Amber Bol, the franchisee behind the new BooXkeeping franchise serving Northwest Indiana, did not originally intend to go into finance. Though a professor pulled her aside during her graduate program, pointing out that she might have a future in financial roles, Bol was not certain. After volunteering to support the finance team at her previous corporate role, she found herself embedded in the space.

When she began craving a new challenge, Bol got in touch with a franchise consultant who presented BooXkeeping, the emerging bookkeeping franchise, as an option. It was a perfect fit with Bol’s previous professional experience and goals for her future, and she decided to pursue ownership. 

Bol took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what she had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Amber Bol: I was a finance project manager for an engineering firm in Chicago. I was looking for a change — a new challenge. Starting a business had been in the back of my mind for a while, so when a franchise consultant reached out to me, I decided to start exploring the options.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Bol: For me it was about support. I wasn't sure where to start. There’s so much to learn, assuming you haven’t owned a business before! With franchising, you get the coaching and training necessary to fill in those gaps, but you still have the freedom of running your own business.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Bol: I was looking into a few different companies, but when I found BooXkeeping, it just fit so well with my background. The more I looked into the business model and [CEO] Max [Emma], the more sense it made. Everything clicked.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Bol: I’m excited to build a strong, steady business. That will give me the time flexibility to make sure I’m available for my children and the financial freedom to give them the life I want.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Bol: I have an MBA, but falling into finance was a little bit of luck. When I started at Talman, someone left unexpectedly and I ended up moving to the finance side of things. I had a bit of experience helping my dad with the books in his business, so I moved into finance at Talman “temporarily.” It ended up not being temporary.

I never thought this would be what I’d do. I enjoyed accounting and finance, and I even had a professor pull me to the side and tell me I had a future in the industry, but I thought, “No way! I don’t even have an undergraduate degree in accounting. I could never make a career out of this.” And now I am.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Bol: Make sure you do your research. Choose a company you really click with because it’s a long-term commitment and substantial financial risk. You want to get in with a team you really trust.

ABOUT BOOXKEEPING:

BooXkeeping is a bookkeeping franchise that combines professional expertise with genuine human connection to provide cutting-edge bookkeeping services for small and medium-sized businesses, franchisees, franchisors, CPA firms and more. Founded by Max and Elena Emma, two entrepreneurial immigrants with in-depth experience in finance and accounting, the brand’s journey spans over 20 years. Today, with 12 franchise locations across the country and one corporate location, BooXkeeping has emerged as a unique player in the bookkeeping industry, emphasizing a human-driven approach and personalized service.