Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in financial services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dee Jones, Owner of Fiscally Jones, located in Erie, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Fiscally Jones, and I serve entrepreneurs that are looking for ways to simplify the management of the finances of their business while ensuring they are growing their business profitably without adding stress or taking all of their limited time.

Tell us about yourself

I first started my business to help small business owners by doing bookkeeping and tax prep services for them, but once I started homeschooling my two boys, I found I didn't have the time to serve clients in this way. Around this time, I started having requests from other small business owners and accounting professionals for a spreadsheet-based accounting system that I had originally created early on in my business as an alternative to Quickbooks for a friend.

That then quickly became the centerpiece of my business, but to truly help equip these small business owners to find success and profitability in their business, I decided to pair it with a course teaching them all they need to know to simply and confidently manage the finances of their business while ensuring they are running and growing their business profitably from the very beginning. I love helping others learn what offers to focus on in their business and love seeing them use that information to grow and gain the freedom they were looking for to be able to focus on the things that really matter most to them in their lives.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The biggest accomplishment for me in my business has really been working with a dear friend over the last 4 years to overcome her aversion to the finances of her business and to use the spreadsheet-based program I created for her and the data that it has provided her with to be able to grow her business to six-figures. It is so amazing to see the freedom and flexibility this has given her and to see the impact it has had on her, her family, and the community around her that she helps and supports through her business and through the income and time she has gained by growing her business in a way that is maximizing her profits.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the greatest challenges in business, especially when working as a solopreneur, is getting inside our own heads as we're still growing and allowing our doubts and negative thoughts to cause us to give up. This temptation can be especially strong when we've been working to grow and are on the cusp of that growth but aren't quite seeing those results yet, so it starts to feel like it will never happen. This is why it is essential to connect with a good community of like-minded people in a similar situation so you can help, support, and encourage each other as you continue on the difficult road of entrepreneurship.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Connect with others who can understand, help, and encourage you as you work hard to grow your business. There are some great paid memberships and communities out there (one of which I would recommend to anyone who approaches me looking for something like this), but one of my favorite communities I'm connected to is simply a group of 5 other entrepreneur moms that all connected to each other through one mutual friend, and they are my favorite people to connect with when it comes to my business, and we have now built a great friendship as well.
  2. This likely comes as no surprise considering my financial focus. Keep all your personal and business funds separate as early on as possible. If possible, do it from day one, but if you have already started your business and things are mingled together, my biggest piece of advice would be to set up a separate bank account and separate out all your business funds as soon as possible. There are so many reasons for this, both legally and just logistically, but one of the biggest reasons is the clarity it can give you, which is absolutely pivotal in being able to grow your business profitably.
  3. I would recommend establishing a day of the week or part of a day each week to manage the admin and financial side of your business. It's so easy when your business is small and just starting to grow to let your finances and some of the simple admin tasks slip by because "there's not that much to do." When we do this though, those small tasks all eventually add up, and before you know it, you have an overwhelming mountain of work to get caught up, and that then causes you to avoid it and put it off time and time again until it's absolutely necessary to deal with it and when that happens it's usually a very stressful and exhausting experience. This is why it's best to just avoid that whole headache situation altogether by assigning a time on our calendars that we will handle those tasks regularly and then sticking to it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://fiscallyjones.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiscallyJones/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FiscallyJones/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fiscally-jones/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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