You don't need to be alone.
As a bookkeeper, it's pretty easy to isolate yourself especially if you're a solo practice working from home.
For some, they don't even realize how big of a community of bookkeepers there is in the world.
Our guest, a marketing and branding expert for bookkeepers, Amy Hooke had no idea.
In the early days of her bookkeeping business, she was too busy dealing with terrible clients to notice.
But, that all changed for the better.
Today, she's a part of a supportive group of bookkeepers that give her the confidence she never had before.
Being with these like-minded people definitely changed her world for the better.
Joining a bookkeeping community can do the same for you.
During this interview, you'll learn...
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How fellow bookkeepers can point out the positives in you that you never knew you had
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How a bookkeeping community can provide good advice when you're dealing with client issues
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Why you should find ways to pay it forward to your bookkeeper friends
EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION
Michael Palmer: 01:19 Welcome back to The Successful Bookkeeper podcast. I am your host, Michael Palmer, and today's show is going to be an enjoyable one. Our guest is located all the way from Melbourne, Australia. After bookkeeping for almost 20 years. She started her own bookkeeping business off the hook bookkeeping in 2014 then in May 2017 she transitioned full time into running Amyhooke.com and that's Amy h. o o k e for those that are going to be googling it where she offers website design, marketing consultancy, and training services for female bookkeepers, which I think is really exciting. Amy Hooke, welcome to the podcast.
Amy Hooke: 01:59 Hi Michael. Thanks for inviting me tonight.
MP: 02:01 Yes, and I am excited to hear and share with our listener the backstory of how you came to be Amy Hooke. So why don't we start there and tell us a little bit about your career journey?
AH: 02:15 Okay. Well, I guess probably the best place to start would be how I ended up being a bookkeeper in the first place. So I'm absolutely, yes. Um, so I was actually about 13 years old. I remember it very clearly walking into the room and I announced to my dad, dad, when I grow up, I want to be an accountant. And so, uh, obviously, uh, dad was quite pleased about that and he, uh, used to run his own business at the time and he said to me, well, why don't you come into the office and do a little bit of work with my accountant and see if you actually enjoy it? Cause I loved, uh, at school my favorite subjects were accounting and computers. So he took me into the office and I was taught to do bank reconciliations and enter checks and that kind of thing on NYOB.
AH: 03:10 And I just, I just really enjoyed it. I always loved being in the office. So that was kind of how it started way back then. And I guess over the years I've had, um, yeah, just a number of opportunities to actually, uh, I guess initially I did a traineeship in bookkeeping and then I ended up somehow totally unqualified. I ended up in an accounting firm doing tax returns and preparing financial statements. And then my boss opened a bookkeeping business. So, uh, when I, when I went back and, uh, started to do some study, I went into bookkeeping and I just loved it so much. So I kind of, you know, I guess I've stuck with it over the years and it's always, um, yeah, I guess that's always been part of my, my life since a pretty young age.
MP: 03:53 Wow. And what, what had you start your own business?
AH: 04:00 I started in 2014 I set up my business. I, I guess for a long time I did actually want to run my own business. Obviously. I saw my dad running his business and I always thought that I would start one day that I hadn't, I didn't really plan it at the time I'd been previously. I'd done a lot of contracting. So I'd, um, I've worked mostly through the same accountant for a number, you know, maybe 12 years or something like that. Um, he'd contract me out and what I found was to, he ended up putting me in charge of his bookkeeping business. Um, he wasn't really that interested in running the bookkeeping business at all. So, um, he kind of left me, uh, in charge, but it was already to a certain extent. So he sorta said, make it your own business. You could do whatever you like, but kind of would never give the go-ahead to actually really do the things that I wanted to do.
