Featured Solopreneur Deb Howard Greenleaf: “Glad? You Bet!”

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” an ongoing series that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Click Here to read more Solopreneur Success Stories.

Name of solopreneur:
Deb Howard Greenleaf

Name of business and city:
Greenleaf Accounting Services, LLC in northwestern Pennsylvania

Web site address:
www.greenleafaccounting.com

Type of business:
Virtual accounting and bookkeeping services

When did you officially go into business?
August 2006

Why did you start your own business?
To allow for a more flexible schedule and to explore my dream of being my own boss. Also, the accounting firms that I’d worked in were staffed by generalists that would tackle almost anything accounting-related, but I wanted to focus on working with small-business owners.

What was the best thing you did when you were starting up your business?
I started my business very slowly, taking on only a few new clients at a time. This allowed me to work on my systems, learn how quickly I could turn around a given type of project, and learn where my niche was. It only took a year for me to realize that my target clients were other solo professionals who wanted someone else to bear the burden of invoicing, collections, and balancing the books.

What is a mistake that you made that you have learned from?
My biggest mistakes have all involved over-promising—agreeing to a deadline before I knew the true extent of the work to be done. After working round-the-clock to meet those deadlines, I learned to ask a lot more questions upfront and always build in a very wide margin to my deadlines.

What is your biggest current challenge in the business and what are doing to try to solve it?
I am still trying to find the sweet spot where I’m hitting my monthly profit goals but not working extra hours after the kids are in bed. I think I’m like a lot of soloists who face months that are either feast or famine, tons of work or not enough. To meet this challenge, I’ve been refining my systems to plan ahead, anticipate busy periods and shift some of my routine work to other weeks where the workload isn’t so heavy.

What were your goals for 2010?
My biggest goal for 2010 is to get organized! The more I grow, the more I realize that I can’t keep everything in my head. I’ve experimented with GTD, dayplanners, you name it. Let’s just say that my system is still a work in process. I also want to work on some contingency planning this year, maybe form some strategic alliances with one or two other virtual accountants who could help me out if I get it by the proverbial beer truck.

Where do you want to be with the business in five years?
Still in business, doing what I love!

What are your main software programs?
QuickBooks and Outlook are running on my computer all day, every day.

What are your strategies for staying competitive?
Provide awesome customer service, as this will differentiate you from the pack. To date, most of my business has come from referrals from happy clients. I still stink at self-promotion, so referral marketing is my cup of tea!

What’s your advice for aspiring solopreneurs?
Do your homework! Understand what client problem you’re trying to solve. What’s their pain? You’re selling solutions, not products and services. Also be sure to research what your first-year costs are going to be and how you’re going to make ends meet until you hit break-even!

Are you glad you became a solopreneur? Why or why not?
Glad? You bet! The flexibility in my schedule has been a lifesaver and being my own boss makes me feel 10 years younger. I actually look forward to going to work now!

Don’t Be Selfish!

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