One of my favorite things to do on this site is to interview Bookkeeper Launch students to get their insights about the program. What better way to learn about the thought process when deciding to join or not than to ask the people that actually w
ent through that exact process themselves. Below is one of those interviews with student, Amy McLaughry.
If you have never heard of Bookkeeper Launch before, do yourself a favor and read the following interview
with student Amy McLaughry. After that, check out my full review to find out everything you will need to know about the program itself.
Bookkeeper Launch Interview With Amy McLaughry
When you ran into Bookkeeper Launch, what was your first impression of it?
I was trolling Pinterest and had run across a lot of “stay at home mom ways to make money”, and thought this is interesting – was in banking in my prior life so numbers were something I always enjoyed, maybe this could be a second career.
I signed up for the email series and was surprised at how much the program spoke to me. Ben starts the series off with the 7 Key Characteristics that would make you good at being a bookkeeper and I felt I had finally found my second career.
I wasn’t interested in spending money upfront to learn more about the program, so it was great that there were some videos and emails over the course of several days to share information that would help me make an informed decision before spending money to find out I wasn’t a good fit or didn’t like the program.
Did the scam alarm bells sound in your head at first, when did that change for you?
I was very afraid I was going to get scammed. These types of things exist all over the internet these days, so I was very cautious. I watched all the videos at least 3 times and then I started to take notes on what Ben was talking about.
And then I went in search of some of the things he was talking about to see if what he was saying made sense and if there was a way I could do it on my own without paying for the class.
And yes, sure, I could go get certified in these different software programs, and some of them I could do for free, but what finally made me jump, was the fact that although I had been very successful in my first career, and I knew that I could be a bookkeeper and help other companies grow and become successful.
I didn’t have a clue about the marketing and I was going to have to pay someone to help teach me how to do it. Bookkeeper Business Launch is a one-stop shop where you learn how to read financial statements, you learn how to impress your clients and provide them with information that they need… and you learn how to market your business.
What was your overall impression of the training?
I loved every minute of the training. I started a notebook where I would write things down, as Ben was talking, that I really wanted to remember when I was ready to take on clients.
Ben is very thorough in his training, and he is getting ready to update the training and provide even more information for future bookkeepers, I can’t wait to go through those lessons and learn even more.
I think there are probably two big benefits that I didn’t know about when I signed up:
1) Community – everyone that is going through the program or has gone through the program is around and available to help you along the way, share their tips and tricks, provide you with updated information concerning some of the applications we can use to make our job easier, and most importantly, they are there for moral support when things are tough.
2) The Weekly Questions and Answers- This is an opportunity for anyone within the group to gain access to Ben and his support team to answer questions, provide feedback, bounce ideas off, etc., and they are all recorded and available for you to listen to at any point during your training and years down the road.
Ben talks about it taking roughly 10-weeks, how long did it take you to complete all the training modules?
I started at the end of May 2016 and had completed all the lessons within about 9 weeks. Some people will take longer and some will go faster, we all learn at different speeds and we all have many other things going on in our lives that can interfere with starting a business of your dreams.
How thorough was the training in your eyes?
I did find the training to be thorough. My background in banking certainly helped me a lot with the knowledge aspect of the training, so I might have had a head start in this area, but I had never done any marketing or been a part of any marketing planning, so this was where I spent most of my time learning.
How is the community support on Facebook?
The support is AWESOME. I have found many new friends within the group and several of them live here in Denver CO. As mentioned previously, the support from the original group, and all of us that have completed the course since his initial launch, are always willing to help the new people that join and help guide them with our knowledge and updated information.
In a way, I have over a thousand new friends and colleagues to help support and guide me along the way. Starting your own business can be tough, and having the support of such a great group is what gets you up the next day to keep going.
Do you think that anyone can learn to be a bookkeeper? What kinds of traits do you think are needed when considering Bookkeeper Launch?
Yes, anyone can become a bookkeeper and be successful. But, it is not for everyone. Ben’s initial video series talks about the 7 traits of a great bookkeeper: Positive outlook, Difference maker, hardworking, organized, manage multiple projects, detail-oriented and personable and caring.
I think he has nailed it on the head. Not everyone that takes the course decides that they want to work for themselves.
Some people have completed the course and gone on to work for other companies, deciding that some aspects of being an entrepreneur weren’t for them, some people have no prior history in finances and love what they are doing. There are others that have joined to increase their knowledge and they have been bookkeepers for years.
How long did it take for you to land your very first client?
I actively started looking for clients in August and had my first client sign on the dotted line right before Thanksgiving. I learned a lot about the need to market myself and my business which was totally new for me and was a challenge initially.
As I got more comfortable with my niche and where I wanted to go, it became a little easier to market my business which eventually leads to clients.
Does your bookkeeping business focus on a certain niche?
Yes, and niching is one of those things that Ben talks about a lot during the course. There are several reasons for this, one is that it makes your marketing easier because you can tailor it directly to a set of clients that you want, and you can get really good at working and understanding their unique needs which can make you a great bookkeeper, vs. being a generalist of many different niches.
Are you a full-time bookkeeper now?
This is my full-time job and looking to grow my client base in the months and years to come. [Check out Amy’s cool website where she specializes in helping non-profits]
Looking back, what was your overall experience with Bookkeeper Launch?
I am so happy that I signed up and took a huge leap of faith. The training is great, the community is invaluable, and I have never regretted my decision to join.
I am looking forward to seeing what else Ben has coming our way regarding training and helping us grow to new heights.
Any final thoughts, or any advice you could offer someone considering Bookkeeper Launch on why it would be a good move for them?
Do you want to be an entrepreneur and do it all yourself, or are you more interested in learning about bookkeeping and then work for someone else? If you want to be an entrepreneur, then this course is for you.
You will get a lot of good training concerning all the aspects of bookkeeping and the marketing of your business.
Want To Learn More About Bookkeeper Launch?
First off, I want to thank Amy for taking the time out of her busy schedule to agree to do the interview. If you happen to be in the market for a great bookkeeper you can visit Amy’s website for more info.
If you found this interview helpful, feel free to check out my interviews with more Bookkeeper Launch students below:
Hopefully, at this point, I have piqued your curiosity about the opportunity available with Bookkeeper Launch. Click here to read my full review of the course to get a COMPLETE look at what it has to offer.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns please don’t hesitate to drop a comment below and I will be sure to get back to you ASAP!