Barnes Financial Concierge is continuing to expand. I am excited to explore the blog space as a place to have a deeper conversation about taxes, finances, small business growth and perspectives on money. Not just an ‘in the weeds’ conversation. But a look at what it takes to be successful at money management and financial growth.
What does financial security look like for you and your family? How do you take your business to the next level? What don’t you know now that you could learn that might make all of the difference?
Recently Barnes Financial Services NY LLC sat at an intersection or a Y in the road. There were two directions I could choose. The first direction, and most familiar, was to continue the solopreneur journey. The second direction was to grow and expand the business in response to an increased demand for our services. I didn’t make an immediate choice for months, pausing to reflect on what would be in my best interest and the best interest for the clients we were serving. I asked myself, without judgement, would it be easier to do what you know, what you are familiar with? Or are you ready to explore a new journey beyond where I had gone before?
Several years before this I decided to downsize our client roster. We had grown to a size that was challenging to manage with just myself and rotating assistants whom I hired seasonally as needed. I felt the pain of feeling overwhelmed with limited support to serve the expanded clientele. Being in a deadline industry comes with inherent stresses. But having more clients than you can serve in a timely manner and with the best quality of work is immensely stressful. So I made the decision to let go of some clients to return the roster to a number I could serve with more ease. It allowed me as a solopreneur to better manage the workload.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic happened. As so many, I experienced loss, fear, and anxiety about the unknown in the world. At the same time, Barnes Financial quickly grew again as I jumped to support our small business clients navigating loan programs and families navigating the expansion of unemployment income. I connected with our many artist clients whose Broadway and television shows were abruptly paused. And I discovered a more meaningful way to express the story behind the numbers for our clients. And here I was back at the intersection, the Y in the road, asking which direction should I take?
With who I have become in my 20+ years of providing tax and accounting services, I made the choice to take the journey of growth and expansion. The first thing I knew is that this path requires a team. I could not grow and serve on this next level by myself. We have brought on and continue to add on an amazing team of permanent employees and _________ contractors. We have team members dedicated to operations, marketing; as well as, CPAs, EAs and Bookkeepers to help us do this work.
So here we are in Summer 2022, taking a path towards new and exciting things. We took July off from tax preparation to allow space for internal growth as a business. This summer we have focused on team development & training; hiring new team members; and developing new processes and procedures to help us work more efficiently. Some days I’m walking on unsure ground as to what the next best step is to take. And on most days, I’m beaming with joy for the team we are putting together and excited about all that we will be unveiling in the coming months.
If you are at a Y in your journey, what questions are you asking yourself? Maybe it’s not a financial or business Y. Maybe you’re at an intersection with a relationship or a personal choice. Are you allowing yourself to choose the path without judgement? Are you reflecting on what is best for you at this moment without being bound by others opinions of you and what you should do?
For those of you who have been on this journey with Barnes Financial over the years, I am deeply grateful for your support and trusting us to provide you with financial services!
I am over the moon about all the things we have planned to share with you in the coming months. In this new blog space, you’ll not only read posts from me, but also from members of our team. We are unveiling the new website in the next month, preparing to deliver weekly newsletters and starting to go in pre-production for our new podcast.
Overall, I am looking forward to a deeper, more meaningful connection with you and your numbers.
Financially & Creatively Yours,
Aquaila
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