Today we’d like to introduce you to Mel Latu.
Hi Mel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My story starts with a promise to my late mother. My mother worked more than one job many times in my life and always was a progressive employee that started entry-level and manage each role by the time she moved on. When she was dying, she asked that I promise to not just work. She expressed quality of life, impact, and make sure you have fun were the things she would do differently if she had time. I have always ended up progressing into management at each corporate role that I had. I too was working my life away with no real plan other than to go to work tomorrow. When my mom passed away life got real for me in so many ways. I couldn’t keep just working for others and having no real work done on the planet and in my community.
I quit a great-paying corporate job and found myself working for a small business turnaround consultant. As I worked and ran teams helping failing companies turn things around, I kept seeing the same reoccurring challenge for them all. Financial foundation, cashflow planning, and experienced executive-level employees that fit small business cashflow. The owners were trying to be CFO, bookkeeper, and manage all the details while also growing sales and managing teams. I knew in my heart that I could be that bridge for a small business until they organically grew and could afford that executive-level support on staff. I had a dream to create a team of part-time work for stay-at-home moms and together we could be an entire accounting department at an affordable price. I wanted moms that need to come in a little later after kids are dropped off and leave early enough to pick them all up. Many times, in my professional life it has been the mom or manager choices nearly impossible to have balance for both. I thought that if moms could stay fresh with their business skills and still be able to balance their mom duties that we could create an awesome culture. The culture to teach and grow these women while helping a small business be successful and accomplish their dreams, I mean does it get any better?
B.O.S.S. or Back Office Support Services if a full-service outsourced back-office support firm that specialized in cashflow and real-time accounting.
Alright, 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?
Absolutely not! The first boss that I presented my idea to (in a formal printed presentation) laughed and through my proposal on the floor. He told me this would never work.
Financing your own business with no starting capital and during a quarantine was the biggest leap of faith I have ever taken. I worked for free during quarantine to help prepare PPP applications. As businesses went back to work, B.O.S.S. was hired by many of those that we helped for free.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We specialize in cashflow and real-time accounting. We are very proud to be changing a mindset and industry that reviews their finances after a month or period closes, many times after the business is already in trouble. B.O.S.S. reviews weekly with clients with a custom dashboard (that we created- Boss Your Business) that is a working budget that looks at least 12 weeks into the future. I believe this change in mindset to plan and be intentional with every dollar sets us apart. Good ole biblical principles of being a good steward of every dollar and blessing through business are also some of our favorite things about B.O.S.S.
How do you define success?
Impact Are you impacting and making a difference? If we aren’t impacting the world around us and our clients, we are not successful.
Contact Info:
- Email: Mel@backofficesupportdfw.com
- Website: www.BossYour.Business
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/Kh921iAoa5Y
