An Interview with Linda Hunt
How did you end up becoming a freelance accountant?
It all started in college when I worked as a bookkeeper for a non-profit organization. I really loved the small business environment and was able to see and learn how the organization operated. It was a great training ground and even through I loved the small environment, I decided to leave and go to work in corporate to gain broader work experience. So I went to work for a smaller division of a Fortune 500 company and there I worked in both the actual accounting, and the budgets and analysis departments which gave me a very good understanding of both sides of the coin. While I worked in corporate, I also spent a good number of years in the operations side of the business.
I then moved from the smaller division to the parent company and found I really didn’t like the larger environment. At one point in my career at the parent company, I found myself traveling 95% of the time and got to know my limo drivers really well. They were these two cousins who run a limo business that was a little different than the other services out there. At the time, you could either take a private car service, which at the level I was at in the corporation was not an option or you could take a public service which was a shared ride that ran on a set schedule. So sometimes you would be waiting at the airport for hours because that was the only time you could get the ride! Which was extremely frustrating when you travel so much.
This limo business created a niche for themself by providing a shared ride that was waiting for you when you arrived at the airport. (I was heaven!) So, with my travel schedule I got to know both of the owners pretty well and both of them knew of my background. So my rides to and from the airport began as mini-consultation sessions and then one day both of the cousins figured out that they were both speaking to me and decided that they wanted to hire me to assist them and their company.
At first I resisted and it wasn’t long before I was formally consulting for them. I went into their small business and identified their pain points – both the cousins thought the other was skimming cash and they didn’t have job descriptions, the books and records were a mess. Basically I went in and consulted with them on how to systematize and streamline their business and I also fixed their books and records and I found that their reservation system wasn’t’ billing everything. So no one was skimming cash and in fact in a few months the cousins saw their business double because each one was playing to their strengths.
I was having so much fun! I got see the results of my efforts and I was a real contributor to the success of the business. I realized that this consulting job brought me back to my first love of working with small businesses.
So in 1998, I left corporate and formed SUMSOLUTIONS as one of the first outsourced accounting and small business consulting firms in this area. I started out working as a solo-provider with businesses of all sizes and then within a year started adding staff. About 3 to 4 years into my business we exclusively began working with businesses with the larger small business with revenue between $1 million and $10 million.
How long have you been doing what you do and how did you end up working with other freelance bookkeepers and help them to transform their business?
I began informally consulting with other freelance colleagues in 2006, sharing with them the systems that I used to transform my very own business and I found that I really loved the teaching aspect and seeing my colleagues go from struggling to success.
Then in 2009, I had an employee buyout and moved completely away from providing accounting and small business consulting to exclusively working with other freelance accounting and bookkeeping professionals. I teach and share with them the very same systems and methods that have helped me to create my very profitable firm. We
I want everyone to know that I’ve been where you are and I know the struggles and the challenges that we face in our profession. When I first started out I had no idea what I didn’t know about running a business! I thought because I knew accounting and bookkeeping and had a background in operations that I was golden and running my own business was going to be a piece of cake! What a surprise I was in for!!
I made every possible mistake imaginable and then some that weren’t imaginable from pricing my services too low, giving services away for free, discounting, getting caught up in the work, getting caught up in the client’s drama, re-creating the wheel each and every time I did something. You name it – I experienced it and each time it cost me money!
Then something pretty magical happened, although I did not think it was magical at the time! I got fired by a client for a $100,000 tax error on a financial forecast that the CPA had prepared. Mind you the CPA did not use my numbers as the source for his projection, but none-the-less I was thrown under the bus and my firm was fired. I go into more detail about this story in my eBook The Power of Systems, but what I want to point out here is that it opened my eyes to the fact that I needed to completely overhaul the way I was working with clients and the way I ran my business.
Prior to this incident, my main focus was my clients and the success of their business. I was acting like an employee for all of these different businesses and not a business owner.
That is when I started to take all of my knowledge and experience I had and started treating myself as a client.
