September 12, 2019

Meet Bernadette L. Harris of By The Book Accounting

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bernadette L. Harris.

Bernadette, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After seven years of working for others, I grew tired of having bosses who had fewer qualifications than I did. I was also tired of people who barely did anything at work, yet they made the same amount of money (or more) as I did. I was tired of having to “ask” to take time off to go to lunch with my then six-year-old daughter. My journey to entrepreneurship was born out of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. I wanted to be in control! I wanted to control how much I worked and how much I made.

In November 2001, I began doing my research. My very first business plan (which I still have to this day) was handwritten in a composition book. After a few weeks of research, I turned the 200-square-foot dining room of my apartment into the founding headquarters for By The Book Accounting, which is now a full-fledge resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs types alike.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My entrepreneurial journey has been anything but smooth. I have overcome many obstacles along the way. One of the biggest obstacles has been staffing. Finding the right people for the job AND managing those people is one thing that I’m still learning. In the early years, I made the mistake of hiring people that I liked, instead of focusing on hiring people who could and would do the job. My inability to get this right has cost me friendships, money, and clients. Clients who do not pay on-time also make managing cash-flow difficult.

Please tell us about By The Book Accounting.
By The Book Accounting is a Tax and Forensic Accounting firm. We help individuals and small business owners with tax preparation and planning. We take the pain out of taxes and help our clients look forward to tax season.

We also help government entities, non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies manage and protect their entity assets. We do this with fraud prevention training, fraud investigations, and fraud risk assessments.

What our clients appreciate most about working with us is our availability and response times. They often say they feel like they are our only clients. Our clients also appreciate our patience, compassion, and a dedication to explaining things in plain English. We love what we do, and we appreciate the trust that each client places in us.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My mom used to take my siblings and me to IHOP on Saturday mornings for breakfast. Back then, going out to eat was a treat. I always ordered a tall stack of pancakes and drowned them in strawberry syrup.

Contact Info:

Address: 5555 Glenridge Connector
Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30342
Website: www.bythebookaccounting.com
Phone: 678-608-2775
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btbaccounting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ByTheBookAccounting/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bythebook
Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bythebook/

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