AH: 04:54 So I felt, uh, I felt restricted and I ended up resigning from there because I felt that I wanted, I just felt that I wanted more out of my career and I was kind of not able to express that. So I think it was, it was 2014 so I took a break after I quit my job there 2012 I went and did a lot of traveling, went overseas and did mission work and things like that. And I just just try to search, you know what I want, what do I want to do now? I thought I was actually quitting bookkeeping at the time because I was a bit discouraged and I came back and it was really the cloud technology that got me back in a, I think when I left in 2012 nobody was trusting the cloud and when I came back, everything was in the cloud. Everybody was doing online things. And I think also I kind of swapped from a pacy onto a Mac and I found out that everything, like literally everything, could be done on a cloud. So it wasn't restricted to having to be on a PC to use MYB anymore, but I could use the euro and I can go in the cloud and I thought, Oh wow, this is actually quite fun. Maybe I'll start my own business. It just kind of started from there.
MP: 06:05 Hmm. It's very interesting. You've got old, very long history from just a, a young child doing, getting immersed into the work right through to now working in the cloud. What was it like when you started your business?
AH: 06:22 Um, I definitely have to, uh, uh, laugh a little bit there because it was extremely difficult actually, to be honest when I first started, I think there was a, a number of things that are running too that I just didn't expect. And I think probably one of the difficulties that I had was just some of the clients I dealt with. So I didn't know anything about engagement loaders or anything like that. So I came into my business feeling very positive and very competent and yeah, I actually ended up with some quite nasty and clients or do even what I would call them abusive clients, bullies and you know, people just trying to take advantage, not wanting to pay their bills and you know, not respecting the Lore and that kind of thing. And I, I found that really hard and it was just me on my own.
AH: 07:16 I was really, I was isolated though. I didn't know I was isolated. I just didn't know there was a whole community of bookkeepers out there. So even though I'd been in the industry for two-thirds of my life, it wasn't until I found this group on Facebook can I join this group? And I thought, wow, it's like two and a half thousand bookkeepers in this group. And I suddenly realized, wow, there's this whole community of bookkeepers out there that I was completely unaware of. And as I sub to spend time with these bookkeepers online or going to meet up with them, I started to realize, hey, the way these clients are treating me is actually not right. And so I started to kind of try and stand up for myself and obviously that I didn't like that. And so I just sort of getting to this state where I was just very stressed. I didn't know, you know, how to kind of respond to what was happening. So I would say initially, in the beginning, it was a short period of excitement and then a lot of stress.
MP: 08:11 Hmm. I would say those that are listening, there's going to be probably a lot that is feeling they've had a similar journey at it can be difficult and especially if you don't have a community or a support group that can help you navigate through that you feel alone.
AH: 08:30 Absolutely. I think you need that mirror. You need your colleagues to be able to say, you know, for example, I had clients accusing me or you that I've done the work wrong and that they now don't want to pay for it. And I thought I was sure it was right, but maybe it is wrong. I started questioning myself and so to go to my colleagues and show them, um, you know, kind of detail the situation, this is what's happening. And they say, oh no, that what you've done is, and I thought, wow, okay. And then I spotted on, someone posted a Debbie's EMF Bookkeeper book in the group and they referred to it as the bookkeeper's Bible. And so I ordered a, a free copy of that and arrived at my house. And I just remember reading through Debbie's book and I thought, you know, I could see wow, like I'm on the road to making like a lot of mistakes that I saw Debbie making in the book. And I thought, wow. Like, yeah, I guess I sort of started to feel hopeful at that point to be able to, yeah, just, just know that other people had been through this before and that there was a way out and there was a way to, you know, establish myself where I didn't have to, you know, do business like that anymore. So that was a real blessing actually too.
MP: 09:45 It's to find that, so I absolutely love it.
MP: 09:56 It would be from a mindset perspective, just in terms of how, and it's not just bookkeepers, it's every small business owner when they're doing it alone, the mind is so powerful, right? If you think, if you think you can do something, you can. And if you think you can't do something, you're right. So when you're isolated, it can be very dangerous. And so, you know, when we, when we see very successful business people, it's because they worked with other people always. They've always had other people contributing, helping them, you know, being a soundboard, pushing them forward. Uh, a challenging, you know, you know, rising to a child, creating challenges and then rising to a challenge and so it, it was probably very beneficial for you to find that community. And then, of course, finding the pure bookkeeping system and the myth bookkeeper, it just more resources gives you the confidence to take it further, to be, to be bigger than what you'd be able to do on your own.
