You had good intentions, but somehow things got out of hand. Your brother in law pushed your buttons and although you tried to keep your mouth shut, you just had to say something. Now you now regret it, big time.

What should you do? An apology sends the clearest signal that we have the strength of character to reconcile ourselves with the truth. It is the most courageous gesture we can make to ourselves.

Leave out the 'ifs' or 'buts'. 'If' reduces the effectiveness of an apology. For example: "If I offended you, I am sorry." This says the offence may or may not have happened. Adding 'but' is just as bad. For example: "I am sorry, but you started it. " Using 'but' just deflects some of the responsibility away from ourselves and reduces the effectiveness of the apology. Instead, say, "I offended you and I am sorry."

Use the active voice, not the passive. The passive voice is another way of avoiding responsibility. Instead of saying, "I made a mistake", the apology comes out as "Mistakes were made." It's like someone else may have made them. You know you are in the passive voice if some form of the verb 'to be' is used.

Don't joke around. An apology is serious and although humour is good to diffuse tense situations, don't use it in an apology.

Don't assume. No one wants to accept an apology from someone who is arrogant enough to presume they know how you feel. Instead of saying, "I know exactly how you feel", say, "I can't imagine how you are feeling." Or say, "I wonder how I would feel if I were in your shoes. I don't know. How do you feel?"

Don't say, "What can I do to make it right?" An apology is much more effective if it includes a plan for restitution. The victim needs to hear what you think is an appropriate offer. Do what is fair without asking. Be generous.

Take turns. When offering a significant apology, say something like, "I need to apologize to you. This is not easy for me, so I ask that you hear me out and then I will listen to what you have to say." This increases the chances that the person will actually listen to you and not be thinking of their own response.

Begin with 'I'. An apology is about accepting personal responsibility, so rather than say, "You have said things and I have said things and its time to stop the fight", say, "I apologize. I have said things I didn't mean and I am sorry."

Use the victim's name. Everyone likes to hear their own name and using it in your apology reinforces the mission, which is to repair the relationship.

Don't Ramble. Rambling usually ends in excuses. Say you're sorry, then stop and listen.

Don't Argue. Even if the victim doesn't see things your way, just listen. The purpose of an apology is not to change someone's point of view.

The apology in a nutshell:

Say "I'm sorry, I apologize"

Make it timely

Take responsibility

State the wrong at the beginning

Express heartfelt authentic genuine regret

Express emotion

Give an explanation

Going forward --give solutions and actions you are planning to take that will prevent this from happening again

Followup

-----------------------------------------

Thanks to Louise Fox-Canada's Etiquette Expert, for providing us with these tips.

------------------------------------------

Louise Fox, Host of MannersTV.com

www.mannerstv.com

Etiquette Ladies www.etiquetteladies.com

Name: Clarence Lowey

What is your company name?

C.J.'s Accounting Services

Where is your business located?

Vanderhoof, BC

How long have you been a member?

Since May 2008

Are you Certified?

Yes. I became certified in June 2008

What do you enjoy the most about your IPBC membership?

It not just one thing that I like most about IPBC. It's a combination of things: the professional association and the networking of people. The fact that we are going to make a difference in the industry is very appealing. And it's about time we bookkeepers started generating an association that is going to clean up our profession. --Thanks for sharing with us, Clarence!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are interested in being featured in the Member Profile section, please send us the following:

Company Name

City and province

Are you certified?

How long have you been a bookkeeper?

What do enjoy the most about your IPBC membership?

A picture of yourself

The Entrepreneurship Institute of Canada is a distributor of a wide range of training and educational products designed to help you better run your bookkeeping business.

IPBC members receive a 15% discount on EIC products.

www.entinst.ca

Wednesday February 17th, 2010 at 11:30am PT

Replace Your Clients' Paper Cheques with Electronic Payments using TelPay

Time: 11:30am PT - 12:30pm PT

Cost: The meeting is free; toll charges to access the call will be your responsibility or, you may use a VOIP connection.

Topic: Replace Your Clients' Paper Cheques with Electronic Payments using TelPay

As a busy bookkeeping professional you know the convenience of paying your personal bills electronically - are you taking full advantage of the seamless integration between Simply Accounting, QuickBooks, and TelPay that enables you to save your clients time and money?

