BookKeeping Express inks franchise agreement to open office in Sugar Land Local mother daughter entrepreneurial team opens second BookKeeping Express franchise in Texas
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ookKeeping Express, the first U.S. franchise focused solely on bookkeeping services, has signed a franchise agreement with Fort Bend residents Diane Lundell and Jenneth Watson to open an office in Sugar Land serving the city, including Richmond, Katy, Stafford, and West Houston. The new BookKeeping Express office opened in April and is the brand’s second to open in Texas. “A void exists locally for skilled bookkeeping services that focus on the small business community,” said Lundell, a bookkeeper with 18 years of experience with QuickBooks and Peachtree Accounting Software. “We look forward to bringing professional bookkeeping services to the Sugar Land area and becoming part of the Bookkeeping Express family. BookKeeping Express has more than 20 years of experience in the industry and their proven business model will provide experience in the industry and its proven business model will provide us with the marketing and operations support we need to help grow the business, which will allow us to help others grow theirs.” Lundell, who has owned and operated her own bookkeeping training company in the Sugar Land area for more than 17 years, and Watson, who has more than eight years of sales and marketing experience for a luxury hotel management company, were looking for a new challenge in their professional careers. When the motherdaughter team learned about BookKeeping Express, they knew that opening their own office locally would be a perfect fit for them to partner on; it provided them with the opportunity to each bring their expertise to the company. “Joining the BookKeeping Express family gives us the support we need to reach our goals,” said Watson. “And, at the same
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Mother Diane Lundell and Jenneth Watson
time, gives us the ability to offer local businesses the expertise, support and resources they need without the large firm cost.” With more than 10,000 small businesses throughout the Sugar Land area, BookKeeping Express offers a much-needed service to companies that are not equipped or do not wish to handle accounting responsibilities such as setting up charts of accounts and general ledgers, monthly data entry, processing and managing accounts payable and accounts receivable, producing monthly reports and tax reporting. Plus, BookKeeping Express utilizes an alternative pricing model that is based on the clients’ needs instead of a one fits all, hourly billing approach. The expansion into the Sugar Land area is part of the company’s aggressive national development plans which call for more than 400 new territories throughout the United Sates. “The small business community is growing in Texas and around the country, and BookKeeping Express is expanding with it, providing qualified franchise investors with a niche franchise option that caters to this growing segment,” said Greg Jones, CEO of BookKeeping Express. “We are looking to grow with franchise partners such as Diane and Jenneth who are serious about
Fort Bend Business Journal • May 2011
owning a business and sincere about their desire to fill a void in their communities with our distinctive services.” Prior to opening their BookKeeping Express office, Lundell and Watson will earn the company’s certification after several days of training at the company’s headquarters in Vienna, Virginia. As part of the BookKeeping Express franchise model, local BKE office owners have the support of the BookKeeping Express Service Center to take care of any outsourced bookkeeping needs so they can focus their attention on their business and client consultation. This gives business owners the ability to grow their business without hiring additional employees. The Service Center also serves as a new sales channel for BookKeeping Express franchise offices. Local BKE office owners can sell the service in their communities to CPA firms and independent bookkeepers. In addition, all BKE franchise offices will offer the BKE Connect system, which allows businesses access to all bookkeeping files remotely through an outside server, as well as a dashboard that clearly and visually ‘sums’ up the business’ operations for thorough analysis. Plus, small to mid-sized business owners can synchronize their QuickBooks and enjoy convenient, anytime access to their financial documents through BKE EDocs, a new electronic filing system designed to provide secure, online storage of financial documents. BookKeeping Express, a national company focused on providing professional bookkeeping practices to small businesses, was founded in 1984 in California and grew to over 150 locations through licensing agreements. In 2007, Greg Jones, along with Bob Stocker and Merritt Green, purchased the company and launched the new business model in January 2008.