Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1071957
V O L . X X V N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E compliance and regulatory solutions to the Registered Investment Adviser and broker-dealer markets. Jacqueline's Teas, an online sub- scription tea service in Portland with products delivered by mail, launched at www.JacquelinesTeas.com. Ogunquit Museum of American Art said it received a $40,000 gift from the Cavaretta Family and Meadowmere Resort as part of a fundraising cam- paign to restore the museum's interior flooring and entryways. Consolidated Communications, a broad- band and business communications provider in Portland, said it reached an agreement that allows customers to order its residential Internet through AT&T's call centers and retail stores throughout northern New England. Stonewall Kitchen, a York-based spe- cialty food manufacturer, marketer and retailer, introduced a line of co-brand- ed products with Legal Sea Foods, a Boston-based seafood restaurant chain. Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty in Portland said its "Legacy's Legacy – Giving Back to Maine" program contributed more than $15,000 to 23 charitable organiza- tions statewide in 2018. Portside Real Estate Group in Falmouth opened an office at 4 Scott Dyer Road in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Biddeford was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Broadband Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to create a plan that will help the city move towards becoming a "Smart Community." Q.: What kind of New Year's Resolutions should I be making for business growth in 2019? ACE advises: Making New Year's resolutions is a common practice this time of year. Taking a look at what you can do in your personal and professional life is a great way to start the year with focus. Here are three New Year's Resolutions to head your business in the right direction for 2019: 1. Invest in the business: Be willing to invest in the right infrastructure to support the growth of your business on a solid foundation. Maybe it's time to install a new customer relationship management system, expense management software or a more robust accounting solution. 2. Focus on improving your financial reporting: When you don't have a clear, up-to-date picture of your financial status, you can miss opportunities for growth, and make poor management decisions. Having a handle on your financial report- ing can lead to performance and revenue improvement for you for 2019. 3. Work on implementing more-efficient processes: Take a good hard look at your processes and ask yourself these questions: Do my employees often get frustrated? Does work get duplicated often? Am I wasting resources? Are process bottlenecks causing delays? If you answered yes, it might be time to consider automating some of the processes that you do manually. If you follow these tips in 2019, you'll be able to look back on the year and see continued growth for your company and it will likely be running much more smoothly. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y D e a n M i c h a u d , p r e s i d e n t o f M i c h a u d A c c o u n t i n g S o l u t i o n s The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Dean Michaud can be reached at dean@michaudaccountingsolutions.com. 35 Airport Road Brewer, Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 www.facebook.com/NickersonODay/ Augusta Building, renovating and preserving our communities for over 65 years! Beatham, Bernier, Seekins & Colpritt Certified Public Accountants - Brewer, Maine www.GawronTurgeon.com