Meet Erica McLemore | Bookkeeping Professional and Quickbooks ProAdvisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erica McLemore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To explain the thought process behind starting my own business, I have to start with “Why”.

I was tired, burned out, and frustrated and I felt lost for the first time in my life. For 15 years I worked/served in ministry; I knew that was my calling, my identity was wrapped up in it, and I felt like I was making a difference. I didn’t know what else I would do if I wasn’t doing that. But I hit a wall and began to question if what I was doing was actually making a difference. I was tired of fighting, tired of striving, and just plain tired. Enter the life changing trip to Costa Rica and the decision that would begin my career as an entrepreneur.

I chose Costa Rica because I had always wanted to learn how to surf and Costa Rica looked like a beautiful oasis. I didn’t realize how burnout and cold my heart was until I began to feel the hard pieces break off and my heart come alive again as I hiked in the jungle, surfed, and watched the sunset over the ocean. I felt the presence of God for what felt like the first time in a long time. I was challenged physically by the week-long surf camp, but my heart felt like it was getting the rest it needed. I had found a piece of myself that I had lost somewhere along the way. I ended up extending my trip a few extra days and when I came back I decided that Costa Rica is where I wanted to make my home. I wanted to open up a little tiny hotel that would be a retreat, a respite for people like me who didn’t even know they needed it. I wanted to immerse myself in the Puravida culture and become a part of the community. The question was “How”.

When I got home I did a lot of reading and research. I needed to find a job that could work remotely from anywhere in the world. I came across an article online that listed jobs you can do remotely. The one that stuck out to me was as a virtual bookkeeper for its flexibility and my enjoyment of numbers. The article spoke of a company that teaches the basics of accounting and how to start your own business, called Bookkeeper Business Launch (now called Bookkeeper Launch). I researched the business and the legitimacy of the company and after a few months, I decided to pull the trigger and buy their course. My thought was that, as a bookkeeper I would learn how to do the books for my future hotel while I am maintaining other people’s books. I also thought that this would be a way I could continue to help people but doing it my way. This was in 2017.

Fast forward to May 2020. I have just gotten married, moved to a brand new state, left my previous job, and am in the middle of a pandemic. I applied for many traditional W-2 jobs but no one was hiring. After a few months, I decided that now was as good of a time as any to start my own business. I finished the bookkeeping course and received my Bookkeeping Professional Certification as well as my Quickbooks Online Proadvisor Certification. On October 15th 2020, Tabularius Bookkeeping LLC was born.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is to serve other small business owners and non-profits so that they might grow and succeed. I do that by providing proactive, collaborative bookkeeping and advisory services. By proactive, I mean that I am updating and organizing business and nonprofit’s books and providing and presenting monthly financial statements so that the owners/boards understand where their finances are in order to make wise decisions that lead to growth and attaining goals. By collaborative I mean we do this together. I work with businesses so that they have a deeper understanding of where their finances are and how it all works together. My most favorite thing about what I do is when I see the light bulb moments as I am walking a client through their books or even teaching them how to do it themselves and it starts to click.

The biggest challenge I have faced in being a business owner is learning what it means to be an entrepreneur and not giving up. Creating and running your own business is very different from being an employee. It can be very lonely, overwhelming, and hard to get motivated to do the aspects of business that I don’t like (social media). But the buck stops with me, there is no one keeping me accountable but me. As a new business owner, I also don’t know what I don’t know. I have found it to be hugely beneficial to get plugged into a network of other women entrepreneurs, who have been a wealth of knowledge and support from the beginning. I also have not stopped learning. I love learning. I will read articles, sign up for free workshops, or just talk to other business owners who have been in business longer than me. With all the resources out there, it can be very overwhelming but I try to remind myself to “keep it consistent and keep it simple”. I will filter through all the information and decide what is for me and what isn’t; what is for now and what is for later.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is so much to do and see it is so hard to pick just a few places. A week visiting me would definitely include a lot of outdoor activities. Most of my friends are from the south so acclimating to the altitude is a consideration. We would go on an easy hike through Garden of Gods, taking in the beautiful red rock formations against a backdrop of Pikes Peak. I would then take them to one of the many amazing breweries, like Trinity Brewing, Red Leg Brewing, or Trails End for some lunch and a refreshing beer. A trip to the new summit house of Pikes Peak would also be in order and shopping in Manitou Springs. My husband has an Xterra that we take off roading so we would take a picnic lunch and go explore some of the harder-to-get-to areas outside of Colorado Springs. For a little relaxation, we would go to Sun Water Spa in Manitou Springs to sit in the outdoor hot tub and watch the sunset behind Pike’s Peak, and then hit one of the many cool restaurants or bars downtown.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, Mark Snow, as been a HUGE enouragement and blessing to me in this process. When we got married there were a lot of changes and transitions, let alone supporting a new entrepreneur, but he has been so gracious and supportive in this process. When I want to quit or contemplate getting a regular W-2 job, he is always encouraging that I give it a little more time.

The networking group Women Entrepreneurs Helping Women Entrepeneurs has also been a source of encouragement and growth. I love seeing and hearing women encourage other women and not feel threatened by other’s successes. I always leave this group feeling supported and energized. I am grateful for them.

Website: www.thetabularius.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ericamclemore

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tabulariusbookkeepingllc/

Image Credits
CasaBay Photography Emotion Surf Photography Reckless Love Photos