Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenneth & Courtney Havins.
Hi Kenneth & Courtney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We were working for a small biomedical company when we met. Kenneth was the Accounting Controller. Courtney ran the Administrative Department. We fell in love; The company changed ownership, management, processes, people, ethics, philosophy, culture, everything. We decided to bet on ourselves! We didn’t know if the company we were with would make it one year or 10 or if we would be with them either way, so why not put that in our own hands? We took the savings (and credit) we had and started our own company on love and a prayer! Kenneth is numbers! He does bookkeeping, taxes, business formations, government stuff. 🙂 Courtney is people! She helps people with improvement and management, whatever that means FOR THEM! She helps them solve the problems they don’t know how to figure out they have. When a business owner knows that something is wrong, but they aren’t sure what it is, or maybe they do know what it is, but they don’t know HOW to fix it… That is what she does. She is a Fixer! 🙂
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road… that is a joke, right? Has anyone ever said yes? Just kidding! <3 It has been hard. It has been challenging. It has been too much, and it has been not enough. Starting a company from absolutely nothing is the hardest thing I think a person can do. Especially when you don’t have a huge business loan to get you through the slow times. We didn’t have a business plan of someone else’s to follow. There wasn’t a coach or a consultant we could call. We were “kicked out” of the first Networking meeting we went to within the first 5 minutes because it was seat-specific, and it took us a long time to trust again. We had no idea what seat-specific even meant.
I think that is why we have changed our focus from taxes and bookkeeping to a full line of services, including formations and consulting. “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I think that is the biggest struggle of them all! What is around the corner that you can’t even dream up?
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in helping Small Business Owners unlock their potential with expert solutions!
We specialize in Bookkeeping (Start-Up, Catch-Up, Clean-Up, Keep-Up), that means we can start your system, clean up the one you have, catch it up if you are behind, or keep it up with ongoing services. We do all taxes from personal and business, quarterly, sales, payroll, franchise, all of them. We also do training for Excel and QuickBooks for business owners, individuals, and teams.
We offer Project Management Software (Basecamp) training for individuals and teams. We have business formation packages and specialized banking packages. Those you have 1 piece of paper and your ID, everything else is handled for you with the bank of your choosing.
We have surveys on our websites for teams and individuals to take to check the health of their business/personal life completely for free, and we send them specialized plans on how to address their core issues, whether that is time management, marketing, operations, efficiency, etc. There are 12 Business aspects and 10 personal.
We believe what we are known for is being real people. Real people who struggled through this terrified and praying, step by step without a real plan (back then), and we want to help new and struggling business owners just like we were find their way!!! Where we are today is not where we were a year ago, and it won’t be where we are a year from now. We keep growing a pivoting and praying, and loving… and it keeps working.
We are most proud of the fact that we have continued to be a team throughout this process. The first years of a company are so hard! You have to try and fail and pivot so many times! You want to give up so many times! But you know how you never truly fail? You NEVER give up!
How do you think about luck?
Ohhhh I don’t think any. I think it is hard work and sooooo much RESEARCH and knowing deep down that failure is not an option.
Devine Intervention? God? Oh YES! I could tell you a crazy winding road story drawn out on an old treasure map of how God decided that I was made for my husband and how He moved heaven and earth to get me to him! And how that bald-headed bearded man saved me. But that is for another time and another story!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HavinsConsulting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havinsbusinessservices/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HavinsBusinessServices
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/havins-business-services
Image Credits
Malikah Mae Sadeghi
