Does your business feel good?
Does your business feel good?
Because
it
can.
Being Effective
When you can’t find time to sit down, much less strategize
On any given day, owners are pulled in 50 different directions; they’re responding, reacting, filling in gaps on the fly. The owners we work with who are struggling with effectiveness can’t find the time or capacity to develop and implement strategic initiatives, or they have developed half-baked strategies based on reacting to the urgent situation at hand.
Managing Financial Health
When profitability is elusive
Perhaps cashflow is a persistent and nagging issue, or revenue growth has slowed or even stalled completely. Or perhaps, as is commonly the case, owners are walking the tightrope of trying to build new infrastructure to support growth without tanking profitability.
Aligning Purpose
When you lose the passion for your work
Some owners struggle with the feeling that they are running out of time to do their life’s work. More often than not, they feel a disconnect between the work they do and the kind of life they want to live; their personal values are not aligned with their business and work life.
The Benefits
You’re more engaged, productive, healthier and happier. You feel balanced and invigorated. You’re confident and grounded in your work and why you do it.
Your business success is balanced between profits and purpose, and aligns with your values. You're focused on the right numbers and feel empowered to create positive impact.
Your business is sustainable and resilient. It is a true reflection of not only you, but your potential: the best version of you. Your passion and professional ambition converge, making you perfectly positioned to create real positive change in your community and in the world.
Our Approach
We’ll help you go from
to feeling
good.
Step 1
Thoroughly assess the health of your business. Align your values, vision, why, and mission.
Step 2
Develop strategies and a timeline. Identify goals and key numbers to track.
Step 3
Commit to regular check-ins to maintain accountability and stay on track.
1. Reach out by filling out this form so we can set up a time to talk
2. Get a fresh, outside perspective into why your business doesn’t feel good
3. Create and implement a plan that works—with regular accountability and hands-on guidance
Why Songbird
Ann C Brown
“As a first-time small-business owner, I quickly grew to trust Wes as he helped me launch my business accounting practices in a way that was easy and understandable. Wes’ work allowed me to get on with my business instead of becoming weighed down with accounting details. He also helps me assess my business from a broader perspective than simply an accounting viewpoint. He thinks through the logistics of my business based on the historical data so I can make strategic decisions, ensuring my resources are used wisely.”
Jason Brake
“The [holistic business guidance] process really gave me perspective about my business. I’m very passionate about my work, but the business side doesn’t come naturally; I typically avoid things I know I should be doing. Wes and I discussed and broke things down into what felt like doable steps for me to take. Having an outside voice gave fresh thoughts but also proved to be helpful with my accountability. Having Wes as a partner gave me incentive to approach my business with the same passion that I do my work. The best way I could sum up the process is to say that it’s like business therapy.”
Jimmy Wheeler
“Wes has given me peace of mind in running my business. He is always available, always professional and will figure out the answer to any tax or strategic planning question you have. Knowing that the taxes and books are in order, especially for someone without a tax background, lets me focus on my business and not the tax issues.”
Who We Are
We understand how unsettling it is when business doesn’t feel good—even when on the outside a lot of things appear to be going well.
Waking up each morning already bogged down with the million small things on your to-do list, feeling light years away from the reason you started your business in the first place. Working hard toward a vision that’s become blurred or irrelevant or out of reach. Feeling like your business is missing something essential, or just doesn’t align with your life.
We’ve been there… and literally made it our business to find and create a solution for ourselves and other business owners we knew.
Wes started out on his path to becoming a CPA over a decade ago not because he loved to crunch numbers, or prepare tax returns, or solve complex accounting puzzles. (Well, maybe that last one…a little bit) After completing his undergraduate work in business and entrepreneurship, he chose accounting with the specific purpose of pursuing a deep understanding of the thing that is most complex for business owners, so that he could use his skill to help his community thrive. He started off in accounting firms, but late one night when he found himself tiptoeing through piles of client files splayed on the office floor of a business-suit clad partner who maybe would sleep in his office that night, Wes knew that life would never be for him. He kept working at firms, dreaming about striking out on his own until opportunity came knocking: his friend and mentor told him she was looking for a buyer for her accounting business. And before he was really ready (if that’s a thing), Wes was a business owner himself.
That was 8 years ago, and the road since has been full of the twists and turns that are familiar to all business owners, including the ever-present feeling that what he was doing everyday– tax work, mainly – though he was good at it, and enjoyed his clients, just wasn’t aligning with the “why” of what led Wes to accounting in the first place. Through the years, he researched advisory-based accounting practices, seeking mentorship and guidance from some of the pioneers of the industry. He learned a lot, and along the way tested elements of advisory work with his business clients.
His vision for Songbird was taking shape, but knowing that accountability would be the lynchpin to the success of his vision, Wes hired Annie, a career non-profit program manager. Together, they began in earnest putting into practice the Holistic Business Guidance process Wes had been studying and cultivating for years. And it worked.
Or rather, it is working, everyday.
Songbird works because we’re working the process ourselves. We started by establishing our foundation – our values, vision, and why – and are using this foundation to set, measure, and evaluate actionable strategies. Every step we take in this business is rooted in this foundation, and is in service to creating the life we envision for ourselves.
We believe that the simplest solution is the best solution; that vulnerability and bravery lead to breakthroughs, and that business should be collaborative and joyful. We look forward to walking this path with you.
