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Maria Marsala

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Accounting & Financial Advisor Coach, Strategist, Speaker, Author, Elevating Your Business

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An unstoppable entrepreneur, Maria began selling AVON at age 14, landed at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street at age 17, and shattered the glass ceiling by age 21. Fiercely determined and keenly insightful, she became a bond trader at Reynolds ...

An unstoppable entrepreneur, Maria began selling AVON at age 14, landed at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street at age 17, and shattered the glass ceiling by age 21. Fiercely determined and keenly insightful, she became a bond trader at Reynolds Securities when female executives were as rare as pink diamonds. Maria spent the next 20 years trading, streamlining corporate operations, and dispensing advice that made and saved millions of dollars for her employers: Bear Stearns, Fundamental Brokers Inc., and Carroll McEntee & McGinley.

Her gifts as a mentor transformed secretaries into traders. In 1998, Maria created Elevating Your Business, a company dedicated to helping financial advisors find more clients, improve revenues, increase productivity, and bring work-life balance to their lives. Is your business serving your life and your dreams? Contact Maria today and take the first step toward freedom, fulfillment, and a sparkling quality of life!

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WEB: Strategic Planning

Feb. 27, 2012

Maria Marsala and 10 other people answered this question

Why aren't more corporate websites social?

Why aren't more corporate websites social? Because it works for them that way. When it no longer works, they'll look at new ways to market and keep in touch with their clients and prospects. more

Corporate Website

Feb. 26, 2012

Maria Marsala and 7 other people answered this question

What is a virtual assistant and how have they helped your business?

Keep in mind that some of us have hired VAs who also live in our neighborhoods and when the opportunity presents itself, they can do other personal assistant work from our offices. more

Small Business Development

Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistants

Feb. 26, 2012

Maria Marsala and 1 other person answered this question

What is the difference between an accelerator vs. incubator?

Often, an incubator is to help startups get off the ground and an accelerator is to help already established businesses grow to the next level. more

Feb. 26, 2012

Maria Marsala answered this question

Should the term IPO (Initial Public Offering) be changed to IBO (Initial Banking Offering)

Not sure why. They are public offerings of stock. Sometimes they are private offerings, but most often those who put the offerings together and sell them are syndicates made of of banks, brokerage firms, etc. more

Feb. 26, 2012

Maria Marsala and 1 other person answered this question

What's a good software for mailing lists for a carpet cleaning business?

Anthony
What are you looking to accomplish? CRM or Ezine?

Email Marketing

Marketing Automation

Marketing Software

Feb. 26, 2012

Maria Marsala answered this question

Would it be better to use a Facebook page or a twitter account to promote a local band?

Jason.
I would get a URL that points to a FB page and also use Twitter and Google Places. This way you get local and the world :)
I would of course also use YouTube. more

Feb. 24, 2012

Maria Marsala and 2 other people answered this question

How beneficial is it to provide financial advisors as part of my employees' benefits package?

John,
Having someone come into your shop, that you trust, who works with the type of clients your employees are, IMO, is a great benefit. So too is an accountant, etc.
Maybe having a personal development series, based on topics your staff wants to learn ... more

Benefits Package

Employee Benefits

Financial Advisor

Feb. 24, 2012

Maria Marsala answered this question

How much does a financial advisor earn?

Anywhere from -0- to start to millions of dollars a year.

Human Resources

Financial Advisor

Feb. 24, 2012

Maria Marsala answered this question

If you've ever started (or considered) starting your own Personal Branding Campaign, what were the business objective(s) you were aiming to achieve?

I've actually started working on this ... personal and business branding, or updating it, don't know what to call it.
Why?
I want to reach a lot more business owners (as in help them grow their business management systems as a way to help them ... more

Personal Branding

Reputation Management

Feb. 24, 2012

Maria Marsala and 7 other people answered this question

Are you "pruning" and unfriending people on your social media networks?

Yes I have. In 2010 I started the year with 2500 connections. My goal by the end of 2011 was to get to know everyone of my connections by having at least a phone call.
I looked over my list and realized that I had ... more

Privacy Control

Nov. 14, 2011

Maria Marsala and 6 other people answered this question

How do you handle a customer that doesn't pay on time?

