For many, the lines between work and personal life have become blurred over the past two years. Being able to separate those boundaries physically can benefit business owners mentally. Articles in Forbes, Inc and CNBC.com contend that productivity increases when there’s a distinct separation between work life and home life.
Working from home “has felt like one perpetual Zoom meeting since March 2020,” according to Katishia Gallishaw, owner and CEO of KG Virtual CFO.
“At home, work was so ever-present that I needed that separation,” she said. She began to search for coworking options that would provide a space away from her house.
It was the dual-benefit of being part of a community while also having privacy that sold Gallishaw on Venture X Holyoke. Their private office option fits exactly what she needs. She can connect and network with other professionals, but still has a separate space to conduct her business that’s not in the middle of a shared work area.
“I just love the community and family-feel of the space,” Gallishaw said.
Some of the other benefits she's discovered with Venture X Holyoke are small but invaluable perks: not paying for parking, a short commute, friendly and helpful staff and a beautiful atmosphere.
"The space is adaptable to a great degree. I really think it's worth taking a look at," she said.
The idea for KG Virtual CFO began during the government shutdown several years ago. As a federal employee working for the IRS, Gallishaw suddenly found herself at home not knowing when she would return to work. The idea for her own cloud-based bookkeeping firm had been back of her mind for a while, so she took the unexpected free time to let this idea develop and took her future into her own hands.
She began with an online model in 2019, and it quickly grew through referrals. Her vast experience with the IRS, auditing both small and large entities, helped her to transfer those skills to her own business. Although Gallishaw is trained to audit any type of structured entity, she has a soft spot for certain types of organizations.
“I’ve always maintained a heart for small business owners and a passion to help them, and even non-profits,” Gallishaw said. Even while working for the IRS she would advise non-profit organizations on the side.
Through her auditing experience she acquired specific skills to help smaller startups. “I try to infuse a little bit of knowledge and expertise that larger companies are doing and help business owners at their (smaller) level,” she said.
The government shutdown was stressful, but unexpectedly helped her work through the pandemic. While others faced stress and uncertainty in March 2020, Gallishaw barely missed a beat.
KG Virtual CFO serves clients all over the country and has employees in multiple locations. Roughly half of their clients are non-profit organizations, but even many of the for-profit businesses have a service-driven component to what they do.
Because KG Virtual CFO is a contracted organization, it can be a less expensive option for many entities.
“We just step in and try to relieve the financial stress for them,” Gallishaw said. “These business owners are great at what they do. They may need some help on the accounting side and financial expertise. So, we partner with them.”
While some might need full bookkeeping, payroll and tax services, others only require brief one-on-one training to learn how to operate their own cloud-based accounting system. Gallishaw can guide and advise them, or her DIY Support can help business owners prepare their own bookkeeping and answer other financial-related questions. Office hours are also available for more specific questions related to accounting manners. Additionally her website – kgvirtualcfo.com – has free resources for clients.
“We are available to partner with you and to help you in any way that we possibly can,” she said.
Katishia Gallishaw, owner and CEO of KG Virtual CFO, found that it was the perfect balance between a quiet place to work and a full-blown networking community.
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