“Wait wait wait – what does it mean for an accounting/bookkeeping firm to have a ‘lab’??”
When Heather Deibele, MBA and Kim Kelleher decided to partner in 2023, they wanted to make the brand really meaningful to them and, basically, “not just another accounting firm”. In sketching out what differentiated them from other accounting firm owners, several things came to mind, the first of which was:
Neither started their careers in accounting.
And while that might seem like the worst possible place to start for a bookkeeping and accounting firm, they realized that their backgrounds in systems consulting (Kim) and chemical engineering (Heather) provided many of the same skills needed in accounting – attention to detail, spotting irregularities and understanding the “rules”. And since both had been immersed in technology and processes throughout their professional lives, they realized that Luma’s “secret sauce” was the combining of these things with accounting.
From their headquarters in Portland, Oregon, they started focusing on the mission of BEST. EXPERIENCE. EVER. and exactly what that would mean in terms of the team, their clients and to them as partners, and the first place they looked for COLLABORATION (perhaps our “core-est” of Luma’s Core Values) was…
The Leadership Team (consisting of our 3 Lantern Leaders).
This is the place everything is brought for vetting – typically the process goes:
- Kim and/or Heather has a brainstorm
- They discuss it amongst themselves
- They then discuss it with the Leadership Team
And because this became the ideation process – or idea incubator – it occurred to them that life at Luma is akin to living in a “lab” where ideas are created, shared, discussed, piloted (in many cases), discussed again and then either implemented firm-wide or… put into the “well THAT was interesting” pile.
(and clearly there is not nearly the alliteration fun of saying “The Luma Incubator”)
And while the past year has seen Heather and Kim generating a lot of the ideas for the “lab”, the REAL vision is for ALL team members to bring ideas, identify new software, and pioneer processes that will create innovations in client touchpoints and the inner workings of the team. It is amazing what a group of brains can do with even the slightest whiff of a good idea 🙂
As we mentioned in our 3rd blog post, late last year we realized that our Core Value “Enjoys Change” wasn’t quite right – and we quickly enhanced it to “Looks for Opportunities for Innovation”. The Luma Lab is a living embodiment of this core value as we want our team to constantly be looking for new ways to do things for the benefit of our clients and/or our team.
“But that seems to be inviting a lot of time spent on ideas that never go anywhere!”
Yes, there might be a little of that… But we feel pretty sure that there will be many more things that emerge that are FABULOUS! Watch for coming posts on what’s cooking in The Luma Lab…
Luma Accounting serves small businesses across the U.S., providing financial clarity, bookkeeping, accounting, and job costing support designed to simplify operations and improve decision-making. If you’re ready to see how these services can make a difference for your business, visit our website. And when you’re ready to take the next step, contact us by filling out our form.
Whether you’re in Portland or anywhere in the U.S., Luma Accounting is here to provide innovative bookkeeping and accounting support to help your business thrive.
