We sat down with Women to Women Network member Sonia Crawford, owner of Simply Honest BookKeeping, and here’s what she had to say…

Who are your clients/customers?

Anyone could be a potential client—individuals, companies, personal or business. People who don't know how to do bookkeeping or simply can't keep up with it, or even those that don't want to even though they could. People who want to do it themselves but don't know how to and want to learn—I am happy to teach them! My ideal client is someone who wants to partner and be involved in the process. There is a certain amount of give-and-take and it requires open communication on both sides. I do prefer working remotely, online, but I can and do work onsite on the client's own computer at their place of business.

How do you help your clients/customers?

I help bring order to chaos! I keep their books up to date, help categorize transactions correctly, and make it possible to get accurate reports in real-time. Plus I help my clients get their books accountant-ready as early as possible at the beginning of the year so they don't have to file an extension for taxes.

What brought you to this line of work?

I discovered a love for bookkeeping when I was twelve and took a class called Careers. They gave us a checkbook and register, jobs, and had us track everything. It was all theoretical of course but I loved the idea that I could keep track of things if I wrote them all down in one place. And I loved how I could bring everything into balance. I carried this love with me into the real world in college with my own personal finance, but it never occurred to me that I could do this as a career or a business.

My first degree was in teaching because my parents wanted me to have a degree, but I was intent on getting married and having kids. I did end up teaching for a while and even ran a preschool for a couple of years, but teaching was never what I really wanted to do. When my own kids entered college, I went back to school and got an accounting degree which finally allowed me to do what I had always loved: keeping books. Yet even though my senior project was to write a business plan, I never thought I would have my own business.

I started out working for another bookkeeping service, but after a couple of years, it was time to break out on my own. So I took the step and launched SImply Honest Bookkeeping and the rest is history, as they say.

What brings you the most joy in your business?

Helping others, plain and simple. Accurate bookkeeping is such an essential piece of any successful business. If I can help bring order to the books and give someone the true picture of their finances, then I have made a difference and that feels good.

What defines you/your business?

What you see is what you get: simple, honest bookkeeping. I’m not complicated and how I work with my clients is straightforward with easy, open lines of communication. I am also very accommodating—maybe to a fault—but I can’t stop the collaborative spirit at the core of who I am and what I do.

What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business?

I will always do my best to do what’s best for my clients.

For more insight and bookkeeping know-how for your business or personal finances, follow Sonia’s Blog.