FINANCE GETTING STARTED WITH BOOKKEEPING

GETTING STARTED WITH BOOKKEEPING

by Jennifer Sehn

As I sit down to write this article, I found it very fitting that it will be in the April edition with the theme “New Beginnings”, as today marked the 2nd anniversary of when I quit my job and started my bookkeeping business. This was my own new beginning. I can say that on every level, I can relate to my clients about the challenges of being a business owner.

Your New Beginning

Businesses begin as someone’s dream, investment, life change or maybe retirement plan. For myself, Sehn Bookkeeping Services Ltd. was started from a desire to create a balance between family and career that allowed me to be more available for my family. Therefore, I believe there is always more to being in business than the numbers, and it’s important to stay focused on that. People start businesses because they have special skills and services to offer, want to have independence over their schedule, spend more time with family, whatever it may be.

I understand handing over your books to someone is a difficult task. It makes people feel vulnerable, judged, and sometimes shame and guilt. So many business owners have a preconceived notion that they should be able to do their own books and should be good at it. But lack of knowledge and time are the enemy, and the bookkeeping can end up behind. While no one is happy about being there, it can quickly become the reality. For most of the businesses I help, this isn’t because owners are bad money managers or business owners, it’s simply a lack of knowledge and/or time to get everything done. In my practice, there is no judgement, ever. It just is what it is, and we plan to move forward.

In my opinion, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to helping businesses. Each business is unique, as is every business owner. What makes my practice unique is that I believe it’s my place as the professional to figure out how to work with my clients with as little disruption to their day-to-day operation as possible. It’s a big enough change hiring a bookkeeper without that bookkeeper forcing a lot of new changes.

I’m often asked when the best time to hire a bookkeeper is. Ideally, I believe a bookkeeper should be involved as soon as a business gets started. You may not need a lot of help in the beginning, maybe just some consultation and guidance, but you’ll be put on the right path, right from the start. If this isn’t or wasn’t possible, as soon as you realize you’re in the weeds or have reached a roadblock would be the next best time.

First Steps

The following are steps I recommend when you start working with a bookkeeper. Whether you are a new business just starting out, you’re an existing business needing help catching up, or perhaps you feel the need to change bookkeepers.

Step 1: Reach out to a bookkeeper and have a conversation. If you do not feel a connection or ‘click’, find someone else to talk to. You’ll work closely with this person and it’s important to have a good relationship with them.

Step 2: Once you decide on someone you think you’d like to work with, you need to be completely open about the scope of work you need done. You want to ensure the bookkeeper knows exactly the work they are considering taking on. At this point, either one of you could change your mind about working together. If this bookkeeper wasn’t recommended to you, this is a great time to ask for references and discuss their qualifications. Ask if they have an accountant that can provide a reference – they’re a good source to know if you’re working with a reputable bookkeeper.

Step 3: Discuss the work to be completed and agree on a plan of action. This is where businesses can differ, depending on their most urgent need. It won’t be the same plan for everyone.

Step 4: If both you and the bookkeeper agree to the work, engage the bookkeeper and work can begin.

Jennifer Sehn is owner of Sehn Bookkeeping Services Ltd. a local small business based in Lacombe. Sehn Bookkeeping Services was established from a desire to seek more life balance between career and family. Jennifer offers her clients 28 years’ experience in the accounting and finance industry to help them also find balance between running their businesses and finding the time for what’s most important to them. Learn more at: www.sehnbookkeeping.com

CARYL ANN PASTOR:

Breaking Glass Ceilings

by Ruby Cole-Ellis

Is it still a struggle for a woman to succeed in the world of business, an environment that many still consider to be male-dominated?

As is often the case with big questions, the answer is complicated. We’ve made positive progress in recent times when it comes to equality in the workplace. Still, the adversaries and struggles a woman has to contend with, particularly while growing a startup, cannot be underestimated. Having said that, I’m a firm believer in the adage that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

An entrepreneur of any gender needs a determined belief in what they’re doing and a cast-iron resolve to get things done if they’re to succeed in a highly competitive marketplace. Unfortunately, the evidence still seems to indicate that if you’re a female, you need that little ‘extra’ something to break through the proverbial glass ceiling.

