Thank you for making our Soft Skill Development for the Woman Business Leader Seminar a Success!

Thank you to all of our attendees at our "Soft Skill Development for the Woman Business Leader" breakfast seminar yesterday!  We had our best turnout ever and look forward to keeping this great event going for years to come!

A very special thank you to our wonderful speakers!  Their knowledge and insight proved invaluable and I know everyone walked away with many thoughts and ideas.

Our speakers included:
Paulette Janus, Janus Behavioral Health Services
Beth F. McCormack, Beermann Pritikin Mirabelli Swerdlove LLP
Lauren Silvers, Akina Corporation
Alyssa Peterson, Cashmere & Wit

Changes in Accepting Credit Card Payments Effective 10/1/15

In the past merchants that accept payments on counterfeit credit cards would not bear the losses created through the use of these cards, that burden rested on the credit card companies.  Recently the credit card processing world has started shifting to credit cards that use EMV technology to reduce the risk of counterfeit and fraudulent transactions.  EMV is a technical standard for smart payment cards and for payment terminals and automated teller machines that can accept them.  EMV capable cards and readers contain unique chip technology that will make counterfeiting credit cards much more difficult.

Starting on October 1^st, merchants that have not upgraded their terminals to the new EMV technology will now be liable for losses incurred by accepting counterfeit cards for payment.  This can be devastating to a small business owner that is expecting the cash from these credit card transactions to cover the costs of products and services used and can lead to lost profits.  Losses incurred by merchants using the EMV technology from counterfeit cards will still be incurred by the credit card companies.

If you currently accept credit cards and have not upgraded your credit card terminals to be EMV compliant, consider weighing the costs of upgrading terminals in your organization against the risk of bearing the loss from a customer using a counterfeit credit card.  Consider reaching out to your bank or credit card processor for more information about EMV and the shift of liabilities on 10/1/15.

Looking for a new challenge or know someone that might be?

KOS is Hiring!

KOS is a place where you can build a career that incorporates interesting assignments, training for new skill sets, a great company culture, and a reasonable balance between working and down-time.

Our firm is currently seeking talented, entrepreneurial-minded, advancement-oriented individuals for the following openings: Staff Accountant, Accounting Senior, Accounting Supervisor, Accounting Manager, Tax Staff, and Human Resources Manager. 

We offer a flexible work environment, good benefits and competitive compensation. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please visit www.koscpa.com/careers for more information.

Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) and Leadership Skills

Today's blog is by Paulette Janus, founder of Janus Behavioral Health Services.  

She is one of our featured speakers at our breakfast workshop on August 26th entitled 

"Soft Skill Development for the Woman Business Leader."

You have most likely heard that someone is a “born leader.” Yet, what makes someone a leader versus a follower, an employee, a boss, or a manager? And what differentiates a leader from a great leader? Research has shown that one factor that distinguishes the most effective leaders is their level of Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ). 

EQ is defined, not by what you know, but by the ability to understand and manage your emotions and those around you. This quality encompasses a variety of skills, such as the ability to manage relationships, navigate social networks, and influence and inspire others.

While your technical skills may get your foot in the door, your people skills are what enable you to walk through that door. Your work ethic, your attitude, your communication skills, your emotional regulation, and a whole host of other personal attributes are the soft skills that are crucial for career success. Think about which assistant you are likely to promote: the one whose attitude is positive and upbeat, and who is always willing to help or the one who is inflexible, barely smiles, and appears defensive?

EQ encompasses:

1. Self-Awareness: Having an honest and realistic understanding of your emotions, values, goals, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses.
2. Self-Regulation: Managing and controlling your emotions and impulses, particularly frustration, anger, and fear, and even channeling them in a positive direction.
3. Motivation: Being driven by the desire to achieve beyond expectations for the sake of achievement.
4. Empathy: Recognizing and considering the feelings, motivations, values, strengths, and weaknesses of others when making decisions.
5. Social Skills: Being friendly, finding common ground, and building rapport with a purpose of moving others in the direction you desire.

Every individual possesses these skills to a certain degree yet they are not static traits. They are characteristics that can be developed and honed. Do you want to learn how to enhance your EQ and be a standout leader? Join KOS on Wednesday August 26^th for a breakfast workshop "Soft Skill Development for the Woman Business Leader." Please RSVP to Kristin Kentra at kkentra@koscpa.com.

