For many people, the covid19 pandemic was a non-stop bus ride to rock bottom – financially, socially, emotionally, mentally and otherwise. For accountant Andrea Ragoo it was a lesson that took her to the top of her game, with some added bonuses. For although the owner of ATR Business Solutions too felt the sting of the effects of the virus that rapidly spread across the globe, causing grief and crippling economies, she told WMN she used the downtime to sharpen her accounting skills and learn a number of new business-related skills – an investment from which she is now reaping the benefits.

"I actually spent most of the time of the lockdown during the pandemic learning how to run this business. I am a qualified accountant, and have been practising for close to 18 years. But the running-the-business part, the marketing and managing social media skills, I absorbed from webinars during the downtime.

"I just dug into it, followed people on social media and read a lot. People were practically giving away webinars, so I spent a lot of time learning how to run my business as well as networking.

"I met a lot of people virtually, some of whom I still haven't met in person. I was always on a million calls, built strong relationships. It’s almost like a dividend I'm getting back now because I was interacting with entrepreneurs like myself, some of whom are now my clients."

The former St Joseph's Convent, St Joseph student is ACCA certified and said although her business was built on an accounting foundation, it is not just about providing accounting services. Accounting, she said, is just one piece of the puzzle – "the thing you do after everything else has happened."

"I call myself the virtual CFO (chief financial officer) for small businesses and entrepreneurs because it's not just about filing taxes. I try to educate my clients of the need for my services not just at year end, but throughout the year. I offer services for financial management and strategic direction, helping them understanding budgeting, projections, and making better financial decisions, because if you look at it from a corporate perspective, that's what a CFO does.

Ragoo, 38, said she initially offered her services to small businesses as a "side hustle" while she worked full time at a company. She began working on the official launch of ATR Business Solutions after being dealt a financial blow from her then employers.

[caption id="attachment_978275" align="alignnone" width="684"] Andrea Ragoo turns "aha" moment into her own business, offering financial planning services to clients. -[/caption]

"The push to start came following a drastic cut in my salary...What stuck out was the feeling of hopelessness I felt because I had no control over my earnings. Someone had the power to dictate my income. I made some adjustments and while I was trying to recover I started planning. I promised myself that I would never be dependent on an employer again because they have the ability to make decisions that could put you on the breadline. That was my 'a