Gentle Frog’s Bookkeeping Lily Pad

Welcome to Gentle Frog’s Bookkeeping Lily Pad, your cozy corner of the podcasting world where numbers tell a story and bookkeeping blossoms into an adventure! Dive in with Rachel Barnett, seasoned bookkeeper, and successful entrepreneur, as she leaps from one topic to another, guiding you through the riveting ecosystem of bookkeeping businesses. Having journeyed through the challenges of building, growing, and eventually selling her own bookkeeping firm, Rachel brings a wealth of experience and heartfelt advice to aspiring and established bookkeeping professionals. With a passion that extends beyond ledgers and spreadsheets, she’s here to offer a supportive platform for industry insights, practical strategies, and the shared experiences that breathe life into the bookkeeping community. Each episode, roughly 20 minutes, is a concise, content-rich package designed to fit into your busy schedule. Rachel welcomes a variety of guest speakers, from thriving bookkeeping business owners to other industry experts, ensuring a well-rounded perspective on all aspects of the profession. They’re not just talking debits and credits; they’re celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit, discussing client relations, marketing strategies, balancing work-life dynamics, embracing technology, and so much more. But it’s not all serious business; amidst the valuable insights are sprinkles of light-hearted moments, personal anecdotes, and the camaraderie that makes the bookkeeping community genuinely unique. It’s a balance sheet for the soul that underscores the human side of numbers. So, are you ready to hop onto a lily pad of learning and laughter? Subscribe to Gentle Frog’s Bookkeeping Lily Pad, and join Rachel Barnett on a transformative journey across the tranquil waters of bookkeeping business mastery. It’s time to make some un’frog’ettable memories in the world of finance!

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Episodes

Wednesday Mar 27, 2024

Hey there, it's Rachel from Gentle Frog! I'm super excited to share a little something I've been pondering – a group coaching program designed specifically for new bookkeepers.
Imagine a space where we tackle those first-client jitters together, with live support and a treasure trove of resources.
Curious? Click here to learn more let me know if you’re interested.
https://gentlefrog.com/group-coaching

Friday Mar 22, 2024

In this episode of Gentle Frog's Bookkeeping Lily Pad, Rachel Barnett and Jody Snow dive into the challenges entrepreneurs face, regardless of their business's size. They share insights on creative, budget-friendly marketing strategies that work for people who want to attend in person events as well as for folks who are more inclined to market virtually.
1,000,000 cups: https://www.1millioncups.com/s/
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: https://10ksbapply.com/
SCORE workshops: https://www.score.org/workshops-events
Texas Woman’s University, Center for Entrepreneurs: https://twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/

Friday Mar 15, 2024

Join Rachel Barnett as she delves into the challenges and revelations of reevaluating her pricing model. This episode offers a candid look at the trial and error behind optimizing course offerings, the power of listening to one's audience, and the importance of being flexible in business strategy. A journey of discovery for bookkeepers and entrepreneurs alike.
“Before You Stop Posting On Instagram or Youtube... You NEED to Watch This.” by Vanessa Lau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyLTuw8d12I
12 week year: https://12weekyear.com/
Gentle Frog’s Courses: https://www.gentlefrog.com/qbo-courses/

Friday Mar 01, 2024

In this episode, Rachel Barnett explores the concept of niches in the context of owning and operating a small bookkeeping business. She discusses the flexibility of niches, how they can be based on factors like geography or software preference, and the importance of working with clients you enjoy.
 
Why Kate Josephine Johnson niched in Freshbooks: https://www.freshbooks.com/blog/kate-josephine-johnson
Kate’s bookkeeping website: https://heritagebusinessservices.com/
Accounting Coach: https://www.accountingcoach.com/
Julie and Julia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_%26_Julia
Moroccan cookbook that I’ve used for years and love: Amazon Cookbook
Here is a 10 min YouTube interview that I found about niches and I really liked it, I found it after recording or I would have mentioned it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgerS0pPxP8
Nerd Enterprises aka Seth David’s 97 and Up group (affiliate link): https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/20214/DyoHDAZY

Tuesday Feb 13, 2024

In this episode Rachel talks about managing your expectations as a person who goes to work as a subcontractor for someone else. Specifically, thinking about what you’re hoping to get out of the experience of subcontracting. In her experience most subcontracting gigs are just to pass off overflow work and not to provide mentorship to others but those opportunities do exist. She talks about feedback she’s been given when she mentors others, this is shared so that the listener can perhaps use it to identify what they’re hoping to get out of a relationship with others.
Gentle Frog’s VIP offer: https://www.gentlefrog.com/vip-offer/
Fake check scam: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-report-fake-check-scams
Goodreads about The One Thing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16256798-the-one-thing
QuickBooks Online Apps: https://apps.com/
‘Appy Hour: https://www.facebook.com/qbappyhour and https://www.theappyhour.com/
SCORE mentors: https://www.score.org/find-mentor
Facebook group for this podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gentlefrogsbookkeepinglilypad
Our other podcast, Gentle Frog’s Bookkeeping Landing Pad: https://gentlefrogslandingpad.podbean.com/