Caryl Ann Pastor is the epitome of a “glass ceiling smasher” and she definitely has all the “extras” in her arsenal.

Moving to Canada

Caryl Ann was born in the Philippines. At only three years old, her family immigrated to Canada. Her parents settled in Red Deer, as Caryl Ann’s aunt was already living in Central Alberta at the time. She attended all her school years in Red Deer and remembers her childhood memories with fondness; “It was a great childhood there at that time. The City (of Red Deer) wasn’t as big as it is now, so I remember I would just roam on my mountain bike with my neighbors, always being outdoors. Just a very fun and safe place to be and grow up”, she adds.

Chasing the Dream

After middle school, Caryl Ann was trying to find her place in the world. As a typical teenager, she swung back and forth between her options. “The first thing I wanted to be was an FBI agent. I quickly found out you can only be an FBI agent if you’re in America... So that was quickly out the door! (Laughs) I then explored doing something like CSI —crime science investigation— and eventually stumbled into special effects makeup. I became obsessed with everything related to that artistry. That was why I moved out to Vancouver when I was 19”, she shares.

Caryl Ann attended the Vancouver Film School for a year in their makeup special effects program. “It was definitely a crazy experience being alone for the first time in the big city, but I’m glad I went through it. I matured and learnt a lot in a short period of time. I worked on special effects and props for two years and had the opportunity to work as part of some shows including Supernatural and The Fringe which was a great experience. However, the industry is very volatile and after a short time I knew I wanted to try something new”, Caryl Ann explains.

She later attended the Vancouver Community College and took their Administrative Assistant Certificate at the same time she got her Real Estate Licence and her Legal Assistant Certificate. Shortly after, through an acquaintance, she had the opportunity to work at Aquilini Development (company owners of the Vancouver Canucks and top Real Estate Developers in Canada). “The original opening was for more of an accounting position, but he encouraged me to take it and also do real estate at the same time. He offered to teach me how to do land development coordination, so I thought it would be a great learning opportunity so I took it” Caryl Ann explains. “It was a rude awakening for me to start in a new company cold like that! But, I stuck it through and six months later the company’s president’s assistant quit and they offered me the position of executive assistant. I was like the worst assistant for like a year (laughs) but it worked out and then eventually they promoted me to

accounting and then full-time development. It was a great place to grow and make mistakes.”

“After being there for six years, the President of the Development division moved on to MST Development Corporation and offered me to come along with him in 2016. At the same time also founded Attollo Management Inc. We started the company from the ground up and just like that I went from being in a company with over 200 employees to being only 3! But it was an amazing experience to start this new venture from scratch. I had to be payroll, HR, office manager… you name it.” she shares.

Caryl Ann is still currently involved full time with MST Development Corporation, and is the Director of Operations of Attollo Management Inc., a development management company.

Becoming a Mother

In 2017 Caryl Ann and her partner welcomed her son Matteo, which would change her world forever. Truly committed to her career, after maternity leave, she decided she wanted to come back to her career, but she quickly realized that it would not be the same.

“I had to quickly make adjustments. You have to learn to compartmentalize. One moment you are in ‘mom mode’ the next you are in ‘work mode’. It sometimes can be hard. True work-life balance is like a unicorn!” Caryl Ann explains. “Do I suffer from ‘mom-guilt’? Oh… all the time. I have had people —even family members— concerned that I am not spending enough time with Matteo. But, all I can say is that I try the best that I can to be the best both professionally and at having undivided attention when I am at home”.

Finding a Creative Outlet

When you are trying to juggle a professional career and a family life, it can be hard to have time for yourself and do things that you truly enjoy. “In 2018 I was in the search of a creative outlet for myself. I missed being a special effects artist and doing something with my hands but did not want to go that route again. I thought working with flowers would be fun. At the same time, my mom in Red Deer was interested in floral design herself. I quickly realized there were not a lot of true bespoke floral shops available in Central Alberta. Just like that the idea came to me… let’s start a floral design studio!”, she explains.

After doing research and development for just over six months, House of Fiori Inc. was born and launched in April of that year. The studio was founded by Caryl Ann, her mother Vangie and cousin Jay with the desire to create one-of-a-kind floral designs. “Fiori” the Italian 38

word for flowers, embodied true elegance and luxury which is what would set the studio apart.

