When people talk with us about our services it's inevitable that I hear them say they can handle it. 2 months later they are still working on it and have twice as much to do than when they started.
Believe me when I say "I've been there." I'm still working on my dad's estate 10 months later and his was a small one!
I've recently heard the following words ~- disheveled, braindead, recovery time, disheartened, baffled ~ these are only a few of them. As you can imagine, there are some that can't be repeated as well.
For those of you who want to tackle this monster on your own, here are a couple of tips to help you get through it.
1) Don't cancel the primary credit card used by your loved one. Many companies will credit back refunds to the card. This will speed up the process of getting money returned.
2) With all the companies that require a death certificate it can get very expensive. Ask if they will accept fax copies or better yet, a scanned PDF copy via e-mail. This saves time, postage and other expenses.
3) Use a return receipt when sending original documents. This gives you a record of who signed for it and when it was recieved. It guarantees that they have received what you sent and should help your follow up go smoothly.
These are small things that can save time and frustration in the long run. It's the hardest, longest job you can ever have. It usually only takes one time to realize you never want to do it again.
A Better Way to Close an Estate.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Estate closure service - asking for help
When you commit to something, are you ever really sure about the time it's going to take? Most times I have a pretty good handle on it, others, not so much. Take my newsletter for instance. My goal is to provide information that you find useful, can read it in about 4 minutes and highlight another professional. It's a lot more daunting that I thought it would be. I'm glad I asked for help!
I have found that to be true as well with clients. When we first speak with a prospective client, they are sure that they can get everything done over a weekend (if they are from out of town) or in the next couple of weeks if they live in town. After about week 3, I get that phone call "it's just too much and I need help." Sometimes I hear the hesitate in their voice asking. Having been there, done that, I understand completely that feeling of overwhelm and stress.
It's the primary reason my husband and I started doing this, because we needed help and there was no one. My simple, unsolicited advice is ~ ask for help~ whenever you need it. Painting, writing, moving, starting a company, writing a newsletter, closing an estate or simply anything that you can't tackle by yourself. I think you'll find that most people are more than happy to lend a hand.
By the way, thanks Cathy for all your help during our first exhibit at the 7th Annual NAELA Symposium. I couldn't have done it without you!
I have found that to be true as well with clients. When we first speak with a prospective client, they are sure that they can get everything done over a weekend (if they are from out of town) or in the next couple of weeks if they live in town. After about week 3, I get that phone call "it's just too much and I need help." Sometimes I hear the hesitate in their voice asking. Having been there, done that, I understand completely that feeling of overwhelm and stress.
It's the primary reason my husband and I started doing this, because we needed help and there was no one. My simple, unsolicited advice is ~ ask for help~ whenever you need it. Painting, writing, moving, starting a company, writing a newsletter, closing an estate or simply anything that you can't tackle by yourself. I think you'll find that most people are more than happy to lend a hand.
By the way, thanks Cathy for all your help during our first exhibit at the 7th Annual NAELA Symposium. I couldn't have done it without you!
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