Nice to virtually meet you! I’m Connie Vanderzanden.
I’ll give you fair warning – this is not your typical “numbers person” bio.
The Profit with Connie
Origin Story
Much like you, I left the relative comfort and safety of a J.O.B. to open my own business. (In my case, it was to start my own accounting firm.)
And, much like you, for the first several years, I did everything I thought you “had to do” in order to be considered a successful business owner.
I leased a commercial space and turned it into the most gorgeous accounting office you’ve ever seen. (Seriously – clients told me they felt at peace whenever they came to see me. Have you ever been able to say that about your accountant or bookkeeper’s office?!)
I employed additional bookkeepers so I could serve more people.
I invested in coaching and training to help me be a better leader, a better entrepreneur, a better accounting professional.
I didn’t pay myself.
Wait, what?!
Yup – I know what you’re thinking. How did I, with all my experience and expertise, manage to fall into the same trap as so many other entrepreneurs?
Because I failed to plan for the growth I wanted. Because I got caught up in what I thought an accounting firm “should” look like. Because I felt like I “had to” do all these things in order to meet other people’s definition of a successful business owner.
And most of all, because I didn’t understand where the money would come from to support all these things I’d convinced myself I was “supposed to do” in my business. I’d gotten so lost in the hustle and bustle of growing the business that I’d completely ignored my own numbers.
I was $50k in debt and I’d contributed an average of $4,500 a year to my household.
All the while I was digging myself into a financial hole, I was successfully helping client after client after client in climbing out of theirs. (There’s a life lesson here – stay with me.)
I had developed a method of using numbers in a way that reveals the health of a business, while also simplifying the information in a format that makes sense to the mind of a business owner – the precursor to my Going Beyond Revenue cash-handling system. While my approach made sense to me, I quickly learned that others in my field do not necessarily see numbers the same way I do, and I began to understand exactly how unique the Going Beyond Revenue system is and why it works for my clients …
Business owners simply aren’t hardwired to understand numbers the same way accountants are.
(Which is why clients are so often frustrated by their accounting pros – and vice versa!)
In attempting to teach Going Beyond Revenue to my colleagues, I began to realize some things about myself. While I absolutely love certain things about numbers, I’m still human and really dislike:
Bookkeeping
Looking at my own numbers
Planning and creating my own budget
Paying taxes
Which, in my estimation, makes me the same as at least 90% of business owners out there.
Now, just because I dislike these things, it doesn’t mean I don’t do them. Instead, I’ve found ways to make them fun for me – another key component of Going Beyond Revenue that I help my clients implement.
This is where partnership comes in to play!
Let’s have a casual conversation and start shining the light on what’s stopping you from being profitable, and look at ways we can use your numbers to support you on your journey.