Paulette Janus, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of Janus Behavioral Health Services. Paulette has over 15 years experience providing individual, couples, and family psychotherapy, specializing in children, teens, and families. She is also trained in and provides alternative dispute resolution interventions including family/divorce mediation, collaborative divorce coaching and child specialist services, and co-parent coaching. Paulette received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Northwestern University and her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. www.janusbhs.com

KOS to Host Breakfast Workshop

Dog Days of Summer

As the 'dog days' of summer are upon us in the Midwest, one common complaint we hear from many business owners and business development professionals is the lack of new business growth. Whether it's the increased heat and humidity, summer storms or vacations, business tends to slow down during this time period. Here are some suggestions of things to do until these days have past:

• Look ahead to September: We see a lot of business activity happen in early to mid-September when the weather has cooled down and the kids are back in school. What do you need to do to be prepared for the influx of activity that comes with this occurrence?

• Review your processes: As business owners, we should review how we're doing things within our business and making sure they are both efficient and effective. This could be a great time to make tweaks and help you and your team develop new habits.

• Refresh your relationships: You aren't the only one experiencing a slowdown; so are your customers, team member and referral sources. Take some time out and be intentional about scheduling time to grow relationships over a cold beverage. 

• Take a break: Slow times are a great opportunity to rely on your team to run things while you take some time out to go play in the sun or sit in the shade with a good book.

We hope some of these ideas will help get you past the 'dog days' of summer and lead into fall ready to do more business.

NerdWallet’s Best Credit Card Tips, July 2015

by Lindsay Konsko on July 6, 2015 | posted in Credit Card Basics, Hacks and Deals, Tips

Managing your credit cards isn’t a one-and-done task — you’ll need to keep at it to get the most out of your plastic. Every month, the Nerds round up a new set of tips to help you maximize rewards and minimize costs with every swipe.
For July 2015:

1. Opt into new 5% bonus categories on your cash-back card.

July is the beginning of the third quarter of 2015, which means it’s time to opt into new bonus categories if you have a card that earns 5% cash back on a rotating quarterly basis. Remember, earning accelerated rewards isn’t automatic — you have to log into your account and click around a bit to sign up; otherwise you’ll just be getting the standard 1% cash back on all your purchases.

This might seem like a bit of a hassle, but it’s well worth spending the extra 30 seconds. Depending on which card you have, you could be earning a whopping 5% cash back at gas stations, home improvement stores, select department stores, bookstores, Amazon.com and more. That’s a lot of cash to potentially leave on the table, so opt in as soon as you can.

2. Figure out a way to pay while you’re traveling.

Only about 50% of Americans pay their bills online, according to a September 2013 Marketplace report. If you normally pay your credit card by mail, you’ll need to figure out a way to make your payments on time while you’re traveling this summer. Making a late payment could put a dent in your FICO score, 35% of which is determined by your payment history. Plus, you’ll likely get slapped with a late fee of $25-$35.

One option is to plan to bring along your checkbook and a stamp to mail in your payment while you’re on the road. You might also be able to pay by phone, but this may cause you to incur an extra fee. All things considered, this might be a good time to consider moving to online bill payments. That way, you can pay what you owe on your credit card from anywhere that there’s Internet connectivity. What’s more, most major issuers have smartphone apps that make mobile bill payments a breeze.

No matter what you decide, put a plan in place before saying “bon voyage.” That way you won’t be stuck without a way to pay when you should be enjoying your relaxation time.

3. Check your progress on your debt payoff goal, and tweak if necessary.

July marks the official halfway point in the calendar year, so if you made a New Year’s resolution to pay off credit card debt, now is a good time to assess your progress. If you’re on track to accomplish your goal within the timeframe you established, keep doing what you’re doing. If not, it’s time to rethink your budget to get back on target.

It’s also worthwhile to take a hard look at your lifestyle to figure out why you lost your debt payoff mojo in the first place, then re-engineer some things to make it easier to stay on goal for the rest of the year. Spend too much money on socializing with friends? Start a new potluck dinner party tradition. Gas-guzzling vehicle eating into your available funds? Trade it in for something more economical. Housing costs too high? Take on a roommate.

These steps might not be easy, but they’ll get your card paid off quickly, allowing you to move on to bigger and better financial goals.

Lindsay Konsko is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: lindsay@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lkonsko.