There are 630,113 small businesses registered in Colorado according to Smallbiztrends.com. There are also over 1.1 million employees of small businesses in our sunny state. That equates to just shy of 50% of the workforce employed by small business owners. What small businesses do is important, and they employ a large population who are dependent upon small business success for their livelihood and families’ survival. Starting a small business is not for the faint of heart. It involves long hours, competition, sleepless nights at times, “putting yourself out there”, taking calculated risks, and… bookkeeping. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs work 50+ hours per week. According to Score.org “one survey from New York Enterprise Report found that small business owners work twice as much as regular employees. It also found that 33% of small business owners reported working more than 50 hours per week, and 25% said they work more than 60 hours a week.” Over half of small business owners in Colorado are between the ages of 50 and 88 years of age. Why do I rattle off all these statistics? Firstly, to demonstrate that owning a small business and working for a small business is hard work. Secondly, to show the demographics. If you are a 70-year-old small business owner, working 60+ hours a week, with employees depending upon you for their livelihood, you will want to do everything possible to ensure that your business is as successful as possible. The stakes are high. As businesses evolve and grow in complexity, so do their financials. Bookkeeping and record keeping are likely something you can outsource as a business owner so that you can focus more energy on building your business, vision, and leadership. Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber, co-owner of Moose Creek Bookkeeping. Owned by two Colorado natives, and wives Carissa and Amber Esquibel, I learned about their business to feature for this week’s Denver Spotlight.
They began their business in 2019 and have since gone 100% virtual and have clients now all over the United States including Washington, Colorado, Florida, Oregon, and Texas. Their goal in starting their business is to assist small business owners with their bookkeeping so that business owners could focus on more important things. This is a family-owned business that is passionate about assisting small business owners with their books, monthly bookkeeping, historical cleanups, payroll management, and preparing them to file their taxes. Not a glamorous job yet necessary and sometimes the difference between success and failure for a business. Before COVID-19 even became a global pandemic, they were already doing 100% of their business digitally. This allowed them to survive the pandemic, and now many companies are following their lead and staying virtual. Communication and trust are key for digital companies to thrive with their clientele. Moose Creek Bookkeeping has a genuine concern for small businesses and wanted to start their own company to balance their family, daughter, free time, hobbies, and travel. They identified that many small businesses were overwhelmed by their bookkeeping duties. Amber and Carissa saw that they could solve a problem by allowing owners to focus ON their business and less IN their business with the day-to-day operations and bookkeeping. Moose Creek’s mission is “is to streamline business operations, reduce errors, reduce the costs associated with them (these errors), and to increase your business financial stability. This means we make ourselves available to answer questions or address concerns when they arise.” “Let us take care of your books so you can take care of your business” is their mantra.
Initially, Moose Creek Bookkeeping did not have a mission statement, values, or tagline, however, they have found that these are necessary components for all growing small businesses and recommend these tools for business owners. While many businesses start with a small niche audience, Moose Creek Bookkeeping has started broad and is planning to target a niche audience in the future. Currently, they are not industry-specific. However, they do not work with marijuana-related companies due to the complexities of running such a business, nor do they work with large warehouses with over 25 employees. Services and products they provide are QuickBooks setup and training, monthly bookkeeping, and historical cleanup of books and records so you can work with a CPA to prepare your taxes. They stay up with the latest technology in their industry and are Bookkeeper Business Launch Certified, and QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisors. This is one competitive edge they have in the industry. While some bookkeepers just want to do their job and go home, or focus on the data entry component, Moose Creek Bookkeeping looks at the bigger pictures for their clients. They paint a financial picture for their clients, they reconcile the balance sheet to make sure your profit and loss statement is accurate, they also help small business owners to identify if they are making or losing money. They want to think about the future success of your business and assist business owners to understand their financial statements, maintain cash flow, and allow business owners to focus on their core competencies. They value transparency, staying up to date with trends and technology, and help business owners to understand their financials so they can be successful.
From the Denver metro area, the women love the outdoors, especially mountains and water. They took a trip to Washington and decided to move their home to Bellingham Washington to get the best of both worlds. They moved three years ago but still retain clients in Colorado. The best part about their business is that they can work with clients at any location. They have a proven track record for success and an inspiring story as they are entrepreneurs and small business owners themselves. They walk the walk and have the experience that you will need as a business owner in order to ensure financial success. As a blogger, I have found that you can measure the quality of a business in part by their word-of-mouth referrals. While Moose Creek Bookkeeping does have social media (you can follow them with the information at the end of this blog) and has a professional website, they depend upon client referrals for most of their new business. People do not refer to businesses that are not good at what they do. They have joined industry-specific networking groups, and continually take technical training that keeps their skills polished and current. Their certifications are up to date as well. They offer brilliant advice for small businesses that many do not heed – Keep your personal and business accounts separate. For my primary job, I work for the government for an agency that investigates investment fraud, and I cannot tell you how often we see businesses commingle their personal and business accounts, and the results are not favorable or legal. Do not wait to get your bookkeeping in order! Open a separate business account, pay your taxes, and follow the laws and rules. It benefits you in the long run. It is never worth a quick buck to spend time in jail. Five years from now, the businesswomen see themselves “growing, growing, and growing.” They hope to continue to expand and recruit new clients. They are truly passionate about helping small businesses in tangible ways. What better assistance than to get your finances in order and make your company profitable?
Their favorite part about their business is that they assist a non-profit animal shelter with their bookkeeping. Through their professional expertise, they have found ways for the organization to maximize its fundraisers and donations, determining which ones are the most financially beneficial. Their name came from their late father’s love for moose. He passed but his memory lives on through Moose Creek Bookkeeping. I am sure he would be proud of the work that they do. They have a fantastic logo of a moose overlooking a river and the mountains. It incorporates everything the business is about which is what logos and brands should do. Their greatest challenge as business owners has been balancing quality with growth. They want to provide their clients with exceptional service while continuing to grow. They have found a way to deliver and are now able to work for clients that are a good fit for their bookkeeping services.
We wish Carissa and Amber only the best as they grow and evolve their business to the next level. Strasser Writing and Marketing’s blogs spread good vibes to the Colorado community in the spirit of collaboration and promoting one another! We know that Moose Creek Bookkeeping will continue to expand and has a successful future ahead of them. If you would like to follow them on Instagram, you can do so by clicking here.
