Latest / Sukany4: The Walk and Talk Podcast / S1E10 - Gillian Keegan - Windermere Park - Bookkeeping, Business Ownership and Balance

Transcript

S1E10 - Gillian Keegan - Windermere Park - Bookkeeping, Business Ownership and Balance · Sukany4: The Walk and Talk Podcast

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to another episode of the podcast.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: Today I'm joined by the lovely Jillian Keegan from Evergreen Bookkeeping for a refreshing pre-work walk around Windermere Park, along with her trusty office mascot, the lovely Fluffy Lily.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: As we looped around the park, we chatted about how Jillian started Evergreen Bookkeeping in 2019, how it's become a family affair with her sister and her niece, and the difference between bookkeeping and accounting.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: We also dove into the challenges of fitting a grown business around home life, helping with her husband's bookkeeping and the ongoing evolution of her business with the learning, adapting, and improving.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: Jillian shared her thoughts on marketing and the business and more, and attracting new clients, as well as her plans for quarter four of 2024, which sound incredibly busy.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: We couldn't resist talking about the top three mistakes people make with bookkeeping and how AI is becoming a positive force in the industry.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: Plus, Jillian's love for working to the smooth tunes of Mr.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Boudley also make an appearance.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_02: So grab your trainers and join us for a walk around the park with Gillian and Lily.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: You won't want to miss it.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_03: Hi Jill.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: Are you Jill or Jillian?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_03: I don't mind.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_03: I I am Jillian by birth, but um yeah, people can call me Jill, that's no problem, and I don't mind.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, cool.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_03: So how are you today?
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: I'm good.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_03: I'm really well.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah and who's this that's with us?
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: So we've got Lily.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: So Lily is the little office mascot, and she's come with me to work every day of her life.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, has she?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's so nice.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so she's actually she's gonna be nine on the 17th, so she's uh she's kind of aging.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_03: She's getting on, she's getting on, but she's still very puppy-like, and yeah, everybody loves her.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's really nice.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_03: And um, so your office is based in Windermere now, isn't it?
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_03: It is, yes.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_03: How long has that been there?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_03: So we recently moved in April, yeah.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um downf uh up from Ray Rig Road, yeah.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_03: So I was on Ray Rig Road for uh since about 2019.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_03: And oh wow, yeah, because the business was expanding, we just needed a bit extra room, yeah.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_03: And um, we also have another business as well that my husband runs, and he always needing a bit of office space.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, we came across this one and it's it's amazing.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's there's lots of room, lots of light, yeah, and uh we're really enjoying it.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_03: So it's quite a family affair then in the office space.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_03: Well, it is.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: I've got my sister who does bookkeeping as well, she works with me.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and then my niece joined us at the beginning of the year.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, that's amazing.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: That was uh happened by chance, really.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_03: She she got a degree in veterinary nursing.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, didn't like it.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_03: Really?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, wow.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_03: So she then she said, uh I said, Well, I could do with help with payroll.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_03: So she's she's learning payroll now, so she's gonna do that side of things.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's really cool.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like this is like a we'll see this in I don't know a hundred years' time.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: Established in 2019.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that'd be awesome.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that would that would that would.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I say I I was this the um I moved into the office in 2019 and set up the limited company, but previous to that I'd I'd been sole trading as a business um a bookkeeper.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: And work from home.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: So you've worked for yourself the whole time then.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, pretty much.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, but it was just getting too much at home, the amount of paperwork and things like that.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_03: And moving to the office was the best thing I did.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: It was you know, you have your own work and home space.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_03: Space, yeah.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: That that separation's important, isn't it?
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean I do work from home a lot, but I think I've just got used to that kind of keep it all in the office.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: I never let it spill out into my kitchen or my lounge or I keep those spaces quite separate, but I get what you mean.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_03: If if we did we uh the house we live in at the moment, we just don't have a a spare office or anything like that.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_03: So it was literally, you know, paperwork in the lounge and it just didn't work.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it gets too hectic.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: Especially with both of you working for yourselves.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: Ex exactly, that's it.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it did get like that.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: So um, but yeah, the business has grown and expanded, and yeah, um it's it I took Cameron on I think three years now, she's been working with me.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: So um it's yeah, it's going well.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_02: So what attracted you to this line of work?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it's as as you know, before you answer, you've done my bookkeeping.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah and I hate it, and I just don't understand it.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't it's like a whole mystery to me.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's it's one of those things, and I kind of uh fell into it.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's just gonna take her off the lead.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, there you go.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, we keep we kind of fell into it because I was doing my husband had his own business.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we were originally from Bolton and we moved up 2001.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_03: Do you mind just catching some photos for me, please?
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_02: Is that alright?
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, is that alright?
