Your clients. Obviously, they’re the lifeblood of any bookkeeping business. But, if you don’t take the time to understand what they need, they won’t be your customers for very long. Our guest, Twyla Verhelst knows this well. She is the head of the FreshBooks Accountant Channel and Leader of the Accounting Professionals Program. She interacts with customers to find out how FreshBooks can better serve them. During this interview, you'll discover...  The importance of having your client do some of the data entry work Why you have to start embracing technology How FreshBooks can help your business  To find out more about Twyla, visit https://www.thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com.

EP216: Twyla Verhelst - Why You Must Get To Know Your Bookkeeping Clients

The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast is a weekly show to help increase your confidence, work smarter and build a business you love.

Each week you'll listen to inspiring guests who will share their success secrets, so you can take your bookkeeping enterprise and life to another level.

Some of them include New York Times Best-Selling Author of E-Myth, Michael E. Gerber, Pure Bookkeeping Co-Founder, Debbie Roberts, the host of The Productive Woman podcast, Laura McClellan and the author of *I Know How She Does It*, Laura Vanderkam.

If you're a bookkeeping business owner who is looking for an uplifting, entertaining and informative podcast exclusively for YOU then you have arrived at the right place!

Get ready because your journey towards success begins — now.

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Michael Palmer is an acclaimed business coach who has helped hundreds of bookkeepers across the world push through their fears and exponentially grow their businesses and achieve the quality of life they've always wanted.

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“I think we just get sucked into this pattern of being busy, and telling ourselves that there aren’t any other options and that we have to accept this. That ‘it is what it is’. Instead of taking that step back, taking a deep breath and thinking what would I want this to look like, what could this be?” - Erin Daiber We are creatures of habit, but all too often those habits become a prison, preventing us from growing and stepping into our greater potential. Just because things have always been done a certain way, doesn’t mean we cannot choose at any moment to try something different.  It is scary to step out of our comfort zones, but much worse to be trapped in a repeating cycle that will never lead us to the success we desire. As long as we remember we are the ones setting the rules for our lives and business, we can change them.  Erin Daiber, returning guest and owner of Well Balanced Accountants is this episode’s featured guest. Erin speaks to the power of connecting with your passion, how to navigate high-stress environments and what your life could look like with the right coach and a willingness to set rules that work for and not against you.  If you are feeling stuck, sure that success is within your reach, but are unsure how to grasp it, then this is the episode to help you take that step back, that deep breath that will bring clarity on the best way to move forward into a more successful business.  During this interview, you'll learn...  The value of setting rules that work for and not against you How to navigate high-stress environments The importance of connection to your passion  Click here to find out more about Erin. Connect with Erin on LinkedIn. Time Stamps     01:54 - Erin talks about her career journey 04:42 - Navigating high-stress environments 07:47 - Things don’t have to be as they’ve always been 14:57 - Creating your future perfect scenario  17:56 - Taking control of your business  23:30 - Transforming your business with small changes  27:00 - Holding yourself to account 32:50 - Learning more about Erin

EP414: Erin Daiber - ‘It Is What It Is’, Or Is It What You Make It?

“I find, even just that connection, talking to other people… helping each other out, so important to the success of an entrepreneur because you can’t do it alone.” -Roger Pierce Starting our own businesses is a daunting prospect. There are many roads to becoming a successful entrepreneur, and each person’s journey is so different, it can often feel like we have to walk the path in isolation.  Acting in isolation, it can be hard to maintain course or connect to our purpose, chasing instead the hope of more money and clients. This is why support systems matter. When we surround ourselves with people who have or are on a journey of their own, it really helps us avoid common pitfalls and feel like we are a part of something bigger. Roger Pierce, who is an entrepreneurship expert, is this episode’s featured guest. He has spent his career not only as a successful entrepreneur but also in bringing other like-minded people together to create their own business success. Roger speaks to the power of networking and community in building successful businesses, learning to pivot and how to approach your life with purpose.  If you are tired of working for other people or are already on your journey but feel lost and isolated, this is the episode to get you thinking about the people you surround yourself with and the power of your purpose.  During this interview, you'll learn...  The value of learning to pivot How to approach your life with purpose The importance of building lasting relationships  To find out more about Roger, click here.  Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:43 - Roger discusses his career journey  05:42 - The challenges & opportunities of small business  09:05 - Approaching your life with purpose  13:05 - Evolving through education 16:30 - The Unsure Entrepreneur  22:09 - Learning to pivot  25:52 - What’s next for small businesses  29:56 - Building lasting relationships  34:50 - Learning more about Roger

