Spreadsheet Secrets: How I Found My Business Purpose

When I was getting ready to set off for college, I knew I wanted to go into business but didn’t know exactly what area to focus on. A general business degree didn’t feel right, and I had just finished an accounting course in high school, so that was a top contender. I was also considering marketing. One day, while working at my part-time retail job, I pulled out the job postings in the newspaper. That day, there were six marketing jobs and nearly thirty for accounting. And just like that, the universe had spoken. I was going to be an accountant. 

It turns out I really love accounting. I love the rules and organization of it. I love how good accounting supports all areas of the business and helps make better decisions. And spoiler alert, excel spreadsheets are my happy place. 

The Nontraditional Path to My Business Purpose

My journey through the accounting world hasn’t been the traditional audit-or-tax path we were

taught in college. Instead, I’ve had the chance to explore different roles, industries, and clients. And through that exploration, I’ve uncovered what I truly love about accounting and what I don’t.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

My passion lies in helping small business owners understand the financial story behind their business.

If you've never heard of EOS, I highly recommend checking out the book What the Heck is EOS? by Gino Wickman. It introduces the EOS principles in a straightforward and accessible way. One idea in particular has resonated deeply with me and continues to guide how I work and who I choose to work with:

Gino writes that we should be "doing what you love, with people you love, making a difference, being compensated appropriately, with time for other passions."

My business purpose is to help you implement better accounting operations to support this philosophy. 

Once upon a time, I worked for a small CPA firm mainly preparing taxes for small businesses and individuals. What truly blew my mind was the number of clients who brought in a literal box of receipts at the end of the year. These were businesses with employees and between $500,000 and $1 million in annual revenue, yet they had no bookkeeping system in place.

Often, to make the numbers balance, a large chunk would be dumped into owner distributions, when in reality, much of it was probably legitimate business expenses. That meant owners were paying more in taxes than they needed to, all because they didn’t have up-to-date books.

And here’s what made it worse: by the time I was entering those numbers into a tax return, it was already too late to help. That year was over. So halfway through tax season, I started writing notes and recommendations for the CPA firm owner to sell monthly bookkeeping services. I have no idea if any of those recommendations were shared, but that process sparked a shift for me and changed my mindset to proactive accounting. 

What Is Proactive Accounting?

Proactive accounting means keeping your books up to date and using that real-time data to guide business decisions. It means embracing smart, simplified, tech-friendly processes that support your business goals.

In my spare time, I began researching and learning everything I could about implementing simplified, modern accounting operations for small businesses. What was once a source of frustration has become my superpower and the reason I started Rueckert Accounting.

I believe small business owners deserve to feel confident in their numbers. When your data is current and clear, it supports your vision and helps you grow and it all starts with clean, simplified accounting.

If you're a small business owner who wants your numbers to bring clarity, not chaos, schedule a consultation today. Your books don’t need to be complicated and you deserve data that helps drive smart decisions.

A Little More About Me

I truly believe that we should do the work we love, with people we love, make a difference in the world, be compensated fairly and have time to pursue other passions. So if that resonates with you, I would love to help you simplify and understand your business’s financial story. 

Now for some fun stuff. Outside of accounting, here is a little bit more about me. 

• I love spending time with my family, especially my two boys and husband

• I’m a coffee enthusiast. Dark roast and black please. 

• I love gardening. There is something so tremendously satisfying in planting a seed and watching it grow. You can find me often in my overalls and gloves digging in the dirt. 

• I enjoy reading, pretty much everything I can. 

• You can often find me hiking or spending time in the forest

• The ocean is my happy place. It's pretty much impossible to leave the beach feeling sad.

• My love language is cooking, I love cooking and feeding people.

If any of that resonates with you, we’ll probably get along just fine.

Let’s work together to build an accounting system that helps your business thrive and supports the life you want to live.

Let's Work Together