Nineteen years ago, my Director of Finance role was being relocated to Florida. After family discussions, I knew moving wasn’t an option. The safe choice would’ve been to find another job with a steady salary and benefits—but instead, I decided to take a leap.
In 2005, with no big savings but plenty of determination, I launched Blazej Accounting from the corner of my dining room with a desk, a Dell computer gifted by my parents, and the thought: “If this doesn’t work in three months, I’ll get a ‘real’ job.”
What started as “Cheryl doing bookkeeping” has grown into a thriving practice that has helped countless clients find clarity in their finances and the support they need to make business decisions. The journey from, “please God, let this be successful” so I can pay the bills, to our Blazej’s Road to 20 has taught me more than I ever imagined. These 20 lessons, on the way to twenty years in business, were forged through many long nights, tough decisions, and small triumphs.
These lessons range from challenging pre-business planning, the first year with no real savings, to the strategies that kept us going and growing. I’ve had the gift of others sharing their own personal experiences with me and decided it was time to document my own lessons to share. I hope these insights give you insight and encouragement.
1. Faith – Leaving the Comfort Zone. One of the biggest hurdles was just deciding to start. I am glad I trusted my gut and nervously took that leap. As I have heard so much through my life, Time does not wait for anyone. Starting Blazej Accounting was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but once I did, I knew I had made the best decision for me and my family.
- In year one, and in the months leading to year one, every day was filled with uncertainty. I no longer had a steady, direct deposited paycheck, company health insurance, PTO and all the other guarantees I had working for someone else. There were so many unknowns, this was both scary (thank God for Pepto Bismol) and exhilarating at the same time. Taking that risk was the best decision and led to the foundation for everything that followed.
2. Family First. A major reason I started Blazej Accounting was to align with personal priorities. We had a child in middle school and did not want to uproot our family for a corporate transfer, so Blazej became the opportunity. It is a reminder that success is not just about money, it is also about meeting the needs of your life and only you know what that is. I thought this, which was a bit of a “Disney” moment, but I was able to align my work hours around my son and his sports schedule.
- This meant sometimes growing slower and working “odd” hours (2 am and weekends were the norm then, not the exception) but being present for important family moments. Overall, I have no regrets about choosing a path that allowed me to attend school and sporting events, while still building a company. While developing your company it should serve your life, not the other way around. This is always easier said than done.
3. “Why” Am I Doing This? During my career working for others, I would have a particular finance or accounting role, it was great, but I felt like I wanted more. I really wanted more than working in one area of a business, I wanted more, I wanted to help businesses grow with my help, along with my own purpose and independence. Over the years I learned the importance of continually grounding myself in that “why” question.
- Early on, my “why” was the freedom to control my schedule and help clients. Could this be another type of freedom? I remember thinking, how can a small business grow with Fractional professionals helping them and “feel” like they have the support like a Fortune 500 company has. I believed that Blazej Accounting could do this.
4. Hard Work Over Capital. I did not have a large savings safety net. I did not have investors lining up to invest in me. BUT ~ I did have the ability to work hard, work smart along with determination to succeed. I did not do it alone; there were numerous late-night phone calls with those that were my support system.
- In practice, this meant doing this myself to save money – from marketing to admin – and putting in long hours. I can say, it was not necessarily the smartest decision, but fear of spending money was real for me. The process was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time, it built a habit of persistence. There were always challenges to work through, thinking of clients that closed or decided to bring an accounting team in-house. When I felt that knot in my stomach, I just talked to myself, I became my own team cheerleader, and my son would leave me little notes of encouragement – he became a big Blazej cheerleader too!
5. Are You Able to be Comfortable with the Unknown? Leaving a stable job taught me very quickly that uncertainty is the new normal when you run a business. No steady paycheck, no guarantees. I had to become comfortable being uncomfortable.
