The One Where We Go High

Feb 04, 2023

TL;DR

So, I am pretty polar opposite on the political spectrum from Michelle Obama, but she sure has been on my mind lately. In a good way.

Her most famous quote, “When they go low, we go high”, has been a soundtrack on repeat for me lately.

Each of us faces choices weekly, daily, hourly, moment by moment. Will we go low? Or will we go high?

Sometimes we can go low with clients.

Will you get so financially entangled with an App or Referral partner that you have clouded judgment?
- Does your client really need that higher level of that software? Does your client really benefit from migrating to a new payroll company that just happens to offer incentives to you? Tread cautiously.
- Remaining ethical on this point is tough because almost every accounting app is getting into the referral link game (some older programs are borderline MLMs! IYKYK). I’m not saying to NOT seek financial benefit from the products that you love. But, if you find yourself blind to any flaws or criticism of any partner in your business that increases your bottom line, you need to check your motives.
Do you bad mouth other accounting professionals your client has worked with to make yourself look better?
Are you overly eager to shill the value of S-corps to clients because it will enrich your bottom line (payroll compliance tasks, payroll software commissions, referral bucks from the tax pro you are in cahoots with, etc)?
How ‘bout all those unethical actions we keep hearing about for all that pandemic PPP and ERC money?

Sometimes we can go low with industry peers.

Are you helpful or only critical? You can point out errors while simultaneously offering solutions.
Does someone feel edified or battered after interacting with you?
Are you a better gatekeeper than a door-opener?
Will you celebrate the success of others or will you find a way to knock a success they shared?
Do you plagarize content from others?

And lest I point out the specks in other folks’ eyes and ignore the plank in my own eye, I’ll share some temptations that I have dealt with. This list is hardly exhaustive.

Temptations I personally face:

Not disclosing referral links to clients or prospects or strangers on the internet.
- “Ohhh…if I can just get her to click this little linky link.” Hush up, ya devil.
Deleting tweets and social posts/comments.
- If you delete something, you are still the kind of person who wrote it. I personally have a “no delete policy” to help make myself the way I know I want to act.
Claiming business expenses for things that are questionable.
- Just how much can I juice up this home office deduction?
Only offering criticism to folks who know less than I do about bookkeeping/tax/business.
- Can I just conveniently forget about the fact that there was a day that I didn’t even know that A = L + E or what were some good questions to put on a client intake form.
The possibility of getting my hands on email addresses for prospects in unethical ways.

Let’s make a pact to strive to be a community and industry known for “going high” so we can all look back in 5, 10, 20 years and be proud of the businesses and careers we have built.

And on the days where you can’t go high, just don’t go low. The damage to your reputation just isn’t worth it.

But you wanna know one thing that is worth it?

Taking an hour to attend the upcoming Intro to Xero session from this week’s sponsor. Bang the button, y’all. 👇

Deals Deals Deals

💰 In 2022 I took a 6 week program called Theater of Public Speaking. If you have any desire to present to businesses or other accounting professionals, it would be a great investment. Beyond teaching you fantastic skills, there is a community component to this that is definitely an “inner circle” of accounting professionals. I wrangled a $200 off deal for you with code “hustle”, but I am not getting any commissions if anyone buys. This is the kind of thing that change the course of accounting professionals lives. Please send me a photo of you doing your first presentation!

💰 If you already have your Basic QBO certification and have your sights on the QBO Advanced and Payroll certs, you can get a great deal on a bundle for the prep material for those two courses from Fast and Easy QBO.

Please always send me any news of deals that you hear of that others might benefit from.

Be There or Be Square

Items with a “+” are hosted by me. All these events can be viewed and registered for in the DESCRIPTIONS of each event on the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Calendar.

📅 +Mondays in February: Bookkeeping Side Hustle Community Co-working Hour. Join me on on Zoom every Monday at 11am EST and do some work. Zoom link (password: HUSTLE).

📅 +February 15: Job Placement Tips - Finding The Job You Want in the accounting industry (Guest Roger Knecht from Universal Accounting Center*)

📅 February 16: Intro to Xero. Join Xero for a demo of the platform and learn if you want to start serving clients on Xero. Register HERE.

📅 February 21-23: Profitable Bookkeeping Conference. If you want to get better paid for your hard work – if you want to be able to price your bookkeeping services confidently – this is the training to unlock the secrets. Oh, and it is FREE. Register HERE*.

📅 +Feb 22: Get Clients on Upwork with experts Serena Shoup (The Ambitious Bookkeeper*) and Michael King (The CFO Accelerator). These two have been around the Upwork block.

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Featured Posts

🌶️ After a tough situation with a client, Shelby S. requested some feedback on line items to add to your engagement letters that make the roles and expections more clear. I really like the suggestion about adding boxes to initial really important lines you want the client to really read. What do have to add?

