A true entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to wear many hats helps Mike Rowan steer his forward-thinking marketing agency to success. Find out how FINSYNC helps him continue to pave his own way.

By FINSYNC

When it comes to Mike Rowan’s professional journey, impressive is an understatement for this jack of all trades. After mastering several areas of business for others, Mike decided to go out on his own with his robust skill-set and experience. Not once, not twice, but three times.

Even though it hasn’t always been easy, he assured us that it’s all been worth it — as long as you’re willing to put in the effort. “If you believe in your concept, believe in your team and believe in what you’re doing, really the only thing holding you back is the ability to work hard,” he explained. “And that’s something that you have direct control over.”

Digital marketing is the industry you can find Mike thriving in today, running his multi-faceted marketing and media agency, KPItarget. He took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss the rewards and challenges of being a small business owner. He shared some advice for those looking to pave their own way.

What sets KPItarget apart from other marketing agencies?

A lot of firms claim to be data- and audience-driven, but we really are. Every aspect of what we do is focused on that core philosophy. When you bundle that on top of robust analytics tracking and complete transparency with clients, it provides a winning solution that a lot of agencies promise. However, very few deliver. 

Responsiveness, customer service focus and excellent communication means you’ll never have to worry about being unable to reach us. We’re never out of pocket. I think when you combine our data- and metrics-driven approach with exemplary customer service, there are very few firms out there that deliver that combination.

What are some of the biggest rewards of owning your own business? 

Honestly, it’s having complete control of our company’s destiny. You get out of it what you put into it. What I’ve found is that the harder and smarter you work, the more potential rewards you get to glean. You get to hire smart people, develop relationships and work with great clients.

It’s an all-encompassing, wonderful experience for the most part because in our industry we get to deal with a lot of different types of companies. We’re not restricted to working only with Fintech, or SAS, or CPG companies. We get to play with a lot of different types of companies and really influence their success through digital marketing.

What are some of the challenges you face as a small business owner?

A lot of our challenges deal with cash flow management. In today’s world of net 30, net 60, net 90, and I’ve heard of some companies going to net 180, cash flow is just an extraordinarily important part of what makes a business tick. 

Obviously if you have employees and you’re honoring your obligation to them and paying them on the 1st and the 15th of the month, and a client may be paying you net 90, you have to develop a large enough buffer to make that happen. 

That’s probably the biggest challenge these days from a projections and cash flow perspective, along with having the proper tools to manage all that in a way that helps the business hum along. It can be very problematic, especially given the terms that continue to shift outwards and outwards and outwards.

How has FINSYNC helped with some of these challenges?

FINSYNC’s software and their lender network really gives you a nice one-two punch. Beyond helping us manage cash flow, it helps us foresee trends and future needs, and predict surpluses and dips into the red. FINSYNC really helps us to be proactive in running the business, as opposed to reactive.

They also provide the partnerships and the tools, whether it’s bookkeeping or accounting or financing, to really serve as an all-encompassing resource to run your business. 

Has FINSYNC made running your business easier?

There’s no question. The simplicity makes it a lot easier to run my business. With every aspect of FINSYNC’s software, whether it’s the cash flow management capabilities, financing, even bookkeeping and accounting — they really provide all the tools and resources that I need to run my business in one spot, which is very important to me.

You recently refinanced your line of credit with FINSYNC. What was that experience like?

It was completely seamless. The application process was simple. First, I had to sync up our bank accounts. It was very easy to do once I dug out my username and password. It took a couple of minutes for all the transactions to import. After that, you just hit the submit button. It was that easy. I had lenders calling on me within the same day. 

FINSYNC was great throughout the process, not only answering any questions I had leading up to it, but after the fact. This is not the type of company that’s just looking to resell your information to a million lenders. 

I even touched base with their customer success team. I told Santi I wanted a loan with no personal guarantee. One that isn’t tied to me. Then, he was able to talk me through which of my potential matches was the best fit. 

Obviously, interest rates are very important as well. He was able to take the information and match me up with a lender that met my specific needs better. With other providers, you’re really just a number. You’re going through the process and then all of a sudden you end up getting 20 phone calls a second and it quickly becomes unmanageable.

What advice do you have for other small business owners?

I would advise them against doing what I did for the first couple of years, which was winging it. Software like FINSYNC is as affordable as you want to make it. I think we first signed up for their base package. It was a great value when I saw it was really equivalent to 3 or 4 pieces of software in one.

At first, I made the mistake of trying to manage everything through a spreadsheet and cutting checks manually. Plus, I fell victim to what is considered “easy” by immediately running payroll through one of the larger companies out there, but it cost an arm and a leg and still required a lot of my time. Tools like FINSYNC ensure that you don’t have to do it yourself, at a fraction of the cost. 

It really helps manage your business smarter. You end up saving quite a bit of money from an opportunity cost perspective. You can assign an hourly rate to what your time’s worth. 

When I was just starting out, I would balk at a piece of software that may cost $50 or $100 dollars a month, without realizing that the software would save me five hours a month. So effectively I was losing money by not buying the software. It’s an investment that will absolutely help you scale your business better. 

