Can you tell us what type of business you run and how long you've been operating this business? 

I own a bookkeeping firm where our mission is to make tracking finances easy, efficient and understandable for small business owners and nonprofits. We have been in operation for two years. 

Before doing bookkeeping, I worked as a grants manager at a private foundation. It was there I worked with organizations interested in funding through the process of applying from start to finish. It was there I saw how important it was for accurate, detailed books that would clearly show the good these organizations were doing so they could get the funding they needed. I’ve always been a numbers nerd when it comes to money and an eye for detail. Working with numbers was something I enjoyed in college, and I’ve always had an eye for detail and organization. Being able to do something I liked that would directly help small businesses/nonprofits in my community and beyond made it a perfect fit for my skills and passions.

Starting and running a business is tough in general. It’s a leap of faith with a lot of uncertainty. Then you add COVID to the mix and it was definitely a hard time to be starting a business. Even so, I forged ahead. Being able to operate completely remotely as needed, it worked well and was actually a positive thing for clients I had already started working with. When everything was shut down and everyone had to work remotely, we were already prepared and collaborating with them virtually. We were able to help them pivot and more carefully watch budgets and trends in their numbers during the harder times. Some were able to get loan assistance faster too since we had their numbers organized and ready more quickly as well for the required reports.

Let's talk about the services you offer, who do you help, and how do you help?

We offer full-service bookkeeping that’s customized to each client’s needs, level of service and support needed. We do everything from the general transaction categorization, monthly reconciliations, to customer invoicing and bill pay. The only thing we don’t do is tax prep! We embrace technology and are always looking for ways to make our client’s lives and work easier.

We work mainly with service-based businesses and nonprofits. Nonprofit accounting in particular is very specific, we can handle grant tracking and other specific nuances related to tracking financials in the nonprofit sector.

Whatever level of service we perform, our goal is to take bookkeeping off a business owner or nonprofit’s plate so they can focus on their passion and further their mission. We provide peace of mind and sanity at tax time. 

In our talk you said that Blue Cypher Bookkeeping is really “ A Focus on Bookkeeping with a Focus on Details.”

Can you elaborate a bit about your passion for the details and where it stems from?

I have always been very detail-oriented. In my past jobs and work I was always the one that kept things going in the office. People often joked “she probably has a spreadsheet for that!”. And, I usually did, I even made a spreadsheet tracking details for my wedding! I’ve always loved finding ways to increase efficiency and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. 

With all that you've accomplished so far, did setting goals contribute to your success so far?

Setting goals is definitely important! It’s important to know where you’re at now and where you want to be. It gives you something to strive for, and milestones to celebrate. We often forget to celebrate the little things and having goals you visit on a consistent basis will remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing and continue to help you plan for the long-term.