Today we’d like to introduce you to Dora Sergeant.
Dora, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I found my love for numbers at the age of 16 in a sophomore-level accounting class in high school. I started out preparing my family member’s income tax returns around that same time. I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. I have been in the accounting industry for over 25 years, working in various sectors of the field, including telecommunications, medical, government, and not-for-profit. I was inspired to start DMS Financial because of my love of accounting. It is the only industry I have ever worked in. What compelled me was I did not want to spend the rest of my life just working in the industry. I want to be a change agent in the industry. I want to educate small business owners on the proper procedures and assist them in ensuring the financial success of their businesses.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. One of the biggest struggles I have faced is learning to sell myself. Additionally, COVID-19 had a huge impact on my business; 2020 was the year I decided to open a storefront. I had been in business for 2 years and thought the time was right. I held a grand opening in February 0f 2020 and had to close in March of 2020. That was a big hit to my confidence, but it turned into a learning moment. It taught me quite a bit about my business and the direction I needed to take it in. It was definitely a teachable moment, but I also learned that I had a viable business and just needed to make some adjustments. As an entrepreneur, there are new struggles consistently, but you have learned to address and adapt.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
DMS Financial Consulting is an accounting firm that was established in February of 2018. We were born from a desire to educate the community and small business owners. We offer tax preparation services to individuals and businesses, business set-up, budgeting and forecasting, bookkeeping and accounting, payroll, and notary public services. DMS has the capacity to offer financial services to medium to large-size companies, but our passion is the small business owners. Small businesses are the ones that tend to have the least amount of resources and educational opportunities to make the most impactful business decisions, positioning themselves and their businesses for long-lasting success. DMS has been instrumental in the set-up and sound financial structure of many start-up businesses. We have assisted business owners from conception to inception, watching someone’s idea come to life; those are things that we are most proud of. We at DMS Financial believe that the small business owner impacts the communities and the economy; we want to assist those businesses by educating the communities on financial responsibility, spending our dollars in our communities, nurturing small business owners, and taking ownership of their fiscal lives.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Create your business plan and stick to it; it will be the foundation. Make sure that foundation is solid for your business, but have some flexibility; things change industry changes, you have to be willing and able to make those shifts when needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dmsfinancial.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dms_financial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmsfinancialconsultingllc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dora-sergeant-1165326a/
