Back Office Solutions ME, LLC

01/06/2023

We are hiring! If you or someone you know is interested in joining our team, please apply!

Back Office Solutions / E D Bessey Bessey & Son

10/30/2018

03/30/2018

Raffle Winners Announced!

Congratulations goes out to the following local businesses who were represented by one its employeess at the 2018 Business to Business Showcase! A big thanks to all of you for stopping by our booth and learning more of how Back Office Solutions Maine can help support you and your business needs!

- Children's Discovery Museum
- Higgins & Bolduc Agency, Inc.
- MK Orthodontics
- O' Donnell Lee, P.A.
- The Snowman Group
- Spectrum Property Management
- Stone Fox Farm Creamery

03/30/2018

Congratulations to our Grand Prize Winner David Hewins of Maine Communications Consulting! Thank you for stopping by our booth at the 2018 Business to Business Showcase and learning more of how Back Office Solutions Maine can help support you and your business needs!

03/29/2018

What a fantastic day at the Business to Business Showcase with Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce! Thank you all for stopping by our booth. It was great to talk with each one of you. Stay tuned...we will be announcing all of our raffle winners tomorrow!

09/22/2017

Happy 1st day of Fall! 🍁🍂🎃

As the season's change why not make some business changes too? Let go of those time consuming back office tasks and allow the team @ Back Office Solutions Maine take care of them for you. We may not have pumpkin spice, but we certainly are nice! Call us today (207) 453-9388
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09/21/2017

"THE VALUE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT"

Why is engaging employees such a challenge for most companies? Heaven knows it’s not for lack of ideas. Spend 30 seconds on the web and you will find lists of 12 or 25 or 49 ways to boost engagement, along with those sad figures about how 70% of workers continue to say they’re unengaged.
So let’s sort out the advice. One category of engagement tips reflects pure self-interest, often identifiable by the little “ad” icon at the top of Google’s search results. Buy our product and your employees will be more engaged in their work. That’s how companies are selling office furnishings, wellness programs, and employee-survey tools these days. One ad touts scheduling software designed to minimize fatigue and burnout, presumably on the hypothesis that burned-out workers aren’t too engaged.

A second category of tips might be called the warm fuzzies, and it covers a broad range. On one end of the spectrum are big-but-squishy ideas. Share information. Clarify your company’s purpose. Ask employees for advice. These are all fine precepts, but they raise as many questions as they answer. Which information should we share? How? When should we ask employees for advice? If a company isn’t already doing these things, it isn’t likely to begin doing so just because some HR consultant says it’s a way to boost engagement.

On the other end of the spectrum are the little things. Do better at welcoming new hires. Create a fun office environment. Be sure to single out people who are doing a great job for rewards and recognition. Again, there’s very little in all this advice that’s harmful—but it’s not the way many companies operate. They aren’t likely to change their culture and ways of working purely to increase engagement levels.
The reason companies so often miss the boat on engagement is that it isn’t and can never be an add-on. Either the business operates in such a way as to engage employees or it doesn’t.
To see what we mean, consider the airline industry. Southwest Airlines is famous for its fun, sometimes zany, culture. People there throw parties. They play pranks. They don Halloween costumes. This year’s theme, we understand, will be “Game of Thrones.”
Cofounder Herb Kelleher once observed that other airlines could copy Southwest’s strategy, point-to-point operations, and so on, but they could never copy its culture. He got that right. Can you imagine executives at American or United deciding to engage employees by creating a fun, zany work environment?

Southwest provides another lesson, too. Employees there don’t just have fun. They focus relentlessly on the business. They learn the importance of keeping costs low, of going the extra mile for customers, of delivering great service day in and day out. Their mission is to be the best airline on the planet—to give people the “freedom to fly”—and to make money in the process.
That’s where the real engagement comes from. And why not? Southwest is the most consistently profitable company in the industry, and it’s precisely the ongoing challenge of maintaining that performance that drives engagement. Employees own about 13% of its stock. Last year they divvied up $586 million in profit sharing, which put nearly seven weeks of extra pay in everyone’s pocket. It was the company’s 43rd straight year of profit sharing.
Yeah, but Southwest is lucky (we hear you say). Their founders created a great culture from the gitgo. Not every company can be a Southwest.
You’re right: no one can go back and build a different kind of company from Day One. But that’s no reason to throw up your hands and go back to reading the employee-engagement tips.
What every company can do is help their employees think like businesspeople. Seriously. Treating employees like trusted partners. Sharing in the challenge of driving profitable growth. Sharing in the upside via bonus programs or equity. Companies that do this become the Southwest Airlines of their industries.
The process begins with determining—in conjunction with employees—what defines winning in the next six to twelve months. Then people put their heads together. They figure out how to drive ever-higher performance. They track and forecast key numbers. If performance gets better, the improvement funds (often lucrative) bonuses. Employees and employer share in the victory or learn from defeat and move onto the next round.
That’s what we call open-book management. And believe us: it’s engaging. When people are asked not just for “advice” but to take responsibility for delivering results—and when the whole team shares in the proceeds—they’re involved. They’re committed.
Whether or not they have parties and picnics, they do have fun—the fun that comes from knowing that they’re building a great company and earning a great living.