I created and implemented systems in every aspect of my business – sales and marketing, client intake, how I provided the service, how we ended client relationships. I created a system for everything and what that did was a couple of things: one, I stopped re-creating the wheel every time we did something, and this made my business more profitable. The second thing it did was made my staff more efficient which then allowed me to go out and bring in more business. Prior to systematizing everything we had periods of time where we had no work at all (and no money coming in. The expenses didn’t stop, but the inflows did.) to periods where we were overloaded and I had to pay overtime. And, the third thing it did was improve the quality of the service we were delivering to our clients which made them happier and they told others. I found that when I was talking to new prospects they had heard about my firm and knew we provided good bookkeeping services. CPAs also began seeking us out to work with their clients. The benefits of systematizing your business are endless and they always, always increase profitable and create more time by having you work more efficiently.
Who are your clients exactly?
I work with freelance accountants and bookkeepers who are really good at what they do providing bookkeeping services. However, they have never been taught exactly how to a run a business. This includes marketing and pricing their services or setting up systems so that they are leading the client through the bookkeeping process and not the other way around.
I have worked with both the solo-provider just starting out and the seasoned bookkeeping firm with a staff of 17. The systems I teach work for both the individual and the firm because I started out as an individual and grew from there into a firm with a staff of five. So these systems work beautifully and allow you to grow your business easily. The other thing I want to mention is that these systems are not dependent upon technology (remote servers, scanners, etc.). Technology enhances them.
How are you different from other “business coaches”?
The main way I differ from other business coaches is that I bring to the table an understanding of what’s is like being a freelance accountant/bookkeeper and working with the small business community. I share with my clients not only an understanding of the challenges but real-life solutions that they can implement into their own business.
I remember when I first started out I could not find any resources specifically geared to helping me grow my bookkeeping firm. There was plenty of technical advice and guidance out there but nothing on the practice management side. So while those coaches were very helpful to me, I did not get the fast results I was looking for. So because I’ve been through it, I know I help my clients get there faster.
What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
The products and programs are created for freelance bookkeepers who are absolutely excited and deadly serious about building and sustaining a freelance practice that supports them body, mind and spirit! They are created for you to put systems into place within a few months (sometimes weeks), which will lead you to streamlining your business, improving the quality of the services you provide and increasing your profitability.
I am high-achiever and go-getter and I’m known to work best with other high achieving go-getters who are ready to get moving and just want to know what steps to take to transform their freelance practice from feeling like you have 100 jobs to a business that is systems dependent and can operate without you.
When we work together you will be expected to take serious and consistent action. No more excuses!
For what type of freelance bookkeeper is this program NOT going to work?
I am very selective about who I work with in a one-on-one coaching relationship. I cherry pick my clients, choosing to gently turn away those who aren’t suited for my programs and won’t get the results for which they have signed up for. It wouldn’t be fair to either them or me.
My private coaching programs are NOT for those who have no money coming in and are absolutely, financially desperate, at least not right away. It has been my experience that people in financial crisis do not trust the recommendations that I give them and don’t do the work probably because they are worried about where they are going to get enough money to pay next month’s rent or mortgage.
If you fall within this category, it’s absolutely OK. We’ve all been in times of financial crisis at one point or another. If you find yourself in this situation do two things for yourself:
- Get some money coming in with a full-time or part-time job at the very least, and then call me. This will take the edge off and provide a little peace of mind. Mostly it will de-clutter your mind enough to focus on your assignments (yes, I give assignments to keep you moving forward) and the BIG picture.
- Subscribe for my free bi-weekly e-newsletter “The Bookkeeper’s Profitability Blueprint” and browse my free resources page. There is a lot of good information that will get you started towards your goals until you’re ready to work with me one-on-one.
Doing this will really help you get primed for our work. When you’re ready, call me and we’ll get you started.
Another type of person I won’t work with, without exception is the chronic skeptic or whiner, as well as the person who is constantly making excuses for not getting their assignments done. If you are one of these people, I respectfully ask that you not call and I hope that you understand why. We’ll probably just not work well together and I wouldn’t want you to waste your time or money.
