Allow me to reintroduce myself.

Or, rather, this newsletter.

I’ve been writing this for a long time. Well, as long as you count how long since the first time. Until recently, it wasn’t going out very consistently.

Hopefully, the quality of writing has improved over the past 10+ years. If nothing else, the topics have changed. When I moved my business fully remote in 2010, I was trying to figure everything out.

• Where to find clients.
• What software to use.
• How to market myself online.

Over a decade later, I’ve got completely different concerns about running a business.

• Where to find clients.
• What software to use.
• How to market myself online.

Well, crap. I guess some things haven’t changed.

Today, I wanted to review my purpose. Explain why I have bothered to write about bookkeeping for so long. And, more importantly, why you should bother opening this email each week.

First, let me answer a basic question.

Do you need to be a bookkeeper to read this?

Nope.

Maybe I should elaborate. If you haven’t noticed yet, I don’t talk a lot about bookkeeping itself. If you’re looking for advanced tips on setting up class tracking in Xero, you probably won't find those here. I mean, I’ve been working on that lately, so email me if you need help.

So, if you aren’t a bookkeeper, you may not get some of the references. And if I do share the occasional tip about adjusting entries in QBO, you can just skip past that part. But when I share tips about charging what you’re worth, struggling to run a solo business, and finding clients, there should be a nugget in each piece that is profession-agnostic.

The Mission

The older I get, the more determined I am to help others. That’s too vague.

I really want to help people whose stories include (at least) some of the following:

• Solo business owner (solopreneur, freelancer, however you choose to name it)
• Bookkeeper (naturally)
• Lifelong learners and genuinely curious
• Somewhere between being introverted (*) and experiencing extreme social anxiety
• A desire/need to use their business to support those around them (friends, family, community)

(*) Introvert is a tough term to define. I know Oprah identifies as being introverted. I don’t think I’ve got much to teach Oprah.

Why those traits? Well, I check those boxes most days. So, I gotta stick to what I know, right? I have very little advice for an extrovert managing a team of 100 direct reports. But just like I said before about being a bookkeeper, you don’t need to check those boxes to learn something here.

So, how do I plan to help?

I’ve got a lot of thoughts here. Some of it I’m already doing.

Newsletter (✅)

Whether you’re just getting started, or you’ve been a bookkeeper for 30 years, I want to help improve that experience for you.

You should be getting paid what you’re worth. You shouldn’t have to work 70 hours a week to feed your family. Finding clients shouldn’t be so hard. And, most importantly, you need to realize just how much value you’re providing your clients. If you’re walking around with “I’m just a bookkeeper (or insert your job here)” floating in your head, I want to help you eliminate that from your vocabulary.

Services (partial ✅)

Obviously, I’m already doing the bookkeeping and related services for business owners.

I plan to expand that into consulting and coaching for bookkeepers, too. (details tbd)

Education (planning stages)

For those who want to go a bit deeper with a subject, I want to offer more than just a weekly newsletter.

I have a few ideas for courses. So far they’re just ideas, but stay tuned. I’ll be seeking feedback along the way so what I build is tailored to the people who may want/need it.

Tools and Resources (planning stages)

Part of this year’s exercise in learning more about AI and no-code tools is updating my website.

I want to add some tools, templates, and calculators that I use or need so anyone can access them.

It would also be nice to have a central place to share all of the resources I’ve come across. Favourite business books, insightful articles, apps, and so much more.

And a few other things too (just idea stage)

I don’t like how hard it is for bookkeepers to find clients. And I know owners struggle to find good bookkeepers, too. It shouldn’t be this hard. I want to find a solution.

But the most important thing is…

You!

I spend enough time talking to myself during the week. I write this for you.

I want to know that it’s worth your valuable time to open this email each week.

To ensure that, I want to know what you’re struggling with.

It can be anything. Ok, anything about your business. I can’t help with your unruly teenager, and you need to see a doctor about that rash.

I know what some of you are thinking. I feel weird hitting reply, too. But, let me confirm a couple of things.

1. Yes, I really do read it, and always reply.
2. Yes, I do want to hear from you. Stop looking around the room. Yes, I’m pointing at you.
3. Yes, what you have to ask or say is important/interesting/valuable. I haven’t “heard it all before”. And, more importantly, I haven’t heard your version of it.
4. No, I might not have the answers. If I don’t, I’ll ask/look around and try to find the answer. If I don’t know, I’ll tell you that. I won’t make up an answer just make myself feel smart.

Ok, that’s all I’ve got. So, are you on board?

If this sounded terrible, that’s ok. No hard feelings if this isn’t the right place for you.

But if some of this resonated with you, I think we can do big things this year, and I’m looking forward to it.

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Have a great week! I’ll talk to you soon.

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