month the charges hit the account. If you don’t have the funds available and really want to take that trip, consider using your zero-interest credit card and get it paid off before the designated timeframe to avoid interest charges. If you are dipping into your savings, make sure you have enough set aside in case of emergencies when you return home. Don’t leave yourself strapped for cash and stressed out after vacation. Finally, budget for travel insurance. Find a reputable provider that offers a wide array of benefits; it’s well worth the cost. You may also consider working with a travel agent. Most agents get paid from the airline or booking destination so there is no added cost to you, and it could save you a lot of time. Michele Sarna is a certified financial planner ™ with Beacon Pointe Advisors and can be reached at (760) 932.0930 or msarna@beaconpointe.com . Provided as information only and should not be considered investment, tax, or legal advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any type of investments. Asset Allocation, portfolio diversification, and risk strategies cannot assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. Form ADV contains important information about Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC, and may be viewed at: adviserinfo.sec.gov. Purpose Beyond the Paycheck Motivating employees with a mission mindset By Michael Barnett Fun in the Sun Without Getting Burned Continued on page 19 Pre-planning and budgeting can help ease the stress of vacation costs.
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