Why did you become a bookkeeper and/or accountant?
After working as a software developer and ultimately losing a job during a recession, I decided to take the parts of the job I enjoyed most – problem-solving and data analysis and do a diploma in Accounting as a more recession-proof career.
Tell us about your journey in becoming a bookkeeper and/or accountant.
After working as a part-time staff bookkeeper for a couple of companies, I wanted a job that allowed me to work around my kids’ school schedules and where I could work where and when I tried to. I started my practice in 2020, which has grown to my full-time job today, and I am on the verge of expanding by hiring my first staff member.
Why do you believe bookkeeping and/or accounting is such an important business?
For better or worse, compliance with the government can be complex, but having clean books and the advice of a bookkeeper who knows your business can help with not only government compliance but also advising on grant programs. In addition, answering “what if” questions and flagging changes in the company’s income or expenses that the business owners might miss if they were doing it on their own, along with everything else they do in a day.
If you are a sole proprietor, why did you start your own business?
There are many excellent reasons to start your own business.
For me, I wanted to work around my kids’ school schedules and have a job where I could work from my home office or the kitchen table if they needed to stay home sick or were on a holiday. Childcare is expensive and hard to find, so much so that I thought starting a business would be more sensible for my family and personal situation.
What are the next steps for you in your career?
Growing my practice into a business by adding new clients and offering expanded services, hiring staff, and setting things up so this can be a legacy business that my kids can take over or I can sell to fund my retirement.
What do you see for the future of bookkeeping and/or accounting?
I am moving to more of an advisor role with client companies, being part of a team that gives advice and feedback. We’ll use technology to do more automation around data entry to focus on reviewing data quality and interpreting that data for our clients.
