Today we’d like to introduce you to Alix Kieser.
Hi Alix, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My path hasn’t been a straight line, but each step prepared me for what I’m doing now.
Since my very first job back in high school, I knew I wanted to be my own boss. The only question was: doing what? When I went to college, I chose psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist and eventually opening my own practice. But by the time I graduated, I realized that wasn’t the right path for me.
After graduation, I briefly ran a business as a professional organizer – helping people declutter and create systems in their homes. Growth was slow, so I switched gears and transitioned into education, where I spent 13 years – five of those as a classroom teacher, including three in special education.
During that time, I taught life skills at a local middle school, working with students with moderate to severe disabilities. I loved my students and my work, but the entrepreneurial pull never really left me. I started looking into business ideas that I could run from home, and that’s when I discovered bookkeeping. It just clicked. Math had always been my favorite subject, and I thrive on organization and problem-solving. I dove into researching what it would take to start a firm.
My plan was to keep teaching for another year or two while I built my business, but less than two months after I formed my LLC, COVID hit. I finished out the school year, then made the difficult choice not to return in fall 2020. Instead, I jumped in full time – definitely a leap into the unknown.
As a business owner, I had to learn not just bookkeeping, but also sales and marketing. Growth was slow at first, and there were times I wondered if I’d made a mistake leaving behind the security of a steady paycheck. But I kept at it – learning, adjusting, and sticking with it. By fall 2023, my client base had grown enough that I brought on a subcontractor to help with the workload.
Today, what drives me is helping other business owners feel confident and in control of their finances. I know firsthand how overwhelming the numbers can feel when you’re trying to run a business, and I love being able to bring clarity and peace of mind to my clients. Looking ahead, I hope to continue growing at a steady pace – adding the right people to my team and expanding services where it makes sense – while keeping that personal, hands-on approach that drew me to bookkeeping in the first place. More than anything, I’m motivated by the freedom and flexibility this path has given me – and by being able to create that same freedom and flexibility for other business owners by taking the burden of bookkeeping off their plates.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Sales and marketing have been the biggest challenges for me – figuring out how to consistently bring in leads and keep the pipeline steady. As an introvert, those things don’t come naturally to me, so it’s been a real learning curve. In the beginning, just making enough to cover the basics and make ends meet was tough. I knew I had the skills to serve clients well, but learning how to get in front of the right people and communicate the value of what I do has taken a lot of persistence. Over time though, I’ve grown more confident, found strategies that work for me, and built relationships that continue to fuel my business today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My firm provides bookkeeping and related services (payroll management, sales tax, 1099s, accounts receivable, and accounts payable) for small businesses. My focus is on making sure the numbers are not only accurate but useful when it comes to taxes. I like to say I do “bookkeeping with your taxes in mind.” That means I don’t just categorize transactions and call it a day – I’m always looking at the bigger picture of how those numbers will impact a business owner when it’s time to file.
What sets me apart is the combination of accuracy, organization, and strategy. I specialize in helping business owners who want more than just clean books – they want clarity and confidence. I know how stressful it can feel to not understand where your money is going or to worry about whether things are set up correctly for tax season. My goal is to take that weight off my clients’ shoulders so they can focus on running their business instead of stressing about their books.
Brand-wise, I’m proud that clients often tell me they feel both supported and empowered after working with me. I want people to know they’re not alone in this – having good financial systems in place is possible, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. At the end of the day, my business is about creating freedom and flexibility for other business owners by removing the burden of bookkeeping and giving them peace of mind.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happiest when I feel balanced – when I know my clients are taken care of and I also have the flexibility to enjoy time with family and friends, recharge, and do the things I love outside of work. That’s part of why I started my business in the first place.
Pricing:
- Monthly bookkeeping packages start at $395, with pricing adjusted based on transaction volume and complexity
- Catch-up/cleanup projects are quoted separately based on scope
- Add-on services available: payroll management, sales tax filing, 1099 preparation, AR and AP (pricing varies by scope and frequency)
Contact Info:
- Website: http://squareledgers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squareledgers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SquareLedgers
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/squareledgers/
- Other: https://share.google/PAFIrrj9mjdTAQppM
Image Credits
Anya Sifton Photography and Heather Gill Photography
