#196 Bookkeeping for Virtual Assistant Businesses with Serena Shoup
Unicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
Release Date: 02/27/2024
Unicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
One of the reasons I love to offer marketing services is I saw very quickly in my freelancer career that if I leaned into marketing and less management, less operations, and less admin, then I had more freedom. Marketing really lends itself to getting ahead. Even if your clients are requiring a weekly task, you can get organized, you can systematize, you can batch things, and you can work on your schedule. My guest today, Toyin Alli, has a really good marketing service that you could offer as a freelancer that gives you (and your client) that time freedom. Toyin is a math professor and...
info_outline #203 Podcasting Lessons After 200 EpisodesUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
After 200 episodes, I’ve learned that having a podcast forces you to show up. I say this all the time about hiring a team– when you have other people who are working beside you to accomplish a goal, you take it seriously and don't put it aside. This is gonna be a fun episode because I also asked my podcast editor, Emily Porter, a fellow military spouse (she has been on the show before) and I asked my podcast/marketing assistant, Shannon Govern for their tips and podcast lessons. Listen in to learn more about my top 10 podcasting lessons after doing 200 episodes pod fade and effective...
info_outline #202 Six Ways to Make Six Figures as a Virtual AssistantUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
I started out offering basic VA services back in 2007, not fully realizing the value of what I was providing. But over the years, I've learned some valuable lessons (and definitely made my fair share of mistakes) and transformed my approach to freelancing. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the myth of the "six-figure VA" and sharing the real strategies that have helped me and others in this industry reach higher income levels. Listen in to learn more about Why the "six-figure VA" myth is holding you back Strategies for switching from hourly pricing to value-based pricing The...
info_outline #201 Common Mistakes Service Providers Make on PackagesUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
Here’s what I see happen with freelance service providers: We jump in, we book our first clients, and then we never look back and never take the time to up-level our positioning and assets so we can attract bigger clients who value us and who pay more. This becomes a problem when you’re ready for project rates because you're not positioned as an expert if you're still looking like a generalist. We’re trying to be premium service providers and we're trying to get there because then we get to charge more, we get to work with the best clients, and we get to work on the services we...
info_outline #200 Celebrate 200 Episodes: Behind the Scenes with Emily Reagan and FriendsUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
We’re celebrating 200 EPISODES of Unicorns Unite with a takeover! My 2 friends and guest hosts, Celi Arias and Jen Liddy, are asking unfiltered questions about my personal and professional journey as a freelancer, entrepreneur, and mother. Celi Arias is a seasoned entrepreneur and consultant with a proven track record of building and selling 7-figure businesses. With a background spanning global fashion manufacturing, corporate experience in luxury sales, COO to tech startups, and a specialization in leadership performance, she brings a comprehensive skill set to guide her clients in...
info_outline #199 Intake Form Questions for Service ProvidersUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
What intake form questions should service providers ask prospects before a discovery call? Don’t underestimate the power of asking the right questions upfront! This little form is the gateway to vetting your prospects, ensuring that your time and theirs are well spent. We've got an all-star lineup of Workgroup members, biz friends, and service providers sharing their favorite (or out-of-the-box) intake form questions and strategies. But why are intake forms so important? They're not just about gathering information. It's an opportunity to set yourself apart in a sea of virtual...
info_outline #198 Freelancer Story: Virtual Assistant to 6-Figure Agency Owner with Heidi SchmidtUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
Today we have one of our very own Digital Marketer’s Workgroup members here on the podcast! I love to highlight other freelancers, how they're doing business, what kind of services they're offering, what lessons they've learned, and in Heidi's case, sharing how she has scaled to six figures as an agency. She's one of our most recent workgroup members to share a big win. Heidi Schmidt is a Social Media Consultant who works with (mostly) small-mid sized woman owned service...
info_outline #197 Building a Virtual Assistant Agency Model with Tasha BoothUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
Agency ownership isn't for everybody. We’re really diving into what it takes to start an agency, what you need to do to prepare yourself, and what mistakes to avoid. Even if you're not thinking of an agency right now, you just never know. Or you might run across sister service providers who have these questions, and now you know where to steer them. My guest is Tasha Booth, an agency owner and coach. She is the Founder & CEO of The Launch Guild, a full-service launch support agency working with established coaches and course creators. Additionally, she mentors Virtual Support Pros,...
info_outline #196 Bookkeeping for Virtual Assistant Businesses with Serena ShoupUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
All of us are freelancers for a reason: we want freedom. We also envisioned financial freedom. We're diving deeper into the bookkeeping, the accounting, and the expenses we can write off so that we are not paying the IRS as much at the end of the year (and keeping more for ourselves). We're getting credit for running our business because we're already paying a self-employment tax. We might as well take off these additional write-offs so we're not penalized for making more money. But we're doing this so we face our numbers, learn our numbers, and know where we're going. My guest Serena...
