Ten years, and the business I didn’t set out to build
This month, Cameo turns 10.
That’s 10 years of… initially testing the waters, figuring out what this business really needed to be… navigating the ups and downs of business ownership… building my team and serving clients across the country.
To say I’m incredibly proud of where we are right now – what we’ve achieved in those years – is putting it mildly.
The back story
When I first started this business, bookkeeping wasn’t the original plan.
There was me. Burnt out in my last corporate role. Running on empty. Craving the kind of work life that would allow me more flexibility.
And then there were my not insubstantial 30+ years of experience working as a Financial Controller or in Business Manager of Corporate Services roles across large Australian and multinational businesses.
So, leaving behind the corporate pressure, taking that expertise along with me and going into business to offer Virtual CFO services made more sense.
‘Til it didn’t.
I soon realised that path meant a market mostly based in Sydney and Melbourne, which also meant a lot more travel than I was prepared for.
The exact opposite of the life I was trying to build.
Around the same time, I also offered grant writing services. But that avenue was boom and bust.
Sometimes, necessity points you in the right direction
Looking back on those first years of running the business, there were plenty of times I wondered whether I’d made the right call.
But you know what they say – when there’s a will, there’s a way.
So, I started taking on bookkeeping work to keep the doors open.
And that’s when I noticed a genuine gap in the market.
I realised many business owners had been burned by sub-standard bookkeepers.
These businesses didn’t just need someone to process transactions and reconcile accounts.
They needed bookkeepers with strong financial control knowledge and practical business experience. People who could help them make better sense of their numbers.
That was something I knew how to do.
And unlike the Virtual CFO work, I could do it virtually for clients anywhere in Australia.
Suddenly, the direction of Cameo became clear.
Growing Cameo, one relationship at a time
There was no big marketing machine behind our consistent growth.
It all came down to networking and getting referred – people who found us easy to deal with, appreciated the way we worked, and recommended us to others.
10 years later, this remains our main growth strategy.
What started with just me is now a team of four Australian-based bookkeepers supporting many businesses across the country.
Cameo’s success and longevity is also due to the strong systems we have in place and the fact that, as a team, we’re always learning, training and keeping our skills up to date.
That… along with making sure that as the business grows, our clients continue to get the same level of communication and personal attention from us.
To all the business owners out there…
Whether you’ve been in business for years, are still finding your feet, or are about to launch – we know the road isn’t always easy. We’ve been there too.
That’s part of why keeping other business owners’ books and finances under control means so much to us.
Along the way, we’ve had the privilege of supporting some genuinely great people build their own version of what they set out to do.
So, if you’ve ever worked with us, referred someone our way, or are currently a Cameo client – thank you for being part of our journey.
We’re incredibly grateful (and most humbled).
Cheers to the next 10!
Belinda (and the team at Cameo Bookkeeping)