Chamber Insider Blog

Congratulations to Yield Bookkeeping for being a finalist for Virtual Business of the Year! Post written by CEO Rochelle Dallons.  The livestream of the 26th Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards will premier Friday, November 13, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. on our Facebook Page.  View all 2020 SBA Finalists here.

Tell us about your business, how it got started and how it has evolved into what it is today.

In 2013, I decided that I wanted to get out of the corporate world where I had been a Senior accountant for over 18 years.  I had acquired some bookkeeping jobs on the side, so I thought I would try doing freelance bookkeeping for a while to see how that went.  I expected it to be just me in my basement but soon was overwhelmed with demand from just advertising on Craigslist!  I hired my first assistant bookkeeper within 6 months of opening Yield.

Shortly after that I realized that there weren’t very many companies that specialized ONLY in small business bookkeeping in the NOVA area.  There are a lot of CPA’s that will do it for a high hourly rate.  There are a lot of individuals that are doing it themselves on the side and some of them are simply entering data with no accounting background.   I had found a unique niche for a business by accident!

Since then we have grown about 50% year after year!  We currently have over 200 bookkeeping clients and 14 staff members all across the NOVA area and in South Florida.  Our staff is thoroughly vetted and have extensive backgrounds in accounting.  We have a specialist in DCAA compliance on staff as well as a specialist in Non-Profit accounting.  I am very proud to be a certified woman owned award winning business in Loudoun County!

Our approach is unique because we really care about our small business clients and want them to succeed.  During this past year with COVID 19, our clients needed our help for many new things such as applying for the PPP loans and tracking expenses to figuring out how to apply for forgiveness of those loans.  It was our pleasure to offer those services to our current clients for free.

Yield delivers accurate and affordable bookkeeping services for small businesses nationwide.  We empower our clients with the financial knowledge they need to grow and succeed while saving them time and providing peace of mind.

What would it mean to you and your company to win a Small Business Award? 

During 2020, we shined through as being a company that our small business peers could count on.  When COVID-19 took us all by storm, we were there to help our clients through it by applying their businesses for grants, applying for the Paycheck Protection program loans, helping our clients navigate their payroll with all of the new laws and rules, tracked all of that activity in their QuickBooks and were always there for questions – even sometimes when the tears rolled – to help our Loudoun County small business clients.  We are still in the thick of things figuring out the PPP forgiveness applications and how that all will affect our clients tax returns.  I couldn’t be more proud of my team and their extraordinary effort especially during 2020.  This award really belongs to them and I can honestly say that each and every one of them deserve this recognition.  As the CEO of this company, winning this award would mean that my community noticed that Yield made a difference.  That is all that really matters.

What is the smallest thing that has made the biggest impact on your business?

At the beginning of Yield, I remember going to a new potential client site for an interview.  I completely BOMBED it.  I wasn’t prepared for the questions they had and I walked out of there thinking that this may be too difficult for me.  But instead, I learned from that experience and over time I have gained confidence and decided that to be my authentic self is the best way to move forward.  The support from the Loudoun Chamber, the B2B Leadshare groups, the networking events that I have attended and my CPA/CEO colleagues has also helped me grow into the CEO position that I am in now.  I’m forever grateful for everyone’s support throughout the last 7 years.

Who is the one person that has influenced you the most in your career?

Michael Anderson, CPA who is the owner of The Anderson Group in Oakton, VA happens to be one of my closest friends.  We go far back to when we were both at Oakton High School in the late 80’s.  It was his idea for me to start Yield Bookkeeping and he has been my support system ever since.  He is always there when my clients have specific tax return questions.

What is your favorite thing about running a business in Loudoun County?

My favorite part of running a business in Loudoun County are all of the small business owners, colleagues, mentors and coaches that I have met along the way.  A lot of them have become friends over the last few years.  Everyone is incredibly supportive and even though Loudoun County is large there is a small town feel to it.  We all want to support each other’s businesses.   Of course, Loudoun County is FULL of opportunity and growth so we are all very lucky to live and work in this area.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was 6, I wanted to be a crossing guard….true story.  When I got a little older I literally would pass the time by filling out forms that were in catalogs around the house.  My mom thought it was the weirdest thing!  I was 10 and all I wanted to do was fill out order forms.  My dad was a CPA as well as my brother, and my sister has a finance degree…I guess its just in my genes that accounting and lots and lots of forms would be in my future.

What is a book that changed your life, and WHY?

The book that has changed my life is entitled ‘The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne.  This book is based on the belief of the law of attraction, which claims that thoughts can change a person’s life directly.  This book, along with the help of my mom, has shown me that if you come from a place of gratitude in all things that your mindset will turn from negative to positive and it helps to remind me of what is already great in my life.  The vibes that you put out into the universe daily are the same vibes that you will get back in return.  I truly believe that this has helped me overcome obstacles, lower my stress and anxiety, and has helped me be a better person and a better leader.

When you’re not at your desk, where can we find you on the weekends/what is another passion you have?

My husband and I are HUGE fans of the band Pearl Jam and when they tour we follow the band to different cities with a non-profit called The Wishlist Foundation.  We raise money for Pearl Jam related charities, travel with fans all over the world and see the greatest band of all time.  My company is named after them!  Yield is the name of Pearl Jam’s fifth album.

We also love to spend time with our children who are all in their late teens and 20’s, visit with my mom and cuddle with our labradoodles, Hazel and Holly.

How do you see your business evolving in the next 5 years?

My vision for the company is to expand outside of the DC Metro area and serve more businesses nationwide, perhaps by opening other Yield offices in other areas of the country.

Congratulations again to the team at Yield Bookkeeping Services! Check out their website here.