(0:00 – 0:10)
Hey, it’s Bill with booming bookkeeping business. And today I’m here with another one of my successful students. This is Rachel.
Rachel, thanks for joining me today. Thank you. My pleasure.
(0:11 – 0:38)
So let’s start at the beginning. Tell me what life looked like for you before you started your bookkeeping business. You know, Bill, I have six kids.
So a lot of finances. It was very check to check pretty much. And I stay at home mom.
So it was one cut one income family. I was looking for something that I could do at home and I have been for years. So this was kind of a benefit of mine.
(0:38 – 1:13)
And I love numbers. Okay, so um, so you love numbers, but other like, there’s a lot of things you could be doing with numbers. Why bookkeeping? Why did bookkeeping appeal so much? So my husband started his own business way back in 09.
And from there, we knew we were going to need somebody to do the bookkeeping. I never even imagined I would attempt it. But I decided to go ahead and go to school for it.
So I went to school got my bachelor’s degree for it. And just basically did the books for the business. I never ventured out to anybody at all until, you know, about a year ago.
(1:13 – 1:21)
Okay, okay. Well, that’s, that’s cool. So tell me about what drove that decision to venture out to get clients.
(1:21 – 3:36)
My kids are getting older. So there’s not as much need for me, which is sad, but on the same level, you know, it’s a new start for something else. And so, you know, finances being so tight, I thought, I’ve got to get to work.
So I thought about maybe opening up a, or doing some remote work online. And so I tried doing that. There wasn’t a whole lot of success in that I did a couple books for a couple of people, but it was hourly based and it was so few hours.
And I just knew that it wasn’t working. There’s no way I was gonna make another income. Okay, okay.
So normally, when people get their businesses started or venture out and start, you know, getting clients and things like that. They have fears, they have concerns. What were some of the fears or concerns that you had when you got started? Lots of fears, lots of concerns.
There’s not really much overhead for this, but the fear of making mistakes, the fear of not knowing exactly what I think I know, because sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know until you realize you didn’t know that. So I think my biggest thing was confidence and the fear of, you know, things I just haven’t ran across yet. How about getting clients? Was there a concern about like whether or not, hey, can I even get clients doing this? I don’t know that I had a concern about getting clients.
I definitely had a concern that I was not a seller and could get clients because I know people do it. I just don’t think I’m a seller and I still don’t think I’m a seller. So that was one of my concerns.
Yeah, being able to sell myself. So now that you’re kind of on the other side, without referencing my program, now that you’re on the other side, were those fears anything to be afraid of? You know, no, not really. After going through the program, I mean, there was a lot more boost of confidence there because being able to walk through it made me realize that, okay, you know, I can do this.
This is not as hard as, you know, I assumed it would be trying to get into it. So a lot of the fears, yeah, I just needed the push and my husband helped with the push too. He’s like my biggest, you know, fan out there.
(3:36 – 4:33)
Cool. So how about getting clients? Was that, did that, looking back on it, was it harder, easier in the middle? Like what did that look like? In the beginning, it was difficult. I struggled with trying to get clients in the very beginning, but I don’t know that I was optimized in the beginning.
I know you talk about getting referrals, not referrals, but reviews. Yeah, sorry. No, I only have to say, I only have to like, that’s, I’d spend 25% of my life talking about reviews.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, um, I got a couple of them. I really don’t have a whole ton of reviews, but I know once I tweaked some things on the system, it was like all of a sudden I was getting message after message, um, in my emails and I just one day blew up and I was like, whew, let’s do this.
I love that. I love that. Um, so you started where we all started at zero, nothing.
Okay. No revenue coming in. I started there.
(4:34 – 5:12)
What does revenue look like for you now? Number of clients, revenue, all that stuff. Man, I am just ecstatic. I never in a million years, you know, thought I would be in this place.
Um, you know, last year or last month I made, uh, uh, I guess it was between December and January. I made about 17,000 and in this last month, uh, January I cleared over 20,000 and I am just, I’ve got about between 10 and 15 clients. I mean, I haven’t counted them, but most of my jobs are cleanups.
I have only a few, I think like six or seven clients that are revolving clients. Um, the cleanups is where it’s at. It’s like, they just want those done.
(5:13 – 5:31)
How many hours are you working? You tell me if it’s months or week. Uh, currently I’m probably working in the beginning. I didn’t work as many hours, but currently I’m working about full time.
Um, my own desire and I’m considering hiring. So I’m like going to the next step up. So I’m really excited.
(5:31 – 5:41)
I know. I remember the feeling of me doing this and I was like, I didn’t see this coming. Like, is this something you saw coming that you were like, Oh yeah, this is going to be, I’m going to, I’m, that’s going to be easy.
(5:41 – 6:49)
No, not, not at all. In fact, Bill, I, I didn’t even realize I made this much money until I added it all up. Uh, it was just like astonishing.
Um, we were just sitting down one day and I decided to go through the statements and I was like, Oh my word, do you know how much just came in? You know, because you have bills going out, so you don’t really pay attention sometimes. And then it just kind of kicked off from there. And I ended up, um, we rented an office and, uh, set a practice here and I don’t need the office because all my clients are remote.
Nobody’s walking in, but it’s a quiet space, you know, cause I got six kids, but so never in a million years did I see at all coming this way. None. That is cool.