TelPay fits with your bookkeeping practice by enabling you to offer easy payroll direct deposit and electronic bill payments for your clients, from your office or theirs. The TelPay for Business software replaces paper cheques with electronic payments directly from your favourite accounting software, to pay anyone in Canada including employees, vendors, government agencies, utilities and more, all for less than the cost of a stamp. Attend the phone conference to see how TelPay's e-payment solution is working for bookkeeping practices across the country.

Also, you will hear how to improve cash flow with TelPay's Get Paid Faster program that lets any customer pay emailed or paper invoices securely online, with no merchant or setup fees.

Presenter: Marilyn Benninger, CGA Vice President, Business Services, TelPay Incorporated

SPEAKER BIO:

Marilyn is a Certified General Accountant with two decades worth of experience in the accounting profession and the software industry, having worked for KPMG and regional firms as well as software providers MYOB and Simply Accounting.

As Vice President of TelPay, Marilyn focuses on providing assistance to bookkeepers and their clients to implement electronic payments for businesses of all sizes. She was Vice President of CGA Ontario and currently is a member of the Mohawk College Accounting Program Advisory Committee.

About TelPay Incorporated

TelPay is Canada's largest independent processor of bill payments in Canada, celebrating 25 years of innovation and leadership in the electronic payments. Based in Winnipeg, TelPay is responsible for over 21 Million electronic payments worth more than 12 Billion dollars annually. TelPay's focus is to save time and money for businesses of all sizes and industries.

To make a reservation for this event, please click on the link

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/161252251

The connection details will be emailed to you automatically.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday March 3rd, 2010 at 11:30am PT

Tax Online: Take your sleuthing to new heights

Time: 11:30am PT- 12:30pm PT

Cost: The meeting is free; toll charges to access the call will be your responsibility or, you may use a VOIP connection.

Topic: Tax Online: Take your sleuthing to new heights

Earn your Deputy TaxDetective® status March 3rd, 2010. Ask yourself...

1. You know you saw it on the CRA website, but you were searching for another topic. Now, it's nowhere to be found. Are you losing sleep as a result?

2. There was a reason why you set the books up this way, but it's a year later. You can't remember why. Are you still up at 3 am, staring at the books because you can't sleep?

3. Deadline looming, forms missing... are you up until almost midnight, reading the electronical filing instructions, only to find the CRA website closed until morning?

If you answered 'yes' to any (or all) question(s), you might be a candidate to:

1. Explore how various government Ministries interact to create and administer tax

2. Explore the Income Tax Act and Regulations

3. Explore how tax law is applied to real people by our court system

4. Review the authorization process, My Account, and Represent a Client

5. Garner more techniques to search for answers about tax, for free, of course...

We can't do it all in an hour, but we will give you the basics, the short course on tax literacy.

NO, everyone can't just write to me with every tax question... I do have to get some work done. By February 9th, I'd written four columns for IPBC's next newsletters. I'm doing this for free. Why? In Canada we need bookkeepers who are enthusiastic super sleuths. I'm recruiting deputy sleuths, with the courage and tenacity of the orginal Nancy Drew.

Attend to attain Deputy TaxDetective® status on March 3rd, 2010.

Presenter: Eileen Reppenhagen, CGA

SPEAKER BIO:

Eileen Reppenhagen, CGA, ACG, CL, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and TaxDetective®, writes and speaks about accounting and tax. She's a regular contributor to Advisor Advantage, Intuit Canada's publication for QuickBooks ProAdvisors, writing about using QuickBooks and articles about what's new about tax. She writes several national monthly tax columns, including IPBC's semi-monthly e-zine, titled 'Dear TaxDetective'.

This webinar is being recorded and will be available on the member's portion of the website

To make a reservation for this event, please click on the link

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/466006723

The connection details will be emailed to you automatically.

Wednesday March 17th, 2010 at 11:30am PT

Employee Engagement-capturing employee's hearts and minds for increased performance and retention

Time: 11:30am PT- 12:30pm PT

Cost: The meeting is free; toll charges to access the call will be your responsibility or, you may use a VOIP connection.

Topic: Employee Engagement-capturing employee's hearts and minds for increased performance and retention

Did you know that highly engaged employees are up to 40% more productive than other employees?

Hiring, retaining, and engaging your employees are challenges that many small (and large!) businesses face. Come share an evening with other local businesses to explore best practices in employee engagement and how these practices can positively impact recruiting efforts, turnover, productivity, and the employee-customer-profit value chain.

