Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Fleurimond.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Judy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always wanted to be the owner of a business. I had the mindset since high school. I also knew from my sophomore year in high school what industry I wanted to work, grow and build in — Accounting.
All of my work experiences were in the financial realm: from my first job being a teller at a bank as a high school intern, to accounts receivables clerk, bookkeeper, tax preparer all the way to now, where I am the Principal Accountant of Alpha Omega Wealth Services.
When people hear accountant they automatically think and see tax preparer and that’s just one blip of the many things accountants do. However, it is the best avenue to use when starting a practice. I worked for many companies either as a full time regular employee or independent contractor preparing taxes or bookkeeping. I kept telling myself to stop and do it on my own but I found myself never moving in that direction. You know because of fear, responsibilities as a wife and mother… starting a business and trying to live off of that is unstable and risky. My family and life needed stability.
Fast forward, my life and family changed and not for the better. Feeling lost and losing hope gave me the courage to do something about it. Interesting how negative things can lead you to positive and great things. I decided not to be a victim, full of excuses and going nowhere. After I made that decision, I knew I would need help so I searched for it. I want to point out that I used to never ask for help, I was always the one people asked for help. So, this was something very new and intimidating. In my search for help, specifically for starting my business, I found an organization. A sisterhood of like-minded, entrepreneurial women of color is exactly what I needed — The Millionheiress Club. They provided what I needed most which was support, resources and accountability. Emphasis on accountability. You see, if I didn’t start or kept failing to meet my goals and didn’t have anyone but myself to answer to then I wouldn’t be the owner of a business that’s been running for almost three years now. It’s much harder to let a group of people down. My family is supportive too, but in a different way and having the sisterhood in my corner provided a support I don’t think my family could have provided.
So, here I am in year three, where my client list has quadrupled from year one, where I’ve been a guest speaker and financial educator to many of an audience — including my alma mater, where I’m a forever heiress in The Millionheiress Club, where the income I have received from Alpha Omega Wealth Services have allowed me to purchase my first home and most importantly where I get to continue to break generational curses and build generational wealth.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, it has not been smooth. The biggest struggle for me was marketing the business. Not at all an area of skill for me, not even beginners luck. If you start out with more than enough capital then you can hire a marketing company and leave it to them. I didn’t have that. I started with word of mouth, then went to social media, and because I won a competition held by the sisterhood which they called Heiress Tank (like Shark Tank) I was able to use that cash prize to get the website I built myself published. In fact, a new revamped website is being launched next week that we paid a marketing company to build and maintain. I love growth, don’t you?
The other struggle is what every small business struggles with if they don’t have adequate capital and that is cash flow. You have to spend money to make money. If you’re not investing your money in order to grow your business then you’re not a legit business, in my opinion. And, will eventually have to close your doors, physically or virtually.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Alpha Omega Wealth Services story. Tell us more about the business.
Alpha Omega Wealth Services is in the business of breaking generational curses in regards to finances and building generational wealth. We educate, actively change habits, and improve our clients’ — individuals and small businesses — financial structure. We are accountants, tax preparers, cash managers, planners, insurance agents, bookkeepers and more. As the name of the business illustrates, wealth services from alpha to omega.
We are known for being a hub of financial information and resources for our clients. We have a strong reliable network in areas we don’t specialize in, like real estate for instance. If we have a client whose goal is to purchase a home by year end, not only do we make sure that they are financially ready to do that but we connect them to real estate agents and/or mortgage officers.
We’re pleased, I am pleased, that my business is that for my clients. A place they can go to for all things related to finances. A place they can trust. A place where they won’t be nickled-and-dimed. A place where along with their discipline and hard work they can see their goals manifest.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The accounting/financial industry will always be here. As long as there is currency and the need for responsible, trustworthy reporting of currency accountants will be needed.
The major shift which has already started is the digital, virtual shift. You see it in money where bitcoins are trending, although there’s a slight hiccup happening there; but paying bills online, receiving money from a friend who owes you occurs by the touch of a button or swipe of mobile phone… fast through the cloud transactions is where it’s at. Because of this, you’ll see accountants using cloud-based softwares, asking for documents to be uploaded into a secure portal — gone are the days of snail mail, electronic signatures, etc. Although, the shift is already here there are still more changes and keeping up that we’ll have to do which is not easy because we have to make sure that we’re still being compliant to rules and regulations. We have to keep our client’s information safe and secure in this digital age.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aowealthservices.com
- Phone: 561-571-2990
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/alphaomegawealth
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/alphaomegawealth
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/aows_llc
Image Credit:
James Photos
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA 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.
