In 1997, after twenty years as an accountant in practice looking after small businesses, I sold my business for an impressive six-figure sum and I didnt need to work for a bit. Although accountants know a bit about money, they mainly know about how to look after OPM (other peoples' money) and when they have finished doing that, they don't have time to make themsleves wealthy too, or the energy. Many's the time I took over clients from other middle-aged accountants who had turned to drink, or simply absconded leaving clients in the lurch, or allowed their own businesses to fall into debt while they were looking the other way and giving their all to their clients. And it never surprised me; there but for the grace of God.
I spent about five years looking around for what to do next, before I discovered coaching. I was looking for something to do remotely, something which could done while I put my feet up in a sunshiny tax-free haven, something which could be done over the telephone and the internet and when I found coaching I knew I had come home.
I had always coached, even before I knew what it was. As an accountant to many hundreds of small businesses over twenty years I had coached them and been their friend, supporter, cheerleader, mentor and more. I loved my clients and warmly helped and supported them on their way to success, while I took care of their accounts, cashflow and profits. I always marvelled at the way new clients would - after only one meeting - entrust me with the most important part of their business, their profits! So willing were they to be rid of the task of their own accounts, they would let me go off with all their accounting records.
As the madness grew as my enthusiasm for my business passed its first flush, I frequently used to fantasise about simply chucking all their books and records off Chelsea Bridge on my way back to my office in Clapham from a client's home. Happily, I was too professional ever to do that. Unhappily (cue mad woman laughter), I would have enjoyed the liberating splash!
Are you mad about Blogging? Yes, so are we over at The Money Gym. So much so that we encourage our clients to use a blog as a website, known as a blogsite. The first woman to get me into this was Claire Raikes, the Business Blog Angel who is going to talk to us about Business Blogging and Social Media at our next Money Gym Presents day on 17th May in London. She's on after Tim Brocklehurst who is going to talk about Free Traffic and Viral List Building and if you use the internet to market your business, you will want to be there.
