"We are in a supply/demand economy that favours the suppliers. And it's economics 101, if you have a supply shortage that can't meet all the demand of the market, then you increase price." -Joe Woodard

Compliance is one of the biggest realms of challenge for bookkeepers, but it also provides consistent opportunity. The rules and regulations change so frequently that it can be hard to keep up, and if we feel that way, just imagine how non-bookkeeping businesses feel about it.

Supply and demand rule the market, and there is always going to be a supply of potential clients who would rather just pay someone to take care of the books for them. Despite this, we have to be careful not to fall into the trap of undercharging and over-promising.

Having hundreds of clients might feel like a success, but it probably doesn't to the clients who barely get any of our time and, of course, if you're overworked for long enough, burnout will likely be in your future.

Joe Woodard, acclaimed speaker and trainer, is this spotlight episode's featured guest. He has spent his career helping businesses solve their complex operational needs and scale to new heights. In this episode, Joe and Louie Prosperi explore the importance of pricing, how to value your skills and experience and the role practice, planning and AI have in your business.

If you are taking on more and more clients but are starting to fall behind your promises, then this is the episode to get you focused on building connections and pricing based on your unique abilities, not just how many people you can get on board.

During this interview, you'll learn...

• The value of having a solid plan & sticking to it
• How to value your skills & experience
• The importance of knowing your worth when it comes to pricing

To find out more about Joe, click here.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

To buy your tickets for the upcoming Scaling New Heights conference, check out this link.

Time Stamps

01:30 - Getting to grips with compliance 04:35 - Making the best of engagement letters 06:55 - Staying on track 09:54 - Knowing your price 18:25 - Thinking long-term 24:40 - Valuation & profitability 29:58 - Practice, planning and AI

"If you want to stay viable in your bookkeeping business, you're going to have to make that shift, and make your customers understand that they need you, and value you and your thought process that AI can't do for them." -Lora Lonesberry There can be no doubt that AI is changing our world. Yet we are not all as doomed to be replaced by technology as some would have us believe. AI, like all new inventions, offers us the chance to grow, by embracing a technology that can make our lives easier, while giving us more time to focus on the unique insights only we can provide. Without challenges there can be no growth, they keep us on the cutting edge of industry, daring us to keep up, deepening our skill set, experience and knowledge. Experience that clients are in desperate need of. AI can do the numbers faster than us, but it can't contextualize them for the specific needs of a client. It can't understand the dreams and hopes tied up in our client's businesses. Lora Lonesberry, owner of Positive Statements, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her varied career helping people get proactive and creative when facing the challenges of business and personal growth. She speaks to the power of finding your niche and leveraging your unique skills to overcome any challenge and the need for strong community networks. If you are struggling to keep up, and don't know which tools to use or how to leverage your skills, then this is the episode to get you asking the question; 'What might your business look like if you implemented strategies to use AI to enhance, not replace, your services?' During this interview, you'll learn...

• How to leverage AI to improve the success of your business
• The value of thinking about the little things
• The importance of community & networking

To find out more about Lora, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:47 - Making the most of changes 04:18 - Embracing a change in thinking 07:06 - Getting to grips with AI 21:08 - Thinking about the little things 26:04 - Levelling up on your gaps 30:32 - Finding your niche

"People do that with their bookkeeping business, they start, they want to get some clients and they want to make some money, but they actually really have no idea what the journey looks like and where they are trying to get to. It's a very different experience if you don't know where you're trying to get to." -Peter Cook

There is a common misconception among business owners, that we are never truly successful unless we can claim to have done everything ourselves. While there are advantages to stepping out of others' shadows, it's also far more likely we'll get burned.

There is nothing wrong with taking stock of what other business owners are doing and seeing how we might apply their approach to our own bookkeeping business. Walking the same path as someone else doesn't mean trying to walk precisely in their footprints. It's just a chance for us to enjoy a slightly easier path made possible by those who walked it before us.

Peter Cook, co-author of The E-Myth Bookkeeper and co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping, is this episode's featured guest. This fourth episode on The E-Myth Bookkeeper series explores the bookkeeper's journey, the challenges of transitioning your business, and why sticking to the plan can make all the difference.

If you are struggling to let go of old ideas about success, aren't sure how to move your business to the next phase of prosperity, or just want to get a better idea of what to expect on your journey, then this is the episode to show you it's okay to follow the trail.

During this interview, you'll learn...

• The value of sticking to the plan
• How to navigate transitioning your business
• The importance of understanding the phases of your business

To find out more about Peter, click here.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Get your copy of The E-Myth Bookkeeper.

Catch-up on the full E-Myth Bookkeeper with Peter Cook series with past episodes below!

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Time Stamps

02:01 - The bookkeeping business journey 07:41 - Helping bookkeepers grow their businesses 10:30 - The four stages of a bookkeeping business 16:26 - The challenges of transitioning your business 24:21 - Creating your freedom This episode is brought to you by Pure Bookkeeping. It's the proven system to grow your bookkeeping business.

"You have to be willing to think a little bit differently about your business. If you follow what everyone else is doing, you're going to get the same results everybody got." -Racheal Cook

Building a business is hard. There are so many barriers to success that the last thing we need is to get in our own way, either by supremely undervaluing our skills, or dramatically overestimating the market for them. We all want to follow our passions, but we need to temper that desire with the real-world potential of earning from it.

We start our own businesses to gain the flexibility and freedom often not afforded to us elsewhere. But we must be careful not to let our pricing trap us into a situation where we may be our boss but have no time or energy for anything else.

