Justine H., a tax professional with more than 10 years of experience, was looking for contract opportunities to get back into the excitement of tax season, but starting a freelance business proved difficult. How did she make her goal a reality in just one week?
Facing the Challenges of Starting a Freelance Business
Justine was missing the “chaos” of tax season. As an aspiring CPA, she wanted to gain more experience with different types of clients before sitting for the CPA exam.
But seeking freelance tax jobs and starting a side business on her own was harder than expected.
“It was so difficult for me to do it on my own. I was trying to market but also get tax software and all of these [other] things. And I was having to do everything on my own.”
Justine had trouble securing clients, and other companies offering contract work were not giving her the streamlined process she needed.
“I tried a couple of other companies that…offered contract work, but there were either fees upfront, they made it really complicated, or you had to do a lot of cold calling yourself to get sales.”
Justine paused her search until later in the year when she came across Paro.
First Impressions: “I Kept Thinking ‘This Is Too Good To Be True’”
From application to vetting and onboarding, Justine was surprised by the supportive and transparent recruitment process with Paro.
“[I said], ‘I’m going to do it, because it’s not going to cost anything.’ [You] submit your resume and do some tests. And I’ve done that for a lot of job interviews, too. It was just such a smooth process. I was cautiously optimistic. I kept telling my husband it was ‘too good to be true.’”
The Paro network represents the top 2% of finance and accounting experts across the U.S., and after going through the application process, Justine was invited to join the elite community of experts.
Setting Up for Success with Supportive Onboarding
Similar to her previous virtual classes, Justine enjoyed the virtual onboarding, including the Paro 101 introductory training. In particular, she enjoyed the ability to onboard at her own pace and have her questions answered by a real person.
“There was so much support along the way—a lot of email communication and calls [from Paro contact support] for whatever was needed. It was very much the support of getting a job.”
Client Wins with Record Speed
Once Justine was onboarded, she was off to the races. She not only connected with her first clients, but she had the virtual resources and platform tools she needed to build her business and navigate pitching, kickoff calls, statements of work and more.
With the right tools in place, Justine landed her first freelance client within one week.
Justine has had consistent opportunity wins with a variety of clients. Her most successful and worthwhile clients are the ones where she gets to build a relationship and mutual trust. She also enjoys getting to work with smaller companies so that she can celebrate with them as their business grows.
“It’s really very special. It’s a really great relationship, I think,” she says.
Build Your Book of Business with Paro
Interested in building a freelance finance or accounting business like Justine? Apply to be a Paro expert. Our best-fit opportunity predictor matches you with business challenges that your expertise is uniquely qualified to address. With the freedom to choose your own clients, data-driven tools to help you grow your business and limitless income potential, Paro allows you to pursue meaningful work on your own terms.