You will come away from this engaging workshop with an expanded understanding of the real cost of turnover, top strategies to engage the hearts and minds of your employees, and ways to build these principles into your recruitment, employee orientation,and overall employee retention/engagement plans.

Presenter: Joan Noel from Lightcycles Coaching

SPEAKER BIO

Joan Noel, the founder of Lightcycles Coaching, is a professional coach, facilitator, and HR consultant with 20+ year experience working with leaders, teams, and organizations. Joan serves her clients as a catalyst for growing personal leadership and building generative teams and partnerships.

As a professional coach, Joan works with leaders and entrepreneurs who are committed to personal leadership and effective teams. Joan's coaching passion is working with clients to maximize their potential and reach their goals in a way that increases balance, effectiveness, and fulfillment in both their professional and personal lives.

Joan is an Accredited Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (www.coachfederation.org), a Certified Professional Co-action Coach (CPCC) with The Coaches Training Institute (www.thecoaches.com), and is currently pursuing advanced coaching credentials with the Centre for Right Relationship (www.centerforrightrelationship.com) where she co-leads a global community of practice for coaches and allied professionals committed to bringing positive change to their professional and personal communities.

This webinar is being recorded and will be available on the members portion of the website.

To make a reservation for this event, please click on the link

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/774828578

The connection details will be emailed to you automatically.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming National Phone Conferences:

April 21st - Brand Me! Presented by Matthew Peterson of Accounting Cycle

May 19th - Privacy - Presented by John Wunderlich of John Wunderlich & Assoc.

June 16th - Crucial Conversations - Presented by Tim Rooney of Rooney Earl & Partners

NORTH BAY SPECIAL EVENT

When: Thursday February 25th, 2010 from 8:30AM - 3:30PM

Where: The Best Western North Bay

700 Lakeshore Drive, North Bay, Ontario

Networking Lunch is included

NO CHARGE Admission

Do you have questions about what Harmonized Sales Tax will mean for your business?

Or are you a consumer that has questions about how the HST will affect your purchases?

The Business Centre is pleased to host the 2010 Funder's Forum & HST Information Seminar. The seminar will aim to answer some common questions that business owners have, provide background information, explain how HST works, and provide tips on how to prepare your business for the transition.

Please join us as we welcome representatives from The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and The Ministry of Revenue to review the new tax strategy. They will ensure that businesses receive the information that they need when they need it, for the transition to the federal administration of the Harmonized Sales Tax.

Want to also see if there's funding for your business? This event will also host a Funding Opportunity Tradeshow!

E-Services and Payroll presentations will follow the Funding Tradeshow as well!

Space is limited.

To register, call (705) 474-0626 ext 2528, or email tbc@cityofnorthbay.ca

From The Executive Director's Desk

Imagine networking with some of the top bookkeepers in the country. Imagine the chance to be on the fast track to a more lucrative practice . . . to being a certified professional bookkeeper (CPB) . . . and to receiving greater professional recognition inside and outside of this network. Regional Meetings are a vital part of that formula for success.

They're a unique chance to combine learning - a guest speaker shares expertise that's sure to make your work a bit easier - with fun and powerful networking. Every meeting is free to attend.

WINNIPEG, MB

Date: Tuesday February 16th, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

Smitty's Restaurant (Polo Park)

1017 St James Street (Corner of Ellice and St. James), Winnipeg, MB

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developer: Charlene Hiebert, CPB

Presenter: Rita Baker from the CRA

Topic: GST Do's and Don'ts

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

COBOURG, ON

Date: Wednesday February 24th, 2010

Time: 6PM to 9PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

The Mill Restaurant

990 Ontario St, Cobourg, ON

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developer: Denise Franklin, CPB

Topic: Best Practices-a roundtable discussion

We all have the same questions: how to deal with late paying clients, how to ask for retainers, how to manage paper flow, etc. During dinner, a list of common questions will be passed around and the topics for discussion afterward will be picked.

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY, NS

Date: Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

Quality Inn Dartmouth, 313 Prince Albert Road

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developer: Angela Franklin, CPB

Presenter: Jim Freeman

Topic: Worker's Compensation Board of Nova Scotia

Review Of Worker's Compensation Legislation & Policy's -changes for 2010

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

VICTORIA, BC

Date: Monday March 1st, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

New Location:

The Pantry Restaurant

Unit 202, 3214 Douglas Street, Victoria, B.C.

