Some of you will know of the illness that has plagued my wife off-and-on for the last few years. After Karen endured a second hospital stay earlier this year which resulted in her being signed off from work longterm we both realized we had to instigate a major rethink into how we go out to work, finance ourselves, keep the roof over our head, food on the table and the wolves from our door.
Plans are now afoot - for us both. Ideas are being swirled around in the wine glass of opportunity. Most of them are them are still at the very faint bouquet stage. Most of them might not mature into anything very palatable at all. But some just might; some may have legs enough to actually go somewhere pretty decent.
If I could be paid to mix-metaphors all day I'd make a small fortune but until then my wife has taken the brave decision to resign from the accountant's where she has worked for the last 7 years and start up a work-from-home bookkeeping business. Provided we get some regular work it will be an ideal solution for her: she's highly qualified, very knowledgeable but needs to work at her own pace in a relatively stress-free environment. Working for herself is definitely the way to go.
To that end we have spent the last few days placing advertising, printing business cards and designing a web site: http://www.brighter-bookkeeping.co.uk.
By our reckoning we've got 12 months to make this venture work - and then it's a return to the drawing board if it all goes pear-shaped. Hopefully, we're onto a winner, albeit a slow grower... but slow and steady wins the race.
So, cutting to the chase, I am temporarily hijacking this blog to sling a bit of free, totally partisan, completely biased advertising out into the electronic ether.
Please take a look at my wife's web site. Please bear us in mind should you be in a position to require a first class bookkeeper. Please pass our details on to your family and friends and work associates should they be in that same position. Web sites and business cards are all very nice but it is word of mouth that reaps the biggest rewards and we'd appreciate your help.
Here ends the Pearl & Dean advertising. Your feature film will follow shortly.
22 comments:
I wonder how many folk went to Google maps and looked up your address; I did! I'm sure the work will come flooding in.
Colin: never thought of that... maybe we need to put some posters up in the windows?
That's a super website...clear attractive design and crystal clear information.
The best of luck to you both and may your wine have legs enough to run marathons.
pa paaah, pa paaah, pa paaah, pa paaah, pa-pa-paah.
And so on. Good luck.
The fly in the web: hearty thanks to you.
Mark: thank you... help yourself to the concession stand.
Good luck...I hope it all adds up!
Nota Bene: that's the beauty of double entry bookkeeping...
I've added your wife's book keeping web site (which is well laid out, nicely done) to my favourites as although I have an accountant for taxes for my newly formed limited company I may (not sure yet) need a book keeper to prepare information for him.
Brilliant blog - new to it via Helen (fly). Have linked you so I can see your updates.
Best of luck to you both.
Will definitely remember you if I hear of anyone. Good luck to you both with the new venture. Very good website - I agree.
Craig: thank you so much - and a big thank you to Helen too.
Fran: thank you, poet friend!
An admirably-worded website. I hope it leads to a brighter future.
Came from the ever clever Helen's site you likes your site and since I like hers and her,here I am. I'm in California but do have friends in the UK (also I'm half English) so just tweeted to help bring your wife some bookkeeping attention. Good luck with this. Paulette
Don't need one myself but good luck with the venture....good health to the tropolis family too.
Will keep Karen in mind of I hear of anyone who needs this. Best wishes to both of you. Sounds like a winner to me. Fingers crossed x
Already putting the feelers out to see what work I can send your (Karen's) way.
Am sure this will be the best decision you have both made in a long time!
LCM x
Gorilla Bananas: an admirably worded comment - thank you.
thepersecutionofmildreddunlap: thank you hugely.
Libby: thanks!
Trish: we've got everything crossed! ;-)
LCM: thank you, m'dear!
Hello Steve - been away from the blog a while but did pick up on this and checked out the website.
Some SAGE like (oh, the pun potential ) advice - check out websites of successful competitors or similar small trader service providers and see what they include. I've recently been looking for copywriters at work and it's interesting to see the wide difference in standards. Here is an excellent one I thought.
http://www.sarahnuttallcopywriter.co.uk/
Have you thought of linking up with an independent financial advisor - especially those who offer tax advice to private clients / small business? They might be able to put business your way and in so doing widen the scope of advice and support they can offer to clients. And last but not least - any areas of specialism / sectors that you might promote? Always helps I feel.
Good luck, and mail me privately if you think I might be able to help more.
The Bike Shed: many thanks for that... I'll pass on your wise words to Karen and see what she says!
Best of luck with this. Although I'm not sure that I'd ever associate Brighter with Bookkeeping. But then I'm not on intimate terms with your missus.
Marginalia: that's not what she says.
I'm so excited for her, I've shared it on my Facebook page. This is the change I just KNEW would come to you both! Di'n I say? Di'n I?? (Ok so I've said many things... and I never did get my book published, nor win the lotto, but I know I was right on this *cough*)
Seriously, guys, this is really awesome. What you said, about K being highly experienced in her field and yet needing a relatively stress-free environment, that's me too. I have made a go of it, for I had no other choice, and 9 years later I am having to cap my workload and turn away clients I'm doing so well. it is at my pace, not some breakneck speed, and sure i don't make as much as I'd like actually... but I am comfortably busy and comfortably paid for it.
Cheers to both of you! Site looks wonderful, too. Good stuff.
Being Me: I knew you'd "get it". Thank you, my friend. :-)
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