Jeremy Chavarria has set ambitious goals for his business, FreshScapes. Find out how FINSYNC is helping him get there.

By FINSYNC

When it comes to customers, Jeremy Chavarria definitely knows his ABC’s: Always Be Communicating (and also closing, of course). The owner of FreshScapes, a landscaping company based in Austin, TX, spent the majority of his career selling for other people, but now that he has his own company, he’s working even harder to close deals and keep customers.  

“Basically, my whole life I’ve been trying to sell something to somebody. Now that I’m older, I find myself probably selling more than I was when I was working for someone else selling,” he explains. “I’m trying to sell something to someone right now!”

The always-on-the-go family man had a chance to talk to us about the joys and pains of being a small business owner, and his big plans for the future. 

What are some of the biggest rewards of being a small business owner?  

Financial independence. Being able to do the things I always dreamed about doing. You work hard, you play hard; that’s my motto, I live by that. I work extremely hard, and we play extremely hard. My thing is being able to pay off debt, being able to give my kids the opportunities that I didn’t have. 

Also, being able to work with people like my nephew and cousins who work for me, and friends who work for me. It’s putting as many people as I know close to me who want to work and achieve the same goals as me.

What part of your job gives you satisfaction?

When you work in landscaping, you truly see what you did. It’s kind of like a doctor; somebody’s sick and you go in and treat them, then you see them a week later, out-and-about saying, “thank you so much.” That’s the satisfaction I get out of my landscaping. 

You take an area that’s dried out, doesn’t have any water, looks bad, and you give it a shot in the arm, and you see the fruits of your labor and that means a lot to me. People walk by and see it and say “Amazing job, man,” and it’s awesome.  

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a small business owner, and how has FINSYNC helped you with them?

Here’s the thing that really turned me on to FINSYNC. The year before we probably had to write off $45,000 in unpaid invoices. So, definitely on the invoicing side of things, the reoccurring invoices. A lot of my business is reoccurring, so I send out invoices every month, and FINSYNC will generate the invoice and send out an email to the customer. That’s absolutely been the biggest benefit, it’s really helped us.

So, would you say FINSYNC has made your life a little bit easier?

Oh, I would say a lot easier! I would say it’s relieved about 70% of my stress on invoicing alone. 

What advice do you have for those who are thinking about owning their own business?

From the very beginning I would say get all your ducks in a row about how you’re going to do your accounting and invoicing. Make sure whatever you do, you get something in place from the very beginning. I feel like the money we spend with FINSYNC per month is a steal. Save yourself a couple of cases a beer a month and get this right now. Get this type of instrument that can help you with your business right now. 

What’s next for you?

I have goals and I’ve set my goals very high! I want to grow my business — not too much where I can’t handle it, especially in terms of customer service, I’m very particular about that. But I want to slowly grow my business. My son is fifteen, and I want him to have the option to take it over. I love being a family-owned company … And I think in the next five years, I want to be a $10 million company.

Travis Peters shares how a long career in manufacturing administration and a knack for organizing systems (and cattle) led to a small business journey that has been quite a ride. 

By FINSYNC

The longer you work in an industry, the more you notice the problems it faces. Then you start to build potential solutions. Work in a space long enough, and you could end up with a lot of solutions.

The longer you work with cattle, the more proficient you become at moving groups in a single direction. In his spare time, Travis sharpens his skills as he works cattle with his family in Northeast Texas. 

After wrangling a herd of cattle all weekend, reigning in administrative processes seems like a breeze. That’s where Travis Peters found himself when he started Impelos, a provider of back office software solutions for manufacturing companies, an industry for which he had developed profitability solutions over a period of years.

When Travis and Impelos needed to improve their own administrative processes for finances and invoicing, they turned to FINSYNC. We sat down with Travis to talk about how his journey began and continues to grow today.

What inspired you to start Impelos?

There’s a significant need in the American manufacturing industry for optimized processes in the administrative workspace. Having previously done this throughout my career, it’s been a thrill for me to be able to remove processes through lean thinking. 

I use lean thinking to design software, as a contractor and as an employee. Over the years, I’ve developed a suite of productivity tools that relate specifically to manufacturers. My goal with this business has been to bring those tools to a broader market.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced running a small business?

Cash flow has been a big one. Being able to run the business without debt and managing our investments into the business. Also, ensuring that clients are paying and contractors and vendors are getting paid in a straightforward fashion. Those have been the biggest challenge. 

Another challenge is from a sales perspective. Bringing a potential client into the fold to use our product takes a long time. It can be challenging to convey to a client that’s building 30 to 40 custom units a day how our software can freeze administrative overhead where it is today while expanding capacity by 300 to 400%.

Managing our team is also really important. We have employees and contractors. We use FINSYNC to manage payments for both, as well as all of their related financial needs.

What have been the biggest lessons you’ve learned growing your business?

Every business I go into is different. They each have their own market niche and competitive advantage. That inevitably leads to a different solution as they produce and market their product, fulfill orders and deal with their vendors. That’s been a fun part — discovering how companies choose to differentiate themselves.

