The Bookkeeper Basecamp Podcast

My special guest on this week's episode is Nicole Barham, founder of Design Your Wealth and the insanely popular, 5MinuteBookkeeper program. Today, Nicole is sharing her story of how she launched her business despite the struggles that she faced in her previous business venture, and how building a solution for herself morphed into the user-friendly bookkeeping solution that is creating buzz throughout the online space.  This episode is part inspiration/motivation, part technical, part strategy, and all evolutionary.  I wanted to bring Nicole on the show to show just how critical it is, for the survival of this industry, for us to assess, to strategize modernization plans, and to evolve – so we can all elevate in our businesses.  Tune in to hear Nicole's thoughts around: How she created a solution that she needed in her own business that led her to her breakthrough ideaHow marketing and doing business online doesn't always align with traditional ways of doing bookkeeping How simplifying her product and strategy led to more income The mindset shifts that were necessary and how her network marketing background helped her in her bookkeeping business  About Nicole:  Nicole Barham is the founder and CEO of Design Your Wealth® and creator of 5 Minute Bookkeeper®. She works with women entrepreneurs showing them how to go from being stressed-out about business finances and scrambling at tax time to being on top of their finances like clockwork. She's been featured in Time, Essence, Black Enterprise, First for Women and Medium and seen on Good Morning America and The Breakfast Club sharing her secrets to getting and staying on top of your finances in just a few minutes a day. Connect with Nicole: Visit her website: https://www.designyourwealth.netWatch a demo of her signature system: https://5minutebookkeeper.com/Follow her on Instagram: @5minutebookkeeper   Join the Free Online Community for Virtual Bookkeepers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookkeeperbasecamp Want to share your bookkeeping success story with our listeners?Visit our website: https://sparkhustleflow.com/podcast-app/

On this week's episode I'm chatting with Joyce Washington: a business strategist and virtual CFO who helps small business owners keep more of their profits, pay less in taxes, and earn more money through savvy money management. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, and she is a certified advisor for Xero. And that's what this episode is about -- we talk all about how she helps her clients using Xero, why she decided to focus solely on that platform instead of QuickBooks, and what the transition was like as she made the switch.So if you have been considering niching your virtual bookkeeping business by way of the financial platform you're using, this is the episode for you. 

5 Organic Ways to Get More Eyeballs on Your Virtual Bookkeeping Business On today's episode I'm sharing with you 5 organic ideas and ways to get more eyeballs on your virtual bookkeeping offers.If you want to build an audience, you need to come out from behind the keyboard. You cannot hide behind your computer screen anymore. It's going to take you doing some things that might be outside of your comfort zone. It's going to take you letting go of perfectionism, letting go of what other people might think of you, and just sharing your message and talking to your audience.And your audience not only wants to hear your voice, they want to see your face.Static posts are good, but they no longer work as well to extend our reach and fill out pipeline like they used to. So that's why today I'm sharing with you 5 organic ways that you can get eyeballs on your offer.Resources mentioned:Tanya Smith's Stream Bosses Academy — join this program to help you get over the fear of going live on video

On this episode, I'm talking with K. Nicole Turner, owner of TKO Solutions, LLC – a full service virtual bookkeeping firm specializing in working with marginalized operators in the transportation industry. Nicole shares her personal journey on how she came to focus on this niche market and the lessons she learned along the way.Listen in as Nicole shares how she infuses her personality into her business and how she serves her clients, providing valuable insights and strategies for those looking to do the same.Key takeaways from this episode include: The importance of finding a niche market and understanding the unique needs of your clients.How Nicole came to specifically work with women and minorities. The value of infusing your personality into your business and how it can help you stand out in a crowded marketThe lessons Nicole learned about working with different types of clients and how it helped her to better serve her clients.If you're a virtual bookkeeper looking to serve marginalized operators in the transportation industry or simply interested in learning more about this niche market, be sure to tune in to this episode of The Bookkeeper Basecamp Podcast.About Nicole: K. Nicole Turner has over 20 years of accounting and bookkeeping experience within various industries to including oil and gas, manufacturing and commercial real estate. TKO is a full charge bookkeeping firm dedicated not only to tracking the financial position of your business but also to ensuring your business is in position to grow and scale. Connect with Nicole: FB & IG @TKOFinancialSolutionsLLCClubhouse @TKONicoleTurner 281-944-8440tkofinsol@gmail.comNicole is also a member of the Bookkeeper Evolution™: The Incubator – our business training program for emerging virtual bookkeepers who are prioritizing business strategy and client attraction in their business, so they can quickly grow with ease. Keywords: Virtual bookkeeping, transportation industry, marginalized operators, trucking industry, niche market, serving clients, personality in business, lessons learned.

