Networking…it’s about bringing people together

Last week I was privileged to attend an event, called Bearfoot Boardroom, with our very own, Julie DeLong, COO of Backyard Bookkeeper. We heard from Dana Ball, a small business lawyer, and Julie. Dana started out by teaching us how to protect ourselves and our small businesses. One point that I found useful (because I’m guilty of this) is to make sure you don’t just use Google to create contracts. The importance of having a binding contract specific to your business is essential in protecting yourself, your business, and your assets. Small business owners have a tendency to DIY as much as they possibly can.  However, when it comes to contracts it’s worth the small fee to have it done right initially.

The other point that really stood out was Dana’s standard of communication with clients. She sets a standard to get back to every client within 24 hours. I really appreciated how she emphasized that our clients are the reason for our business.

After Dana spoke, Julie took a turn and spoke about bookkeeping for a small business. She helped us understand the basics of finding a good bookkeeper.  You want to hire a bookkeeper that knows their stuff, saves you time, and gives you valuable information such as balance sheets, profit and loss statements, etc.  She shared tools that make it easier for business owners such as mileage tracking apps. She also stressed the importance of having updated bookkeeping, so you can make educated decisions and know what your return on investment is, etc.

The real benefit from this event was the conversations that happened in between the speakers. Both Dana and Julie brought up several points that had us talking and asking important questions. We connected with each other and opened up in ways that allowed us to improve our current situation. That connection is what events like these are for. The positive interactions we had together, and those “light bulb” moments  allowed me to leave with specific goals. Thanks to Ellen with Empowering Concepts Group for putting this together! I’m looking forward to more events like this in the future.

Author Jess Gainer-Office Manager, Customer Service, Tech Support, and Super Hero. She likes doing things well and wants all those she connects with to feel happier when they leave her presence. Her background includes teaching technology, running an office, bookkeeping, and protecting the world from evil one happy moment at a time. Her passions include extreme sports, building and fixing stuff, making music, playing everywhere she is, and learning.