In 2019, Caryl Ann and her dear friend Eliza, owner of Fleurs D’epargne, decided to join forces and change the floral supply game and opened a supply store named Fleur Fiore Supply in Vancouver. This wholesale store offers an array of contemporary floral and craft supplies to satisfy any florists or innovator’s needs across Canada.

Simultaneously, the idea of opening a second House of Fiori Inc. studio in Vancouver came to fruition. “Being as hands-on as I am, I always knew I wanted to open a Vancouver studio. After COVID hit, a lot of retail spaces were coming up. I found the perfect Warehouse for Fleur Fiore Supply and thought it would be perfect to do supplies and flowers at the same time. That is how this space came about. Looking back, I’m glad that I went through the Red Deer process first because going through the process in Vancouver was a lot easier. It still was a lot of very hard work as the Vancouver space is double the size! In Red Deer, I got a general contractor to do all the renovations, but in Vancouver I was crazy enough to do all the renovation management... but we managed to get it done in like a month and a half!”, Caryl Ann shares.

The Balancing Act

Caryl Ann has been extremely successful at managing the operations of 4 companies and their teams. However, she shares it has not come with its set of challenges.

On her real estate career, she reflects on her 15 years in the industry “I’ll be honest with you, it is super tough to be a female in the real estate development industry. You have to have thick skin. It is still a very strictly male dominated industry. I’ve had guys threaten physical violence on me, I have been the victim of verbal abuse, I have even been in positions of having a wage cap or paid less just because I am a woman. Of the women that started in the industry with me in 2012 probably only like maybe ten percent are still in the industry.”

In addition, the balancing act of managing multiple moving pieces also had a toll on Caryl Ann’s health. “I had to take part of March off because in February I felt like I couldn’t keep up. I ended up in the hospital. We had Valentine’s Day coming up —the biggest flower sale of the year for both studios and the supply shop—, so I couldn’t take a day off for 14 days in a row. Then, unfortunately my parents got COVID —which brought me lots of angst being at a distance—, plus I was managing all the other projects in the other companies, plus being a partner and mom… It was just like my body mentally and physically was saying ‘I’ve had enough’”, she shares. That episode ended up being a blessing in disguise, and a valuable lesson for her. “I reached out to my family doctor and attended therapy to fully understand what had happened. I learned coping mechanisms, for the mind, the body and the soul. You have to learn to listen to yourself. Listen to your body. Listen to yourself mentally. It is okay to take a day off. Go for a walk, a run or go punch bag. You have to be able to keep a balance and release the stress if your body is telling you to do so”, Caryl Ann shares.

The Bright Future Ahead

Caryl Ann’s empire expansion is multiplying by leaps and bounds and has no intentions of stepping down any time soon. Alongside with potentially growing her family, she foresees growth in all her businesses across Alberta and British Columbia. You can follow all her adventures on Instagram at @cc_ca

BRAYDI HOPPUS:

EMPOWERING WOMEN ONE POST AT A TIME

by Rachel Braun

Influencer. Teacher. Artist. Role model. Braydi Hoppus is all these things and so much more.

As this month’s Sharp Women Feature, Braydi stands out for her courage, strength, and jaw-dropping makeup artistry. Bradyi has used social media to create a community of over 7.8k confident and inspired women around the globe, and she’s only getting started.

Country Girl Turned City Mom

Braydi was raised near Bluffton, a small-town northwest of Rimbey, Alberta. “It was such a small town!” Braydi recalls, “There were approximately 15 kids in my class from kindergarten to grade 9. After that, we had to finish high school in Rimbey”. After graduation, Braydi moved to Red Deer, where she continues to live with her family.

“I love the country parts of me, but I knew it was time for me to go to a city after high school. I needed to find opportunities to try new things”, Braydi reflects. At this stage in life, she felt simultaneously lost and hopeful. “I applied for all sorts of jobs, but because I grew up in a small town, I didn’t feel that I could try different things to learn my calling”. With time, Braydi landed her first retail customer service job. One summer, she worked in road construction, where she met her husband, Tanner. “It was the best summer of my life!” Braydi reminisces. At 19, Braydi gave birth to their first son, Nikolai (8), and the rest of their young family followed: Everett (6), and two French bulldogs (ages 4 and 2). “I joke that we have an 8-, 6-, 4-, and 2-year-old! There’s perfect a two-year gap between all of them”, Braydi laughs. Becoming a mom in the city made Braydi want to try new things and to find something that she could have for her own outside of motherhood, while still being close to her family. This search covered a multitude of roles, from teaching baby sign language to coordinating “Mom and Baby” groups. Within a few years, she found direct sales with Younique Cosmetics, where she continues to work as one of the top-ranked makeup talents and sales associates in Canada. With time, this role transformed the social media presence she is now known for.