Friday Feb 09, 2024

In today's episode of Gentle Frog's Bookkeeping Lilypad, Rachel Barnett dives into the parallels between learning Pilates and learning to be a bookkeeper for small businesses. She shares her personal experience of doubting her Pilates technique based on seeing others perform an exercise differently and applies this to the experience of seeing answers in online forums and how just because someone is confident, doesn’t make them right. 
Rachel encourages listeners to seek advice from those who've truly walked the path before, highlighting the value of authentic experience over mere opinion.
 
Facebook Community Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gentlefrogsbookkeepinglilypad
Pilates machine: https://www.pilates.com/collections/pilates-reformers/
Seth David / Nerd’s Guide to the Galaxy:
https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/2147522163/DyoHDAZY (affiliate link but it’s free)
Becky Frampton / Pachira Business Solutions: https://pachirabusinesssolutions.com/
Gentle Frog VIP offer: https://www.gentlefrog.com/vip-offer/
Varonica Wasek / 5 MB Academy course: https://courses.5mbacademy.com/courses/shopify-bookkeeping-method
Seth David / Nerd Enterprises courses: https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/2147505668/DyoHDAZY (affiliate link)
Ron Baker and Ed Kless / The Soul of Enterprise Podcast: https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/
Mark Wickersham / Value Pricing: https://www.wickersham.co.uk/
Ski Skirt Example: https://www.columbiasportswear.ca/en/c/women-bottoms-shortsskorts/?prefv1=Warmth&prefn1=productTechnology
My other podcast, Gentle Frog’s Landing Pad: https://gentlefrogslandingpad.podbean.com/

Tuesday Feb 06, 2024

In this episode, Anne Little and Rachel Barnett chat about how to handle price increases with clients. They talk about timing, minimums and the challenges of raising the price when you’re a new bookkeeper. 
The podcast is a bit of Anne interviewing Rachel but more it’s two friends talking about the challenges of raising the price and the legacy clients who get special treatment as a way of saying “thank you”.
Little Details Bookkeeping: https://littledetailsbookkeeping.com/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gentlefrogsbookkeepinglilypad
Varonica Wasek: https://www.vmwasek.com/
Dawn Brolin: https://www.dawnbrolin.com/
Seth David’s 97 & Up Group: https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/2147546802/DyoHDAZY (Affiliate link)

Friday Feb 02, 2024

In this episode of "Gentle Frog's Bookkeeping Lily Pad," Rachel Barnett delves into the subject of time tracking for bookkeepers. She opens up about her personal choice of not tracking time and explores the motivations behind bookkeepers opting to track their time, such as identifying wasted time, improving quote accuracy, and reevaluating pricing strategies. Rachel also discusses a range of time tracking tools available, including traditional options like Excel and more modern apps like Clockify and Timely, highlighting their ability to assist in monitoring different aspects of work, including client-related tasks and administrative duties. Throughout the episode, Rachel emphasizes the significance of making an individual decision regarding time tracking practices.
Timely - https://timelyapp.com/
Clockify - https://clockify.me/
Toggl - https://toggl.com/
QuickBooks Time - https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/timesheets/
The Soul of Enterprise Podcast - https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/
Seth David’s free group - https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/2147522163/DyoHDAZY
 

Tuesday Jan 30, 2024

In the podcast episode, Rachel Barnett provides a balanced view of the advantages and disadvantages of working for oneself versus working for someone else. She highlights that while working for someone else provides stability and a fixed income, working for oneself offers the freedom to choose working hours. However, being self-employed also requires putting in extra hours and dealing with the challenges of client acquisition. Ultimately, the episode encourages listeners to consider various factors when deciding between self-employment and traditional employment.
https://pachirabusinesssolutions.com/bookkeeping-business-mentors/
https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/20210/DyoHDAZY ←- Affiliate link to a bookkeeping crash course by my mentor, Seth David
https://gentlefrogslandingpad.podbean.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gentlefrogsbookkeepinglilypad

Friday Jan 26, 2024

In this episode, Rachel Barnett discusses the significance of having a sounding board, such as mentors, coaches and self employed friends. She reflects on her personal journey, illustrating how engaging with others has been instrumental in the success of her bookkeeping business. Rachel strongly advocates for listeners to seek out their own sounding boards for guidance and growth in their professional endeavors. 
https://www.score.org/find-mentor
https://www.wendysloneker.com/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
https://www.nerdenterprises.com/a/2147546802/DyoHDAZY ←— Affiliate link and a coupon
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1291878781599153
https://www.imprintequity.com/aboutquicksource/ (Seattle bookkeeping group)

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