The best part about being a Sole Proprietor is the ability to craft a vision and remain uncompromising in pursuit of said vision. So it goes for James Gay and his production company, Most Remarkable. In 2002, caught up in the post-9/11 production slowdown, James made the transition from freelance writer/producer/director to owner of a thriving creative agency and production company. Trading freelance day rates for business ownership may sound like a no-brainer, but entrepreneurship is never as easy as it sounds in hindsight.

“I was very fortunate that I formed my company at a time when vendors like myself could perform the functions formerly performed by larger, more expensive production companies. That has kept me going during the tough times when TV networks have smaller budgets to work with.”

And Most Remarkable is most diverse. Whether it’s producing a spot for America’s Top Model, a campaign for Isaac Mizrahi, or a promo for Sex in the City, James will accommodate the production size and focus.

Instead of carrying the costs associated with full-time employees, James taps talent from a pool of independent contractors. While allowing him to match his costs with his income, it’s also created more accounting complexity.

“As a creative type, numbers and finances had always intimidated me. Now with my own business and contractors to pay, 1099s to file, I was overwhelmed.”

When it came time to organize his financial life, James asked a fellow creative professional and Mac user for a recommendation. That’s how he found AccountEdge.

“My record keeping was a mess and I didn’t know where to start, so I felt l needed someone to hold my hand.”

That’s when James sought the help of joAnn Ortiz, an AccountEdge Certified Consultant. joAnn provided one-on-one attention to his specific business needs.

“joAnn is fabulous and remains a constant source of guidance and support.”

Now free from the angst and uncertainty of managing his business without a proper financial system, James is able to better focus on his work and what drove him to launch his company in the first place.

“To be honest, it changed my life in a significant way. I feel much more in control. Tax time used to feel like I had a dark cloud over my head – not anymore!”

First Spring Sencha-Shincha. Super Premium Houjicha. Gyokuro Powder.

Not just powerfully evocative names of artisanal Japanese teas; conjuring images and emotions and ceremony. Also the life blood of Michiko Ono, certified Tea Sommelier and entrepreneur.

Since launching Matsu Kaze Tea in 2011, first as a pop-up storefront, then as a successful online brand, Michiko has grown the business from a very simple, core idea: focus on authentic, quality products and experiences. Matsu Kaze sources their teas directly from the various growing regions in Japan, spending time and effort to visit each farm and taste the teas.

“We explore the flavors and varieties and speak to the farms and farmers who have cultivated tea for generations. Our passion is Japanese green tea, but our business is about building relationships; with tea farmers, with tea enthusiasts, with anyone interested in shared experience and learning.”

When selecting accounting software to fit her business needs, Michiko had two important requirements. First, and most important, with 25 years of Mac experience, she wanted an accounting app that worked natively on a Mac. Second, it was vital for her accounting software to tightly integrate with her web store.

“A good friend of ours who runs a coffee business highly recommended AccountEdge and we were excited that it was a Mac product that also integrates with Shopify. That was a major feature for us.”

By integrating AccountEdge with Shopify, Michiko is able to sync her webstore sales and customers to AccountEdge while maintaining an end-to-end inventory management solution.

“AccountEdge allows us to gain insights into our inventory, sales and marketing that will help us to not only control, but grow operations.”

To get the most out of the software, Michiko engaged local AccountEdge Certified Consultant Adam Berti.

“Adam’s helped tremendously in ensuring we appropriately aligned AccountEdge with our business workflow. His knowledge and support has been wonderful.”

Up next for Matsu Kaze? More growth.

“We definitely plan to grow our business and be open and flexible to opportunities. In a lot of ways, that’s what we were looking for in accounting software. An app that could grow with our needs, which is why AccountEdge is a great fit.”