Michael,
I'd usually answer this question differently if the company was smaller. But since they are bigger, I might ask what they need to pay quicker as you prefer to not charge them a late fee. (not in those words, but that's the context.
I find ... more

Accounts Receivable

Nov. 14, 2011

Maria Marsala and 7 other people answered this question

Is there any reason not to use QuickBooks?

I have a section of my business that sells products. I find the Inventory process awful. Others I talk to seem to agree. more

Nov. 14, 2011

Maria Marsala and 7 other people answered this question

What should you create first: a blog, a corporate website, or a Facebook page?

I'm with Chris and I'll add.... it but it really depends on your ideal clients and what they would look for.
Website - when I look at a business card, or am looking up a company on the web -- it's the website I visit. ... more

Nov. 14, 2011

Maria Marsala and 2 other people answered this question

Are writing skills important for accounting professionals?

Writing skills are always helpful, especially if you want to write a book, create a blog, etc.
Some of us, like me, know our limits. So I have a proofreader and editor. I recommend that my accounting clients do the same. more

Business Finance

Oct. 17, 2011

Maria Marsala and 13 other people answered this question

What are the qualifications to be a mentor?

I'd like to chime in on the "experience" band wagon.
Here on FOCUS, we're having a conversation, even if in a "thread". I'm sure that the answers that don't include experience, do so because this is a "conversation" and most often during a conversation, people ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Career Development

Oct. 13, 2011

Maria Marsala and 5 other people answered this question

Is there any room for new social networking sites?

Once upon a time I was a member of Ryze. I'm sure that if there are more niched social networking sites, I'd join a few.
One site I have been a member of recently diluted it's niche to include students. It's lowered the level of ... more

Social Media Marketing

Oct. 13, 2011

Maria Marsala and 4 other people answered this question

How do you decide who to trust in these forums?

Interesting answer, maybe a second interesting answer. Then I might follow, then see if they want to chat.
Just like any relationship, trust takes time. more

Oct. 13, 2011

Maria Marsala and 22 other people answered this question

Sales objections: what are the most common sales objections?

I'm not ready yet.
I don't have the time.
I'm going on vacation next week, let me get back to you.
That's negotiable, right? more

Objection Handling

Sales Objection

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 7 other people answered this question

POLL: Have you secured a new customer through LinkedIn? (Y/N)

Yes, I have received business, referrals, and ezine subscribers from LinkedIn.
I've done it w/o going against the LI Agreement. For example, people are teaching others to put things in the first name, last name areas other than their first name, last name (like their ... more

Digital Marketing

Lead Generation

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 11 other people answered this question

What are some easy ways small businesses can cut costs?

Robert,
The question was in regards to a small business and I find the P/L, details are very helpful. If it appears that a specific area needs additional auditing, then I'd figure out who can assist us next.
At one company I was hired to ... more

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 3 other people commented on a brief

Let Go a Little and Help Your Business Grow

Denise,
Often family members are the last folks people in business are willing to listen to. As a start, I make sure that my clients take 1 day with their spouse/partner and put aside other time for the rest of their family. I ask the ... more

Growing Business

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 2 other people answered this question

How can I minimize my spending?

Print a detailed P/L and have someone other than yourself take a look at how you're spending your money more

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 4 other people answered this question

As my business grows, at what point do I need outside (or hire my own staff) help in accounting?

The first person I have new business owners hire is a book keeper who works with a variety of local accountants. more

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 5 other people answered this question

Is it better to hire a collections agency or an attorney to collect on business debt?

I'm presuming that you've already sent a certified letter to the client after talking to them. And that your contract clearly has deadlines for money due.
I have asked a lawyer to write a letter or two for me. more

Accounts Receivable

Collection Agency

Sept. 4, 2011

Maria Marsala and 1 other person answered this question

How often should a company review its accounts receivable process?

The first year, quarterly. After that yearly.

Accounts Receivable

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