Dory George, Admin/Marketing, HR Biz
Our HR Biz mission: To bridge the gap between business owners and accountants.
Did you know? HR Biz hasn’t always been about numbers. President Lynn Talbott has an HR background and initially worked for Fortune 500 companies in Seattle, Washington, as a Corporate Trainer and HR Manager. When she and her husband moved to Chattanooga, she decided to take a break from the corporate world to raise their kids, while still doing HR consulting on the side.
“What I discovered in my consulting,” Talbott says, “is that what companies really wanted help with was their books, which led me into becoming Chattanooga’s ‘QuickBooks Lady.’ I’ve had that nickname for over 20 years now.”
Talbott is a third generation entrepreneur. She launched HR Biz in 2012, working on her MBA, when an advisor recommended she turn her consulting business into an official company. Thankfully, Chattanooga has a great support network for startups. Lynn investigated her location options and decided to become an INCubator tenant.
The INCubator requires tenants to work with the Business Development Center throughout their business cycle, to help them successfully launch elsewhere once their three-year deadline is up. They provide inexpensive rent along with receptionist services for companies that don’t have a front office person.
Talbott’s company doubled in size, each of their three years at the INCubator. Of course, being a bookkeeper helps, because financial savvy benefits the company. One piece of advice Talbott has for new entrepreneurs is to outsource weaknesses – that delegation is better than frustration. This is one reason that HR Biz offers full-charge bookkeeping. Outsourcing difficult responsibilities gives entrepreneurs more time to focus on their strengths and passions.
HR Biz graduated from the INCubator in Feb. 2016. Talbott still volunteers her time there by teaching a monthly bookkeeping class on what not to do in your company finances. She also teaches two levels of QuickBooks (QB) classes for students who are new to the program or need a refresher or more in-depth knowledge.
“Our goal at HR Biz is to meet clients where they’re at in their understanding of their books. We offer flexibility when they need support. Some come to us with a mess to clean up or catch-up that needs doing. This is where we can help out CPAs by making books tidy before tax season. Other clients are pretty organized and only need a periodic check-in to make sure everything’s categorized properly or to get advice on a sticky question.”
Talbott’s team includes Advanced QBO ProAdvisors who focus on clients that use cloud-based accounting and apps for easy remote access to their bookkeeping files. She also has reps with expertise in QB Desktop for clients who prefer using a static platform. HR Biz has 150+ clients in the Chattanooga area and beyond. They provide HR services too, such as background checks, employee handbooks, interviewing and more. You can find them at 108 Baxter St., directly off Dayton Blvd. in Red Bank.
When asked about work philosophy, Talbott recommends to:
Strive for excellence in what you do.
Encourage others along the way.
Keep on the sunny side.
Happy fifth birthday, HR Biz! Congratulations on reaching your half-decade mark. And thanks for being Red Bank’s Chamber lunch sponsor in September in honor of your birthday.
Mayor John Roberts will speak at the Red Bank Council's Sept. 19 luncheon at The Meeting House at noon.
Some facts about Mayor Roberts:
Born in Chattanooga in 1976 to Beverly and David Roberts of Chattanooga
Graduate of Soddy Daisy High School and Excelsior College
Married to Tiffany Roberts of Shelby, NC for 8 years
Two kids: Jackson (5) and Maddie (17 months)
Been living in Red Bank, TN since 2008
Job: Insurance Agent for Atlas Insurance Agency LLC, med-size independent insurance agency
Property, casualty, commercial, life, and health
Two office locations: Shallowford Rd. and Dayton Blvd.
Politics: Elected in 2010 as a commissioner, sworn in as vice-mayor in 2011, and became mayor in 2012
