Today we’d like to introduce you to John Koloch.
Hi John, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The sad truth is, most business owners are operators working “in” their business and not focusing “on” their business when they start up. They take their personal experience, passion, and skill to start a business with no formal business training. They often lack understanding of business processes, do all the work around the clock, and spread themselves way too thin and create burnout.
How do I know? Because that used to be me… When I first started my business, I set out to focus on inspiring and educating small business owners, using technology, and putting strategies and systems in place around cash flow and growth.
I imagined having a TEAM of professionals with PROVEN processes to support business owners. Our focus would guide business owners toward making more money, saving more money, keeping you them out of jail (necessary compliance work like tax filings), and creating Freedom. But it wasn’t long before I realized that I was the operator in my business and not the owner ow my business. So, in other words, my reality was not aligning with my vision.
When I had this realization, I struggled to find the team/resources/tools to support my vision. I was running my business all by myself. After that, I got discouraged. I didn’t see how I was going to share my passion and expertise with the world. I had no Freedom. I struggled to maintain the right team members and I felt I had to ‘do everything myself or it wasn’t going to work. And I was allowing the wrong clients and referrals into my world.
But then I had an epiphany… Why was I trying to be a “jack of all trades” ACCOUNTING GUIDE to local businesses? Would you venture out to scale a mountain alone with no plan, resources, or even knowing when you’re at the top? No way! It’s exactly the same for growing a business. A challenge like this requires help from a team of professional and experienced Accounting Guides to lead your journey.
That’s when it clicked… I needed to work with business owners in the health and fitness industry. After all, this was an area I have a deep passion for. So… I spent the next several months developing a 4-step system of Knowledge, Implementation, Training, and Education. Now, I utilize my talent and streamlined systems with fitness/gym owners and personal trainers so they can successfully move toward Freedom and financial success!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like any business, we experienced many challenges. The primary challenge was related to team members fitting the culture and using the systems we had established. I was not only doing most of the work but finding that I was then ‘fixing’ work that was (or should have been) done.
How do we solve this issue? How do I find talented accountants/bookkeepers to support our vision and mission? And, most importantly… I needed to be replaceable so that I could focus on growing the business and client/partner relationships. Systems will set you free!
My first task was to document all of our processes so that there was a system of execution and internal controls to ensure we delivered quality and timely work. I made a template for a standard operating procedure and used that template to document my process for every step of our business. Deliverables, customer service, and daily bookkeeping were first. Then I set to document deeper levels of the services we provide.
These deeper levels of our services are related to my vision of being a ‘guide’ and supporting the business owner so they learn to speak the language of business. Then I implemented a hiring system so that we could attract and retain talented accountants. Next, I developed a training program to get them acquainted with our vision, systems, and culture. Most recently, we implemented a system of growth and opportunity. Really… no one sets out to remain at the junior level their whole career.
Now we have a small but amazing team that are sharing their passion for business. The systems and processes I had living in my head were now documented and implemented in a system that was repeatable and easy to use. We have documented workflows and systems for delivering amazing services that help business owners create more Freedom in their life.
We’ve been impressed with GeneralCents Accounting, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We guarantee to take your accounting/business from STRESSED to BLESSED! Communication and teamwork are the cornerstone of our company culture. We guide established fitness experts, gym operators and personal trainers toward financial success to achieve unparalleled freedom through knowledge, implementation, training, and education around business systems. We guide our clients to make more money, save more money, and create Freedom!
As a business owner, you might be spending most of your time IN your business, not ON your business. As a result, you might find you are working around the clock and spreading yourself too thin. Or you lack formal business training and understanding of systems. Ultimately, our goal is to help you reach your goals. Whether that’s spending time with family, hiring new staff, or opening a new location, Your Accounting Guides have you covered!
Let’s Climb the Mountain Together! You might be wondering what accounting has to do with guides, mountains, and journeys. Well, here’s a little insight. Our Accounting Programs are built with the concept of guiding you along your business journey; to help you conquer the mountains in your business!
How does it work? When you plan to climb a very tall mountain with extreme elevation, the obvious first step is preparation, followed by an assessment of the conditions and your skill. Similarly, our Accounting Programs start with the assessment of your finances and business processes. We start clients with one of three service levels – Guide, Propel, or Scale and organize and manage your accounts, document your processes to make sure they’re in tip-top condition, and put a plan in place before moving on to the serious stuff.
GeneralCents University is the next step in scaling your business – this is where we teach you to Speak The Language of Business and execute your business plan. We also implement our People Advisory services that train and educate our clients on the best practices for building a world-class team and culture to support the company’s vision and mission.
The ultimate goal is to have an exit strategy. You’re Scaling the mountain, now what? Now it’s time to ask, do you want a saleable business, passive income, multiple locations, global, franchise, license? We support others just like you in delivering strategies to help identify and carry out the last move – your exit strategy. We see ourselves as a fun-loving bunch of accountants (yes, we know how that sounds, but it’s true!) Our team loves to help business owners wanting to grow and improve. We’ll have you speaking the language of business in no time!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Absolutely! If you want to become a master, you have to hang out with the masters! Seek out the people that have already achieved the freedom and success you’re looking for.
Everyone needs a coach – there is no excuse in today’s world for not succeeding. All the information you could ever want is literally right at our fingertips. And people are willing to share that information. ActionCoach is a great system for coaching. You could also look for industry-specific mentors. Ask around… you’ll be amazing at what and who your friends, accountant, insurance agent, banker and attorney know.
Networking is great for everyone. Match the level of your networking group to the level of your business aspirations. Low-level networking isn’t going to get you high-level results.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@generalcents.com
- Website: http://bit.ly/YourAccountingGuide7Steps
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalcents/
