We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sherita Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sherita below.

Sherita, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I started my business during one of the most difficult times in my life. I lost my sister to breast cancer. My youngest sister. And at the time I started a new job out of necessity, that I didn’t go to school for. And at her wake, one of my cousins asked a question, “Who will be there for me?” And I told her that I would be. Understand that I am not my sister, and we had different personalities. So I’d been to the University of Houston to get my degree in Accountancy and I knew that she had a business. So long story short, I ended up doing her accounting for her business, and that was 7 years ago.

I think that I pursued my career in Accounting at the right time because I find that I enjoy it more than I anticipated. It affords me the ability to do my work virtually, I set my own hours, and I get to personally know my clients.
If I had gotten to work for myself sooner, I don’t think that I would have worked myself. Or had the time and patience to give the personal touches that I give my clients. On the other hand, if I started later, I don’t think that I would have had the courage to work for myself.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the industry while working for McKesson in Carrolton, Texas while working on my master’s degree in Biology at Texas Woman’s University. I was putting myself through school and worked there part-time for a data entry position. While there they decided to hire me full-time in the Chargebacks Department of their Financial Services Division.

At Priority Accounting, we provide a full range of services to small businesses, such as payroll, sales taxes, bookkeeping, business, and personal income tax reporting, reconciliation of bank accounts, and financial consulting.

Often we help clients, submit past income tax returns, bring their accounting system/books up to generally accepted accounting principles/practices, and advising them on how their acts are affecting their business via financial reporting.

The one statement that I hear repetitiously from a prospective customer is, ” I never hear from my accountant.” We take on a proactive role with our customers. We contact our clients at least once a month, even when there aren’t any posted transactions to their business accounts. Because we care about the person, not just the numbers.

Our aim here is not just to do your accounting, and you can just fix and forget it. It is also to educate (gently) the client about their business. They should be able to read a financial statement and compare it to another historical statement. They should be able to know how their expenses are affecting their bottom line, as they are incurring them. Because most businesses die because of a lack of knowledge.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It’s not really a story. It’s a motto. Since starting this company, I have had to put in a lot of my own money. I have worked another job while fostering this one. The hours are long. The money isn’t instantaneous. No time off, in the beginning. But the one thing I have put foremost in my mind is, “How bad do you want it?”

Have you ever had to pivot?

I have pivoted many times in my life. The first was while in college from a masters in biology to working for a pharmaceutical wholesaler in the finance department. I have had to move from that to working at Starbucks. Then teaching in my early 30s. And then back again into the financial services industry. I learned to stay flexible and remain nimble.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.priority-accounting.com
• Instagram: priorityaccouting

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