Owner / President: Linda Paulsrud Company: Accounting & Development Solutions Address: Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 Phone: (816) 668-8124 E-mail:
Type of Business: Bookkeeping and QuickBooks consulting
“Talk with as many people as possible, regardless of what type of business they’re in,” said Linda Paulsrud. “If they don’t need your product or service, they might know someone who does.”
Paulsrud’s advice has worked for her home-based business since she began it part time in September 2002. Since October 2004, Accounting & Development Solutions has been a full time business.
Paulsrud is a member of the Home Business Connection and takes part in a peer support group that is sponsored by the Missouri Women’s Business Center. She greatly enjoys these connections and the benefits they bring.
“These groups have provided me a lot of opportunities to meet with other small businesses, and, in some cases, have ultimately hooked me up with potential clients.”
Paulsrud worked with a personal coach for several months, coming up with ideas and plans for her business. In turn, her coach directed her toward the Small Business Development Center. It was there that she became connected with her first client, and her new business began.
Accounting & Development Solutions is a bookkeeping and QuickBooks consulting company. Paulsrud understands that small business owners don’t always have the time to keep up with all the necessary accounting records and government standards.
By taking care of their financial books, Paulsrud provides entrepreneurs the ability to focus on the marketing and income-producing aspects of their businesses. For businesses that use QuickBooks, she obtains and presents the most relevant information so that business owners and managers can make solid business decisions.
After working in corporate America for more than 17 years, Paulsrud felt a pull toward working with small business entrepreneurs.
“I felt I wanted to work more with small businesses and utilize my accounting and computer software knowledge,” Paulsrud said.
She confesses a second reason for wanting to start her own business was flexibility.
“For the most part, I can set my own schedule and spend more time with my children,” Paulsrud said. “I’ve tried to build some consistency on working set days of the week. And if I’m working in the evening, I always try to do my work once my children have gone to bed.”
The hardest part about working out of her home is resisting the urge to do some work in the office whenever there is “down-time” around the house.
Aside from the coach who worked with her during the development of her business, Paulsrud talks with everyone that she meets to learn whatever she can about running a business. She hasn’t had a mentor but is interested in finding one.
For others considering starting their own business, Paulsrud advises that they make their plans for financial support during the development of their business. She also suggests reading lots of books.
“I’ve read several of the various ‘starting a home-based business’ books that are available,” Paulsrud said, adding that they have helped her get into the mindset of a business owner, especially when it comes to finances.
“I really think more about making purchases, both business and personal,” Paulsrud said. “I usually translate the cost of a purchase into number of hours I need to work. That’s definitely very different than my thought process I had when working my corporate job.”
Corey Jackson is an intern with Kansas City Small Business Monthly magazine.
