Customer Spotlight: Michelle Vandenbosch

Five years ago Ottawa floral designer Michelle Vandenbosch would go weeks, sometimes months between opening her accounting software. “Just the visual of (it) made me sick, it was like a prison. It hated my Mac it was always slow and a hassle.” She would go about her business trying to remember who owed her money and who had paid until her new bookkeeper suggested she switch to QuickBooks Online.

On the go

Michelle has transformed the way she does business by using the QuickBooks Online app on her iPhone. “I can be mobile now, I’m a florist without a flower shop, being able to do my business on the go is life changing. It has made me a better business person, I’m faster for my clients which makes me look more professional. I’m able to update an invoice right on the spot and send it to the customer in a matter of minutes instead of having to do it from my desktop later.”

Breaking Out

Michelle has been a florist since she was just 14 years old when she would take the bus to a flower shop after school. She eventually worked her way up from cleaning the store to making arrangements and finally decided she wanted to go out on her own. Her breakthrough moment after going out on her own came when the NHL called late one night. “I got a phone call at 9 at night and it was the event planner from LA. They said they wanted 18 foot tall trees for the convention centre and a bunch of arrangements. I’d never built giant trees before, but I remember saying ‘uh-huh, yup, uh-huh no problem’ then hanging up the phone and thinking ‘ok how are we going to do this’. But you’ll know how, you just have to say yes and go. That was the first time I was like ‘yeah you can do this.'”