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

Shanderia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

One of the best investments I have made was giving my time to volunteer and teach minority small business owners about the importance of having good record keeping. I have been able to help several local business owners get on track with their business and see them grow. I have also been able to volunteer to speak to middle school children about being self employed as an Accountant. I made the decision to volunteer because I enjoy educating business owners as to how having proper record keeping affects how their business can be funded. I made the decision to volunteer at the middle school because there are students who are seeking to be self employed and I believe my story would help inspire some of them. I have learned that when I volunteer I have made impressions on people. Impressions so good that even if it was a year or two later, they remembered me and came back to utilize my services. The lesson I learned is that sometimes you have to give away knowledge upfront, but the benefits have always come back on the backend.

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

I am an Accountant, Owner/Operator of a virtual accounting services business named, One Chance Bookkeeping.

I knew back in high school that I would want to be an Accountant. I was interested in numbers but I didn’t know how much until after school one day waiting on my ride home, my principal asked me what I wanted to do after high school. I told him I wanted to be an accountant, and he immediately said “you must like numbers”. I told him yes, I do! Then he asked me, “Ok what’s the room number to your English class”, I answered without even thinking about it! He confirmed that I got it right and I realized then that numbers would just come natural to memorize! Aside of that, my favorite classes were accounting and banking classes!

I didn’t go to college until 3 years after I graduated but when I did, I continued until I had 3 degrees in accounting. I have my Associate’s in Accounting, Bachelors in Forensic Accounting, and Master’s in Auditing. In the midst of getting my degrees, I worked 2 jobs but my main job was always an accounting job. In 2018 I had my son, Chance who in which my business is named after. In 2018, I realized how difficult it was being a mother and working in the corporate world. I would miss a lot of days due to him being sick, eventually ran out of PTO days, and since I was a salaried employee, it was nothing, I could do to make up for missing. In 2019 I decided that I wanted to work for myself. I figured that if I can do accounting work for someone else, I can do it for myself and generate my own revenue. The word “chance” by Webster’s definition means, “a possibility of something happening”. I was told for many years I would not be able to carry a child, so my son’s name being Chance is sentimental. I decided to name my business, One Chance Bookkeeping after my son, as I viewed it as another possibility of making something happen. I have now been in business 4 years as of January 1 of this year!

The problems I solve for my clients is the unknown, and what I mean by that is, I educate my clients on everything that is being done. What sets me apart from other Accountants/Bookkeepers is that I am not afraid to include my clients on the processes. What I am most proud of is that when I ask clients why did they come to me, their response is more than often “Because I trust you”. Trust is really big when it comes to any business but when you are dealing with money it takes a certain level of trust to gain. The trust they have comes from me always being honest, giving insight on my experiences that have helped me scale, and knowing that I take confidentiality seriously.

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

When I first started, my biggest obstacle with being self-employed was networking. I struggled with getting exposure, so in August 2019 I decided to have my 1st Small Business Expo. I had no experience with events, but over 30 vendors gave me an opportunity to try it out! I was still in a lot of debt from being off work after having my son, so I did Postmates and Instacart just to pay off the venue! I have been so blessed to meet such amazing business owners, and many have become friends! My business has grown so much and so has my experience with event planning! This year on July 8th at 12pm-4 pm, I am hosting my 4th Small Business Expo at Gaylord Springs Golf Links here in Nashville! Hosting the events has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Most of my business comes from referrals. I think what helped build my reputation within my market comes from being honest and communicating throughout the process of the services I provide. Clients seem to understand the process once I have explained to them what I have done.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.onechancebookkeeping.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onechancebookkeeping/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onechancebookkeeping
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/onechancebookkeeping
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCirtKxW_xPb9o0QZ51irTFQ

Image Credits
Motelewa Smith Photography