EP470: Nellie Akalp - How To Boost Revenue With Compliance Services
“By offering corporate services, compliance services, payroll and sales tax registration services to their clients, they're actually not only enhancing their trusted advisory services, but they're also scaling their revenues, increasing their revenues. More importantly, they are keeping that client with them long term because they're becoming a one-stop shop.” -Nellie Akalp Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, shares how bookkeepers and accounting professionals can elevate their advisory role, boost retention, and increase revenue—all by helping clients with business formations, payroll tax registration, BOI filings, and more. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why compliance services are a natural extension of bookkeeping Flexible ways to earn (referral, reseller, or hybrid) What bookkeepers get wrong about forming LLCs and S-corps To learn more about Nellie, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 2:36 – Nellie’s Background 05:43 – Why Compliance Services Matter 09:02 – Practical Compliance Support 13:21 – The Revenue Potential of Compliance 18:06 – Bookkeepers as Strategic Partners 22:41 – Getting Started with Compliance 27:51 – Embracing Compliance as a Growth Area This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place. Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!
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26:04
EP469: Holly Corcoran - How Bookkeepers Can Build Strong Partnerships With CPAs
“Go out, stick your hand out, say hello and start talking. It's not easy, but over time it becomes easier and it's definitely worthwhile just creating the relationships either virtually or physically in the community.” -Holly Corcoran Holly Corcoran, owner and CEO of Corcoran Business Advisory Services, shares her journey from running a traditional CPA firm to launching a virtual, advisory-focused business that specializes in veterinary practices. She explains why she chose this niche, the value of niching down, and the importance of collaboration between bookkeepers and accountants. In this episode, you’ll also learn… Why collaboration between bookkeepers & CPAs leads to better client outcomes What bookkeepers can do to build strong, lasting partnerships with accounting firms The benefits of focusing on a specific niche like veterinary practices To learn more about Holly, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:22 – Holly‘s transition from traditional CPA to advisory work 01:41 – How Holly got into veterinary advisory 03:41 – Benefits of niching & the unique needs of veterinary clients 06:10 – Developing branding, virtual practice setup & publishing her book 07:16 – Role of bookkeepers in Holly’s advisory model & collaborative opportunities 09:02 – Key qualities of a good bookkeeping partner & working relationship dynamics 11:30 – Red flags bookkeepers should watch for when partnering with CPAs 13:42 – Virtual firm structure & plans for national exposure in the veterinary space 16:07 – Holly’s strategy for outreach & educational webinars 17:56 – Perceptions and misconceptions between CPAs & bookkeepers 20:42 – The value of outsourcing, avoiding DIY traps & preventing fraud 24:44 – Encouragement for bookkeepers to connect with CPAs & overcome intimidation 27:20 – Final thoughts on consistency, outreach & building strategic relationships This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place. Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!
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29:06
EP468: Nick Mullen - Cybersecurity Mistakes That Could Cost You Everything
“If you think about the most common mistake that most small and mid-sized business owners make when it comes to cybersecurity, it's this assumption that ‘I'm not very big. It's not going to happen to me’. And so they're not doing any security or they're doing minimal security measures in place.” -Nick Mullen Cybersecurity expert, Nick Mullen, founder and CEO of Entoo Security, shares the rising threats facing bookkeepers and accounting professionals. He provides real-world examples, common vulnerabilities, and how bookkeepers can protect themselves and their clients using the FTC Safeguards Rule as a blueprint for compliance. In this interview, you'll learn: The 3 major cyber threats facing bookkeepers How social engineering tricks users into handing over sensitive info Why small firms are easier targets— and how criminals exploit that To learn more about Nick and his services, click here. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 02:13 – Nick’s Mullen’s background 04:05 – The biggest threat today: Ransomware 06:42 – Real-World Scam Examples 09:13 – How to Protect Your Money 12:11 – A $400K Real-Life Loss 14:36 – The most common mistake business owners make 17:18 – Social Engineering Tactics 20:11 – How criminals insert themselves into real email conversations to redirect payments. 23:27 – What is Ransomware? 27:25 – Risk Assessment 31:43 – Compliance Checklist 33:28 – Regulatory Fines 35:32 – How Entoo Security Helps 38:09 – Why cybersecurity is as essential as bookkeeping This episode is brought to you by our friends at BILL! BILL is the smarter way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow — all on one platform and they’re designed to help bookkeepers succeed and grow, whether you have your own bookkeeping firm or you’re a bookkeeper at an accounting firm. To find out more, check out BILL.com/successfulbookkeeper TODAY!
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38:17
EP467: Debra Kilsheimer - Building A Bookkeeping Business On Your Own Terms
“Define your customer first. I only want to work with people who understand that accounting is important to their business.” -Debra Kilsheimer Debra Kilsheimer, owner of Behind the Scenes Financial Services, shares her journey from growing up in an accounting household to running a modern, client-focused bookkeeping business. She discusses the power of flat-rate pricing, building strong client relationships and how embracing technology can transform your business plus much more! Connect with her on LinkedIn and Facebook. To listen to The Bookkeepers on Fire podcast, click here. Check out her YouTube channel at this link. Time Stamp 01:05 - Debra’s journey into accounting 04:31 - Early career struggles & leaving CPA firms 08:51 - Building a thriving firm with a focus on forward-looking financial strategies12:06 - Becoming a QuickBooks Pro Advisor 19:31 - Defining the ideal client & pricing strategies 25:46 - Embracing technology & efficiency30:05 - Work-Life balance & boundaries42:00 - Where to find Debra This episode is brought to you by our friends at BILL! BILL is the smarter way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow — all on one platform and they’re designed to help bookkeepers succeed and grow, whether you have your own bookkeeping firm or you’re a bookkeeper at an accounting firm. To find out more, check out BILL.com/successfulbookkeeper TODAY!
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43:42
EP466: Rae Gagnon - Scaling A Bookkeeping Business With Systems & Strategy
“As I was building all these processes in my mind, if I had been documenting them, I would have not had to spend that two years documenting everything after the fact when the team started to come. If you're good at what you do, your accountants are going to find you and they're going to start referring business to you. So just to have those processes documented and you're ready for when they come, that's gonna be a huge time saver.” -Rae Gagnon In this episode, Rae Gagnon, founder of Blue Jean Business Solutions, discusses the challenges of fast growth, the importance of documenting processes, and how systemizing allowed her to take a 10-week break without disruptions. In this episode, you’ll also learn... How niching in real estate bookkeeping accelerated growth The power of referrals & partnerships in scaling a firm Moving beyond bookkeeping with advisory & financial coaching To learn more about Rae, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 02:06 – Rae’s journey into bookkeeping 04:10 – Finding a niche in real estate 08:18 – Rapid business growth 10:38 – Managing growth & personal life challenges 11:59 – Hiring & scaling the business 14:28 – Implementing systems & processes 16:15 – Strengths & weaknesses as a business owner 18:06 – Industry changes in real estate 20:38 – Advice for bookkeepers starting their business 22:31 – Implementing Pure Bookkeeping System 24:28 – The impact of systemization 28:08 – Transitioning to advisory services 30:25 – Expanding offerings beyond bookkeeping 33:42 – What’s next? 34:39 – Final thoughts This episode is brought to you by our friends at BILL! BILL is the smarter way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow — all on one platform and they’re designed to help bookkeepers succeed and grow, whether you have your own bookkeeping firm or you’re a bookkeeper at an accounting firm. To find out more, check out BILL.com/successfulbookkeeper TODAY!
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.
Your Host
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.
Ireland