Can I contact some of your former clients to see what it’s like to work with you?
Yes, I encourage you to! Please go to the Client Testimonials page and read all of them. See which ones you feel drawn to and feel free to email or call them and ask what they got from working with me and my programs.
How quickly can I expect results?
Obviously, this depends on how long you’ve been in business and how much you put into the assignments that we give you. That said, virtually all clients see results within the first couple of months in the form of a smoother workflow, more consistent revenue, more consistent prospects and happier clients because they are receiving a more consistent quality of service.
Will I recover the investment I put into this coaching program?
Yes! Many clients are excited to report that they were able to cover their investment often with only one new client. I want you to stop reading for just one moment to ask yourself, “What is one new client worth to me, and what is the average revenue I make from the lifetime of one new client?” Chances are that amount will more than cover your coaching investment. Most likely, you will make 10 times what you invested in this program in the next 3 years.
What you’re regularly receiving with my various programs and coaching is what I call a series of AHAS! that will move your business forward faster than you would on your own. Expect to get a lot of these as well as the resources you’ve been looking for and haven’t found until now. That’s what you’re investing in, results, more revenue, more profit, more clients and systems that you can immediately implement into your business and see results. Not just more “information!”
Linda, based on everything I’ve read and heard about you, I know you’re the one I want to learn from. What are my options for getting started with you?
Congratulations on making a decision for success! I am happy two work with you to achieve your business goals.
To get started systematizing your freelance practice, make more money and have more time off, here are the different programs and products I’ve created for you:
Products – the products page contains a variety of live and home-study courses designed to keep you motivated and moving forward. Both the live and home study course are webinars where you are receiving one-on-one teaching from me. Each module is accompanied by a downloadable instruction manual and assignments. These products are a cost-effective way to get to know me and my teaching style while receiving some great information you can immediately implement into your business. Click here to be taken to the products page where you can browse and see the resources we have available.
Individual Monthly Coaching – one-on-one coaching is ideal for you if you are looking for guidance and additional accountability for getting items OFF of your To Do List and move your business forward. Click here to learn more about our monthly coaching program.
VIP Virtual Retreat – this is where we spend the day focusing on you and your business, virtually! This program is ideal for those who need some intense focus and attention on their business without wanting to commit to longer term coaching. Click here to learn more about setting up your virtual ½ day VIP retreat.
Platinum Mentorship Program – this is an 8-month long program is specifically designed for the freelance bookkeeper who is ready to step into their intuition, joy and is ready to allow their business to grow and flourish. Being a part of this program will require you to stretch beyond your current comfort zone and then, to take decisive action in creating a very profitable business, while creating the life you love. Click here to learn more about the Platinum Mentorship Program.
OK, I know which program I want. How do I get started?
Great! Did you know that one of the most prominent characteristics of successful people is that they take action? They take educated risks, are decisive, take action, and they move forward toward success faster as a direct result of this. It’s a well-known fact that these people make decisions based on their gut instinct. So, that being said, since this feels right for you, then go for it.
Here’s what you do: just click on the info page links above or if you have any questions, give my support team a call at (888) 330-4405 or email my team at info@sumsolutions.com and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. I can’t wait to get you started on your path to more income and more time off to enjoy it all!
If, I’m not sure I’m ready to get started, how can I sample your work at low cost to see if it’s the right solutions for me?
A low cost way to sample the information I have to offer is by subscribing to the weekly email newsletter. “The Bookkeeper’s Profitability Blueprint” email newsletter provides you with proven tips, the latest tools and powerful techniques from The Bookkeeper’s Profitability Coaching Programs. It is a must for anyone who wants to build and sustain a profitable freelance practice. Subscribe here.
OK, I’m ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple of additional questions. Can I call you?
Absolutely! If you have a couple of questions, just email my team at info@sumsolutions.com or call us directly at (888) 330-4405 and we’ll be happy to walk you through the different options to see which one will be the very best for you. I cannot wait to see you succeed and I am honored to be the one to help you!
