26 Sep The Fogged In Story
I never set out to open a bookkeeping firm, but here I am, 20 years later, with a thriving firm that has been a crucial part of my family’s story. In addition, being a firm owner and bookkeeper provided financial stability I might not have otherwise had. But why bookkeeping?
Here’s the story: I founded my firm because I had to.
When I started Fogged In Bookkeeping, I was 21, working in the finance office at an arts organization—and I needed to make more money. I heard a friend needed a bookkeeper, and I offered my services, just like that my business was born. Bookkeeping had a low threshold for entry, accessible training available, and flexible hours; these were exactly what I needed as a working parent with an incomplete degree.
One client turned into two, then three quickly. Like many things worth pursuing in life, it wasn’t easy at first. Building a firm 30 miles out to sea has particular challenges, but I was fortunate to have the support of my mentors, Alan Forster and Christina LeBlanc. Both provided valuable advice and mentorship along the way. Fogged In grew pretty quickly from a solo enterprise housed in my tiny home mudroom to a beehive of activity with more clients than I could handle alone. With child number two on the way, in 2007, I took the leap and leased an office…days before having a baby.
As a female founder, having a baby over the weekend and returning to work on Monday brings some things about practice management into focus pretty quickly. I needed a team, I needed to scale to support flexibility, and I needed tools that allowed me to work with staff and employees remotely because a small island limited the prospects.
It took years, and we continue to evolve and adapt, but Fogged In has grown from “I” to “We.” We have scaled both the staff and client base using remote work tools and technology while maintaining a founding value that our families are why we are here doing this. We proudly employ many bookkeepers who are also primary care providers for their families. Their roles as bookkeepers on our team have provided them with the same flexibility and financial rewards I first sought from my solo career.
Who knows what the future holds for Fogged In and our team, but I can only hope we continue to thrive while owning our humble beginnings, keep our eyes on a bright future, and continue to support flexible remote solutions for both customers and employees.
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