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: Just because I don't want to stop the recording.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_03: No, that makes sense.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: Because it pauses the recording and then we lose the flow.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: So just some kind of like Yeah, just of where we are.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: That looks beautiful, doesn't it?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: It does.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_02: I love morning sunshine.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's the best time of day.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I kind of like all day as long as it's daylight.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_03: Should put my sunglasses on, actually.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_03: Sorry, you were saying.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: So we moved up from Bolton, uh 2001, and we we moved up and got a guest house, which was yeah, um, quite new to us.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_03: My dad was here with a guest house, and we thought, oh great, let's move up.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_03: So I moved up with my sister and her family.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_03: We ran it together for a couple of years.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I was doing all things but uh the finances as well.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_03: And then our accountant said, Um, oh, we s we sold after a couple of years, bought our own houses, and our husbands had a construction business together.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_03: So um our accountant at the time said, Oh, do you fancy doing a bit more?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: Do you fancy didn't helping me out?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: I said, Yeah, okay, then.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: So it was kind of I was doing my husband's book, books, and then also doing a little bit for the accountant.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_03: And then it gradually grew, and I did have a job in a bank as well.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: So it was kind of a a sideline thing, yeah.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_03: And then I was given more and more clients.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_03: So in 2015 I took a qualification and I know I went to do it full-time.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: Right, well, and how did you find the process of studying as an adult?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, so this was done um as a one-day um thing at college.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I did there for one went there for one day and then it in an evening I did all the other.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: Um so it is difficult fitting it in with children, yeah.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_03: When you've got children and and you're trying to run your personal life and help your husband with his business.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it is full on.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I got it, I'm glad I did it.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: How did you now you look back on it, do you think, how did I do that?
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, I I think that a lot of a lot of things.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_03: I think, oh, how did I fit that in?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_03: You know, when you're like you stop doing something and then you get really busy again.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_03: You thought, how did I manage to do all that before when I can't even do this now and I'm doing less?
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_03: It just it just happens, doesn't it?
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: But I think I've all I've always been a busy person, I've always done lots and lots of things.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, sorry, you'll have to excuse me a minute.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: I'm just no worries.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: So just managing to squeeze it in.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's right.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_02: Because you just kind of find the energy from somewhere if it's something you're you're really driven to do, don't you?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_03: And it was it was never like when I was at school, um, I was okay with maths, but it was never my best subject.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: Well, that's reassuring to know.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: Because I always assume that everyone that goes into this line of work must be passionate about maths.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no, it's nothing like that at all.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: And there is a lot of data entry, and you kind of but you do need to have a bit of a mathematical mind to be able to see things and and work out why is that not adding up, yeah, to that kind of thing.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_03: But um, yeah, so I I I kind of fell into to doing bookkeeping and um you know it's just grown and grown, and um I get on with the clients really well, which is nice.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I I want them to succeed, so yeah, you know, I want to make life easier for them.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, this is how I'm gonna move the business forward to to be a bit more helpful uh rather than just do the books and that's it.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_02: So it'd be more of a strategic help than uh I'll just do what you tell me to do, kind of help.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_03: So we can look more into their accounts and we can see where things are going, more regular meetings, um, and we can chat over before because uh a lot of people don't quite understand the difference between bookkeeping and accounting.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: No, so you've got a bookkeeper enters all the incoming expenses throughout the year.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: They um can do cash flow forecasts because they're on it regular, they see the accounts regular.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um so you could have meetings to you know, if they've got a big project coming up, and then we can have a chat and say, Well, look, you're gonna need to make this much much money before you get there.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then a lot of clients, you know, they don't see their accountant for a whole year.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_03: So they they and if they have a bookkeeper who's doing the work and they don't meet up with them either, right?
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_03: You know, they're not getting any input on how their business is really doing.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_03: So um it's important we have these meetings to keep them in control so they they know how they're doing.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and and this is where I really want to go with it.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: So, yeah.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_03: That's kind of your vision, yeah.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and how do you attract your clients?
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: So I've been very, very lucky in the past in that I've I've been handed them to me.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay, yeah.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_03: So I've I've been really privileged.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I work with an accountant and he very generously offered them to me.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay, yeah.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_03: And so I took them on, and I I still I have all of them, so I'm presuming they're all very happy with me still.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but moving on, I would like to expand the business a bit more, so I will be advertising um mainly through like social media, so yeah, got LinkedIn, doing a lot of networking as well.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_03: I'm in a couple of networking groups, yeah.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and promoting the business.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: So at the moment I'm in Pink Link.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um, I'm also a member of the FSB in Chamber of Commerce.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, what is FSB?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_03: So that's a federation of small businesses.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_03: And it is um they provide support um to to business owners, yeah.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um they provide networking, they um training courses, legal advice, um quite an you know array of of services really.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um if you if you're struggling with any not alone.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_03: No, exactly.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: Oh that's good, yeah.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and because obviously we met through Pink Link, yeah.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: And for me, one of the big things about networking is the access to some pretty incredible people, yes, and the energy you get from all of that um drive and motivation, and also sharing when you don't feel that drive and motivation, and you're feeling like actually this is really hard, yes, and where do I go from here?
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: And that sense of community I think is really important.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_03: I have only recently joined Pink Link, um so my first meeting was in June.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, and I'm just I absolutely love it.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's the the ladies that turn up are lovely, and you know, all the information you get, and I'm fascinated when I hear about all the other businesses and what they do.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, there's so many, isn't there?