AH: 10:52 Absolutely. Yeah. I, I just, I couldn't be doing what I'm doing now. I think I'd still be very stuck. I think I was, when I was reflecting on what I was going to talk about on the, on the podcast, I thought, you know, even though that time was so difficult, it was actually, I think it really was a blessing in disguise though because I found what was happening was that the situations that were coming up, like the, I guess the pain that that was causing me, it was actually pressing on some things inside of me that I hadn't actually, maybe things that I wasn't aware of, things from my past that I hadn't dealt with. So I think there those sort of three main things that stood out to me that, that, that, that challenging time taught me. And so the first thing was that I had, when I started out, I had no idea who I was.
AH: 11:46 I feel like I didn't know what I liked. I didn't know what I disliked. I didn't know I Belize where I'd never really heard about valleys. I didn't know what it meant. Um, I didn't know if I wanted to work with, I didn't know which direction I wanted to take. And then the second thing was I just, I didn't believe in myself. So I think probably firstly, you know, I was in my early thirties and I felt that you know, I'm, I'm in my thirties, I haven't achieved any level of success. And you know, that's probably actually not true at all, but that's how I felt and you know, I didn't even believe that I deserved any level of success as well. So I think I had really low self-esteem. And so dealing with these situations helped to kind of, it really confronted me with that. Like, Hey, you know, you're going to have to kind of, um, yeah, like areas that I had to work on.
AH: 12:36 And the third one was really that I had no idea how to stand up for myself. I feel like I was afraid all the time. I was anxious. I was always afraid of making mistakes. I felt like, um, you know, maybe I'm not as good as I think I am. I'm going to get found out. And I think I really let people walk all over me. And you know, I thought if I speak up, I'm being aggressive. And so I would kind of bottle up how I was feeling and then, you know, sort of save that up and then I would get angry and I just thought, you know, I can't actually live like this. Not just from a business sense, but from a personal sense. So I do think that if I hadn't have encountered those clients then I'd still kind of have these blind spots. And I think for my business it has been like the ultimate character development program. You know, like you couldn't pay for it.
MP: 13:25 Absolutely. That's great. I love that. [inaudible] it really can be, as long as you're open and up for it. Right. It can be. It sounds like you have such a positive context around it and that really is the context to have because it can be everything. It can be personal development, it can, you know, reward you with a great future. But it's definitely a roller coaster ride and to have to be up for it. What were the factors that enabled you to make these discoveries and make these gains for yourself?
AH: 13:54 Um, well, as I came into that community, I guess as I said, you know, the people I was meeting more reflecting back to me what they saw in me and you know, so Debbie's played a huge part in that when I joined pure or keeping, um, Debbie and also the mastermind groups that I'm a part of though. And just so, you know, encouraging as I've had, you know, a lot of challenges in my past. I'm not actually, I'm not in connection with my family at all. I don't have any family support. And so for me, the kind of pure bookkeeping communities, like a pseudo-family for me. And so, um, for the first time in my life I found myself with people who were able to come along and say, hey, this is what I see in you. And I thought, Whoa, like, you know, I think I was just shocked, but it was like, they just shine a lot on what they saw.
AH: 14:46 And it was, I could see very clearly in that lot that it was very different from what I saw myself. And so I guess I saw Deb as someone who is, she was very feisty when it came to sticking up for her bookkeepers. And I just thought, I really, you know, that kind of passion that she had for sticking up for bookkeepers, like a kind of mad meek. It was really like, I guess blinding in awhile. So like, wow. Like I really don't stand up for myself. So it was, I guess in a way it was the kindness of others that, that helped me to see, you know, perhaps I wasn't being two guys for myself.
MP: 15:22 Mm. That's, so, it's wonderful, wonderful that you're able to experience that and, and just the, the analogy of, of shining a life on what's great about you, whereas, you know, just, I have this, this picture of a dark room with, with a light shining on something that's miraculous and it's just, uh, a very empowering and inspirational thought really. And I think, you know, for the listener listening right now, it's like that's, you know, what is it that you're thinking about? What is it that you see? What was, what would happen if some people like who Amy's talking about where to shine a light? What would they be shining that light on? You may not even know, which I, I just think it's so exciting now that that's me, right? And some other people might think it's daunting or, or whatever the case, but I can, I can assure all every listener that there are so many great things about you.
