Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Van Holland.
Claire, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I got the idea for starting my firm, CV Ledger, in 2015. At the time, I had been working in corporate media for many years in a financial planning & analysis role. Simultaneously, I was helping my husband with the furniture design business we had started together in 2010. To help grow it, I began putting my analytic & operational skills to use by looking closely at our financial data to better understand our profit margins. By doing this, I soon realized that there were likely other small, creative businesses who might not have access to this skill set, and that this was a great opportunity for me to make an impact.
After doing some research, I found that the entry point into strategic planning for small business was through bookkeeping and accounting. I did my diligence over the next few months, taking the necessary courses to get up to speed on accounting basics. By March of 2016, I officially launched The CV Ledger, and immediately signed on my first 2 clients!
Has it been a smooth road?
Working in financial services, finding clients isn’t difficult because there is always someone out there who needs your services. The struggle on my end has been scaling this firm at a pace that I’m comfortable with, while still allowing me to provide a level of service to my clients that is nothing short of exceptional.
Prior to starting my firm I had always been frustrated working with CPAs and accountants because there was always this attitude of “I’ll get to you when I get to you.” My needs and questions never seemed prioritized, and whenever I would receive a tax notice in the mail, it might be days or weeks until I heard anything, sometimes requiring that I try all methods of contact just to get an answer. With CV Ledger, I vow never to let that happen and am willing to work with fewer clients until I know I that everyone is receiving the same level of attentiveness and are fully taken care of.
The other challenge has been understanding the profile of my ideal client. This took time to develop and will likely always be an evolution. I started this business so I could partner with folks whose body of work I respect and are willing to take the necessary steps to get their business to the next level. Working with so many different personalities, this has definitely not been without its’ challenges, but it is through the tough times that I now have a much clearer picture of my ideal client.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The CV Ledger, Inc. – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The CV Ledger is an accountancy firm specifically for today’s Creative Class. We pride ourselves on partnering and collaborating with creative businesses to help drive informed decision making by working with their financial proprietary data. Depending on the stage at which anyone business approaches us, there are a myriad of solutions we offer to help creatives level up, whether that be through operational set-up, strategic planning or bookkeeping.
What sets the CV Ledger apart from other accounting and financial services firms is that we pride ourselves on being your strategic planning partner. After years of experience cutting our teeth in corporate media, the reason clients come to us is for our forward-thinking ability to use analytics as part of the bigger picture, and our ability to communicate complex financial insights in a style that is clear and straightforward.
As a creative first, it is important to me that I am able to relate with my clients, as I too have gone through many similar challenges.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I absolutely love that there are so many hidden gems throughout the city. Whether it be food, nature or entertainment, all one really needs to do is simply look around them, pay close attention to the places that surround you, and more than likely, there is a spot that has exactly what you’ve been looking for.
I’ve managed to find some excellent restaurants and parks this way throughout Pasadena and its’ surrounding areas. The discovery process itself is one of my favorite things to do!
What I don’t love about the city is the traffic (of course), but because I am self-employed, I am lucky enough to manage my schedule so that when I do drive across the city, it is during non-peak hours.
Contact Info:
- Website: cvledger.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Grey & Elle, Bree McCool
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