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_03: There are, yeah, they're so different.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_03: And it's it's it's amazing people think of these things to do.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's not your normal bookkeeping's a pretty average, you know, well-known occupation.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_03: But you've got fire walking, yeah.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I know.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm not I'm definitely not very creative, so yeah.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: If I didn't go down the path of going to university and sort of falling into what I do, I don't know what I'd be doing because I'm not that interesting in terms of um thinking outside the box.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: My thought process is very traditional.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_03: I think I'm a bit like that.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I d I don't really my my imagination.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: But no, it's uh no, it's great, it's a great networking group, and um as as I said, I've just joined, so I will be continuing to go.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um and looking forward to all the meetups.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: So, in terms of your bookkeeping sort of credentials, how do you stay on top of all that and make sure you're compliant and all that good stuff?
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so bookkeeping, um a lot for a long time accountants were always the top dog, and bookkeepers were kind of the underdog.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_03: And it was like bookkeeping's easy, anyone can do it.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_03: Anyone can do it, you know.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you don't you don't need all you have to do income and expenses, that's it.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, not realizing there is an awful lot more to it.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um that it's very time consuming, yeah.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, having to go through bank statements and double check the invoices if you've that registered, obviously you've got to check your VAT and ensure that you are allowed to claim that VAT.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: So um Yeah, there's so many rules around the expenses, so many rules, and people think you can just claim anything.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_03: You know, clothing's a massive one.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_03: People think they can put through anything, but you can't.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_03: You can't you can't go and buy a coffee and put it through.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, you can't.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I haven't, but I just want to put that up there.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_03: It has to be solely for business purposes, right?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_03: If you were travelling somewhere and you were meeting a client, yes, you could buy yourself a coffee, okay, you know, if if it's more than a certain amount of miles away from where you normally work.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_03: Is it is a bit crazy.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_03: Anyway, but yes, you do um, so there's quite a lot of qualifications out there.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_03: So I did um level three AAT uh diploma in um accounting, uh-huh.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then I've also got ICB qualification as well, which is Institute of Certified Bookkeepers.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_03: So my practice is a member of that also.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_03: So I've got a practice license.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_03: We also have to be really, really strict on anti-money laundering.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay, yeah, that makes sense.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: You constantly have to do training in that, make sure, note everything down, double checking your client's work, making sure there's no strange things going on.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um so there is an awful lot to do.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um have you ever been in a situation where you've had to call out a client?
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_02: No, no, I've not, luckily.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: Because that'd be quite an anxiety-inducing situation, wouldn't it?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: Because you build a re um relationship with people, yeah.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: And it's all about you can't alert them to it either.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_03: So you have to do it kind of you have to be a business code of practice, I guess.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: And then you've you know, but this um Institute Certified Bookkeepers, ICB, that I'm a member of, um they they are so helpful.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: And if you're stuck with anything like that, you can call them up, they will direct you the best way to be, yeah.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um and and handle certain situations.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's good that I'm in that.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you've got the support network, yeah.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_03: And they're they're also my um anti-money laundering supervisors, so uh they double check I'm doing everything correctly.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay, yeah, yeah.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_02: So is it kind of like a do they do like a random sample check once in a while just to check in and check everything?
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely do, they do, and that's another thing that that does scare me a little bit, even though I try and keep everything so up to date, yeah.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um they they will check things and make sure, and if they find something that's not quite right, I can get fined.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_03: So it's like hello, I'm only trying to do my job, a lot of pressure, yeah.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: But I get it, I get why they do it.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: And also it's reassuring as a client that you know you you are working with someone who is stringent.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_02: And conscious of all the all the regulatory needs.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly, you know, you've you've got to, and and it helps your business in a way.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you've you've got to follow the guide, follow the rules, um, and then you could you can move forward with your business knowing it's all set up properly.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I mean we we need ID.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, a lot of places are are asking for this now, ID and proof of address.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_03: So you've got to ask that for all directors and sole traders and things like that.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_03: And if they won't provide it, then you've got to explain, look, I can't do the work for you unless you provide it.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: And what is that trying to prove?
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: What is that for?
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_03: Who who they are.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you've got to.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, so that is this because of the laundering corruption angle.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_03: All about that.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: You're trying to prevent um a lot of it's um um terrorist money.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_03: You know, things like that.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_03: So it's you're preventing things like um that kind of thing, but yeah.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: There's there's certain risk elements as well.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're local, um there's a there's a lower risk than if I was doing bookkeeping for somebody down in London.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_03: So it's um yeah.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: And and do you have any clients outside the area?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_03: I have a couple, yeah.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um yes, uh, one up in Scotland, one down in Wales.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_03: Oh wow.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I I can work remotely.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_03: It's a national business.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: So it's Is there anything that would prevent you going international?
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: I guess you'd have to learn all the laws and taxes.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly, and I I wouldn't want to go that far.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_03: I'm quite happy, you know, stick sticking local really, yeah, you know, with um people in Cumbria, but I am happy to go outside of that area because I can wear it remotely.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_03: The software that's available now, um, we don't have to meet face to face.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_03: You don't need paperwork anymore, you can do it all upload it.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: Electronically, yeah.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: So do you Zoom call them or something?
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you had Zoom meetings, um, you can send them reports and things like that.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um and how do they get to hear about you?
