So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My late grandfather was an agricultural man in Michoacán, Mexico and I’ve been told business came easily for him. After his passing my grandmother took over the land and finance and has done well for our family. So I knew being an entrepreneur was in my genes. I remember as young as middle school I knew I wanted to do something different than a 9-5 job, I could feel the calling in my bones. As expected I adventured out in 2016. I founded J& S Bejar in the city of Los Angeles, CA in September of 2016. I originally started off as a tax preparer after graduating from California State University Los Angeles with an Accounting degree and a minor in Finance. After working several years as a tax preparer, I decided it was time to take that leap and start my own company.
In combination to knowing I wanted to adventure out on my own, I always knew the importance of giving back and incorporating the community into your life goals. I wanted to feel as I was achieving my personal goals and was making a difference in people’s lives. Then one day during tax season I knew! I could give back my strongest strength: knowing how to manage your finances well. It was then that I knew my mission is to teach as many people as I can how to take better control of their finances in order to help them succeed in their personal life. I understand there are too many families struggling with a wide range of financial topics. From budgeting, balancing their check books, to financially projecting a plan to open a bakery. I know my strengths can and will make a difference. I just need to reach people where their heart lies. And my first step was creating J&S Bejar for tax services and with time allowing it to evolve.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I wish I could say it has been a smooth road for us, but like everything worth it: It takes hard work, time, and consistency. I believe the biggest obstacle for me personally, has been finding the mentorship to start off the business. No one in my U.S. family is an entrepreneur, therefore I had to search for the guidance I needed on my own. Or the most common alternative spend hours doing the research necessary to follow proper guidelines to keep a corporation in line on my own, for example. I have a very supportive family but at times I felt lonely since no one could really relate to what I was working on. I thank my tenacity that helped me push those hard days. I also knew that my vision was bigger than I, it meant paving the way for others as well as touching and changing the lives of my future clients that helped me keep going. Staying focus in the larger picture helps on the days when I felt confused, defeated or simply tired. Once the business was up and running the joy I felt educating a new family or helping them better plan their financial goal is indescribable. I need and want to reach more families. It’s made us very excited to see the difference we were making in people’s lives. There’s a particular look of relief on people’s faces when they realized they CAN take control of their finance and not the other way around. Like I said it’s really exciting to witness that transformation. Soon though our obstacle has become, figure out ways to reach more people and more families. How do we reach our goal of helping 1000 individuals/families? How to expand that goal to helping not only the 1000 surrounding families but go across countries and then across the world.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about J&S Bejar – what should we know?
J&S Bejar’s main purpose is not only to be a profitable company, but also to be able to help people get to a point in their lives where they are not living day by day or more commonly known as “check by check”. We not only help people complete tax returns and manage their income, but we also make sure that each of our clients leaves with a better understanding of their tax and financial situations as well as encouraging them to continuously learn. To ultimately improve their financial lives and live better.
As a way to be able to reach more people and share this knowledge, the company created an Instagram page called “investinglikeapro”. The purpose of the page is to help people become a better investor or simply just a more well-rounded individual who can manage their money more efficiently. Throughout the day we publish posts of key tax and financial terms as well tips on how people can improve their tax liability and financial literacy. Our ultimate goal is to be able to help 1000 individuals and/or families every year improve their financial literacy.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
One of the most credit deserving people is our COO Shirley Morgana, who has been with the company since before day one. When J&S Bejar Corp was simply an idea in my mind. Shirley is responsible for the day to day operations in the business. She also takes part in helping the company reach more individuals. Shirley is constantly innovating ideas on how to reach more individuals. I appreciate her out of the box, never been done before approach. Some of her ideas work, others are too much for our times haha but it’s never a dull moment with her. She is the perfect person for the position as her passion has always been to helping people in all aspects of their lives. She helps bring in the humanity that sometimes logic and numbers lack.
Contact Info:
- Address: J&S Bejar Corp.
Whittier, CA 90602 - Website: www.jsbejar.com
- Phone: 323-641-3575
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investinglikeapro/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JSBejar/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tax_jsbejar
Image Credit:
Angel De Leon Photography
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