09/19/2017

UNDERSTANDING WHAT MOTIVATES MILLENIALS TO GIVE TO YOUR NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION

“Wanna go to the mall?”

“Totes McGoats.”

What? That was my reaction when I heard a 20-something say that for the first time. When I was that age, going to the mall was “totally tubular.” For Boomers, it may have been “just swell” (if malls had existed then).

Understanding the new up-and-coming generation is a little like learning a new language—and I’m not just talking about deciphering their slang.

To be successful fundraisers, the need to understand how to communicate to your audience segments in order to make the right kind of ask. This has been true from generation to generation. And now with millennials coming of age, many of our nonprofit professionals are working to understand their giving potential and, more importantly, how to tap into it.

Did you know that as of 2017, millennials (or, Gen Y) have the largest buying power in the U.S.? Right now, baby boomers are a very close second in current buying power. Basically, this is because there are more millennials in the U.S. than any other age group.

To tap into that power, it’s crucial that we answer the question, “What motivates millennials to give?” Let me tell you straight up, the answer is not, “Your organization.”

I’m not saying that to be pessimistic—it’s simply the truth. Millennials care about issues, not organizations. According to the CEO of Achieve and researcher for The Millennial Impact Derrick Feldmann, “What motivates millennials is a desire to affect THEIR cause through YOUR organization with their friends.”

In a nutshell, to win the hearts (and money) of millennials, we need to help them understand your cause. And we need to do so in their language.

Here are five things a millennial would tell you as you work to connect and engage with the largest generation in American history.

1. “Talk to us on our terms and let us donate our time and money the way we’d like to.”
Let millennials participate in your cause—but don’t get in their way and restrict their capacity to do good. Maybe you have a framework or set of guidelines that you’ve always used for volunteers and donors and you expect them to work or give within those specific parameters. To get millennials involved, you don’t have to lose your framework, but you may have to allow for flexibility. If they want to volunteer or donate on their own terms, why not be cool with that if it ultimately accomplishes your mission? Why turn away something positive and impactful just because it’s not the way you’ve always done things?

A great example of an organization that’s figured this out is the St. Baldrick’s Foundation located in Monrovia, California. This nonprofit raises money for childhood cancer research and is most noted for their head-shaving events where participants ask for donations before they agree to, yes—have their locks shorn. Head-shaving events can be planned completely with the use of tools on their website, but they also allow volunteers to create their own type of fundraising event with their Do What You Want tool. This tool is exactly what it is says—it gives people who are passionate about their cause a way to raise funds by creating a different type of event. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s great! It gives more people a chance to rally around their cause without forcing them to do things “the way they’ve always been done.”

2. “Take advantage of our social clout—to be honest, we have more than you do.”
If you remember anything from this article, stick this in your back pocket: Millennials don’t give to organizations. They support causes. And since millennials typically live much of their lives connecting through social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, they have the ability to influence hundreds if not thousands of their peers for your cause—if they’re passionate about it.

The takeaway for you? Tap into this power. Don’t use social media to sell your organization—use it to further your cause. Tell stories. Post pictures. Feature the people who’ve benefited from your services. Show where your organization’s money goes and how your donors’ gifts make a difference. If you can get the millennials to fall in love with your cause and become social media brand evangelists for you, you can unleash a potential firestorm of influence.

Your organization may not have a tremendous amount of social clout, but millennials do—and if they’re willing to donate a tweet about your cause or use their voice to speak to the masses about what you’re accomplishing, you’ve found yourself an effective way to use social media. Since millennial donors are more likely to give to a nonprofit if the request comes from a friend or family member, this type of word-of-mouth marketing can become highly effective.

3. “Encourage us to volunteer. That may be how we become your most loyal donors.”
In other words, create a pathway to a relationship—don’t rush in for the ask right away. Millennial philanthropists are broadening the definition of philanthropy to include not only financial gifts, but contributions of time or even influence, like I mentioned in the previous point. Keep this in mind when you think about looking for your next generation of donors. Volunteers often turn into consistent donors. However, you can’t expect them to be loyal if the only communication you send is your annual report. With millennials, it’s all about immersion—getting them in the door, then keeping them excited about your cause with consistent engagement and communication.

Relationships are important to millennials. Remember, these kids grew up with 24/7 connectivity—to friends, to brands, basically to the world. So approaching them with a blatant ask for money right away may turn them off and send them in search of an organization that’s more interested in engaging with them on a deeper, more consistent level. Again, this generation is all about issues and causes. You have to establish a connection between them and your mission before you can expect them to open their wallets.