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_03: So it's this is where I need to start promoting myself.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, previously when I was given the clients, I didn't do any advertising.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, I see, yeah.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_03: I was in my office, yeah, just happily plodding along, doing what I was doing.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but now I've I've moved uh to a new office and I'm I've changed the name, so I previously I was GMK bookkeeping.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, now I'm evergreen bookkeeping service.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: So is that a nod to where you live?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_03: It is, it's it's it's a bit of that.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_03: It's also um I want businesses to be sustainable throughout the year.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_03: So where we live, we have a lot of highs and lows with seasons, yeah, especially like guest houses and things like that.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: So everygreen, if you think of an evergreen tree, that's green all year round.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_03: So that's that's my connection.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_02: Oh lovely.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: I love asking people about their business names because there's so much thought that goes into it.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: And it kind of underpins your philosophy, doesn't it?
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_03: Which I love that.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_03: It's hard choosing a business name, really.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: I think my first company was um really stupid.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: It was like just my name.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: What's it?
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: It was yeah, my name and IT at the end.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, but when you abbreviated it, it was SNIT.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, what's it?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, what is that?
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you don't see that at first, do you?
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: So anyway, uh close that one.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: It's it is difficult, it's very easy to have your own name, uh, which I did as a sole trader, but then when I got Carol and Isabel involved, I wanted it to be a team name.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't want people thinking it was just me anymore.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_03: So that's that was one of the reasons for changing as well.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: I love that though, evergreen but creeping.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: And we're surrounded by green right now.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's glorious.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Very fitting for this conversation.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_03: So I have recently got my trademark for it as well as you wow.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_03: It's quite a popular name.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_03: When I went for it, I thought I I did a bit of research on it.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_03: And I didn't see them for some reason.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_03: But then when I did uh file it with Company's house, and then it they were popping up everywhere.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_02: It was like, oh no, so we've got the trademark.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: Just yeah, just to be careful, you know.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Just in case, yeah, you just don't know, do you?
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_02: Come on.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: She's exploring.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_02: She'll love this.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_02: Well, oh, don't worry about me.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just um just plodding along.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_02: So I was just thinking about your business and your how does your business sort of tie in with you as a human?
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um yes, so luckily it was because I wor managed to work from home, I could fit that around my family and the children and school and all that kind of thing.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_03: So it was I felt really lucky doing it, and I was managed to bring in an income because my husband John, he's always been the breadwinner, really.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_03: He's always had his own business.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I I I did the bookkeeping for him, probably wasn't that great to start off with, yeah, because I didn't know.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it was me kind of contributing.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_03: I I can't sit back and see somebody doing all the work.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_03: I just I'm just not that kind of person, if there's washing up needs doing, yeah, I'd I'd have to wash up.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_03: You can come over any time to the end.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not even joking.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: My health looks like I've been burgled.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I I have stepped back a little bit because I I I did get to a point where I thought nobody else is doing this, why am I doing it?
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, anyway, so yeah, so um yeah, so that fitted in with family well, and I I felt like I was contributing.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um and it was never really my intention of building a big business, yeah.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_03: Or it was just a sideline, yeah, you know, something to help us, and um and it is this is what it's turned into.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_03: So that's great, yeah.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_03: And it's it's fitted in well with the kids, and I think also because we've both got our own businesses, is I think we're quite good role models for the kids because they're both quite motivated, yeah.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_03: They they've both left school now.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, um they're actually both working for our other business.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, they're doing a good job, and you don't look old enough to have a grown-up child, never mind a couple.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, that's awesome.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so they're uh Yeah, that's really cool.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, they're good they're good kids, and yeah, you know, I'm pleased we can we've managed to provide them with a job and yeah, they must feel nice to have some kind of like from a business and personal worlds colliding, a bit of a legacy on that front.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: If they choose to then p continue what you're doing.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_03: This is exactly.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, they're not interested in the bookkeeping in the slightest, neither of them.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_03: I have offered and I've said, look, I need filing, you know, you want to come and help?
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, no, not not interested in that.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but they are interested in the other business and they're doing so it would be nice if you know we hand that down and they can continue with it.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so in terms of your clients, have you ever had a client that you've thought actually I can't work with you?
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_03: I've I've not, I've never turned anybody down actually.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I've I've continued working with them.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um over the last year or so, I um when I've been thinking about expanding, I've reached out and found bookkeeping groups.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: And it's made me realise the way I was doing things previously probably wasn't quite as good as it could be.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, in what sense?
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so just the way that I ran the practice, the the software I was using, um, efficiencies, right?
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, old little tips and tricks on on how to do things.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_03: I knew about professional bodies like the ICB and things like that.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I was I was never a a member of one until I met this group and they told me about the benefits and things.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: So they've they've introduced me to that.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_03: Lily come.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_03: She's she's had enough.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_03: Lily, this side.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_03: Anyway, so so yeah, so I've I've I've never turned clients down, but moving forward, I will be definitely um choosing them a bit more wisely.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_03: So if they don't quite fit with our values, okay, um, I probably wouldn't work with them, I'd probably tell them they're not really the right fit.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um this feels kind of like the evolution of your business brand and thinking, isn't it?