Showing Up on Social Media

Braydi’s Instagram (@braydihoppus) is dedicated to teaching makeup basics, inspiring confidence, and entertaining viewers with her makeup and body paint talents. Throughout her posts, teaching makeup basics and inspiring confidence often overlap in form and content.

Learning new makeup skills is about feeling comfortable both in applying the products you just bought and in wearing them. As Braydi describes, “I never want to share the message that makeup is supposed to hide something or someone… I always try to teach women how to wear the products and how

to feel comfortable in the products they are in. That is something I think makes me stand out”.

To embody what she teaches, Braydi seeks to show up on social media as the woman she needed when she first began her career. “When I started, I was the woman who had no confidence. I had no makeup experience and lacked a sense of confidence and community… I soon learned the importance of inner beauty and confidence in every day and in every stage of life”, Braydi says. Today, showing up means sharing her creativity and vulnerabilities as authentically as possible. “I struggle with acne and I am very open about it. I still have bad days where I don’t want to look in the mirror, but the bad days are allowed… self-love is such a long journey and a long process, [what’s most important is to] be kind to yourself”, Braydi shares.

Inspiring Others

Throughout the ups and downs of social media, Braydi is strengthened by the kindness of others, and passes on this strength to her followers. Braydi continues, “[To get though the bad days,] you need a bigger reason for why you are doing what you are doing and why you are trying to make a difference. Any time someone messages me and tells me I have positively impacted them because I have shown up so authentically, that’s the biggest win – knowing I am making another stay-at-home mom smile or making a 30-something feel confident in her own skin as she struggles with acne, too”.

While not easy, navigating the ups-and-downs of social media has been worth it for Braydi, as she sees the positive impacts of her confidence posts despite social media’s penchant for ugliness and negativity. “The hardest thing about running a business full-time on social media is that people assume you are always open to criticism, and they will share it to you, whether it’s kind or mean-spirited... The challenge is dealing with the unkind people and still showing up for those who support you. They make me thrive. I am open about [these challenges] and stand my ground loudly”

Braydi finds sources of confidence through personal development materials, such as books and podcasts. “I am still on my journey and learning so much”, Braydi says, “and I think it’s always going to be a journey. As our bodies change, our minds will change too. I will often hear from women that confidence comes and goes in life. Just as one woman will say she’s finding her confidence, another will share she’s looking for it again”.

“Let Me Entertain You”

The creative side of makeup is a recent passion of Braydi’s. “As a child, I was a dancer and wanted to

be a Broadway performer. When I was on the stage dancing, what made it all worth it for me was seeing someone smiling. I am still living my dream of wanting to entertain people, I am just doing it through makeup… I realized this is what I am supposed to do”, Braydi reflects. Every Halloween, Braydi does 31 days of Halloween looks, complete with face and body makeup, playing character, and sporting one of her 30 (and counting!) wigs. Last year, Braydi showcased her makeup skills through Disney-themed looks and mini performances.

Living Life on Point

Braydi knows that in 10 years, her impact will only be bigger, and be felt most strongly in her family. “I work as hard as I do not just because I love my job, but because I love my family. My husband works away, and I would love the income I bring in to allow us to live the life of our dreams and have family time more often”, Braydi shares.

That said, Braydi recognizes the importance of the present: “So often, we are focused on what’s next. I’ve learned that it’s important to enjoy not just where we are in life, but how we are. I know I am worthy of what I have. I am also worthy of more. I am happy knowing both these things are true”.

Braydi is a work from home mom who runs an online makeup business. She provides makeup artistry services local to Red Deer and has recently started a clothing boutique with her sister, Altiera (@evynclothingco). Her mission is to inspire confidence in other women and does this through her social media presence.