EP413: Roger Pierce - The Path To Purpose: Secrets To Entrepreneurial Success

“If I was just open to meeting somebody and having a conversation and understanding where they were coming from, it naturally turned into a client, and that’s what we have continued to do to this day.” -Melissa Broughton We all feel like imposters in our businesses at one time or another. This fear can paralyze us, stopping us from taking any action at all. But it will always be better to try and fail, than let fear stop us from ever trying at all.  When it comes to putting ourselves out there, it is hard to know which school of thought to listen to. Do you go for the soft or hard sell, hit the pavement, or focus on online marketing? The answer will always be to try everything and see what works for you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.  Melissa Broughton, owner of Busy Bee Advisors, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping small businesses gain financial clarity. She speaks to the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones, leaning into our inner problem-solvers, and the way embracing technology will help you find financial freedom.  If you are struggling to find clients, or just aren’t sure about the next step to take in your bookkeeping business, then this is the episode to help you get intentional about your goals, objectives, and purpose.  During this interview, you'll learn...  The value of leaning into our inner problem-solvers How to use technology to your best advantage The importance of stepping out of our comfort zones  To find out more about Melissa, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Check out Busy Bee Advisors at this link. Time Stamps      01:11 - Melissa discusses her career journey 04:53 - Stepping out of our comfort zones 07:41 - Building a successful network 12:38 - Embracing technology  13:55 - Leaning into your inner problem-solver 16:28 - Working with family  21:47 - Looking to the future  24:25 - Passing your knowledge on 27:17 - Learning more about Melissa

EP412: Melissa Broughton - Setting Ourselves Up For Bookkeeping Success

“When people say, ‘What do you do?’ instead of saying I’m a bookkeeper, say ‘I run a bookkeeping business.’ It’s a subtle difference, but it’s actually a really big shift in mindset.” -Peter Cook We must all leave our businesses one day. This confronting reality can make us quite uncomfortable. So much so that we bury ourselves working in our businesses, rather than working on them. More than the work we do, our businesses are valuable assets, if we treat them as such. Problems arise when we lean into negative thoughts and actions. If we only ever refer to ourselves as ‘just a bookkeeper’ that is all we'll ever be. Our habits define who we are, what might change if you began to introduce yourself as a business owner instead? Peter Cook, co-author of The E-Myth Bookkeeper and co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping, is this episode’s featured guest. He speaks to the power of shifting mindsets, how to prove the value of your business to yourself and others, and why even small changes to our habits can have huge impacts.  If you are worried about the future of your bookkeeping business, or just starting to consider it as a valuable asset for the future, this is the episode to get you thinking about long-term value and what leaving your business might look like. During this interview, you'll learn...  The value of long-term thinking How to shift into a business owner mindset The importance of creating successful habits   To find out more about Peter, click here. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Get your copy of The E-Myth Bookkeeper! Click this link to listen to Peter's previous Successful Bookkeeper episode in 2024. Time Stamps 02:01 - How you exit your bookkeeping business  08:58 - Creating habits for success 10:46 - Positive versus negative thought 14:10 - The value of a bookkeeping business     16:44 - Proving the value of your business  19:55 - The challenges of stepping away 24:48 - Thinking with the end in mind

EP411: Peter Cook - The Value Of Your Business: Thinking With An End In Sight

“If someone is asking for immediate payment, that’s a huge red flag. Telling you to 'go to your bank, buy a gift card’ or any kind of payment outside of the ordinary, be very, very weary. When it comes to taxes, you can always walk into an IRS office or state office. Go to the source.” -Hubert Johnson   Fraud is one of the biggest problems facing business owners. It is hard enough to keep up with all the changes in compliance law, that when we are then faced with identity or money fraud, it can seem an insurmountable problem.    But as with most things, these issues will only hit us hard if we don’t prepare for them or ignore them and hope they will go away. Education is the key to prevention, whether we do it one-to-one, or build community groups, sharing knowledge is the surest way to prevent more people falling into the trap of fraud.   Hubert Johnson, tax attorney and owner of Guardian Tax Law, is this week's featured guest. He has spent his career helping thousands of clients and businesses find resolutions and peace of mind when dealing with tax issues. In this episode, Hubert and Michael explore the concerning rise of fraud, how to protect yourself, and the value of working together to face the challenges of the future.    The cost of cleaning up a problem is often far more than the cost of making sure the problem never occurs. If you want to defend yourself against fraud but aren’t sure where to begin, this is the episode to get you started.    During this interview, you'll learn...  How to protect ourselves from ever-increasing fraud  The value of keeping up to date with compliance changes  The importance of community in facing the challenges of fraud   To find out more about Hubert, click here.   Connect with him on LinkedIn.   Time Stamps   01:46 - Hubert discusses his career journey  02:42 - Protecting ourselves from identity fraud  08:59 - Spotting the scam  18:45 - The power of community in overcoming fraud  20:28 - Understanding changes to tax rules  26:52 - Getting payroll right  31:33 - Investing in business protection   38:17 - Learning more about Hubert

EP216: Twyla Verhelst - Why You Must Get To Know Your Bookkeeping Clients

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