A CPA Put $5,000 Into Her Own Business — By 2025 It Was on Track to Cross $1 Million
3 min read · RealCase summary
Jamie Trull, a CPA with over a decade in finance including time at Ernst & Young, left a six-figure role at Coca-Cola in 2017 while pregnant with her second child rather than accept a required overseas relocation. She started Balance CFO with $5,000, spent on email-collection software, equipment, and business education.
The business began as 1:1 coaching for small business owners earning under $1 million a year, then pivoted to an education-based model built on Facebook and YouTube. Revenue grew from $100,000 in 2019 to over $500,000 in 2021 after adding digital products, and was on track to exceed $1 million by 2025.
The business now runs at over 50% profit margins with a five-person full-time team plus contractors, a YouTube channel of 35,000-plus subscribers, a 6,000-follower Facebook page, and a 40,000-member Facebook group, drawing revenue from brand partnerships, affiliate income, and digital products like financial fitness courses and toolkits. "I started my business with the hope of being able to be there for my family, instead of in a cubicle," she said.
Key takeaways
- ›Started Balance CFO in 2017 with a $5,000 investment in software and educational programs
- ›Shifted from one-on-one coaching to an education-based model of courses, digital products, and brand partnerships
- ›Revenue grew from $100,000 in 2019 to over $500,000 in 2021, with profit margins over 50%
Original source
Read the original (Entrepreneur)
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