Um, when you look back or think back about what you’ve accomplished, how does it make you feel? Amazing. I mean, like on the verge of tears, amazing because you grow up being poor and not poor, like, you know, detrimentally poor, but you’re just on that brink of, you just can’t get past, you know, a certain spot because there’s so much coming in. So to be able to overly provide for your family is like ecstatic.
(6:49 – 7:09)
Man, that’s cool. That’s cool. So how has life changed then between from where you were then to where you are now? I was just driving down the road the other day and I went to go get something to eat, um, because I, I was really busy, but I was thinking to myself how things had changed.
(7:09 – 10:01)
And I, I thought I have never experienced a time where I have been able to just not worry about the bills, not worry about what’s coming, um, be able to take my family wherever it is we want to go. Um, to me, those things that are valuable, I I’m big family person. That’s why I stay at home.
And, um, I think it’s incredible to have this piece, this feeling to know that I don’t have to worry at all. Can you speak a little bit about the freedom and flexibility that you you’ve experienced? Oh yeah, it’s great. Um, so my kids are my everything.
I homeschool. Um, and yeah, so I got lots of freedom to, to come and go as I please. Um, and I’m able to, to do the homeschooling and I assist a lot at the church.
I just ran a, um, Valentine’s banquet for the church. And I took off several days to do that because I needed to do the shopping and the setting up and the decorating. And so I’m able to come and go as I please.
Um, most of my clients are extremely, um, understanding. Uh, they’re not pushy. I don’t have any, I don’t have to worry about any like, Oh no, I need it right now this second.
So I’m, I’m blessed in that aspect as well. And it’s, I’m able to do what I need to do. What does your partner have think about what you’ve accomplished? Oh man, he is so excited.
He’s actually talking about getting into it with me. So he’s, uh, he does construction right now and he’s like, I’m tired. I’m sore.
I don’t want to do this no more. And I’m going, come on over, let’s do this. We’ll, we’ll partner up together and you know, run it.
Is he surprised at how big this has grown or surprised at what you’ve accomplished? Did he see this coming? He didn’t see it coming. He’s, he is, and he isn’t, like I said, he’s my biggest fan. He’s my biggest supporter.
He, he’s the one who pushed me out in the beginning. Um, you know, when I wanted to do it before without the training, um, and I did it with the hour, you know, the hourly clients. Um, he’s the one who got me those clients.
Cause he’s like, Oh, I know somebody who will do it. She’s a phenomenal about what she does. So he’s like, I knew you could do it, but I don’t think he saw to this extent.
What are some of the things you like the most about being your own boss? You’ve talked a little bit about them, but other things that you love about being your own boss? So I enjoy working. I enjoy being able to come and go. As I said, um, I enjoy being able to say, you know, I don’t think we’re a match because I’ve got enough clientele that, you know, I can be a little bit more picky, choosy, and that is awesome.
That’s amazing. And I enjoy being able to, um, just literally anytime I want come in and work or don’t come in and work. I mean, I’m a workaholic, so it’s not like I’m slacking off, but I enjoy it.
(10:01 – 10:23)
What would you say to someone who’s considering starting a bookkeeping business? Oh, do it. Just do it. Just jump into it and do it.
I think, um, the fear of the unknown is what holds so many of us back. And that’s what held me back for so long was the fear of the unknown. Even, uh, even the money I had to pay for your class was like excruciating pain.
(10:24 – 12:10)
Because we were so, you know, broke living paycheck to paycheck, but I would do it a hundred times over. Absolutely. A heartbeat.
Um, we just need to jump out there because it’s free. Very cool. Very cool.
What if, if you were talking to someone, if you could talk to someone in the, you know, who’s willing to put in the work and do everything that’s required, can you speak a little bit about their chances of success without necessarily referring to my program? I think the chances of success are pretty high, uh, only because, you know, I, I find that a lot of the clientele don’t realize that, you know, so much is wrong in the books. And when they do realize that it’s like this huge cleanup and they know that they need you. And as long as you are, um, you are able to, you know, talk to them about some of the things I even, you know, give them a little tips all the time, as far as what they could change and it brings them back into it.
And I don’t think that even though QuickBooks does a lot for them, I don’t think that it’s something that is a necessary or going to be taken over, you know, by automated systems. I think it’s always going to be a necessity to have somebody looking at the books and taking care of them. So I think that the success rate can be high if you put the work in.
Very cool. Very cool. Well, Rachel, I got to tell you, I appreciate you taking the time today.
Your story is inspirational and that’s what conversations like this are for to help other people who might be able to identify with you, see what your path look like and help them determine what their path might look like too. So I appreciate you coming here today. Absolutely.
It was my pleasure. And that’s it. I’ll let you get back to your weekend.
And I just really appreciate your time. Yes, I appreciate you. Thank you.
All right. Thanks, Rachel. Have a good one.
You too. Bye-bye. Okay.
Bye-bye.
See More Booming Bookkeeping Business Reviews
Are you a stay-at-home parent in a single-income family, living paycheck to paycheck? So was Rachel, a mom of six. After years of financial struggle, she took a leap of faith and built a business that cleared over $20,000 in a single month. She now has complete financial peace and the freedom to homeschool her kids and volunteer at her church. If you’re ready to stop worrying about bills and start providing abundantly for your family, visit our website to learn how you can start your own Booming Bookkeeping Business.