Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy DeWild. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.

I have been an accountant for over 20 years, working in the corporate world and for other firms. I had always wanted to start my own business, but I was afraid to. I worried that I was too late, too old, and not good enough. My mom was my biggest supporter, and she always encouraged me to follow my dreams and start my own firm. After she passed away in 2018, I decided that life was too short to not do what I had always wanted to. I quit my job shortly after and started AJD Accounting Solutions in January 2019.

It was not easy! I really had to work on finding clientele, and most importantly get out of my own way mentally. I knew I had the talent and the ability to be my own boss, but there wasn’t anyone telling me to show up to work, and I had to rely on marketing to build my business. It took a lot of self-discipline and belief in myself, but gradually my firm grew.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I took my first business class my junior year of high school, and that is when I knew I wanted to be an accountant. I got my Masters of Accountancy in 2016, and have worked hard to continue to learn and adapt to new laws and regulations within my field.

I love helping small business owners get crystal clear on their finances, and I offer bookkeeping, payroll, financial reporting and tax services. I know how scary it can be when someone is first starting their own business, so I pride myself in working alongside my clients to make sure they have a good, profitable plan in place.

I want to see people succeed and I do everything I can to help business owners do just that. It’s important to me to have a relationship with my clients that isn’t just professional, but supportive as well. If my clients are winning, then I am too!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I had to rely on marketing the first year of business, and I used social media for most of that. The last several years my biggest source of new clients has been word of mouth and/or referrals. I am so proud of that, because it means I am doing a good job serving the people who rely on me for their accounting needs. It took awhile to grow my client base, but now I get two to three calls a week asking if I am taking on new business. It helps to have a large warm market that you can reach out to, because there are people out there who need what you are providing.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I learned early in my business that it’s okay to let go of a client who isn’t serving you. I wanted so badly to grow my business that I took on almost everyone who reached out to me, even some who I knew deep down would not be a good fit. I had to fire a client about a year into my business because she never respected me, my time or my work. It was difficult for me to do so but I knew that I had to in order for me to succeed long term.

It’s okay to realize you have made a bad decision and to pivot; it doesn’t mean you have failed, it just means that you are taking your own worth and the health of your business into consideration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ajdacctsolutions.com
• Instagram: @ajdewild03
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.dewild
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-dewild-ajdacctsolutions/
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/ajdacctsolutions

Image Credits
Mitzi Starkweather Photography Kortney Brook Photography