info_outline #195 Understanding Business Finance as a Virtual Assistant with Pam PriorUnicorns Unite: The Freelance Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant Community
It’s so important to pay attention to your business finances. The reality is more simple than most entrepreneurs think. It’s so easy to get stuck sweating the small stuff that it creates this paralysis where you don't want to move forward, where you're hesitant, where you're overthinking everything. I have a special guest here to clear things up and help you get started on the right path when it comes to your independent contractor business. Pam Pior is a brilliant, down-to-earth finance wrangler who guides you on the path to confident control of your money mindset and business cash...
info_outlineAll of us are freelancers for a reason: we want freedom. We also envisioned financial freedom.
We're diving deeper into the bookkeeping, the accounting, and the expenses we can write off so that we are not paying the IRS as much at the end of the year (and keeping more for ourselves).
We're getting credit for running our business because we're already paying a self-employment tax. We might as well take off these additional write-offs so we're not penalized for making more money. But we're doing this so we face our numbers, learn our numbers, and know where we're going.
My guest Serena Shoup is a corporate CPA turned bookkeeping business CEO. She’s a mentor for other bookkeepers & accountants and a mom of 3. She built her business as a side hustle to motherhood when she left corporate to have her second daughter. She’s passionate about helping business owners become CEOs and take control of their money through her company Of Course Bookkeeping and she mentors other bookkeepers and accountants to do the same through her company The Ambitious Bookkeeper®️.
Listen in to learn more about
- taking control of your freelance finances to create greater stability
- essential steps to safeguard your personal assets and streamline your business operations
- important guidelines and good money habits
- key deductions that could potentially save you thousands in taxes each year
- strategies for standing out in your industry and commanding higher rates for your specialized skills
Serena is amazing. She actually does bookkeeping for my business. You're going to learn a lot, and if anything, your takeaway is to be empowered to put your business first and treat it as a real business and not just a hobby.
Sponsored by The Digital Marketer’s Workgroup
Already doing the work and have clients? But need more clients and a better referral network? This is your chance to get in with a tight-knit freelancer community and be a part of the behind-the-scenes conversations, encouragement, and troubleshooting that we all need when we’re working solo. We also have advanced trainings, networking opportunities, and job leads. Apply here for our Digital Marketer’s Workgroup
Links Mentioned in the Show
- I use an AMEX business credit card. I pay my contractors, software subscriptions, conferences, trainings, and Facebook ads and rack up points (I wanna go to Greece) AND create credit for my business/LLC. Apply for an American Express Card with my referral link: https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/EMILYR9VBI?XLINK=MYCP With your new Card, you could earn a welcome bonus and your friend could earn a referral bonus. Terms Apply.
- A must-read for all business owners: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine Hardcover by Mike Michalowicz
- My CPA recommends Relay Banking for business: https://relayfi.com?referralcode=ShoupCPA It's free and I can have multiple accounts to implement Profit First. I do a hybrid of 3 accounts: Operating Expenses, Taxes, and Profit. It makes transferring money & paying contractors easy. *Serena Shoup’s referral link.
- Hubdoc: all your bills and receipts in one place, you can import all your financial documents & export them into data you can use.
Connect with Serena:
- Instagram: @coursebookkeeping
- Facebook: Of Course Bookkeeping
- Website: https://www.ofcoursebookkeeping.com/
- Podcast: The Ambitious Bookkeeper
- Freebies: DIY Bookkeeping Guide- Learn the financial tasks every online expert should be performing. KPI Guide- 4 key financial indicators every online expert should be tracking.
Connect with Emily:
- Facebook Community: Emily’s Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant Lab
- Instagram: @emilyreaganpr
- Facebook: @emilyreaganpr
3 ways we can work together:
- Get on the waitlist for the Live Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant School. My signature course on digital marketing implementation will give you the confidence and teach you HOW to do the work that’s in demand and highly marketable. This is the secret weapon to getting booked out. Or get started now with the Self-Study version of UDMA School here.
- Got the skills but need help getting your digital marketing services business to take off? I’ve got an advanced tight-knit referral and networking community that can help and I would love for you to apply here for the Digital Marketing Workgroup. You’ll get the latest updates and trainings, networking opps and job leads from online business owners who are looking to hire digital marketing implementers and assistants.
- Looking for a fast way to get your foot in the door with up-to-date skills? Take my 2-hour Quickstart to Facebook Community Management workshop and learn how to help online business owners like course creators and membership site owners manage and engage their community
>>> Download my Top Ten Most Requested Digital Marketing Tasks & Services