MP: 16:18 In fact, I think, forget who said it, but there's, you're always, actually, it was Matt Church. It's a, a mentor of Peter Cook actually. Uh, and good friend and partner Matt Church, Peter Cook's mentor, Matt Church. Gonna make sure I get all these names right. And Matt says, you are always 10 times better than you think you are. Even if you're great, you're still 10 times better than you think you are. Which I think is inspiring, right? It's just that it comes back to that we, what you're, what you've been sharing with us about is that we often have to limit the view of ourselves and, and that's if we stay by ourselves, we just keep the limits on. When you surround yourselves with other wonderful people, then they're able to show us our greatness.
AH: 17:05 Yeah. When you're on your own, it's impossible to say that. And I mean, obviously I, you know, I have my husband and I live with my husband and he's like super encouraging. Like he, he's encouraged me the whole way along and he's always been there. But obviously hearing it from someone who's kind of outside of, you know, your own kind of circle and you know something, I guess, you know, people that you look up to and respect and you hear them say these things and you see wow, like, oh, is that really me? And then, yeah, I guess initially you think, Oh, they must be wrong. Like, and then, yeah, you know, it takes a timeline. I think for me, it's been three years now since I've been in the pure bookkeeping community in it's, you know, it's still a work in progress obviously, but, um, it's been, it's, it's really been life-changing for me.
MP: 17:53 That's, that's wonderful. Well, it's, it's, uh, when you said that it's, I can't tell you how many times I've heard people, when I've given them compliments or we've been talking about business and showing them, you know, hey, this is where your strengths are. I can't tell how many times they've said in both. Oh, my partner always says that. It's like they're saying it, they see it, but because they're the part or they're discounted for some reason.
AH: 18:17 Yeah. You can call. You're just saying that. That's good.
MP: 18:21 That's right. That's right. So it's so super important. Yeah.
MP: 18:30 Okay. So you started your business, you went through somewhat of a transformational journey, growing your business. What were the results that you produced?
AH: 18:38 I think It's a marketing boot camp. And during that marketing boot camp, Deb actually said, um, if you have a room full of 50 bookkeepers and you ask them who likes marketing, only one of them will put their hand up. And I discovered during this process that I was the one that was putting this off, which is awesome. Yeah. When she said it in the training, like who you know, who, who, who likes marketing, I'm like maybe. And then realizing that up, you know, it's not very uh, common. So for me, I, I, I was very good at marketing and my, um, well I'll say I firstly had a hurdle when it came to marketing. So I was very fearful of doing marketing and I thought it was because I was afraid of rejection, but when I realized that it was, I was afraid of being accepted, that that's when it was a big breakthrough for me because, um, I thought I was afraid that clients would say no and turned me down.
AH: 19:34 But actually I was afraid that clients would say yes and that, you know, potentially that I would end up working with difficult clients again or that I wouldn't be able to handle it, it would be too stressful. So when I realized that I had a huge breakthrough and I started to kind of look back, you know, yeah, I guess over my life and what, you know, how I'd seen myself when I was doing well and things like that. And I started to realize I really enjoy probably I would say not so much marketing, but the sales process I enjoy, um, sitting with a client and talking to them about, you know, what they need and you know, bringing them to understand what the bookkeeping services are all about. So I thought, yeah, I think I love selling bookkeeping more than I like doing bookkeeping. Um, which was interesting cause I, I'd done it for over 20 years.
AH: 20:18 So I guess I just gradually transitioned. I developed my own website and one of my colleagues saw my website and she contacted me and she said, could you make me a website? And then other bookkeepers started putting their hand up and saying, Hey, can you make me a website too? And I've just, I guess over the last 12 months I've transitioned out of bookkeeping into doing, um, the website's full time. And we have a graphic designer, you know, I work from home and I have three staff working for me. We do graphic design and websites for football capers. I do mentoring to kind of go along with that cause I'm big about helping bookkeepers develop their brand, like work out, like what are their values and develop their mission statement and things like that. So it's just been a bit of a, a bit of a transition. So, um, yeah, I guess it's been evolving.
