Are you… A sole trader or owner/worker of a Bookkeeping business? Struggling to consistently acquire new clients? (and more importantly.. the right kind of clients..) Not spending enough time networking and marketing because you get bogged down in “getting client work done” mode? Worried about taking on your first employee? Constantly stressed over whether you’re “good enough”? If you found yourself nodding along to any of the above then you’ll be glad to hear that I can help.. My goal is to help proactive bookkeepers like you transition from being a sole trader into running a successful bookkeeping business. First let me tell you a little about me! I’m Tracy Irwin and for the past 15 years I’ve ran a bookkeeping business in the Lake District, in the North West of England. Saying I’ve enjoyed every minute of it would be a lie… there have been some tough times. I’ve made mistakes.. like growing the business too quickly and hiring the wrong people, but the thing is… I wouldn’t change a thing. Helping others has always been my passion. I never seemed to be able to stop at just helping them with their payroll and accounts, because the more I learnt about business, marketing and employing people, the more I felt compelled to pass on this knowledge to my clients. At the start of 2016 I lost my Grandad, he had lived an amazing life and lived till the impressive age of 94. However, for some reason his death hit me hard, it made me take a step back and realise I was living a life I wasn’t happy in. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the company anymore, I still loved helping clients, it was my lifestyle I hated. I was a massive part of the day to day running of the business, coming in first… leaving last. I had an amazing team around me, yet I was still struggling with control issues and delegation. So, I set about changing that. Over the past two years I’ve systemised the entire customer journey in our bookkeeping business, from the moment they stumble across us, to the moment when (if) they leave. Processing the company has enabled me to let go of all day to day running of the company giving me time to focus on working “on” the business rather than “in” it. It wasn’t just my work life I ended up changing.. I also now live in the idyllic village of Albir in the south of Spain with an iPhone lifestyle (although I have a Samsung!) with my partner, and our rescue dog Pixel. It’s from here that I want to continue to pass on the knowledge I have learnt, not just to my clients, but to other bookkeepers who are wanting to grow their practice. I sincerely hope my vlogs are of benefit to you, if you have any feedback I would love to hear it and likewise if you have any burning questions about growing your Bookkeeping Business I have not answered in a vlog please send an email to tracy@successbynumbers.co.uk