I'm so excited to be spotlighting one of my clients in our group coaching and business development program, the Incubator. For those of you who may not have heard about it before, the Incubator is a coaching container where I help emerging virtual bookkeepers develop their business strategy and marketing plans, design their long-term goals for scaling, and overcome the mindset trash that often accompanies you on that journey.  Amira Scott is one of our founding members, so we have been working together for a little while. And she's had some pretty incredible business breakthroughs during that time period. And like so many of you podcast listeners, Amira is building her business in parallel with a demanding 9-5 corporate job.  On this episode, Amira and I discuss some of the challenges (the ones she expected and the ones that seemingly came out of nowhere), and what she does to get around the obstacles as they come up.  Before we closed out this episode, we spent some time talking about what she's accomplished and loves about being a founding member of Bookkeeper Evolution Incubator. So if you're on the fence about joining us when the doors re-open, you definitely want to hear what Amira has to say.  About Amira: Amira F. Scott is a skilled accounting professional with nearly 20 years of experience in the finance industry. Scott has helped both small businesses and million-dollar companies be more mindful of their finances in order to reach their goals.By using mindfulness tools and resources, Scott has helped clients change the trajectory of their financial livelihood. Her extensive background in accounting gives her a foundation to help businesses large and small scale and grow. Visit Amira's website to schedule a consultation: www.mindfulcashflow.com 

This week's episode is a replay of a live training I did over in the free Bookkeeper Basecamp community on Facebook.Paying attention to, and then implementing the principles I share in this training will help position you for success in 2023.If you're a virtual bookkeeper running your own business, or you aspire to start your own virtual bookkeeping business, you really ought to check out the community: I go live in that group at least 3 or 4 times per month to share my insights, offer free trainings, and host office hours to help you launch and grow your own successful bookkeeping business.These are the things I want you to focus on for the next 60 days or so:1. The Law of TransformationTransformation beats transactions, when it comes to business.2. The Law of OwnershipUnderstand the pieces of the process that you own vs your client owns, and set expectations and boundaries accordingly during onboarding.3. The Law of OptimizationHave processes in place that help you manage your time so you are as efficient as possible.4. The Law of AppreciationRecognize the value that your results create for your clients.5. The Law of LeadershipPosition yourself as the CEO of your company, not an employee or technician of your company. Resources mentioned: Scribe - Turn your processes into step-by-step guidesGet on the waitlist for the Bookkeeper Evolution Incubator: https://SparkHustleFlow.com/Incubator_Waitlist

One of the biggest challenges that virtual bookkeepers have is overcoming their discomfort or fear of selling their services. It's a huge challenge because as we all know, if you're not selling, you're not making any money in this business.  In this episode, my guest, client attraction and sales coach Leigh Ann Heil and I, break down some of these challenges and how you can overcome any fear you may have around selling. We also talked about how changing how you think about selling is absolutely critical for going from sales-challenged to sales-savvy. When you have an ability to authentically share stories about yourself and your experiences, selling is much easier. Leigh Ann shares just how much easier it can be by sharing how her experiences as a musician helped shape what she does as a client attraction coach. With all the gems she drops during our conversation, you'll want to listen to this more than once, so be sure to bookmark it so you come back to it often.  Here's how to connect with Leigh Ann: Sign up for a guide on how to attract higher end clients: leighannheil.comJoin her FB group for new trainings every month – Clients, Cash, and CredibilityListen to her podcast – Clients, Cash, and Credibility Watch her masterclass all about her predictions about the client attraction landscape for the next 6 months – over in her free FB group  About LeighAnn: LeighAnn Heil helps coaches attract high-ticket clients using luxury marketing techniques simple sales strategies and prestige positioning. Her clients refer to her as their fairy godmother because she weaves magic in their business with her sales psychology techniques. LeighAnn spent 20+ years as a pro musician, director and promoter. She has been featured in media such as NBC, Forbes, and Billboard Top 100. She is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur magazine. LeighAnn also enjoys going to Caribbean beaches, playing guitar, making people laugh at inopportune moments, and watching her clients step into wealth.

There are 2 things that I hear all the time from new virtual bookkeepers for when it comes to finding and connecting with clients: 1 – the market is so saturated that it's hard to stand out2 – they have chosen to not specialize in any one particular area or industry because they're afraid that the pool, that already seems small, will become even more crowded  If you have been around me for a while, you'll know that I am a huge supporter of knowing your strengths, and applying them when it comes to designing your marketing strategy. And a big part of a successful marketing strategy that makes you money is deciding what types of businesses you want to serve.  My guest this week agrees with me – and she did it herself. That decision has propelled her to create a successful financial services practice, and make some significant lifestyle changes at the same time.  During our chat, Simone and I talk about: what it's like being a digital expat, what it's like working in an emerging industry, and how you, too, can carve out a lane all of your own in that same space. If you've been thinking about going from a general bookkeeper to one so specialized that your client roster is, as we like to call it, hooked, booked, and busy, then you definitely want to listen in as we talk with Simone about how she found success by niching down in the cannabis industry. Check out The Cannabis Business Minds Podcast here: https://cannabisbusinessminds.com/category/podcast/Follow CBM on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/cannabisbusinessminds/