COMMENTS
The Denton-based company continues to grow, this time in Austin, Texas! The office is located downtown at 100 Congress Avenue. For more information on news & event postings, “like” Bookkeeper Girl on Faccebook at www.facebook.com/bookkeepergirl
The City of Denton is presenting the 2nd Annual “Neighborhood Empowerment Summit” on Saturday, October 16, 2010, from 8:30 a.m until 2:30 p.m. The summit will be held at the Denton Civic Center at 321 E. McKinney Street, Denton, Texas, 76201.
The theme of the summit is “Transitions and Transformations: Result Focused Leadership”. The purpose is to provide training in four areas – leadership development, civic empowerment, community building, and neighborhood management.
Topics include:
. Building a Foundation for a Successful Community
. Show Me the Money: Sustaining an Organization’s Financial Health
. Planting Seeds: Growing Community Partnerships
. Mentoring Our Youth: The City of Denton Police Department’s Summer Program
. Transforming Community Issues into a Successful Organization
Kim Pollard, Owner and President of Bookkeeper Girl will be conducting two sessions entitled: “Show Me the Money: Sustaining an Organization’s Financial Health”. The first session will be held from 10:25 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. and the second session will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
There is no cost and all associations, residents, non-profits, fraternities, small entrepreneurs, organizations and institutions are encouraged to attend. To register, or for more information, contact Katia Boykin at 940-349-7274 or katia.boykin@cityofdenton.com.
The Ponder Education Foundation, carries the motto of: “Investing in Our Children Today for Tomorrow”. This grant program provides exceptional teachers with additional resources to assist the children in learning. Through contributions received from community- minded businesses such as the Bookkeeper Girl, the Ponder ISD is enabled to continue to grow and further develop their mission of enhancing the quality of education for the children. Kim and Scott Pollard are proud to support the Ponder Independent School District, the attendance area of their children.
“The Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home has been meeting the needs of vulnerable children and families for more than 105 years. In 2009 alone, CPCH served 40 children and 11 adults in their residential programs, along with more than 900 people in the non-residential counseling and education programs”. The Bookkeeper Girl is an avid sponsor of the fundraising events that make the work of CPCH possible.
Another entity which exists for the support of children and families in need is The Family Place. “They offer support, ensure a safe place to sleep, a caring counselor to listen and most of all, provide peace, hope and love. “ The Bookkeeper Girl has a soft spot in her heart for these families who have fallen victim to troubled times and helps where and when she can possibly do so.
“The Family Resource Center of North Texas’ mission is to strengthen and support families through education by providing classes, prenatal workshops, child car passenger seat instruction, new parents’ support, substance abuse prevention programs and referral services.” The Family Resource Center of North Texas is a non-profit 501-c-3 agency that could not survive or serve the people without the donations of caring community individuals and businesses such as The Bookkeeper Girl.
CPA’s Strong Relationship with Bookkeeper Girl
A West Texas native, McCleskey, his wife, Sheila, and their three teenage children have made the Denton area (Corinth) their home the past decade. For many years, McCleskey made his living in the field of agriculture. But he decided to sell his business, wondering, “What am I going to be when I grow up?” He decided on accounting. “I’ve always been interested in numbers and planning and the strategic side of things,” McCleskey said. Armed with a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, he went to work. “And here we are,” McCleskey said.
His hobbies include golf and aviation. His family is active in The Village Church.
McCleskey said his firm provides “outstanding service to our clients because of our dedication to the three underlying principles of professionalism, responsiveness and quality.” “We believe in the value of relationships. We view each client relationship like a partnership, and truly believe that our success is a result of your success,” McCleskey said. “We strive to ensure that every client receives close personal and professional attention. We believe our high standards and service set our firm apart.”
McCleskey added that his firm is responsive. “Companies and individuals who choose our firm rely on the fact that we value our clients, and it shows in everything we do,” he said. “We return phone calls promptly. We strive to give accurate estimates of how long jobs will take. In general, we try to treat our clients the way we would want to be treated.”
Through hard work and a service mindset, McCleskey said, the firm has earned the respect of the business and financial communities. McCleskey noted that an accounting firm is known for the quality of its service. “The biggest thing on my plate right now is to be certain that as we continue to grow, we maintain our ability to provide personal attention and quality professional services,” he said.
The certified public accountant answered a few questions about his firm’s working relationship with Bookkeeper Girl and its owner, Kim Pollard.
What do you enjoy most about working with Bookkeeper Girl?
Their people.
How does Bookkeeper Girl save your office time by them handling the bookkeeping and you handling the year end taxes?
Obviously, for a business, the bookkeeping has to be done. Either the client has to do it, someone competent like Kim has to do it or we have to do it. It saves us time by knowing that the basic bookkeeping is done and accurate. It may need some minor adjustments by us. But they’re adjustments, not rewrites.
How does having a good set of books save clients tax dollars?
If the books are done and reliable, then it’s a matter of us knowing and applying the tax rules. It’s really very simple. If we have to take more time to put together the bookkeeping, we have to charge more.
Bookkeeper Girl Celebrates First Year of Business
From a modest beginning of working from an office in her home, to expanding to a two-office location in Denton with a branch office located in Dallas, the Bookkeeper Girl is celebrating her year of growth and success.
In a show of appreciation for their support, Kim Pollard, president of Bookkeeper Girl, hosted an anniversary celebration on Oct. 27, for her clients, family, business associates and staff members.
In another display of appreciation for their blessings, Kim and her husband, Scott, presented a check to The Shepherd’s Hand, a local charitable organization, during the anniversary celebration.
“The staff did a lot of research before choosing this extremely worthwhile cause,” Pollard said. “There are so many needy people in this day and time, and we wanted to give within the community and know that it would make a difference and be really appreciated. We are confident this donation will be of assistance.” Pollard made a first time pledge of $350, and plans a $350 donation every month.
The Shepherd’s Hand first entered the community scene on Oct. 1, 2008 – the same day and year as Bookkeeper Girl, Inc. The Bookkeeper Girl staff did not realize this fact until after the Shepherd’s Hand was chosen to receive the donation, but it was such an inspiring and enlightening coincidence. The Shepherd’s Hand is a non-profit ministry that helps alleviate hunger in Denton County by freely distributing food, clothing and care to the hungry and those in need.
Diana Garrison, executive director of The Shepherd’s Hand, said gifts like the one from Pollard are critical. “We receive a lot of clothes and food, but very little money,” the executive director said. “Financial contributions are a real blessing.” When The Shepherd’s Hand opened its doors a year ago, the charity was serving about 400 meals a month. “Now it serves more than 5,000,” Garrison said.
Pollard created Bookkeeper Girl, Inc. to be a unique business, and gives the credit of her success to the touch of God’s hand, the love and support of her family, and the guidance from friends and business associates. After spending the past five years gaining experience in the online version of QuickBooks, the Bookkeeper Girl then devised the perfect combination for the company: clients and technology. Pollard specializes in online bookkeeping and helps clients ranging from individuals to large corporations by tailoring each client’s bookkeeping solutions to their individual needs.
“It helps that I am extremely organized and believe in a hands-on approach”, Pollard said. “I believe the foundation for success in any money management system, at any level, is based on concise bookkeeping with complete trust and a sense of integrity.”
She measures her success in the legacy that she leaves behind and the lives she touches along the way. “It’s not what I gain, but what I give that’s important,” Pollard said. “With Bookkeeper Girl, Inc’s success, I will provide exceptional service, great opportunities for stay-at-home parents, and heartfelt involvement for our non-profit partners. To me, this is success.”
