There is this idea floating around that starting an accounting firm requires everything to be perfectly in place before you begin. The right systems. The perfect niche. A polished brand. A full suite of services.

That was not my reality, and I would like to share how it does not need to be your path either. The best thing you can do when you are starting a bookkeeping business is to just start.

When I launched My CFO and began offering bookkeeping and CFO advisory, I did not have a fully built-out firm. I had a handful of clients, inconsistent revenue, and a lot of uncertainty around how I was going to grow. Some months felt steady, and others felt like I was starting over. That emotional rollercoaster is something most people do not talk about, but it is very real.

What I did have was a skillset, a deep understanding of how to help business owners with their cash flow, and a willingness to start before everything felt “ready.” I did not wait until I felt confident in every area. I focused on being valuable in the areas that mattered most to my clients.

The goal was simple but bold. I wanted to build to $20,000 per month in recurring revenue within a year, hire two employees, work four days a week, and eventually only spend about 15 hours a week inside the business myself. That goal was not just about income. It was about building a business that supported my life instead of consuming it.

What is wild is that by the six-month mark, we were already hitting $20,000 per month in gross revenue.

My first clients did not come from a perfect website or a perfectly packaged offer. They came from conversations. I talked about what I did, who I helped, and why it mattered. There was no complicated pitch. There was clarity and confidence in the value I knew I could provide, even if everything else was still being built behind the scenes.

I asked questions. I listened to what business owners were struggling with. I spoke directly to those problems. And when it made sense, I asked for the work. That is the part people avoid, but it is also the only part that actually gets you business.

It feels more comfortable to stay busy building than it does to risk hearing no. But growth does not happen in isolation, or through social media, or from showing how awesome you are. It happens in conversation and through referrals.

Final Thoughts From Your Favorite Accountant

Building to $20K a month is about starting before you feel ready. More than anything, it is about genuinely caring for your clients and showing up for them consistently. When you do that, they will refer their friends.

Because at the end of the day, cash flow isn’t luck, it’s strategy.