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: Maturing.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: Maturing, yeah.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's it is exactly like that.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, you know, I was I started off doing the basic bookkeeping, yeah.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: I've grown up through through my teenage years, and now I'm coming into my 20s, 30s really.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's true.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I like that.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_02: I like the comparison because actually in the infancy of your business, you're saying yes to everything because you you're too scared to say no, aren't you?
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_02: Because you don't get anything at all.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_02: But now you've kind of reached that point of confidence and stability where you have got the freedom to an extent.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: And the and the knowledge, you know, is it's all great saying yes, I will do anybody's bookkeeping.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: But when you're a jack of all trades, yeah, you're a master of none.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: So I want us to be experts in in certain areas.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_03: I've not really worked out my niche yet.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um she's she's doing a runner.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_03: Really?
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_03: Good girl.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_03: Good girl.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, um, I quite like the thought of working, you know, in the in the wellness area, maybe, and uh consulting.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: Like that kind of thing.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: And what is I guess all the the rules and things will be different based on the industry, won't they?
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_02: So you'll have to know them inside out to reel them off to your clients and exactly that.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_03: I mean that trust.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: Construction industry.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: We we do a lot in the construction industry.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_03: You've got the CIS regulations, you've got certain areas in there.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_03: What's CIS?
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_03: So that's um I'll put you on the spot.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_03: Construction industry scheme.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_03: So when when you're uh in the construction industry, so you have to be CIS registered, okay, which means that your who you work for, your contractor, will send over your national insurance to HMRC and and um so you're not having to to do it yourself.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_03: I think it was probably because a lot of subcontractors weren't doing it very well, right?
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_03: And HMRC were missing out on the money.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: So they brought about this so they could click.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_03: They won't comment on HMRC.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_03: They considering they're a business themselves, they're not very good.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: They're not no, there's so many inefficiencies there.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, we should just call in Helen next time and have a three-way conversation with my accountant Helen because um she spent a lot of time with HMRC.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_02: It feels soul destroying to hear it and live it vicariously, so to do it first hand.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_03: No, you've it it's if you're a business owner and you had to speak to them, I d I really feel for you because you know, at least we know where what we want to talk about, and you know, but when you're feeling your way through the system, yeah.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think they know what they're talking about half the time.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_03: So you know it's it's just it's just insane, really, how it's gone.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_03: But I think they are trying to improve things, but it's slow, it's gonna be very slow, isn't it?
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think, yeah, no, we'll park that one there.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, um yeah, so we were talking about specializing in certain industries.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: So have you got your eye on what those industries might be?
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_03: So I yeah, I mean, I do like obviously it's it's having a good client.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_03: The the niche area, it could be the type of client you want to work with.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the industry could be more or less any industry, but that client's got to communicate well, you know.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: If you ask for information, you can't provide the the right reports, yeah, the right information.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, so that's on you to ask the right questions.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_02: Oh Lily's making friends.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_03: Oh she's a proper scaredy cat most of the time.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_03: Is she?
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, they both look really happy now.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's nice to call you back.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_01: Is she sneaking?
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, so it's it's it's getting that right client who you can work well with, and you get the information when you ask for it.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: I guess you have to trust your client as much as they have to trust you, don't you?
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: Because you could be liable if you don't do something right.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_03: This is the fear, yeah.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_03: This is definitely you know the worry with this is the responsibility we have.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't think a lot of people understand the value of what a bookkeeper provides.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_03: If you think you've got somebody there that can give you monthly reports if you want to of how well your business is doing, warn you, you know, if things are gonna crop up, yeah, um, you're not gonna have enough money for such such a thing.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_03: And what they're doing is correct, they're filing on time, the compliance side of things, the deadlines.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_03: There's so much that we do do.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_02: I was gonna say, as a customer, I do rely on Helen and Chloe to tell me when to do things.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because I don't track it.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, this is this is yeah, this is why we're here, because we we want to take that pressure off you.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_03: The big thing for me in my business is I'd be so happy if I knew that a business owner was able to get on with their business, yeah, not having to worry about the finances because it was all in hand.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, they were never gonna miss a deadline, and the freedom they could receive from that, yeah, and that that time they would spend.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you can spend hours learning how to use software.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_02: Jillian, you know, you know my relationship with what was that thing called?
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_02: QuickBooks.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: QuickBooks.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my god, the bane of my life, and I still did it wrong.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_02: And that was like a whole day of my life, and it was still wrong.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_03: But this is gonna get across in it isn't your area, is it?
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_03: It's not what you're built to do.
• 32:54
  unknown: No.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: So And that's why people like you do what you do.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_02: So why would we spend that time do it wrong and affect our mental health in such an adverse way?
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_02: It does.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_02: It does, it really does.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_03: Because you can feel so drained after it and still not get the results you want.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_02: And you know you're incompetent at what you're doing, yeah, but you feel you have to do it, and you then get confirmed that you've done it wrong.
• 33:20
  unknown: Yeah.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_02: So you're in a cycle.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_03: So by outsourcing, yeah, you're giving somebody else all that pressure, you're giving somebody else and you is it stopped?