- Year one was incredibly challenging. Where was the next client coming from? How many clients do I need to break even? What do I not know that I do not realize I do not know? I often did not know where the next client or payment would come from. The funny thing, having so many unknowns was okay because I believed in what I was doing. I learned quickly how to plan and become resourceful. My “normal” brain was everything had to be neat & tidy with a bow on top, but I learned very quickly, this was not realistic. Things levelled out, but those first years were definitely up and down. I remember one of my original clients telling me – if you can make it 5 years, you’re doing well and if you can make it 7 years you’re doing even better, but until you reach 10 years you won’t be “real” sure. It was some of the best advice I was given – she believed in me, and she wanted me to stay on top of the business and not get frustrated or lose hope. I like consistency, but I have learned that I can live well with uncertainty.
6. Learning from Mistakes. In 20 years, I have made plenty of mistakes – from pricing too low, to hiring the wrong person, to taking on a client that was not the right fit.
- I have learned to analyze each challenge: Why did we lose that client? What did I miss in that contract? Each lesson made me more aware of what I needed to work on to prevent me from repeating the same mistakes. For example, early on I would underestimate a project’s scope and scrambled to meet deadlines. It was stressful lessons in proper planning and setting realistic client expectations. Mistakes will happen; there is no such thing as perfection in all things.
7. Never Give Up. There were moments when I wondered if I should quit. But I would remember my “why” and I became even more determined to make Blazej Accounting work. I would encounter setbacks, problems I did not see coming and I would just keep going because I like a challenge and I do not like to “lose” when I believe I can do something! Keep asking questions, keep believing and be resilient!
- During tough times, I focused on what I could control: delivering great service to the clients, cutting unnecessary costs, and seeking new opportunities even when I felt discouraged.
8. Keep Learning, Keep an Open Mind. The world today is quite different from when I started planning for Blazej in 2005, and my business has had to evolve with it. Keeping in mind, this is not always what I have wanted to do, but often there is no choice. There is consistent change within businesses you support, technology really changes, client expectations shift – you must keep up, which is not always easy. In accounting it went from a lot of manual entries to downloading transactions to AI being part of accounting and finance. As one of our company’s missions, we have made it a point to stay curious and never assume I know it all.
- This meant getting extra training. What does that look like? Woodard Institute for intensive, deep dive training, Intuit Training to keep up with software changes, business workshops and training sessions, reading, and listening to books, team members, clients, and other business leaders are rich sources of information. For example, when QuickBooks Online emerged and became a much better system for us (I was a true QuickBooks Desktop person), I took courses to become proficient rather than stick stubbornly to old methods. This was tough, but necessary. The effort to re-educate myself paid off by keeping our services relevant. Having the mindset of always learning is a necessity.
9. Strong Client Relationships – Know, Like and Trust is Not About Accounting Transactions. Focusing on building genuine relationships – based on trust, respect, and mutual success – will take you farther than you can imagine. As I’ve learned over the years, Like, Know, and Trust is the key to long-term partnership with clients, team members, and vendors. As a service provider we aren’t “selling” a widget, we are walking alongside our clients while they work on their business.
- In practice, this meant investing time to really understand clients’ needs and industries, checking in with them regularly, and being there for them during their ups and downs. By doing so, I went from just “the bookkeeper” to a Trusted Advisor whom clients rely on for broader guidance. Many of my clients have stayed with me for years, some even from the beginning, because of that trust. The lesson: deliver a great work product and build great relationships. It’s not only more fulfilling – it’s also good business, because satisfied clients stay and refer others. Being a holistic partner that cares about what is happening in their business and personal life is key to relationships.
10. Provide Value – Asking the Important Questions. When I started, I offered bookkeeping services. Nothing fancy, simply let me work on your books. But I soon learned that truly helping clients often meant going beyond balancing books. Clients started turning to me for advice on other aspects of their business – cash flow strategies, operational tips, even just an ear to talk through challenges. I get regular calls from clients and their friends asking for referrals for many other professional service providers since they know I want to help them with what they need to be successful. This taught me the value of adding value wherever possible.