🌶️ Rebecca W. gives a good caution about getting your official legal advice from strangers on social media. As she reminds everyone that there is a difference between sharing what YOU did and telling others what they should do.

Help You Hustle

💪 Did you catch the interview I did with Bill Von Fumetti about his Booming Bookkeeping Course? Is this the investment you need to make to get

💪 Jason Staat’s just announced a special 6 month series for his Realize community. I’ll let him describe it himself. This is next level in every way. Not for beginners. But this is one of the communities I mentioned in this video that I would consider if I trying to scale a large firm.

For Fun

There is another reason this edition is titled “The One Where We Go High”. Have you heard of Accounting High? It is a WHOLE thing. Just like school, there are janitors, librarians, principals, PE coaches. Hard to explain. Unorthodox. Nothing else out there like it.

But they are running a “March Appness Bracket” free contest and there is a trip to Hawaii on the line for anyone who plays the game. It is like a 64 team bracket, except the “teams” are the top 5 things that make your accounting life better. Only costs an email. And sounds pretty fun.

I already submitted my 5 nominations. I won’t be sad at all if YOU nominated the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Community. 😁

Jobs

Search the names of these individuals inside the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Group. I deliberately make it require a bit of work to find the job listing to discourage non-serious applicants.

💼 Diane O’Cain’s firm is growing and in need of a QBO certified, experienced bookkeeper.

💼 Alysia LaTourette is looking for someone interested in a full time position onboarding new clients.

💼 Brenda Weingart shared about a long term, full time remote - or in person (Canfield, OH) bookkeeping position.

💼 Liat Dayan posted a job opportunity for a part-time tax prep position.

💼 John Behrle is in need of an experienced bookkeeper - QBO & QBDT . This is a remote position, part-time with a flexible schedule.

💼 Jeannie Rovira shared a opportunity for an intake coordinator in North Carolina.

💼 Samantha Myres is looking for a bookkeeper out in the Albuquerque, NM area.

💼 Morgan Padgett shared a contract bookkeeping position with room to grow. Texas preferred, but open to others as well.

💼 Live in Texas? Sandra Helena Holtz Molidor is looking for a bookkeeper with experience working with realtors/landlords/real estate investors/fix and flippers.

💼 Susan Andrews is looking for a part-time, experienced bookkeeper to join her firm.

💼 Virginia Braun is hiring a part-time Sr. Bookkeeper for Braun Virtual Solutions. This is a remote position.

Don’t forget the standing opps on my Find A Freelance Job article. 1099 and W-2 opps.

Kate Builds In Public

🎢 I turned on a setting on my Calendly link to only allow one meeting booked per day. I had it set to two, but I don’t actually want two client meetings in one day. What would happen in your business if you ratched back your Calendar settings just a notch? Could you get more accomplished if you didn’t have as many meetings?

🎢 I made a software recommendation for one of my longest clients. I got it set up. Priced it hourly since it was a one time project. And then after year end, I discovered the plan did not work out as I thought it would. It’s a complex Balance Sheet/Multiple Owners issue and, honestly, way out of my normal kind of bookkeeping work. Now I’m torn about charging him for the time. Go read my dirty laundry in this post and see the responses I got. But in general, I have a pit in my stomach about the entire issue and wish I could have a do-over. I don’t have a boss to pass this decision off to. The buck stops with me.

🎢 The reason I’m so bullish on video content is because it really does allow prospects to get to know how valuable you are before you even talk to them. On a intro call with a prospect, she informed me that she had already nicknamed me “Kate the Great” and that she talks about me to her husband all the time. And this is not the first time that clients have told me that I was a part of their dinner time conversations before I had ever even spoken to them.
When those folks set up a call, I don't even have to sell. I just have to deliver.

🎢 Added another paying member to my FreshBooks office hours. 🎉

From The Vault

⚡ It is CLEAN UP SEASON! Make it rain! 💵💵💵

To ensure you are you are ready and equipped, watch the replay of the interview with Veronica Wasek where she taught us how to handle these prospects.

Do a PAID diagnostic review exactly like she teaches us in our interview.
Then use that info to create your proposal/pricing for the clean up and the ongoing monthly service.
(Optional) Purchase her template* to speed through the diagnostics and generate your impressive deliverable (for QBO clients).

❓ Does anyone know of a diagnostic review template for Xero users? Comment directly on this newsletter and share the resource!

Letters To The Editor

✉️ “Kate, Just so you know, I’m 37 and I joined Facebook for the first time in my life to join your group. I’m hardcore anti Facebook.” C.R.

Well, thanks, C.R. I promise to make it worth it!

Classifieds (Clickable 🖱)

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Keep hustling!

Kate

-Chief Hustler-

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