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_03: No, no, panic, yeah.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the the the value we can by outsourcing you're gaining back all that time, and whether that's working on your business, whether it's more time for yourself, because we all need more time for ourselves when we're running our own businesses.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um you know, it it's worth it.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, spending that money is worth it, but it's very hard getting that over to a a business owner sometimes to see the value.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_03: And they don't and they don't want to pay, and it's it's difficult, but they they'll quite happily go and give an accountant, you know, a load of money and and think, well, they've got a professional job, they're you know, it's you know, they're they're worth the money because I've got to file my account.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_03: So it's getting it across the valve the value of what bookkeeping really is.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: So um what are what would you say are the top three mistakes people make when they're bookkeeping?
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um mainly not having a clue of of how much money they they're making, not keeping an eye on their finances.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_03: Uh that if you're wanting your business to grow, you've got to know how much money you're making.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: You've got to know how much money is available for you to take out the business currently.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_03: I think also another one is not outsourcing work you don't know how to do.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, there's there's plenty of things I'm doing now because I'm a bit of a control freak, I think.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um, I can I've I struggle to let go of.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't fully know how to do it.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_03: Is that in your business?
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah?
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's really interesting.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_02: So I'll give you an example.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh admin administration.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I I'm very close to outsourcing it.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um having someone help me with my emails, um, or you know, creating feedback forms, all kinds of things that I will probably spend a day doing.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't need to.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_03: So it's getting that value, isn't it?
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_03: And and thinking, if I spent that money, what could I be doing instead?
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_03: Probably working on a business which would create more money.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, exactly.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's freeing up that time.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_03: And then the third thing I would say for business owners is you know, enjoy your business and be proud of what you've created.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's really nice, yeah.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's hard running a business.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_03: And if you do it yourself, you know, and it sucks the joy out of it, isn't it?
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_02: If you're trying to do everything, be all things for all parts of the business.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_02: Just have have fun with it.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you've it's it is it is supposed to be, you know, you're supposed to live your life, and if you're really, really not enjoying it, don't do it.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's not worth it.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_03: You could probably go and get a job.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_02: And you know.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, that's really good advice.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's okay to say it's not working.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's it's better to have tried and said, actually, this doesn't work for me, this isn't the life I want.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_03: It is never too late to do something different.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you don't have to, but you can be an apprentice way into your 50s.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to be a teenager to be an apprentice.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exactly.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_03: So you can go learn something new.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but that's that's another good reason to keep on top of your finances and understand because you can see how much money you're making.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_03: And as business owners, sometimes they don't take any money out for themselves, yeah, because they're constantly paying, and so you're actually you you're not earning any money.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you're earning less than you would if you'd worked a job.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a good way of that's a really good point.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_02: Because there is one thing to be said for having that sort of an anatomy uh autonomy over everything.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_02: But actually, if it's not giving you the lifestyle you envision, yeah, then why are you doing it?
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_03: Why are you doing it?
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, give it a go, yeah.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_03: Do the best you can, but if it's not right, yeah, yeah.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_02: Totally, I get that.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_02: I love that last one.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_02: I love that you ended on a positive in terms of you know, actually stand back and think I've done this, this is what I'm doing it.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, celebrate it.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_03: It is it is stressful, and I've gone through it all.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_03: I've I've had the bed and breakfast, I've helped Helpsman run a construction business, and now I'm running my own bookkeeping business.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I can guarantee I can I can confidently say they are stressful and hard work.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm still working on it, you know, I'm still trying to get there where I want to get to.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: And it's building a team around you, that's what I've come to realise is if you don't build that team around you that you trust completely and feel comfortable around.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_02: And your your authentic self.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_02: If you feel like you're changing yourself to fit someone else, then you need to rethink what you're doing.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_02: In whatever scenario it is.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_03: It's no, being being something you're not is is difficult in itself, isn't it?
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_03: I couldn't I couldn't live like that.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but yeah, it's we just still need to be a bit more happier with with the way things are.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, it's true.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: And also allow ourselves, like you don't have to feel stressed all the time.
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_02: I think sometimes we think that if we're not feeling stressed and a bit anxious, then we're maybe not working hard enough.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_02: But I've kind of come to the point where I think actually the opposite is true.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_02: If I'm feeling like that, then I'm not doing something right.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_02: I've not identified what it is that I'm not either outsourcing or doing more efficiently.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's that's exactly right.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_03: So there's no need to be stressed, isn't it?
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_03: There's no need to feel like that.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and we're all over here once, aren't we?
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_03: And I think people forget that, don't they?
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_02: We we're all guilty of forgetting that.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, you get engrossed in your business.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_03: And you it's all you think of and all you talk about.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_03: And I've struggled probably over the last few years because we have this other business in the family, so and and both me and John are directors of it.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_03: So if we're not talking about that, right, you know, we it is all business.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_03: And it I got, oh I just got a bit fed up with it and thought, you know, there's more to life than this.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_03: We can't keep talking about business.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: So on that note then, how do you balance work in life?
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, apart from having the separate office now, what do you do in your downtime?