MP: 21:08 It's very interesting. So when your, what did, what do you find the mistakes that, that people are making when they're, when they're marketing?
AH: 21:18 I don't know. I know we talk a lot about our comfort zone and that kind of thing. And I do believe that you know, we do get in this so-called comfort zone, which is, you know, not necessarily comfortable and it's not helpful in that kind of thing. But I think there is a flip side to that. And I say to bookkeepers like think about your, you have to consider your own personality and your own personal giftings and how you're actually, you know, how you made like I think for me it was figuring out who I am. Cause there are so many different ways you can market your business and not every way is going to suit every person. So I think it's really important to explore your values and your personality and your relating style to work out what do I enjoy doing and what do I feel comfortable doing in the, in the sphere of marketing.
AH: 22:14 So for some people they might enjoy networking, they might enjoy spending time face to face with people. Whereas for me, I am a, I'm such a computer person, I'm an online person and I just love the alliance side of things. So, you know, building up a Facebook group, working on the Facebook page, developing the website, that kind of thing. So I brought in most of my clients through my website, whereas other people really love the face to face stuff. So I think my big, you know, tip full bookkeepers would be, you know, like kinda have a think about out of all these different things you could be doing, what? Like which ones do you love to do? Because when you do what you love to do, people will pick up on that and you know, there'll be attracted to work with you because I'll see your confidence.
MP: 23:01 Absolutely. I think it's great and I think it's an important point here and that you have been successful being able to attract clients through the website, but that's really an area that you have for whatever reason you like it. Do you have a passion around it? You're good at it. And, and for someone to think that they'd be able to just go and duplicate that out of the gate, you know, it's, I know that that's not the case.
MP: 23:31 It's very skillful. Slowly.
AH: 23:34 Yeah. Yes, it's very, it's a ton of skill and it's constantly changing. I mean, maybe if we were, you know, 10 15 years ago, it would be easy to pick up and get some gains. But now with the way things are and the way search engines were and all of that, it's very difficult. But again, it's also difficult to do it any other way too. There are things to do, there are things not to do. And I think it's a great point too, finding whatever area you think you might be comfortable most with is to find someone that's great at it too, to help you do it, to help you get it done right. You know, and that's an investment. I always like to talk businesses about making investments and seeing returns on those investments. And so if you're not making any investments in your business, that's a very bad thing.
MP: 24:24 A flag, a red flag, whether it's your time, whether it's your money, whatever the case may be, you've got to be making an investment and the business you invested in. And to know how the education, the knowledge of how to actually go build a website and do the marketing and attract people online to your business. But it just didn't happen. Ease, it wasn't, I can't call that easy. Right. It says sounds easy, but you can't call it easy. Right. Yeah. So that's fantastic. And now you're helping bookkeepers do this with your business. How did you transition fully out of, off the hook, off the hook, off, off the hook bookkeeping? Did you fully transition out of that now into Amy Hooke?
AH: 25:07 I, I did. I did actually. So I finished up with all of my clients. I think I finished up with the last one in May and I now have 23 clients in my new business. So I kind of, yeah, finish up with all my bookkeeping clients and just being, yeah, just building on my client base and they're all bookkeepers now. So I find the websites are a great way to connect with bookkeepers, to be able to, um, offer, you know, the mentoring and coaching, you know, helping them with their branding, but helping, I guess as well. Touching into the personal sort of stuff that, you know, that I explained earlier, like figuring out like, you know, is there something in your heart that you felt that you always wanted to do and how you're counting express that through your business and that kind of thing. So I found that, um, you know, the range of services that are offer kind of really all tie in together and can actually, even though it sounds like all websites, it can actually be quite personal if the person wants it to be, you know, it's a real opportunity to go on a journey. But these bookkeepers,
MP: 26:13 Yeah, it's fantastic.
