We want you to feel comfortable when you do business with Omnis. There can be a bit of a personal disconnect when connecting via remote online b2b services. So in an attempt to allow a peak behind the curtain, we decided to do a quick Q & A with our founder, Hayley Dunford. If you are on the fence about working with Omnis, hopefully this article will apply a personal feel to our remote services.
How long have you lived in Sarasota?
“Since 2020. I moved to Bradenton in 2014 a month after college, met my (future) husband and we lived in Manatee County for a few years. We recently moved to Sarasota to be closer to our office and the downtown area :)”
What are some of your favorite spots around town? Restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc.
“For dinner, I love Melting Pot, Kojo, Dry Docks, Mar Vista. I love St. Armonds Circle and just walking around downtown. Marina Jacks is a great place to watch the boats come and go! We also love taking rental boats and getting out on the water”
What made you want to found Omnis?
“I realized there was a gap for many small business owners in the accounting industry. Many were trying to do the books themselves, or just turning over to their tax accountants at year end, and weren’t actually getting the benefit of accurate financials.”
What is your favorite aspect of the bookkeeping and solutions industry?
“Helping business owners figure out ways to improve. I’ve seen businesses go from losing money and potentially closing down their doors to thriving. Figuring out how to save money, improve processes, improve sales, etc. I also love using my network of businesses to bring people together.”
Why does Omnis choose to use Quickbooks and what are some pro’s and con’s of the program?
“Quickbooks has been the ‘standard’ for a while in small business bookkeeping, and overall it is great. It’s relatively simple, but robust. It allows for paperless businesses with e-payments, online bill pay, etc. The biggest area for improvement is with more complex accounting features, such as accrual books, inventory management, advanced reporting, etc.”
So Omnis offers remote bookkeeping, system implementation, and consulting. Out of these three services, which one do you feel is the most important for a small business to outsource first?
“Definitely bookkeeping. Many business owners have no idea where their money is going, and the little things add up. When setting up a new business, we want to account for all expenses to make sure we get the proper tax deductions. A business also needs proper financials for financing and investors. Once we have a baseline of accurate books, we can begin to consult with ways to improve the business and grow.”
Which of the 3 main services do you enjoy working on more?
“I enjoy consulting the most. I get to dive deep into the business and figure out what they are doing and why, and how we can make things better. We can work through cash flows, budgeting, cost saving strategies, changing accounting procedures, etc. I love setting up SOPs and seeing a plan come to fruition.”
Do you have any insights or advice for entrepreneurs or small business owners who are just getting started?
“Just do it! You’ll never be 100% ready or prepared, and it’ll always be scary. But if you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it’ll be worth it. Oh, and hire a great bookkeeper :)”
Do you have any short term goals for Omnis?
“Approaching year-end (not sure how that’s already possible), our biggest goals are to make sure our clients are ready for tax season. We do deep dives on all the books to make sure nothing was missed, as well as working with our customers to make sure we have all the information (did you buy a new car, get a new credit card, open a new bank account, pay for things out of personal).”
Where would you like to see Omnis in 5 years?
“That’s a great question and my answer is that I want to grow in a way that makes our employees and customers happy. We are working on rolling out some new softwares and programs to increase efficiency and communications, both internally and externally. We want to grow sustainably and make sure all our employees are happy and healthy on the way. I’d like to see the consulting side of the business grow, as well as rolling out a new segment of the business, remote CFO services. Right now, we’re taking things one day at a time.”
Hopefully this Q & A helped you peer into the mind of our founder a little. If you have questions about our services or capabilities, please contact us today! We would love to chat with you to see if we are a good fit for each other! Keep on the lookout for more interviews from Omnis employees in the weeks to come. In the meantime, check out these articles that cover many areas of small businessQ &