4. “We donate like we buy—impulsively.”
When I was growing up, if I heard a song on the radio I wanted to buy, I had to run down to the record store and get the cassette tape. Millennials can’t even relate. If they hear a song they like, they download it. Instantly. Or stream it. If they see a cool gadget they need, they head to Amazon and get free two-day shipping. That’s the world we all live in now, but this is all millennials know—it’s how they grew up. If they want something, they get it. Boom. They’re used to purchasing impulsively. This translates over into how they give. They donate when they’re inspired to donate—and as such, it’s going to behoove you to be ready.

Younger givers tend to gravitate toward online donations, but remember that many are accessing websites via smartphones, so it’s crucial that your website be optimized for mobile. Don’t make people pinch and zoom in order to find your Donate button on their mobile device. Also, event fundraising and recurring giving programs can work as important giving methods for this generation as well—they’re easy ways to give. Typically, the younger the donors, the greater the number of ways they give. Since you don’t know when inspiration will strike, your best bet is to be prepared and make it as easy as possible for them to donate

5. “Stay in touch. We want to know where our money went and what kind of impact it has. An annual holiday card won’t do.”
Here’s where too many NPOs drop the ball where millennials (and frankly, donors in general) are concerned, and I fully understand that it takes more work to stay engaged—but you have to. You’re not going to be able to satisfy this generation’s need for information and connection with an annual report. These guys want to know where their money went. What kind of impact did it make? Did their donation make a difference?

Take TOMS Shoes, for example. They’re not a nonprofit, but they’ve struck a chord with the millennials who buy up these shoes like crazy. Why? Because they state explicitly what happens when a customer buys a pair of shoes: A new pair of shoes will be given to a child in need. One for one. There’s no question about how it works.

Take that model and apply it to your organization. How can you show donors the direct impact that their dollars have? You’ll win over this younger crowd much more quickly with transparent, clear and consistent communication than you will with a confusing annual giving report.

Learn ways to thank them, inform them and re-engage with them often. They value relationships. They’re used to staying connected. And they’re loyal to causes that they’re passionate about. Stay in touch with these young philanthropists, empower them to become agents of change for your organization, and you may reap big lifetime rewards from this generation.

09/18/2017

Prepare for success!

09/18/2017

EVERY business, small to large depends on the back office. Therefore; it is critical that your back office support functions and runs efficiently. By outsourcing all your accounting, finance, and other administrative responsibilities you are able to focus on managing and growing your business.

Call us @ (207) 453-9388 or chat with us for further info on Back Office Support. [email protected]

09/16/2017

5 Benefits Of Back Office Accounting Outsourcing

1. Reduced Business Costs

Outsourcing your accounting to specialists rather than keeping it in house brings long-standing benefits and allows you to reduce your business costs in the long run. A company’s accounts are among the most important elements when running a business and it is crucial to keep them properly structured and have the department managed and analysed by experts. Done accordingly this will help you reduce costs and have a profitable business.

2. Business Continuity

Outsourcing your resource-intensive back office accounting gives you a peace of mind and allows you to focus on the most important operational aspects of your business. It has been proven that engaging with an outsourcing partner greatly contributes to the growth and development of numerous companies around the world. What’s more, the back office accounting partner will allow you to tailor the services specifically to meet your needs over time making it easier to reach your strategic business objectives.

3. Reduced IT costs

Outsourcing your accounting department means that you do not have to worry about those massive costs that come with having the latest technology and accounting software in place. Back office accountancy services invest in the latest technology and modern techniques to ensure that you get reliable and seamless services. This ultimately means fewer costs for you as you don’t need to buy expensive accounting software.

4. Your Accounting Department Is Managed By Experienced Professionals

Experienced professionals are specialized in accessing an advanced infrastructure and handling accounting data in a proficient manner. Not only do they have the skills and experience to manage your processes, but they are trained to offer advice and deploy best practices which will help you improve your business processes. Moreover, you can count on accurate and fast reporting when you need it.

5. You Can Reduce Risks

Outsourcing parts of your operations means shifting potential risks to the contracted business. This greatly improves efficiency as any troubles that occur are shifted to the provider for remediation. Moreover, since accountancy services represent their main business, the outsourcers are less likely to make errors (be it mathematical errors, lost records, inappropriate transactions, etc.)

Should any errors take place, outsourcers are better organized to identify and remediate the mistakes and ensure proper continuity of the processes.

Back Office Solutions Maine can provide comprehensive management accounting services to clients. By outsourcing your accounting processes you can ensure that you focus on your business and strategic operations, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and get help from experienced professionals. Get in touch with us today!
(207) 453-9388 [email protected]