- For example, as one of our clients began to age, he asked me to help him figure out the steps he needed to take to prepare for the next stage of his life. This is not my specialty, but I have been able to help him by putting him in touch with the right professionals so he can make the decisions he needs to make. This has given him peace of mind.
11. Learn to Delegate and Ask for Help. In the beginning, I wore every hat – I was owner, accountant, receptionist, IT tech, and every other hat you can imagine. It is common in year one to do it all, but as the business grew, I had to learn to delegate. This is still an area where I do not do well, I have a tough time letting go. I learned that trusting others with important tasks is vital to scaling the business. This was NOT an overnight “light bulb” moment, this took years! I am still learning….
- Hiring my first part-time employee was a turning point. A dear friend referred me to someone that he knew would be a great person for me to work with. I remember meeting her at a local Zaxby’s over Diet Coke and instantly connecting with her. She understood what I needed, she was confident she could help me. She was an amazing part of our team until she retired after 14 years. Now, with a larger team, I focus on what I do best – strategy and client relationships and delegating tasks that are not my strength. Internal team members and Fractional professionals have become key to the growth and success of Blazej Accounting. Not only has this made the business more efficient, but it’s also empowered my team to grow. Delegation is hard but necessary – Do what YOU do best and surround yourself with smarter people than you!
12. Hire Slow, Fire Fast – Build the Right Team. One of the toughest things is acknowledging you may not have hired the right team member. I do not do well here. It’s difficult to make these decisions once you’ve built a relationship with people. This is one of the most difficult things to do. I do try to remember that the right people in the right seat of the bus are crucial. I have learned to hire carefully, looking not just at skills but also attitude and cultural fit. And conversely, when someone isn’t working out, you must address it sooner rather than later. It is a tough lesson for a small business owner with a close-knit team. Full disclosure, this is still a major weakness that I continue to work on!
- We have changed the hiring process. When hiring, multiple team members interview the candidate to get different perspectives and ensure new hires share our values. Building a great team is like building a family – it’s worth taking your time to get the right people on the bus and politely letting the wrong ones off.
13. Deliver Great Service – How You Do It and Attitude Matters. Over and over, I’ve seen that the quality of service is what sets businesses apart. It’s not just what we do, bookkeeping, financial reports, discussing financials, but how we do it that clients remember. Things like responsiveness, honesty, going the extra mile, and showing you genuinely care about the client’s success make an enormous difference.
- “I need to cancel to cut costs” – as a small business myself, I understand this predicament. We had a client cancel as they needed to cut expenses. This same client came back within 6 months. I asked them what happened with the new firm ~ well, the accounting file was not kept up to date, the reports were wrong since the transactional information was incorrect, and they were not having regular meetings.
14. Cash Flow is King. One very practical lesson: Cash Flow can make or break your business. In the early days with thin margins, I sometimes had sleepless nights worrying about covering expenses during slow months. I quickly learned to pay close attention to cash flow. Profit & Loss and Cash are two different things. I knew I had to set aside money for taxes, maintaining a cash reserve, and timing receivables and payables – was key to keeping a business going.
- For example, I started requiring upfront deposits for big projects and moved clients to prepaid plans, to avoid cash crunches. I also got a line of credit from the bank when we did not urgently need it, so that buffer was there for emergencies. My banker has been a key part of our team. I became my own client – Understanding the numbers is crucial: I tracked every dollar coming in and out with weekly cash flow reports. This has paid off, we have managed to stay liquid. The lesson: never take your eye off the cash flow.
15. Embrace Technology and Change. Over 20 years, technological change has been huge – and I had to embrace it to stay relevant. From moving bookkeeping from desktop software to the cloud, to using project management and communication tools, adopting new tech kept us efficient and competitive. Initially, change can be intimidating (I was and am comfortable with my old ways), but I’ve learned to stay open-minded and even proactively seek out tools that could improve our work. I am not a tech guru, but I surround myself with those that know what questions to ask me to help me make decisions.