MP: 26:22 Now I was reading your website in a, in your vision is to see a better world for women bookkeepers where they build an asset with their business and not a job. Why is helping women so important to you?
AH: 26:37 It's a good question and I hope I figured out the answer. I don't know why. Uh, I guess maybe probably because of some of the personal struggles that I've been through in my own life, but it just kind of eventuated that way. I didn't sort of set out to work with women. It was something that just kind of, it just naturally evolved that way. Um, it turned out I admin a Facebook group and that turned out to be a women's group. And I just, yeah, just found that as I went along. I just really enjoyed, um, spending time with women and working with women. And I think, um, I did women off for, um, Pure Bookkeeping awhile ago or when I up developed what I call the eight bad client profiles. So I've come up with like eight different, like lists of characteristics of types of clients that I've encountered in my business.
AH: 27:25 And it's sort of a serious thing, but it's a bit of a lighthearted thing as well to help us have a bit of a laugh, but also know when it's time to, you know, move on from, from a client. And when I was going through that, I actually a, because I, there's quite a lot, I mean in Australia a lot of bookkeepers are women. So maybe, you know, I guess I 80 also percent, maybe more when I surveyed these people on the Webinar, I've found that around 35 to 40% were encountering these types of clients. And I'm talking about, you know, clients who are bullies and that kind of thing. And I just, I don't know, there's just something in my heart that felt, you know, maybe tied into what I've been through in my own past and the things that I've overcome, I just saw it. Yeah. You know, I think I'd really love to be able to help women in my community to be able to overcome the challenges that we have specifically as women. So, yeah.
MP: 28:16 Very cool. Well, I think it's great and it, I mean, it is, women make up a very large percentage rather wherever you are in the world, uh, you make up a, a very large percentage of the market. So it, it makes sense, but not to say, you know, it is, I find it interesting that you, you've allowed yourself to go to work with is specifically inside of that industry with women because that's where you find your calling to do so, which is great. Um, now you also mentioned that you work with introverted female bookkeepers and that makes some sense to me because you've told us a little bit about, you know, you find your comfort zone really around working online and doing these things because you are somewhat introverted yourself. Uh, and so how do you help with,
MP: 29:08 Yeah. I don't know. This has been another interesting part of my journey. So I did them maybe a couple of months ago, maybe earlier Sunday or something like that. I took a personality test. Now I've done these free ones before, but I did actually paid one and it kind of contains an educational program and I discovered through that program, so I'm quite, I'm quite on the border of being an introvert and an extrovert. But when I did this test it was quite interesting, the outcome. When I did it the first time it said that I was, but when I did it the second time it said I was extroverted and I thought to myself, I don't know cause, cause I think sometimes I can be very confident, but I probably don't like to spend a long periods of time socializing. So I caught it, I think to ignore, I said on my website, I'm an introvert, I'm sort of like this really funny blend. And so, yeah, I don't know. I just thought, well
MP: 30:03 Beth Bulow who was in our, uh, one of our earlier episodes, she, if you go back and scroll down and click, click the next page, a couple of times you'll find Beth Bulow. And she is written a book about the introvert entrepreneur. And what she talks about is there's a, an ambivert which not many people talk about. It's that you're a little bit of both, but you have, you have a balance on, you know, maybe one to one side or Ilene to one side or the other. But when I really liked what she was saying is that it's where you draw, it's not that you can't do those things. You can't be extroverted and introvert can still be extroverted, but it's where you draw your energy from. So likely you draw your energy from being working on something by yourself. And you know, in a, in a safe space where you know your comfort spot, that's where you draw energy and build up energy and feel refreshed after you've done that work. If you go out and you're networking or something that would be more extroverted, you're going to be able to do it and you may be very good at it, but yet it may be very draining and exhausting for you.
