How to Succeed in Business: Tips From a Superstar Keeper of Business Financial Records

Donna Zanger, Founder of dbooks, keeps the books for several of our clients. As such, she offers an important resource to many small companies and non-profits.

For a lot of businesses just starting out, finding the right fit for basic resources can be tricky. But what Donna describes here is a simple (and hopefully stress-free) system for incorporating the new resource into your existing team.

I hope you find as much value in her wisdom as I do.

David: What do you do to help reduce stress for clients and people you work with?

Donna: Working with financial software packages can be time-consuming and frustrating because to most, products like Quicken or QuickBooks are not as easy to use as they might seem.  In addition to that, most business owners prefer to work on their business, rather than working on their books.  What we do is, just as our marketing tag line says, is: “Lighten your load; let us take care of your books.”

We’re experts in the use of Quicken and QuickBooks.  We know the best, proper, and most efficient ways to set up and keep a company’s books.  So in effect, we completely neutralize the stress around a business owner’s need to keep good books and records.

David: Paint an ideal picture of internal employees and outside experts working together to help a business attain maximum success.

Donna: In many cases, a particular job, project, or function can be outsourced to an individual or a group who can do it faster, and at less cost than it would be to pay someone in-house to do the same.  This allows the employees of a business to focus on what they do best.  Additionally, when we team with a business, we match the right person from our team of experts to the company’s environment, culture, and complexity of the job.  With this approach, your new outsourced staff person matches well with your team and the personality of your company.

David: How do you help businesses without stepping on toes of their employees? 

Donna: In some cases, a business owner already has a person who keeps their books, and seeks training for that individual.  In those circumstances, we offer 1:1 individualized training and coaching for business owners and their staff.  

David: What are some of the hardest truths to face up to in business?

Donna: You can’t draw from a dry well.  Sometimes you have to bypass paying yourself, or make other sacrifices in order to usher your business through a challenging time.  And as a business owner, one of the hardest things to do is to take uninterrupted time off.

David: What was the most important thing you did to grow your own career?

Donna: When presented with an opportunity to do something that I knew would be a challenge, or something that would improve my skills and knowledge, I said “Yes” whenever possible to those opportunities to learn and grow.

Donna Zanger is the Founder of dbooks. You can contact her at donna@dbooksny.com or via telephone at 917-428-2659.

Subscribe to the blog today and receive updates for FREE.