Year End

As the summer comes to an end, the accounting team has been busy finalizing 2007 financial statements for our clients and getting them over to their tax accountants for the returns to be prepared. It has been a great learning experience for me to be able to assist in adjusting entries to close the books for the year. I look forward to seeing how the final financial statement numbers turn out on the tax returns to see the direct connection between the work we perform for clients to their bottom line earnings.

 As a recent college graduate it has been interesting to see the transition between how lessons are taught in school and translated into real life. For instance, at the university we were only examining ideal situations with fake companies, where as in the corporate world decisions are not always black and white. You can see that each company does things differently and it is necessary to deal with them on a per client basis.  This has taught me how to handle a variety of situations, which has ultimately broadened my knowledge and will help me with future situations.

--Bridgette

Staying Focused

On July 19, 2008, the New York Times published an opinion editorial by Peter S. Goodman entitled, “Uncomfortable Answers to Questions on the Economy.”

The gist of the article is that we are deep in a recession and the question we should be asking ourselves is whether or not it will take two years or ten years to work our way free.

For almost ten whole minutes, I thought about breaking my piggy bank and running to the hills to learn to live off the land.  I thought about searching EBAY for a pickle barrel and suspenders so I’d always have something to wear.

Then I realized that despite the variety of pending crises; Housing, Inflation, Unemployment, Oil, Deficits, Bailouts, Credit, Stock Markets, Dollars, the Padres line-up, Chinese Judges at the Olympics, etc., there are far more important items upon which to focus.  Like a Nebraskan in a tornado, I can do nothing about the macro activity going on around me, but I can do a heck of a lot to minimize my own exposure.

I can’t change the nation’s unemployment rate, but I can make sure I work hard to keep myself employed.  I can’t help the federal budget deficit, but I can sure cut costs on the home front to decrease my personal deficit.  I can’t control the fact that banks won’t lend money at the moment, but I can work with my clients on finding alternate sources of financing.

By focusing on those things I can change and accepting those I can’t, I’ve not only managed to mimic a prayer of some sort, but I find that I feel far less stressed and thus far more productive.

The result? Several new opportunities for TGG Capital that I am confident will contribute to our entire team’s effort to ensure that our company continues to grow despite the buffeting of volatile economic winds.

--Greg