Ruby Cole-Ellis

ruby@sharpwomen.ca

HOUSEKEEPING AND CLEANING SERVICES

Country Sunshine Cleaning Brandie Bowman (403) 396-3211 FIND US FACEBOOK

PAYMENT SERVICES

Lucid Payments Michael Nelson (403) 396-6941 www.lucidpayments.ca

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

IG Wealth Management Jillian Vukovich (403) 872-5545 FIND US ON FACEBOOK

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Balanced Terrain Analysis Janice Hrushka (403) 952-1920 www.balancedterrain.com

BOOKKEEPING SERVICES

Sehn Bookkeeping Services Ltd. Jennifer Sehn (403) 877-0962 www.sehnbookkeeping.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Gabby Girl Digital Emma Neufeld (403) 704-0699 www.gabbygirldigital.com

CRITICAL ILLNESS & LIFE INSURANCE & GROUP BENEFITS

Rohrer Insurance & Fin. Serv. Ltd. Serena Rohrer (403) 872-4396 www.sunlife.ca/serena.rohrer

ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE

Cover Your Income (Agent for Combined Insurance) Tanya Kitchen-Johnson (403) 396-5152 www.coveryourincome.ca

MINDSET COACHING

Myla Trenchuk Coaching Myla Trenchuk (403) 877-5233 www.mylatrenchuk.ca

RURAL REAL ESTATE AGENT

Real Estate with Deanna Bailey Deanna Bailey (403) 805-4359 FIND US ON FACEBOOK

HOME SECURITY & AUTOMATION

Central Alberta Security & Automation Sara Barnes (403) 820-0448 www.centralalbertasecurity.ca

MEDISPA: COSMETIC & MEDICAL BOTOX AND DERMAL FILLERS

Hebe Beauty Bar Ltd. Kendra Numan (403) 915-2391 www.beautybyhebe.com

NAIL ARTIST

Just Imagine Nail Design Tanya Warner (780) 864-8457 www.justimaginenaildesign.com

CASA

Central Alberta Security & Automation

FAMILY & WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Amy Cheng Photography Amy Cheng (403) 807-0614 www.amychengphotography.com

SUCCESS COACHING & TRAINING

On Point with Danielle Danielle Klooster (403) 391-8443 FIND US ON FACEBOOK

ENTREPRENEUR SUCCESS COACH

Ignite Your Success Coaching and Consulting Ranchelle Van Bryce (780) 679-7275 www.ranchellevanbryce.com

MORTGAGE BROKER

Simply Mortgages - DLC Maximal Tanya Rogalczyk (403) 506-3106 www.simply-mortgages.ca

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT

Lindsey Forget Real Estate Lindsey Forget (403) 318-9363 www.lindseyforgetrealestate.com

HOME, AUTO & COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

Swift Insurance & Financial Solutions Inc., a division of the Co-operators Christine Swift (403) 340-4495 FIND US ON FACEBOOK

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Power Up Electrical Services Ltd. Kim Slezinsky (403) 357-9175 FIND US ON FACEBOOK

BUSINESS LOANS

Community Futures Kelly Kierluk (403) 342-2055 www.central.albertacf.com

BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY

Infinity Brand Photography Rachelle Scrase (403) 352-8471 www.infinitybrandphotography.com

HOTEL + CATERING

Baymont by Wyndham Red Deer Corey King (403) 357-6331 www.baymont.ca

CHIROPRACTOR

Jones Family Chiropractic Dr. Amanda Klimec D.C. (403) 347-0707 www.jonesfamilychiropractic.ca

VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

Kelsey Lynn Consulting Kelsey Evans (403) 318-2190 www.kelseylynn.ca

EVENT DESIGN AND RENTALS

The Maby Studio Ruby Cole-Ellis (403) 708-9880 www.themabystudio.com

WELLNESS PRACTITIONER FOR PEOPLE & ANIMALS

Energy Effects Robin Mckay (403) 346-6695 www.energyeffects.ca

BOUDOIR & FINE ART PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

EFP Studios Inc. Empowerment Specialists Erika Fetterly (403) 597-5215 www.efpstudios.com

TRAVEL DESIGNER

The Wandering Foodie Travel Ltd. Heather Epp (403) 888-0238 www.thewanderingfoodie.ca