When I left my University position to start my own business, I was excited and a bit overwhelmed. Although I’d been perfecting my craft for more than 25 years, I had little to no experience in how to be a business owner. It was all brand new to me. Before I began working with Monique, I used a simple spreadsheet to “keep track of things.” I was organized, but I knew my simple solution was not the most effective and efficient to run my business. Monique helped me lay the foundation for my business from day one. I learned how to manage my finances so that I was not reactive when my business started to pick up. I now have sustainable systems in place, and the confidence and peace of mind to do the work I love without worrying about the financial aspects of my business. I’m truly grateful for Monique’s guidance and teaching. She taught me so much more than just the practical aspects of business finances. She helped me build necessary habits, routines, and mindsets that help me stay grounded. When I’m grounded, I serve my clients more fully.
Marilee Emerson, M.Ed. President & Founder www.mymarilee.com
I started my screen-printing company from scratch, fresh out of college – and for the 6 years following continued to build it layer by layer. I came to Monique after getting to a place where we had employees, accounting practices, consistent and growing business – yet still couldn’t seem to break over the hill of true profitability! We seemed to be stuck – and growing – at a subsistence level; where every extra dollar we made, was spent on extra expenses. I told Monique that we wanted to get from subsistence to sustainable, and over the next several weeks she dug into my business – asked me the tough questions and forced me to make some tough decisions – and laid out a plan that shed new light on our business model. I would highly recommend Monique to business people who know what they’re doing, but have an inner voice that tells them that they can be getting to higher ground – if only they had a trail guide!
Reuben Barnes-Levering UmbrellaShirts.com
Congratulations on taking the important step of starting your own firm. You are a talented woman who has the ability to make the most veiled accounting matters clear. Writing a book is one of life great challenges, but understanding the accounting systems in the publishing world almost matches that effort. My thanks to you for your help. It was good to work with someone I could trust. Whenever you told me something was going to happen..it did…and that was a joy.
Good fortunes ahead,
Belva Davis Award-winning Journalist, Author and Pioneering Feminist www.belvadavis.com
As the Publisher of PoliPoint Press, I could always count on Monique Lusse as a thoughtful strategic planner and a savvy accountant with an unwavering eye on the P&L. Monique has a knack for implementing practical, financially-based solutions without compromising the vision or overall mission of the company. Her cost accounting instincts are honed to get two dollars of value out of every dollar spent. Her thoughtful methodology was always thorough and diligent that resulted in the right decisions at the optimal time.
In her position as the Director of Finance, Monique was a key contributor to drafting annual business plans and the corresponding budgets. She prepared quarterly and annual financial reports for submission to the corporate auditors. She created and prepared easy-to-understand executive reports and P&L summaries. She worked with other department directors to hone their department budgets. She managed numerous outside vendors including: facilities, communications, operations, shipping and receiving, HR services, and legal services. She devised and integrated accounting and finance system with reports that were accessible through cutting edge cloud technology or hard copy reports as needed.
Monique directed and managed operational and financial complexities in the book publishing industry that included: integrated marketing programs, print production management, broadcast media, public relations, and distribution. She worked directly with contract and intellectual property rights attorneys on a wide variety of legal matters that benefited the company’s bottom line throughout the years. Monique’s outstanding contributions went far beyond her job description and exceeded my expectations. She gave her wit, wisdom, and wealth of knowledge to make our mission shine from the inside out.
Scott A. Jordan Former Publisher PoliPoint Press, LLC
Before working with Monique, we were worried about setting up our books by tax time, and needed much more detailed reports than we were using to track profitability by job. We also had a strong desire to create a paperless bookkeeping system so we could work remotely and reduce our use of paper.Monique helped us to set a fantastic paperless workflow, coached us through Quickbooks, and brought us right where we needed to be.We’re proud of the efficient system that Monique helped us to build, and we’re much more confident about our ability to maintain accurate books that provide us with the reports we need.
Mischa Hedges + Iliani Matisse, TrimTab Media www.trimtabmedia.tv
Janelle Holden President and Founder, The Gluten-Free Life Coach JanelleHolden.com
Martha Dugan Member, Administrative Committee Guatemala Scholarship/Loan Program
KCLAnderson (Karen)
Acceptance Whisperer. Both/And Thinker. Energy Shifter. Creator of Ah-Ha Moments. http://kclanderson.com