Mia Nguyen is a Senior Bookkeeper at Business Sherpa Group, having joined in 2020. Mia is a tech savvy bookkeeper, earning a QuickBooks Online Advanced Certification and a KNinja Training Certificate. If you want to talk technology adaptation, Mia is the perfect guide.
Discovering BSG
I learned about BSG through the Ottawa Business Journal. What really drew me to the company was its purposes and goals. Growing up, my mom had a small business, so I got to witness all the difficulties that are associated with owning your own business. Finding a company that is dedicated to helping small businesses really touched me, and I really sympathize with all the SME’s we work with.
In 2020, BSG had a small event at Algonquin College, and I signed up. I remembered seeing Nick talking about the future of accounting and how they believed technologies and different software like QBO, Hubdoc, Dext and Plooto would change how we view accounting and I was completely captivated by their speeches. I applied for their shadowing contest but did not get in. Guess who got the spot? None other than our one and only – JP Sloan. It is like our inside joke that we kept talking about when I first joined the firm.
There are plenty of things I enjoy about working at BSG, I like how everyone on my team is willing to help each other out, how each person has their own diverse experience in different fields. I feel safe speaking up, I feel welcomed and appreciated. BSG is a woman owned business and to me that is very empowering.
Working at BSG
I started off as a recent graduate and over the years, as I developed my skills, I became a senior bookkeeper, my current position.
One of my favourite things about the job is the wide range of clients I get to work with. I get to work within a lot of industries, both in non-profits and profit-based clients. The variation of tasks is also a big bonus. Sometimes, when you go into bookkeeping or accounting, you’ll end up doing the same functions, like Accounts Payable, for the foreseeable future. Here, I get to dive into many different solution areas at once. It is a great combination that keeps the work engaging.
Favourite Moments at BSG
I started working at BSG in May 2020, a turbulent time to be starting any job. We’re completely virtual now, which unfortunately means we don’t get to see each other in person often. However, when someone on our finance team was about to leave the province, we all got together for brunch to say goodbye. I got to see most of the Ontario based team, and it really shows how tight knit we are.
Our Approach
I love how BSG leverages technology for bookkeeping service that we provide, like Hubdoc, Dext, and QBO, to name a few. Each software is important for our way of doing work, streamlining a lot of our tasks. I love introducing them to clients, helping them move away from paper copies of everything and more towards digital and email transactions. Bookkeepers at BSG will process payments and bills so the owners only must review and approve when they can, and voila! An easy and time efficient process for every SME out there!
Outside of the Office
I am an active person, doing yoga, weightlifting, biking, baking, and making art. One of my favourite things to do after a workday is go on a walk with friends or bike around town. Ottawa has great bike paths and plenty of areas to explore.
Small Business Shoutout
My go to ice cream place in Ottawa is The Beachconers Microcreamery. I am a big foodie and I believe I have tried every single flavour there. If you ever need a flavour recommendation, let me know! If I could recommend some of the top of my head, my recent favourites have been pistachio, lemon cheesecake, and bakery explosion.
