#week9progress

This week honestly made me stop and think a lot more than I expected. I’ve started receiving inquiries and now have a few clients booked for the coming weeks, which is exciting but also made everything feel very real very quickly. At the same time, the assignment for this week challenged me in a way I didn’t see coming.

I struggled with the customer showcase more than I thought I would. It made me face the fact that tax services aren’t exciting or interesting to most people. There’s nothing flashy about what I’m offering, and for a moment, that really threw me off. I found myself questioning how to present the business without making it sound forced or like I was trying to sell something it isn’t. It even made me pause and ask myself if this is something that can actually work long term.

After sitting with that for a bit, my thinking started to shift. I realized that even though taxes aren’t interesting, they’re something everyone has to deal with. That’s where the value is. Balanced Returns doesn’t need to be exciting - it needs to be reliable, approachable, and supportive during a process that a lot of people find stressful or confusing.

Something else changed for me once I started actually talking to potential clients. I had been worried that I wouldn’t know how to answer questions properly or that I’d freeze up when people asked something unexpected. But once the conversations started and I began booking appointments for next week, I realized how much of what I’ve learned over the past three years is just there when I need it. My tax courses, accounting classes, and practical assignments are all coming into play naturally.

That really boosted my confidence. I feel much more comfortable now explaining things, answering questions, and walking people through what to expect. It’s reassuring to see that the knowledge I’ve been working toward isn’t just academic - it actually applies in real situations.

From a business point of view, this week taught me that not every business needs to be exciting to be successful. Sometimes people are just looking for something dependable that does what it’s supposed to do well. Being honest about what I am offering and focusing on how it helps people feels like the right approach moving forward.

One thing I’ve also become more aware of this week is the responsibility that comes with offering tax services. Even at a small scale, I’m handling personal and sensitive information, and that’s not something I take lightly. It’s made me think more carefully about accuracy, confidentiality, and doing things properly from the start. Knowing that people are trusting me with their information has reinforced how important it is to act ethically and professionally, even when the business is still small.

At the beginning of the week, I got a friend in college reaching out. He needs a logo for his website. It was a biology-fundamentals knowledge site. He didn't want the hassle of online auto-generated designs. I quickly sketched a garden design and completed the work in one afternoon.

There hasn't been anyone getting me from the Welland area. The Indian client who contacted me last week is yet to reply. I'll put that client on hold for now. My business primarily focused on logo design, and it probably doesn't look as appealing to a broader audience. Some might prefer a graphic design business that offers more printing and billboards services.