“Every Step of the Way” with Business Expert, Elizabeth Ortiz

Meet Elizabeth Ortiz! A SOWBO VIP Member, Elizabeth is the co-founder of KEM Business Solutions, Inc., which helps small business CEOs navigate bookkeeping, accounting and business decisions. Based in Central Florida, KEM Business Solutions, Inc. believes that relationships come first, honest answers matter, and impeccable work is required.

Let’s get to know Elizabeth and her work at KEM Business Solutions (and look for a freebie from Liz at the end)!

What is the specialty that you offer?

We help business owners know their numbers, envision their goals & manage their success. Accurate financials impact all the areas of your business, and we want to make sure our CEO’s have the correct financial information to empower them to make decisions and grow their business.

What is your “why” for helping small business owners with all things financial?

I think small business owners are amazing. They took a chance on themselves and something they are passionate about and are out there trying to make things happen. I want to support and encourage them every step of the way.  Business ownership can be a lonely-hard world and my goal is to partner with business owners that want to build a relationship and grow together. 

Who is your ideal client?

We love working with primarily service-based business owners that know they want to grow. And, they want an accounting partner to help them navigate bookkeeping, accounting and business decisions that make sense for their business while building a strong relationship.  It’s important for us to connect with our business owner because we think that connection allows us to work closely together. 

What makes you different from the competition?

We love meeting business owners and hearing about their entrepreneurship journey. 

One of our best traits is that we are approachable! We start by learning why our entrepreneur got into business to begin with and what they are hoping to get out of this journey. Putting clients at ease and helping them take next steps is our super power!

Tell us something fun, quirky, or weird that you’d like our readers to know about you?

I’m the youngest of 5 and we moved around a lot. Because Mom didn’t speak English well, she would search the classifieds every Sunday for better job opportunities. She would detail what we needed to circle.  I loved to read (still do). So, when I went through the classifieds I would look at the bookkeeper job openings and wish for that job because I thought the person got to read the books, keep them and the salary was much more than what mom told us to look for (I was 8ish).  Fast forward and I own an agency that offers bookkeeping services—the real kind! lol.

What do you do for fun outside of running your business?

I love the beach, reading, shopping, watching New England sports & spending time with my family. 

Who inspires you?

I’m in awe of entrepreneurs that accepted this big scary challenge of ownership and are out here making it work. 

I’ve got some celebrities that provide inspiration, too! I have to say Reese Witherspoon is one of the female business owners I really admire. In a space where everyone told her not to use her own money to start a production co., she turned it into a gold mine with a bunch of women gassing her up.  

What is your big scary dream?

Gosh, this is a good one.  I’d like to add additional departments to KEM to help the business owner navigate the journey from the beginning & help minimize all those costly mistakes we’ve all made.  Right now that looks like launching an education component with workshops, possible speaking engagements, advocacy for often overlooked small business owners, and maybe a book (lol). 

Ultimately, I’d like to create a centralized business hub that provides the necessary resources for a business and create a one-stop-shopping experience for business owners.   

Is there one person or thing that you attribute your success to?

Definitely God.  I couldn’t have made it this far without His promises, prayers and grace.  

I also think God is the best connector ever, and he set up a divine appointment with my co-founder Karen Wisdo years before we decided to launch & grow KEM.  There’s no doubt in my mind our work together was instrumental in the success we have today.  

What advice do you have for those on their entrepreneur journey?

Evolving is part of the journey.  You may start doing things you think you want to do and find out you want to do parts or a different service.  Listen to your business intuition, write it down, meditate on this information. If it makes sense for your audience, don’t wait to launch it.  Done is better than perfect!  (Coming from a recovering perfectionist!)

Also, your community matters.  Who you hang around with and where you get your encouragement matters.  Choose people that are looking to grow and people who are where you want to be.  Learn from their experience & always find a way to pay it forward.

What book or podcast do you think every business owner should consume? Why is this important to you?

Yikes! This is hard because I really do enjoy reading & listening to podcasts.  Go Giver & Start with Your Why  both simple, but impactful reads.  I think those two books set the stage for a business owner to really understand their mission. 

What is one thing you love about SOWBO and/or being a member of our community?

I love being vulnerable with other business owners.  In a time when social media shows the “best” of everything and where comparison is knocking at your door 10,000 times a day, being able to share your struggles or wins with a group of women who totally get it is very special. 

Thanks to Elizabeth Ortiz for sharing her story! We love the way she makes strong connections—with her team, clients and for herself. You can get to know Elizabeth and her work even better by visiting KEM Business Solutions. Also, the team at KEM thinks that meeting with your accounting team monthly or quarterly is important. But, if you aren’t able to do that, here is a special gift to you: KEM’s Monthly Check-in Worksheet. You can use it to evaluate your month solo.

Would you like to be featured next?

We love showcasing women in business. And, right now is the perfect time to get your name on our line-up! To do so, you’ll want to join our SOWBO Membership program! Click here to learn more about SOWBO Membership.