Book-It Accounting Services
Owner/Founder: Magen Smith
Website: book-itaccounting.com
Facebook | Twitter: @SmithMagenCPA
Q. Tell us about the evolution of your business. Where did you start in growing your business and how did the business that we see today come to be?
I have been in public accounting since 2008 and always felt that there was much to be desired when it came to serving my clients. After I became pregnant with my second child, I knew that something had to give. I was working lots of hours during tax season and felt that I could make a bigger impact in people’s lives if I quit and started my own business. I love teaching small business owners about all the super cool cloud products that are now available, like bill paying, invoicing and taking pictures of your receipts all from your phone! Gone are the days when you would throw your receipts in a shoebox and bring them to your accountant at the end of the year. To succeed in business today, you HAVE to know the financial part of things, and my job is to make that as easy and fun as possible.
Q. How many employees do you have and how did you come about finding them?
Just me for now!
Q. Who are your clients and why do they work with you?
I really enjoy working with small business owners that have a passion for what they do. I want to help them turn that spark into a burning fire. I love to make the accounting side of things as painless as possible, so that my customers have the information to make the important financial decisions. I am a big advocate of having a plan for your business. I offer coaching sessions or the lighter “coffee consult”. I am a small business owner too and it is hard doing it all on your own. Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to and help bounce ideas off of. People work with me because I genuinely want them to succeed. I want to be so much more than the CPA that you see once a year. I want to be involved in your business, coach you through ideas, hold your hand when you take the next scary step. That is why I got into accounting. It is so much more than numbers.
Q. How do you choose what services to offer within your brand?
I only offer services that I am passionate about. I am passionate about things that make my clients life easier. There is no reason for someone to sit down with their bank statement at the end of the month and key in checks. I love to design and implement cloud based systems that remove the data entry element, so the my customers can have accurate financial information at all times. I think a CPA should not only help you with your number stuff, but with your overall business as well. There are too many small business owners without a plan. They are too busy putting out fires every day and have never sat down and thought about the big picture. I love to help people do that. I want to take you to a high level view of your company and decide where you want to go. Then we zoom down and set a plan for action to get there. Every step of the way should be compared to the big picture to make sure it fits and that we are making progress. My goal is to make Book-It Accounting Services completely virtual, so that we can serve anyone, anywhere.
Q. What are some of the out-of-the box ways you market your business?
I do online marketing via facebook and such. I have a blog on my website that I try to post information that is relevant to small business owners, instead of your run of the mill tax advice. I am also of the belief that if I provide excellent service, my customers will tell their friends.
Q. What advice would you give to someone looking at or just getting into your type of business?
The CPA industry is at a major crossroads. The traditional model of clients only needing tax work at the end of the year is coming to a close. I think that customers want a proactive CPA that will help them grow their business. I also do not bill by the hour, or send a surprise bill when the work is done. I meet with potential customers before the work is done and we agree on the services and a price. I would tell anyone that is considering the CPA profession to learn the rules and regulations and then get out and talk to their clients. Figure out what they want and give it to them.
Q. Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I hope that I am able to work completely virtually in 5 years and support my family. It is wonderful being able to be home with my kids while I work and I want to grow enough so that my husband can do the same. As long as I can help make my customers lives better, I will be happy.
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