We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jen Fischer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jen, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

If I’m being honest, Numbers by Jen started as a favor to my sister. She’s a creative pro who needed her books organized for the 2020 tax season, and I’m a numbers whiz whose idea of a good time was curling up with a glass of wine and a spreadsheet in the evenings while my husband watched football. (True story. And I still love it!)

I helped my sister get her books caught up and that was that. As the leader of the corporate accounting team at a major construction firm, I loved the complexity of my work, but the pull to continue building my own business grew. At this point, the pandemic had just hit and I felt pretty happy to have ditched my daily work commute. I had been an employee since graduating college, but an entrepreneurial itch had grown too large to ignore. Getting that commute time back (essentially 6 hours pre week – which is a lot as a mom!) was the catalyst that allowed me to turn this fun favor and hobby in to an actual thing that produced income.

Luckily, bookkeeping has very low overhead when you’re starting and there’s a wildly supportive online community. My work in corporate also had armed me with a lot of knowledge about how to start and run a business. I filed for my LLC, signed up for a Google account, joined the Facebook groups with fellow bookkeepers, and started an Instagram account for marketing purposes. That’s the extent of my launch. A close friend of mine messaged me immediately once she saw my first Instagram post. Working with her was rocky at first, I won’t lie. But I quickly got Quickbooks certified and then took my first few months’ worth of income and bought an online course hosted by a very successful bookkeeping mentor. It walked me through best practices, software, task management, hiring, and just generally how to operate a virtual business.

That was two years ago. I left corporate and grew Numbers by Jen in to the real-deal. I even hired my very first full time employee last month! Being a small business owner is all of the things – scary, fun, exhausting, exhilarating. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. I spend my days helping other small businesses succeed, with time left over for family, myself and friends. It’s beautiful.

Jen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Getting in to bookkeeping happened almost by accident, since it began as a favor to my sister. But once I added just a couple of clients, I quickly learned that intimidation over numbers was holding so many business owners back from reaching what they really wanted. Or even paying themselves regularly for their hard work! And I knew I could help.

I believe that smart bookkeeping can help us nurture our profit and our passions at the same time. And after becoming a mom, leaving corporate, and growing Numbers by Jen, I know firsthand how our finances set up the foundation for the life we really want.

For me, that looks like whipping up beautiful financial reports for my clients and snuggling up to watch Netflix with my kids. It looks like smart business growth and slow living, so that I can pour myself into my work and still be present in the community that I call home. And I love working with clients who understand this, and who share the same goals. After all, we’re both just humans running businesses, and work is way more fun when we enjoy our relationships with each other.

As a small business friendly bookkeeper, I’m a nonjudgmental guide, not a director or decision-maker. And I value 1-on-1 time with clients where I turn data in to easy to understand insights and encouragement. I put owners confidently in the driver’s seat of their business. I understand how scary it can be to look behind the curtain at your numbers and I want to make it as seamless and fear-free as possible.

And because my passion is with small, often new, businesses, I have everything from free tips on Instagram, all the way up to done-for-you monthly services. I also have spreadsheet templates and even a DIY Bookkeeping Community. Basically, anything bookkeeping, I’ve got your back.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This lesson has been huge for me, but I think very relatable. And it’s to stop hustling. When I left corporate, where I always had to be “on”, it took many months to undo that habit. I left a (wonderful, truly) company where it wasn’t uncommon for employees to brag about how late they worked, or how they worked on the weekend. I loved my work, so it wasn’t uncommon for me either, to be honest. But I quite literally believe my nervous system had learned to exist in a heightened state. I’ve had to be extremely intentional with not falling back in to that trap now that I run the show. And I certainly have slipped back in to old habits. There have been nights where I instinctively reach for the computer, or I find myself answering work emails during family time. What’s magical about owning your own business though, is that you set the company culture, and it’s within your power to re-wire your nervous system and to set boundaries. This was a scary concept for me; to think – How will clients react to boundaries? Will they think I’m mean? But it’s a necessary concept and one that I am constantly trying to embrace and practice. And you know what? I think clients respect the boundaries. They respect that I prioritize my sanity, my family and my health because after all, it’s mutual. I want those things for them too. And it makes for a harmonious partnership.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I have so much fun with this one! I’m an introvert (hello, numbers geek), but I love keeping in touch with clients and fostering brand loyalty. First and foremost, I build loyalty by being good at what I do and following through. If clients are happy and excited about their bookkeeping, they are most likely to tell their business friends about it, which leads to more happy clients! As far as keeping in touch, my favorite is my monthly 1-on-1 meetings with clients. The concept of 1-on-1 meetings with clients has gotten a bit lost in the bookkeeping industry but my plan is to never get rid of them! They’re fun, and so valuable to the business owner. We catch up on life, and then break down data and information in to bite-sized, easy to understand language. It’s where the magic happens. I also keep in touch with clients by following them closely on social media. I love keeping up with not only their business success this way but their family happenings too! And finally, I’m the queen of sending gifts. It’s at the top of my love language list (hint hint), so I’m always sneaking out little gifts to clients. I mean who doesn’t love surprises in the mail from their nerdy bookkeeper?

Contact Info:

• Website: www.numbersbyjen.com
• Instagram: www.numbersbyjen.com/instagram
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/numbersbyjen/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferfischer2
• Other: https://numbersbyjen.com/instagram

Image Credits
MKF Photo