Racheal Cook, owner of the CEO Collective and host of the Promote Yourself To CEO podcast, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping women create sustainable success on their own terms. She speaks to the power of breaking free of entrepreneurial poverty, how to price your value, and why investing in relationships matters.

If you are struggling, unsure why everyone else seems so successful, but you are working more and more hours and only being rewarded with less time and energy, then this is the episode to help level up your thinking into a more proactive and strategic mindset.

During this interview, you'll learn...

• The value of investing in relationships
• How to break free of entrepreneurial poverty
• The importance of pricing for the value of your skills

To find out more about Racheal, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Listen to Racheal's Promote Yourself To CEO podcast.

Time Stamps

01:37 - Racheal discusses her career journey 04:05 - Eliminating entrepreneurial poverty 08:12 - Finding the value in your offering 11:05 - Pricing for your business 13:01 - Underpriced & overworked 17:50 - Lifetime client value 27:35 - Committing to building relationships 32:10 - Promote yourself to CEO

This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Sage!

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"The importance of your own personal achievement needs to be equal to the importance of everyone else's achievement. We are all just harmoniously and fortunately moving towards the same thing: survival." -Mike Michalowicz

Are we working with the business or for the business? A great way to find out is to pay attention to the way you speak about the business. Are the successes and failures 'ours' or are they 'theirs'? From this simple recognition, we can build a really clear picture of who is sharing the vision and who doesn't feel like they belong.

From there, the hard work begins. In order to maintain our success, we have to make sure those who work with and for us are benefiting too. No one is an island unto themselves; we all need help and support to achieve our dreams. And when we reach our peak of success, we must look back and help those who have supported us on our journey to achieve their own idea of success.

Mike Michalowicz, author and keynote speaker, is this episode's featured guest. He has spent his career helping people eradicate entrepreneurial poverty, fixing and removing barriers to true success. Mike speaks powerfully about the need to understand your people, how to get inspired, and why remembering your past successes matters.

If you are struggling to share your vision, aren't sure how to recognize the contributions of others, or inspire them to action, then this is the episode to get you thinking less about your dream and more about 'our' dreams.

During this interview, you'll learn...

• The value of inspiring others to achieve their dreams
• How to effectively communicate a shared vision
• The importance of taking stock of your success

To find out more about Mike, click here.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Buy his new book, All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams by visiting this link.

Time Stamps

01:47 - Becoming a great leader 09:27 - Appreciating collective goals 16:04 - Communicating a shared vision 21:04 - How great leaders inspire their teams 24:38 - Creating psychological ownership

This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Forwardly!

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"You don't have to be the best salesperson in the world. To be good at marketing a bookkeeping business, you just need to be good enough that you stand out in that crowd. You have to get good enough, you don't have to become the world's best marketer. " - Peter Cook

We might be excellent bookkeepers, but that doesn't mean we are automatically great business managers. It's important to take the time to figure out where our skills are strong and where they could use improvement. If your passion and skill lie in the numbers, there is nothing wrong with focusing your attention there.

Things start to slip or feel unmanageable in our businesses when we find ourselves spending a lot of time doing things we don't love. Even if we are not in a position to outsource the work, by connecting with others, we open up a world of experience, where we can find people who have already solved our problems. And whose problems we may have already solved.

Peter Cook, co-author of the E-Myth Bookkeeper and co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping, is this episode's featured guest. This third episode on The Emyth Bookkeeper explores management, the challenges of growing a business, and why community matters.

If you are drowning in your business, or want to learn more about what it takes to be a better manager, then this is the episode to help you take stock of your skills and explore connections with people who can help.

During this interview, you'll learn...

• The value of challenges as steps to growth
• How to manage your business with your passion in mind
• The importance of community in solving problems

Click here to find out more about Peter.

Connect with Peter on LinkedIn.

Get your copy of The E-Myth Bookkeeper.

Click here to listen to the first episode.

Click here to listen to the second episode.

Time Stamps 03:00 - The challenge of growing a business 06:23 - Getting good enough 08:45 - Taking score of your business 12:46 - Finding your people 17:24 - Building a business you love

This episode is brought to you by Pure Bookkeeping. It's the proven system to grow your bookkeeping business.

"Don't just ask for the referral, deserve it. You deserve a referral, and you earn a referral by who you are and how you show up in people's lives." - Curtis Lewsey Referrals are a huge part of our businesses but despite this, we often don't spend as much time and genuine effort as we should investing in the relationships around us. How well we are referred by others is a direct testament to our character. If we are being disingenuous, following the money only rather than the relationships, we are unlikely to build a sustainable network of connections. We have to stop expecting referrals when we haven't made any authenticity deposits of kindness, gratitude, or appreciation into the relationship. Curtis Lewsey, owner of AM Cards and co-author of Appreciation Marketing, is this episode's featured guest. Curtis has spent his career helping people get appreciative about their businesses and relationships. In this episode, he speaks to the power of saying thank you, putting authenticity first, and how to set healthy expectations. If your attempts to build client relationships are failing, or you just want to get more authentic about showing your appreciation to clients, then this is the episode to put you in the receiver's shoes, to truly take stock of how you are showing up in the world. During this interview, you'll learn...

• The value of saying thank you
• How to set healthy expectations in business relationships
• The importance of connecting authentically

Click here to find out more about Curtis. Connect with Curtis on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:34 - Curtis talks about his career journey 04:34 - The power of authenticity and gratitude 08:27 - The chain of appreciation 14:07 - Appreciation marketing 20:05 - Leading by example 27:20 - Looking for opportunities to be grateful 32:20 - Learning more about Curtis

"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

"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

"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