- We’ve automated several processes, like data backup which have helped us feel better about the data we create and use. Our team evaluates if we can leverage various systems and technology rather than fearing it. Taking a breath and embracing technology helped us serve clients better (for instance, being able to collaborate with clients in real-time through online accounting software has been a game changer). In the end, I had to learn that change is inevitable, especially today.
16. You Can’t Please Everyone. In my eagerness to grow, I used to say “yes” to every potential client and request. When I think about it, I was so worried about cash flow and staying in business a check was a welcome sight. I’ve learned that trying to be everything to everyone is a recipe for burnout and mediocre results. Not every client is a good fit, and that’s okay. We consistently look at who our ideal client is and who we can serve the best.
- This was a hard lesson because as a services business you naturally want to accommodate anyone that reaches out. Early on I stretched myself thin trying to please anyone that called. As part of our annual processes, we review our Ideal Client to ensure we can provide Fortune 500 level service with boutique size personal attention.
17. Balance Work and Life – Self-Care is Non-Negotiable. In the early hustle, I often neglected my own well-being. Between trying to grow the business, client needs, family needs, I would tend to be the last on the list. I could not see any other option. It hit when I got extremely sick and had to take time off. I realized that the team were happy to help relieve me, I had been so “afraid” to delegate. Although I was ill and once, I became healthy again, the team were happy to continue with the new assignments. I realized I could not continue 18-hour days, 6 days each week. Taking care of myself became a long-term lesson I learned, this includes taking a vacation, another “fear” I had. I now schedule time off, go on vacation, and work remotely from new places that we can explore on weekends. I remember the friend that gave me the “gravestone analogy” that helped snap it into perspective – “Cheryl worked hard and died.”
- For me, this meant no longer working every weekend, using my vacation time, and saying “no” when this was not in my vocabulary.
18. Celebrate Small Wins Along the Way. When you’re building a business, you’re always looking to the next goal – the next client, the next milestone. I rarely acknowledged achievements because I would immediately move to “what’s next.” I have learned to celebrate victories, even the small ones.
- In year one, my “wins” were small – I wish I had celebrated them more, but I was always thinking, okay, what’s next, what do I need to do. We celebrate our team when we win – great client feedback, when goals are met and helping clients talk through some tough decisions. Remember – It’s important to remember how far you’ve come. Celebrating the journey has helped sustain enthusiasm through the years!
19. Grateful. Along with celebrating wins, I have found that being grateful for what we have and the people who helped us get here creates a positive mindset. Building a business is a team effort – I am grateful to my family for supporting those long hours, to my early clients who took a chance on me, and to mentors who supported me and gave needed advice.
- I keep a jar with sticky notes of what I am grateful for each week. Throughout the year I read my notes, so I remember the wins in both my personal and business life. Celebrate!
20. Pay It Forward. As I reach the 20-year mark, I find one of my greatest joys is now helping others, in their business or personal journeys. I started out benefiting from others’ advice and mentorship, and now I can return the favor. I am so happy to help those that are in year 1 or just thinking about starting a business – I don’t have all the answers, but I want to help where I can.
- As part of paying, it forward, I wanted to open up by writing this article. I am hoping that as part of my mission to pay it forward with my thoughts and honesty about what happened in my journey will help or at least encourage others to ask themselves important questions. I look forward to speaking with those that may have a question or want to connect with me. We are part of the entrepreneur community to help support one another!
For anyone considering a similar path – especially fellow professional service providers – I hope these insights give you encouragement. You will have your own unique journey, but there are common truths in building any business that we can all learn from. Remember it is okay not to have all the answers as I often have to remind myself. When I speak with some of my own amazing Fractional Advisors, I enjoy it when I cannot answer every question, it has taught me to look at something in another way, which means I have learned something new. The key – stay true to who YOU are and what YOU are trying to achieve to help YOUR clients succeed.
As I help my clients in terms of bookkeeping and controller-related services, I also find myself informally coaching newer entrepreneurs and paying it forward. It is a feeling of going full circle – from the ideals that started it all, to the nearly two decades in business, now used to help others succeed.
I toast all entrepreneurs that have the dream!
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