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developers: Wendy Willis, CPB, & Avis Michalovsky

Presenter: Linda Lee Brougham, CA

Topics:

What are the bookkeeper's liabilities?

What are reasonable expenses?

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB

Date: Wednesday March 3rd, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

Stanford Inn

11401 -100 Ave, Grande Prairie, AB

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developer: Lisa Butler, CPB

Presenter: Scott Mason, CA

Topic: How to recognize when a business should incorporate

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

RED DEER, AB

Date: Thursday March 11th, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

ABC Restaurant

2085 Gaetz Avenu, Red Deer, AB

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developer: Valerie Rideout, CPB

Presenter: Cory G. Litzenberger, CMA

Topic: 2009/2010 Personal Tax Changes

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

CALGARY, AB

Date: Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Time: Dinner & Networking start at 6PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

ABC Country Restaurant

11520- 24 Street SE, Calgary, AB

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developers: Allan Stenbeck, CPB, Wendy Morrison, CPB, Shelley Brown, CPB

Presenter: Syd Howlett, Certified Business Coach

Topic: Goal Setting & Time Management

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

VANCOUVER, BC

Date: Thursday March 18, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

Simon Fraser Room, attached to the ABC Restaurant, in the Accent Inn

2350 Boundary Road (Boundary & Lougheed Hwy)

--access parking off of Boundary Road

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Price: $30.00 registration fee (includes Buffet)

We can only accept cash and require exact change at the door please

Regional Developer: Kandice Keith

Presenter: Sharon Conboy, Director Of Canadian Payroll Association

Topic: Terminations

Terminations & Payroll

When the relationship with an employee ends, the termination process begins. From ensuring legislative requirements are met, including the tax treatment of monies paid, to communicating the termination inside and outside of the organization  make sure you are ready!

Join the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) for this informative presentation exploring the legislative aspects of the termination process and best practices when ending the employee-employer relationship.

The session will provide an overview of termination issues as they relate to payroll, followed by a Question and Answer period.

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------

EDMONTON, AB

Date: Thursday March 18, 2010

Time: 6PM to 8:30PM (meetings start and end precisely on schedule)

Location:

The ABC Country Restaurant

12707- 140 Ave, N.W., Edmonton, AB

You are responsible for your own meal and beverage

Regional Developer: Lynn Magnaye, CPB

Presenter: Stacy Walker, from Gettin Around to It

Topic: Organizing your small/home business

Non Members are welcome to attend two meetings to evaluate IPBC

To register for this meeting, contact us at info@ipbc.ca

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Meetings

North Bay - No Regional meeting this month; instead, they will be helping to host the 2010 FUNDER'S FORUM & HST INFORMATION SEMINAR

Nanaimo - March 8th - Helping your clients secure small business financing, presented by Scotia Bank

Ottawa - March 9th - TBA

Winnipeg - March 15th - TBA

Toronto East - March 22nd - Disaster Recovery

St. Catharines - March 23rd - TBA

Kitchener - March 24th -TBA

Prince George - March 25th - TBA

Toronto West - March 29th - Disaster Recovery

Saskatoon - March 31st - TBA

Kelowna - March - TBA

I don't like heights. This is why I stopped growing at fifth grade.

--Billy Crystal

If you are an IPBC member, you should proudly be displaying the IPBC logo along with a link, so your visitor can learn a little about your professional association. Membership in IPBC gives you an edge over your competition.

Show the world that you belong to a professional association for professional bookkeepers by adding a short informational video about IPBC to your signature line in your email program. The link, entitled 'View this short informational video about IPBC' is found below.

In Outlook, click 'Tools', followed by 'Options', 'Mail format', 'Signatures', and 'New' or 'Edit', depending if you already have a signature. Then copy and paste the link, "View this short informational video about IPBC", into this spot. Click 'OK'.

Feel free to contact us at info@ipbc.ca with any questions.

The purpose of the IPBC newsletter is to assist Canadian bookkeepers with tools, ideas, and resources to make your business efforts easier, and to help your business grow by delivering timely and thoughtful information. Do you have a story to share? Words of wisdom? Pass them along to us.

Email karenl@ipbc.ca

View this short informational video about IPBC