As far as running a business for myself, using a method called “profit first,” I’ve found it’s pretty lightweight to manage the financial operations for this business. That’s been a really fun journey for me to be able to make sure that as revenue comes in, the money is allocated appropriately ahead of time. That way I don’t find myself in a bind later.

What prompted you to start using FINSYNC?

We had tried Quickbooks and several other solutions. They all prevented us from getting visibility into where our cash pain points were going to be. Early on in the business we often found ourselves running out of cash unexpectedly. 

Whether something someone had purchased on a credit card wasn’t foreseen, or a client payable wasn’t paid on time and we didn’t anticipate that, these situations became a problem. Working with FINSYNC we were able to get a lot of visibility to anticipate the crunches and prepare for those situations.

How has FINSYNC helped you overcome your challenges?

With the cash flow tools that allow us to see where our financial trends are, we’ve been able to look forward and see where potential problems might arise. This allows us to plan accordingly rather than having sudden surprises.

Any advice for small business startups out there?

Strongly consider the profit first method to ensure your most valuable employee gets paid. That’s you, the entrepreneur. You can’t do that without good financial planning. FINSYNC helps with that.

Callie Ogden talked to us about capitalizing on an industry need, forging her own path and embracing entrepreneurship — with a little help from back office automation.

By FINSYNC

As the Founder and Director of Event Vines, Callie Ogden helps enhance the event industry by connecting everyone in it. The former Director of Events for Wanderlust Yoga, Callie gained experience in the event industry and developed a wanderlust of her own, into entrepreneurship.

Wanderlust Yoga and other venues and vendors in the Austin area all struggled sorting through connections, contacting and evaluating options and booking events. Callie went into warrior’s pose to develop a network to simplify the event management and booking process. From that seed, Event Vines bloomed.

As Event Vines expanded to create tools to help event professionals connect, Callie soon learned that her own business would need tools to enable her to reach the next level. She turned to FINSYNC to help improve invoicing, automate repetitive tasks and allow her to focus on business growth.

What inspired you to start Event Vines?

I was working in both the event and real estate industries in Austin, and I noticed a lot of similarities, but the event industry has way fewer resources. Then, I saw a need for an event industry directory (modeled after MLS) and a la carte event services, especially for white-glove buyer support (functioning similar to a Realtor). 

I did about a year of research with venues, vendors and event planners while I built the directory and then launched in Austin just in time for the SXSW Festival in 2017. I’m so glad I made the leap into entrepreneurship!

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a start-up?

My biggest challenges are administrative. Since there are a lot of moving parts with Event Vines, between the directory and the services, there is a continuous stream of administrative tasks ranging from emails to vendors and clients, invoice payment and collection, and more.

As a bootstrapping start-up owner, I would initially juggle most of those time-consuming tasks on top of sales, event sourcing, booking and marketing. Each year I’ve gotten more efficient by outsourcing and managing the administrative tasks, so I can focus on building the business and team.

What’s the best thing about being a small business owner?

Freedom! Event Vines is growing on my terms — so I have full creative freedom to shape the services, brand and offerings. I also enjoy the freedom to work remotely and according to my own schedule. 

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

Collaboration is a powerful tool! In marketing and event sponsorships, you can combine forces with other business owners to share expenses, the workload, and audiences. This has been really advantageous for me.

It’s also important to build for sustainability rather than as fast as possible. I’ve learned to be strategic with how I spend my time and my money.

Any advice for small business startups out there?

Pay close attention to what is and is not working for your business and promptly adjust as needed, whether it’s technology or hiring a contractor or just getting support. Don’t let the thing that isn’t working linger.

What prompted Event Vines to start using FINSYNC?

Before FINSYNC, we focused primarily on online sales and used Stripe and Quickbooks. This presented a limit for how many online invoices I could send. I needed a platform that would allow unlimited invoices and vendor payments since that is a large part of what I’m doing in my business. FINSYNC can do that and has many other features that are valuable to me.

Has FINSYNC helped Event Vines overcome any specific challenges?

FINSYNC gave me the tools and the customer support to manage my business accounting. I feel more confident in my ability to juggle administrative tasks that come with invoicing and paying out vendors because I have FINSYNC. 

I can simply CC them on an email, and they can follow up if an invoice hasn’t been paid by the client, and that is a huge relief. Before that, I had to follow up on everything personally. It just takes things off my plate to have the service and also the automation.

Most of the events I do involve booking at least 12 different vendors. Then I have to pay the venue, and they all have different payment schedules. That’s where the concierge service has been super helpful. I can loop them in on an email to make sure I’m collecting payment when I need to and sending checks when I need to. 

I also like that I can have all my checks mailed to FINSYNC, and they handle the deposits through their lockbox service and make sure it is all recorded. That has been super helpful — less things for me to do.

What are the biggest benefits Event Vines has experienced using FINSYNC?

FINSYNC has an amazing customer support team that helps you learn how to use their solution and set it up. Their concierge service, invoicing, and bill pay have been the most beneficial for improving my administrative workflow. 

It doesn’t take me as long to complete tasks, and it gives me more confidence. I know I’m not forgetting to get something paid or to get paid. 

FINSYNC gives me peace of mind.