Dear Clients,

For Backyard Bookkeeper, 2017 has been an incredibly busy year. Luckily, that also meant that we had a great year, and that is all thanks to all of you who joined our company, both new clients and new team bookkeepers. Welcome!

With this short newsletter, we would like to tell you a little about the changes we’ve made this year and introduce you to our new bookkeepers and specialists–see their pictures and bios below.

We also have some big news to share, which is that starting in January 2018, we are expanding our payroll service offering, including setting up a dedicated payroll team in a new company, Backyard Payroll LLC. We are very excited about this change because we want to provide you with the best service possible and we know that with this new service we will be able to do just that. To find out more about the payroll service options or to sign up, go to http://backyardpayroll.com. If you are a current payroll customer, look for an email from us this week explaining the changes in detail and how they affect you. Your current payroll pricing will not be affected in any way by the change.

We hope you have a very merry Christmas and happy holiday season!

Backyard Bookkeeper

Bookkeeping team members who joined us in 2017

Accounting is LeeAnn’s passion, and she loves helping business owners make sure their finances are in order and their books are accurate. With over 15 years of accounting experience, she enjoys the variety that comes with full charge bookkeeping.

LeeAnn has two beautiful kids that make her world go around. In her spare time she likes cooking, running, hiking, and reading. She has one half-marathon under her belt and is working towards her second.

Gabi loves reconciling and gets a rush from reconciling down to the penny each month. With a degree in finance and six years’ accounting experience, she is proficient in all things Excel and Quickbooks.

Her favorite things are taking long walks with her kiddos, and spending time in the mountains. She loves any good food, but especially Skittles and ice cold Dr. Pepper.

Angie has loved accounting ever since she got her first job in accounts payable at age 19. Since then, she has continued her accounting career in various industries, including radio stations, TV, and advertising. She earned a BS in finance in 2009.

Angie also has a knack for cooking and sewing and everything DIY. She enjoys entertaining and cooking for others, and loves having her kids help. During her downtime, she enjoys going swimming, camping, or doing anything out in the sun.

Breanna has been a “super organizer” her whole life, always looking for new ways to clear out clutter and make things more efficient. This applies to her love of numbers as well, which led to a degree in accounting, and 14 years doing bookkeeping and taxes. She gets a little excited when an account doesn’t reconcile, because it means she gets to do a little detective work and solve the mystery!

In her spare time, you will find Breanna doing something with her family, reading, running, or being crafty and creative. She’s constantly finding new skills to add to her belt, from crocheting to cake decorating, and loves learning new things, no matter the subject.

Rendy is passionate about organization and loves the feeling of a balanced budget. She is a planner at heart and budgets her personal finances 12 months in advance. Her background in project management gives her the ability to see all aspects of large bookkeeping tasks and how they can all come together.

In her spare time, she enjoys being with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs. She loves wine, music, spending time with friends, and weekend camping trips to the mountains.

Article: Ideas for a financially successful 2018

With New Year’s around the corner, now is a great time to reconsider your finances and set some goals to help you move forward. Here are three ideas to ponder as we head into the new year and a new tax season.

1. Simplify your finances. The more things you have to personally keep track of, the more likely it is that you’ll forget or miss something important. There are many ways to simplify, starting with decreasing the number of bank and credit accounts you currently use, or simply dealing with stacks of unopened mail on your desk. Also, automating bill and loan payments or making automatic transfers into savings helps many people to meet their financial obligations with less stress.
2. Learn something new. The new year is a great time to get a new book or two, subscribe to a business or financial magazine, and learn more about management, investing, or finance. In today’s rapidly changing world, continued lifelong learning is a valuable habit to have.
3. Leverage your existing resources. When’s the last time you discussed your financials with your bookkeeper? Year end is a great time to look at what you have accomplished so far, make final adjustments for reporting purposes, and assess what needs to change going forward. That’s what Backyard Bookkeeper is here to help you do.

We wish you a prosperous and happy new year!

Backyard Bookkeeper has been working with Utahns Against Hunger, a local nonprofit, for over 8 years. Their mission is to increase access to food through advocacy, outreach, and education. During this holiday season, please take a moment to “pay it forward” and help those in need, especially those who suffer from food insecurity. Find out how you can help by visiting www.uah.org today.

Happy Holidays to you and your family!