We heard about this Balancing Act company headed by a Towson small business accountant who was helping small businesses and startups in the area. Being the unrepentant skeptics that we are, we decided to check out the website- which is the standard interface of any business in modern times. The stuff there looked too good to be true as we believed this was just like any other business trying to earn a quick profit by looking professional. So, we decided to put them to a test. I chose to request their consultancy services for my buddy’s little haulage business while my co-worker requested for assistance in setting up QuickBooks for their business. Here’s what we experienced:
Super Quick response: My first email got a response almost before I could minimize the app. Of course, at the time it seemed like the job of an automatic mail responder except that it was tailored exactly for me and wasn’t a “no reply” account. My co-worker was equally surprised at how fast he got responded to. It seemed like there was someone whose only job was to refresh the mail inbox and instantaneously send replies.- Mary Jo Watson is a total wizard at using Quickbooks: First of all, introductions; Mary Jo Watson is the president of Balancing Act. And for the uninitiated, Quickbooks is an accounting software package used for tracking the metrics of a business and optimizing operations. Anyone who has tried using this package can testify to how complicated it can be to keep up with the various intricacies. Not for Mary Jo, she uses the software as easily as reciting the letters of the alphabet. What’s more intriguing is that by the end of the first 2hour session with my buddy (which I was definitely in attendance). We could do basic stuff with Quickbooks. She practically taught us to use the software almost without trying. You could call Mary Jo a “Towson QuickBooks expert” and you wouldn’t be wrong.
- She understands the Towson (and Baltimore as a whole) business scene: At http://balacct.com/ which is the company’s website, Mary Jo describes herself as a “local gal with lots of experience” This is reflected in her understanding of the way business is conducted in the area generally. She had accurate ideas about what attracts the local populace most. The businesses that are likely to upgrade with changing technology and those with the tendency to stick with the traditional way of doing things. It’s this comprehensive knowledge of the local business scene that has put Balancing Act in the position to provide excellent Towson small business accounting services.
- Unexpectedly innovative: For the business consulting, it was more valuable than expected. Mary Jo suggested some simple changes to the way the business was run. These changes will make managing the business easier, while saving on some expenses, and allow more tax deductions which will also save money. By going to her and getting the consulting advice we actually will save more than we spent on her small business consulting services.
Our conclusion is that Balancing Act is actually as good as they claim to be. And maybe a little more.