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_03: So we generally um we we have an apartment in Spain.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_03: Oh nice.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we were very lucky in that we it was left to us by John's dad.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_03: So um oh that's really nice.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we you know, you can get a cheap flight over there.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so we do go as much as we can.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um as long as it's like a second home, basically.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_03: And luckily, I now have Karen.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't feel when I go over when I was on my own working on my own, I I used to like feel, oh, I've got all this work to come back to.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_03: So it wasn't enjoyable.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_03: I was worrying about the amount of work when I came back, but now I've got Karen and Isabel.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I can't trusted team.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_03: The trusted team, and I can also work while I'm there if I want to.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um hopefully you don't.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_03: No, I the last trip we had it was just amazing.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_03: I absolutely loved it.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_03: We we went, I did a bit of work on the balcony in the morning.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_03: Oh.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_03: I know that was nice in itself.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_03: And then in the afternoon, we went for lovely long walks, yeah.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_03: And then we went on the beach at five o'clock till about seven.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh oh.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_03: And then we got ready to go out.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, we stayed in.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_03: So it was it was a perfect holiday, loved it.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, oh, that's really nice.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, good blend.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_02: And actually, uh, as a business owner, you're not going to switch off a hundred percent anyway, are you?
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_02: So you just need to embrace that.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_03: No, it this this is it.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_03: You you can't, it's impossible.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_03: But what you can do is is get help to make it easier.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_03: So you can have a break.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, you definitely need a break.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_02: So what kind of music are you into, Jillian?
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: Music.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um what do you listen to when you do bookkeeping things?
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_02: Or do you?
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I do sometimes.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_03: And Lily, let's put this on um Michael Bootray.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, do you?
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_02: Of course.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um any music is alright.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um I don't know what it is.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um like the crew nerves.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_03: But if I listen to that while I I would I do my my work, yeah, it's just quietly in the background.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_03: It's just just commands me.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_03: Does it?
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_03: So that's yeah, that's what I like to listen to while I'm working.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_03: Because I am I can't have a lot of noise.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm quite, you know, I'm because I need to concentrate.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_03: Some people can work away with really loud music, can't they?
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_03: I can't I can't do that.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_02: I can't even drive like that.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_02: Oh no, I can drive like that, but I need silence for work.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: Or I put like ocean music.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, stuff like that where you kind of it's kind of a calming music rather than too overstimulating.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_03: See, I would I would also listen to something like that.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_03: I've not discovered any yet, really, but you know, something some calming music or you know, gentle coffee shop music.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I can listen to that kind of thing.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, soft music.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_01: Well, yeah, maybe not.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe not, but yeah.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, very good.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_03: So have you been to any concerts recently?
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_03: No, not recently.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_03: I mean the the Oasis thing is a big thing at the minute, isn't it?
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_03: But I I do like Oasis music.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um I only really know their first two albums.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't pay attention after that.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_03: No, I don't think I think yeah, mine's mine the same really, but I wouldn't want to go to the concert.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_03: One because I wouldn't want to pay that amount of ticket price.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_03: You you you can't see when you're there.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_03: I know the atmosphere's good, but you can't see anything.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_03: And the way Liam Gallagher is, he'll probably cancel.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_02: Hopefully not.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_02: After the frenzy it caused.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_03: I know.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_02: So no, I've not been to any concerts in a long time.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: Time.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_02: So what's the plan for quarter four?
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_03: Have you got any sort of business goals for quarter four?
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_03: Uh business goals in I want to get my business finally structured the way I want it to be.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um that is introducing a new uh CRM system customer relationship management.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_03: And that will just help with workflows.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_03: The whole team can see it, it will uh ping up deadlines and all kinds of things.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_03: So it's I need to implement that.
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, there's also a new payment system um where clients can upload their invoices and it will directly upload to QuickBooks.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so that's another thing I need to look at.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_03: And then get get my head around advertising a bit more, get on social media more.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_03: Uh that's that's the big goals, really.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that sounds good.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_02: And that that sounds like it's more than enough on top of your day job.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_03: Tell me about trying to do client work and then bring in all these ideas and stuff like that is is hard and sometimes it makes me feel a bit, it gets me down a little bit because I'm I'm either not keeping up to date with the clients, yeah, or I'm I've I've not you know learnt that new software.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's it's getting your head organised.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_03: So how do you deal with that sort of overwhelm?
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_03: Probably sit back and then in chunks write down what I need to do and try and prioritize it.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_03: So that's that's the main thing.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_03: And sorry, yeah.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_03: Trying trying to prioritize what's important, what's going to make the business money?
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_03: Am I wasting time on tasks that I don't need to be doing?
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, or somebody else can do more importantly.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_02: So that's quite a strong message today, isn't it?
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_02: Which is actually really, really interesting.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_02: You think like that because that's what your business does, is it frees up other people's time.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_02: And you're you're kind of needing to do that for yourself.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_02: So it's all we touched on that earlier.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, learning as you as you grow, isn't it?
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_02: You all learn and because it is a very different thing, isn't it?
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_02: To to be good at something and then to turn that into a business.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: Is a whole different way of thinking.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_03: And and because having your business, so when you when you open your own business, you're the CEO.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_03: So you're the you're the top top dog, aren't you?