AH: 31:16 Yeah, and I, I think, um, it was interesting as I went through that, um, that test and I thought saw, you know, I could be both. I thought to myself because I'd always called myself an introvert and I thought to myself, what if I just decided that I was an extrovert? I wonder what my life would look like. And I started to try and like I started to imagine, and it was funny, I had this little bit of a transition, I guess in my own heart where I thought, I don't know, I guess it gave me a boost of confidence knowing that, you know, like I do actually love, even though I love the technical stuff and everything, I do really enjoy connecting with people. And I dunno, I think as well probably maybe the introversion, some of it had been a coping mechanism for me as well. So I thought, okay, this is a really interesting area. It's something that I'm still exploring for, for myself and you know, uh, learning more and more about, but yeah, just sort of, I'm open now to what I actually am, but I do know that I can be quite confident. And I know if you put me in a room full of bookkeepers, um, you know, I'm probably a PMO extroverted than the rest of the group, so, so I'm a, I'm a woman.
MP: 32:31 Beautiful. Well, I think, you know, hearing your story and, and uh, in what we've been able to, to unlock today, it's not surprising. You've gone through a transformation in your business and you've gone into a new business and you're finding your way. There's going to be new changes. And, and what I like about the conversation of, of, of this, you know, introvert-extrovert is it, there's no right or wrong and it's really just being free to be one or the other or to experiment with both and to know that, you know, you're whoever you are, you're a great person in some, you know, multiple ways, but there's a strength that you have and it's just finding that strength and bringing that strength further and further to the, you know, to the world and to use it in ways that give you what you want in life. Amy, if you are working with a brand new bookkeeper that was just getting started, what would be your advice to them?
AH: 33:24 That's a hard question. Oh, I would probably recommend them like myself to, to, to get them to make sure that they are part of a community. So whatever that looks like for them, whether it's to join an online group or to join, we have a few bookkeeper networks or institutes here that have, um, coffee catch-ups and meetings and things like that. So I definitely say to, to connect yourself with other bookkeepers, to be able to have that support around you because they're definitely going to need it as they go through the process, you know, whichever direction it takes for them.
MP: 34:04 So beautiful. So surrounding around themselves with a community of people going. Right. Great. Well, this has been a really great conversation and I think a very inspiring one. And before we go, I'd love for you to share more about you, your services and where people can go to learn about how to work with you or how to get in touch with you and have a conversation with you.
AH: 34:30 Yeah. Okay. Well, yeah, as you mentioned at the start, um, my website is Amy hook with an e on the end.com. So yeah, my website you'll find is menu of services there. But I do offer a website design. We do WordPress websites, um, my staff and I all work on those websites. We also do our branded document templates, um, so that you can, uh, you know, get your documents organized, like your engagement letters, uh, lodgements, that kind of thing and send them out for ELA to collect electronic signatures. So, so we also set up those, we customize those templates for our clients. We do graphic design, we do other, uh, like logos, business cards, flyers, and also we do the printing of those things. And also, uh, the mentoring and training programs. So I sell like one-off mentoring for people that just need a bit of a boost and need a little bit of support.
AH: 35:35 And I also do, um, ongoing 12-month mentoring programs as well. So we've got one starting up in September. We've got a few spots left on that. So that's m any hook.com forward slash training and yeah, basically if you explore my website, you'll find lots of things there. There's a resource page where I share, you know, different things that I've found helpful in my business. There's a link to my Facebook group there. It is a female-only Australian based group and I do our monthly webinars as well where I'll have a guest on similar to what you're doing with the podcast. I'll have a guest come and speak to us about various topics. So everything's all on my websites by comprehensive. There are a few pages that aren't finished yet. I've been migrating, but um, most of it's done so you'll find lots of good information there.
MP: 36:24 That's great. That's great. Well, it's been great having you and of course, we'll have all the links in the show notes as well. You can likely get started with if you're not already a member of The Successful Bookkeeper Facebook group, go and join that group, introduce yourself, get connected and likely you'll be able to connect with Amy there. And Amy, it's been great having you on the show and I really thank you for your time.
AH: 36:45 Likewise. Thank you so much.
MP: 36:50 Thank you. Alright, bye. Bye. Bye. See you later.
MP: 36:53 That wraps up another episode of The Successful Bookkeeper podcast. To learn more about today's guest and to get access to all sorts of valuable free business-building resources, you can go to Thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com until next time, goodbye.
