Entrepreneurs are known to give special shout-outs to certain consultants whose work seems unrelated to the entrepreneur's company (accounting and food?) but without whom they could never have been successful. This is the nature of starting something from scratch, and it always helps when the consultant in question happens to be an entrepreneur herself. Meet the official Good Food Jobs accountant, Jelina. She's on your side. She makes tax season not only fast and easy, but pleasurable because we always look forward to scheduling a meeting or a call with her, to catch up on life, baking, and 1099s.
When did you know that you wanted to start your own business?
While working for accounting firms, I often found myself really frustrated over how little time was spent on client- accountant relations. Often times, accountants meet with their clients during tax season but are unavailable throughout the year to discuss tax planning strategies that may reduce tax liabilities.
These circumstances motivated me to open a firm that would cater to the client. I wanted to meet clients on a quarterly basis for tax planning, provide PT CFO services, share the names of bankers lending to small businesses (even if it meant a Skype meeting or a conference call), and enjoy a work atmosphere unlike that typical in the accounting world. I always knew that the success of Accounting Management was never going to be dependent on the quantity of clients, but on how well it assisted current clients to be successful small business owners.
How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for running your own business?
Working for different accounting firms helped me gain first-hand experience on the accounting rules and regulations for different industries.
What is the most satisfying part about the work that you do?
The most satisfying part about the work that I do is seeing my clients become more profitable and successful with my help. As an entrepreneur, and especially as an accountant, the success of my business is a candid reflection of the success of my clients' businesses. I enjoy finding the best solution for any client inquiries, and especially love to work with start-up companies because it allows me to help them make impacting decisions - whether it is what type of business entity to choose, or which merchant service is best suited for them.
What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job?
Time! Accounting is deadline-oriented by nature, so anyone familiar with preparing taxes knows that there are certain periods where there does not seem to be enough time to complete all the required work. Meeting with clients and doing the "behind-the-scenes" work involved in running a business adds to this, and I often find myself working almost non-stop for weeks just to ensure that everything is done completely and efficiently.
Even so, I never thought about calling it quits. I love what I do, and so enjoy all that it comes with. Post-tax season is all the more gratifying!
If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?
Xerox Laser Ink! As much as we try to go green and paperless, we still seem to run out of ink all the time!
Come late Janaury, when W-2s and 1099s start rolling in, it's natural to break out in hives if you don't have an accountant lined up. Drop a line to Jelina at jelina@accountingmanagementinc.com and let her know you saw her GFJ profile. She'll be happy to help put you at ease come April 15th. Otherwise, leave a question for her here.