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_03: And when we do it on our own, we have to wear all the hats.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_03: We have got to do the operations part of it, the sales and finance, everything.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_03: So as you grow, this is where you introduce new people to do the smaller tasks so you can concentrate on running the business and being that CEO.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so that's where I'm trying to get to because I've always done it myself.
• 46:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_03: As I said before, I I struggle letting go of control.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_03: So I feel like I've got to check things a lot.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_03: Rather than trusting people that it's going to be done right.
• 47:01
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_03: So I I tend to do it myself because I think, oh, it's a bit like with the kids, you know.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_03: I want them to cook tea, and want, but I know the amount of time I'll spend telling them how to do it, I might as well do it myself.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 47:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_02: I get that though.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_02: That'd be quite a weird thing.
• 47:21
  SPEAKER_02: When you get to that point though, where it's not weird to let go of certain things, it'll feel quite liberating, I think.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_03: It will, it'll be amazing.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I mean, you must have heard of um AI all coming out now.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_03: So there's a lot of AI stuff.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_03: That's a good point.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_03: Being introduced into bookkeeping.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_02: So how do you feel about it?
• 47:45
  SPEAKER_03: Do you see it as a positive?
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_03: I do.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, great.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_03: Because the what they are introducing means that it will speed up our time.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_03: Which means we can then focus more on the client and and pushing them to reach their goals so we can really look into the reports and everything.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_03: Rather than the the mundane and adding all the bank entries and things like that.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so yeah, it's it it will be a good thing to speed up.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_03: But I really don't think humans will ever be wiped out.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_03: Because you still need someone there ensuring it's been done properly.
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um use with caution, I think.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_02: I mean it is great at accelerating certain things.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 48:29
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, definitely need an actual human to even even if it's something simple, just to check it makes sense.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_02: Because it won't always be perfect, will it?
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_03: No, it it won't.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, they make mistakes and they they've also got to learn, they've got to grow, and yeah.
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's almost like having that other brand new employee and you're teaching them how to to work in the business.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_03: So it'll take them a while.
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's a bit I really like the way you've kind of put things into context and give examples to to make it relatable.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, yeah.
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, it's really really good the way you said, you know, you think of it as a new employee and it's it's learning and growing because that's exactly what it is, isn't it?
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, kind of you're feeding it information and it's kind of looking at it and thinking, okay, this is what I've got now.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm gonna change my answers around a bit.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_03: And yeah, and last time I didn't do that right, so this time this is how it how I do it.
• 49:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_03: You've just gonna teach it the same way, but it should speed up processes.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um and is that something you're looking to for next year?
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, even later this year I've I've been speaking to something, uh somebody who has Jack AI, it's called.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_03: And uh that downloads the the invoice amounts, yeah, and then the the bot within Jack AI, then transfers it over to QuickBooks.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_03: Oh wow and it it will eventually reconcile for you as well.
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's gonna be it's gonna be quick, it will help things enormously.
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because actually then you can expand your client base as well, can't you?
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_03: We can we can take on more because we're we're we're not doing less.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I don't want clients to think I'm paying you all this, but you're doing a lot less work.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_03: We're not really because what we're gonna be doing with that information is is providing better reports for you quicker, and then we can also work together a lot better.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_02: So it's yeah.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that sounds great.
• 50:27
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thanks, Jillian.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_02: That was really interesting.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_02: I really enjoyed that.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_02: Good, and I learnt more than I knew before from the panic quick booking to to actually understanding what um bookkeeping's all about.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, good good intro session, so we might need a deeper dive one day.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_02: Wonderful.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, thank you.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_02: Did you enjoy it?
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_03: I did, yeah.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_03: I've I'm actually surprised I I spoke so much about the I do know things.
• 50:55
  SPEAKER_02: You know loads of stuff, you're really interesting, and um we should look forward to the Michael Bouble karaoke at some point.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_03: No, thank you very much.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for asking me.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_03: You're welcome.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_02: And that brings us to the end of today's episode.
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_02: I hope you enjoyed our pre-walk workout walk around Windermere Park with the wonderful Gillian Keegan from Evergreen Bookkeeping, and of course, her trusty office mascot, the lovely fluffy Lily.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_02: We covered a lot from how Gillian built her bookkeeping business in 2019 and turned it into a family affair, to how she's fitting the business around her home life and helping her husband with his own bookkeeping.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_02: We also touched on the difference between bookkeeping and accounting, pink link networking, membership, and how Jillian is thinking about marketing her business and attracting new clients.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_02: We had a good laugh about trying to take photos without breaking the flow until I did actually break the flow completely.
• 52:06
  SPEAKER_02: So sorry about that.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_02: We also had Jillian share some valuable insights on top three bookkeeping mistakes people make.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_02: Her love for the smooth tones of Mr.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Booblet while working, and how AI is becoming a positive force in the bookkeeping world.
• 52:27
  SPEAKER_02: Her quarter four plans are sounding very busy indeed, and I wish her all the best with her very long to-do list as she continues to learn, evolve, and improve her business.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much, Lillian, for sharing your journey with us, and thank you to all our listeners for tuning in for another episode of the podcast.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoyed today's episode, please share your thoughts on social media, tell your friends, like, share, subscribe, and come back for the next episode.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_02: Until then, keep exploring!