Unlocking Small Business Potential: Jess Stebbings' Inspiring Leap from Accountant to Entrepreneur

When it comes to entrepreneurship, bold decisions and unexpected opportunities often pave the way for success. One such example of that is Jess Stebbings.

Jess is an accountant whose journey from a stable, corporate career to establishing her own thriving practice exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and seizing opportunities. In this candid interview with Aider, Jess shares the beginnings of her business and the pivotal moments that shaped her path - a journey that kicked off while she was on parental leave.

"I had every intention of going back to my previous employer after parental leave," she admitted, "but when a friend approached me to handle his accounts, I saw an opportunity I couldn't ignore."

Jess's interest in accounting stemmed from a desire for financial stability and logical thinking. Though she once aspired to be an air hostess for travel, the stability and lucrative nature of accounting won her over. What began as a pragmatic choice evolved into a passion for numbers and helping others manage their finances.

"I'm a logical person, and I like things that make sense," she explained. "Accounting makes sense to me."

Raised in an environment where traditional employment was the norm, the idea of owning a business initially seemed far-fetched. However, her corporate experience opened her eyes to entrepreneurship, inspiring her to forge her own path as a business owner.

"I created a Facebook page and just said that I was going out on my own, and I just got an overwhelming amount of clients straight off the bat,"

Jess's transition from employee to business owner was filled with surprises and learning curves. She initially thought she needed to master every aspect of her field, but through continuous learning and trial and error, she realized that starting a business is about perseverance and adaptability, not perfection.

Jess adopts a client-centric approach in her practice, delivering practical solutions and personalized guidance. She aims to demystify accounting by providing actionable advice and tools for effective financial management. Beyond traditional accounting, Jess actively mentors her clients to help them grasp the nuances of financial management.

As Jess's practice grows, there’s a clear need to expand the team to better serve clients and meet her goals. Currently working with contractors, Jess plans to hire permanent staff to enhance her offering and capabilities, which also means entering a new phase of leadership in the practice.

Technology also plays a pivotal role in shaping the way accounting practitioners operate, and Jess is well aware of the  importance of staying abreast of technological advancements - leveraging them to enhance service delivery. Through her adoption of AI-powered tools like Aider, Jess enhances her practice's efficiency and delivers value-added services to her clients.

"I saw the Aider dashboard, and I just really liked it especially the colours, green and red identifying things that needed addressing straight away. That's kind of what sold me."

Aider's performance reports have become a cornerstone of Jess's practice, offering clients insightful visualizations and actionable insights into their financial performance. By incorporating these reports into her client meetings, Jess enhances the value proposition of her services and fosters deeper client engagement. Furthermore, Jess recognizes the potential of AI-driven advisory services in augmenting her practice's capabilities and plans to explore this avenue further.

“At client meetings I show them the Performance Report along with their annual accounts, the clients love the visuals, it makes more sense to them. It's all AI generated, and they're like, 'wow'!"

Jess's path from corporate employee to owning and her own accounting practice exemplifies the resilience and determination needed for success in business. She shares valuable lessons on adaptability, continuous learning, and client-centricity. Looking ahead, Jess is committed to making a meaningful impact, and focusing on empowering small businesses in their journey to success.

Jessica’s experience with Aider 

Jess first encountered Aider while searching for a solution to streamline her accounting processes. Upon exploring Aider's dashboard, she was immediately drawn to its visually appealing interface, which effectively highlighted areas requiring attention with vibrant colours like green and red. Jess was particularly impressed by the dashboard's feature that displayed the number of transactions left to reconcile for GST purposes, enabling her to stay on top of her client's needs with ease.

Ultimately what sold Jess on Aider was its performance report functionality. She found that these reports not only complemented her annual accounts but also resonated more with her clients during meetings, thanks to their visual graphs that made complex financial data more digestible. Incorporating Aider's performance reports into her service offerings became a seamless part of her workflow, enhancing the value she provided to her clients.

Jess appreciates Aider’s flexibility and customization options. She has seamlessly integrated Aider's reports into her client meetings, viewing them as an essential component of her service delivery. She also values Aider’s time-saving features, such as its automatic reconciliation of bank records and highlighting of significant expenses, which streamline her processes and allow her to focus more on providing personalized service to her clients.

In future, Jess plans to further leverage Aider's capabilities by teaching her contractor how to use the platform, expanding its usage within her team and unlocking even more value for her business. Overall Aider as a valuable partner in her business operations, providing essential insights and empowering her to deliver exceptional service to her clients.

Want to experience Aider for yourself? Book a demo today.