We recently connected with Charmaine Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Charmaine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you ever seen (or implemented) a really awesome way to show a client you appreciate them

I own a tax firm, so during tax season for the past couple of years I’ve partnered with a company that provides vacations to Cancun. The clients are only responsible for the taxes and transportation. I send these out to all of my clients. I also hold drawings on social media for an opportunity to win a trip to Cancun, gift cards, and many other gifts. I use Kymmie’s Creation’s a lot for my giveaways; she has the coolest gifts. I always feel it’s necessary to show your clients and followers just how much you appreciate them. You’re not only providing them a service or looking at them as a number, but as a human being. I love “giving”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hi! I’m Charmaine Thomas, born in Washington DC, but raised in Southern Virginia. I’m a mother to five children; the oldest is 26 and the youngest is 19. I’m also a grandmother to two handsome boys with a granddaughter that is due any day now. My eldest son serves in the Army and has done so for the past 8 years, and for that I’m very proud as a mother.

We all know that when wanting to start your own business you’re introduced to many things, I’ve tried “most” of them. When I was introduced to the credit business by Marionne Antoinette in 2017, life changed for me. It only took a few minutes of listening to this retired schoolteacher after 3 months in the business to make a decision. It dawned on me that credit had never been taught to me. I then realized how many others hadn’t been exposed to this information and that’s how the journey started in 2017.

When I was introduced to the business, I was working a full-time job. I’ve always known I was destined to own my own business. I wrote in a notebook one day at work that I would be quitting my job on August 8, 2019, well, I kept my word. I resigned from my full-time job on August 9, 2019, to follow my dreams and work my business full-time. Since then, I’ve added tax preparation & training to my business, business funding, accounting services. I’ve also created an online school, The Thomas School of Business where I offer different courses on credit, taxes, and coaching sessions. I’ve also launched a hair care product line, The Thomas Collection. I am now an author of two books, “Freedom From Fear” and “What Women Need to Know About Starting a Business” and I’m working on a third book. I also have a virtual call center on the Arise platform that allows me to offer work from home jobs. When I named my business Thomas Unlimited Services, I had no idea I would have so many services to offer, so I feel I spoke it into existence.

My team has grown each year since I’ve started my business. The journey hasn’t been easy but has been pleasing. I’m so proud of the growth that I’ve seen each year. What sets me apart is my willingness to help other’s. I have a heart for people and so I created a way to bring people into the business with me and possibly own a firm of their own one day. What many people don’t know is that I came to the state of Virginia on September 8, 2021 to visit my mom she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer on the 10th. I stayed in the state of Virginia to care for my mom until her passing on May 11, 2022. I was still working my business and staying true to my clients during the hardest time of my life. My resilience sets me apart, my heart sets me apart, my courage sets me apart, my strength sets me apart, and my desire to keep on pushing no matter the circumstance sets me apart.

Thomas Unlimited Services offers a myriad of services and business opportunities.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What helped me build my reputation in the market was staying “true” to myself and who I was. I look at it this way, people can have their taxes done by anyone they choose and their credit, so I’m not selling a service per say, I’m selling myself. I’m very engaged on my social media platforms. I created groups and pages that represent my business. Ex: I created a “Let’s Talk Credit” group on facebook. In this group, I provide credit tips and host “free” Q & A sessions, that’s my way of giving back to my followers. I provide tax tips, and just all-around positivity on my social media. I’ve also created a group “Women on a Mission”, in this group I provide encouragement and positivity every day. In business it’s important that you are a “good” person as well, no one wants to work with a “negative Betty” right?

My team and I work diligently for our clients. We study our craft and make sure we are providing the most accurate information possible.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for me has been social media, hands down. Once you learn how to really use social media to scale your business, it’s a no brainer. 95% of my business comes from social media. Yes, you have followers on your timeline, but those followers have followers too, right? I learned how to use my followers to put myself in front of their followers by using A LOT of hashtags and tagging people with their permission. Once your followers trust you and believe in you, they too will start sharing your post. I have clients from all over the world through social media. Keep in mind the type of services I offer, and the fact these people don’t know me, “word of mouth” still works My clients also refer me to their friends and family. My willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty has grown my clientele.

Note: Talk about your business! It’s your business and you want as many people to know about it as possible. Even if you have one client, treat them as if your business has millions of clients. Provide great customer service and take care of the “one” and you’ll be blessed with “many”.

Contact Info:

• Website: thomasunlimited.net
• Instagram: thomasunlimitedservices
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomasunlimitedservices/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charmaine-thomas-53612392/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGnsc7o9mET5W8MlUOW1XWg

Image Credits
Image Credits: Charmaine Thomas and Tierra Franklin