Kristine Nguyen is the Founder and Principal Accountant of Pretty Books, an accounting boutique in Seattle that provides bookkeeping, tax, and back-office management services to small businesses. With extensive experience setting up and managing accounting systems across various industries — including retail, information technology, food and hospitality, and nonprofits — she enjoys working with small businesses and exploring different tools and technology to create efficiency and transparency in business operations.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [2:50] Kristine Nguyen’s journey from college side gigs to founding Pretty Books
- [4:20] The moment Kristine realized she needed to build a team to grow her business
- [6:20] Common mismatches between business owners’ expectations and bookkeeper roles
- [9:38] How to hire the right bookkeeper — even if you’re unsure of what you need
- [15:55] Key types of accountants small businesses need
- [25:18] Why today’s bookkeepers need both financial and tech skills
- [35:43] The biggest financial challenge of growing a service-based business
- [38:04] The top metrics Kristine tracks in her business
In this episode…
Choosing the right bookkeeper for your business isn’t as simple as hiring someone to balance the books. Depending on your needs, you may require a meticulous, process-driven professional, an analytical thinker who can spot financial trends, or someone who blends both skill sets. How do you determine what kind of bookkeeper will best support your business’s growth?
According to Kristine Nguyen, an accounting expert with years of experience helping small businesses manage their finances, the key is understanding what you truly need from a bookkeeper. She highlights that some bookkeepers excel at structured, repetitive tasks like processing invoices and reconciling accounts, while others focus on financial reporting and deeper analysis. The mismatch between business owners’ expectations and a bookkeeper’s actual role often leads to frustration. Kristine explains that identifying whether your business requires operational bookkeeping or strategic financial oversight can prevent costly hiring mistakes and set you up for long-term success.
In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, Hannah Smolinski speaks with Kristine Nguyen, Founder and Principal Accountant of Pretty Books, to discuss how business owners can find the right bookkeeping support. Kristine breaks down the differences between bookkeepers, controllers, and CFOs, shares key questions to ask when hiring, and explains why bookkeeping has become more technology-driven. She also provides insights on setting expectations to build a productive accountant-client relationship.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
- Hannah Smolinski: LinkedIn | Email
- Clara CFO Group: Website | YouTube
- Financial Clarity podcast: Website | YouTube
- Kristine Nguyen on LinkedIn
- Pretty Books
- Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
- EO Seattle
- EO Accelerator
- “Tax Planning Strategies That Save You Money With Jackie Meyer” on the Financial Clarity podcast
- “Keeping It Simple With Greg Crabtree” on the Financial Clarity podcast
- Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential by Greg Crabtree with Beverly Blair Harzog
Quotable Moments
- “Depending on that business owner’s needs and wants and where they set their priority, that relationship and what that bookkeeper does can be very different.”
- “Most businesses don’t even need a full-time bookkeeper inside the business. They have to be quite large.”
- “Technology is great. Part of bookkeepers’ work today is to identify glitches, right, and troubleshoot those technologies.”
- “If you’re a business that likes to use a lot of technology, it might be wise to interview a bookkeeper who is not afraid of looking into those things and troubleshooting.”
- “How you split up your profit and how much profit you want; it’s a philosophical thing and it evolves.”
Action Steps
- Define your bookkeeping needs clearly: Understanding whether your business requires day-to-day transaction management or financial analysis helps in hiring the right bookkeeper.
- Interview for both technical and cultural fit: Finding a bookkeeper who aligns with your business’s workflows and communication style ensures smoother collaboration.
- Ensure your bookkeeper is tech-savvy: With automation and integrations playing a key role in modern accounting, hiring someone comfortable with technology prevents costly errors.
- Review financial reports with your bookkeeper regularly: Staying engaged with your numbers helps identify potential issues early and supports better financial decision-making.
- Set expectations upfront to avoid mismatches: Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and reporting structures from the start prevents misunderstandings and ensures long-term success.
Sponsor for this episode…
Clara CFO is dedicated to providing financial clarity and profit-maximizing solutions to small businesses. The team at Clara CFO are seasoned accounting professionals with a heart for small business. We help growth-minded entrepreneurs thrive through Fractional CFO services and financial education.
Whether you’re grappling with hiring decisions, profit margin concerns, or ambitious growth plans, Clara CFO provides insights, recommendations, and a clear financial roadmap to achieve your goals.
To learn more about Clara CFO Group and how we can help your business, visit ClaraCFO.com.
