The Client 

Jo Anne MacMillan is the founder and Managing Director of Hummingbird Mentoring, a consultancy that supports and guides coaches and (other) consultants in starting and creating an online platform.

They offer support, guidance and mentoring to take big dreams, ideas or concepts and create an easily managed online business including courses, memberships or certificate programs 

Although Jo Anne is a very experienced coach and mentor with what she would term a high capability outside finance, she had a long-standing discomfort with numbers and financial concepts.

The Situation Before Sakura!

From the outside, the business appeared to be functioning well.

Clients were being served, work was being delivered to a good standard, and Jo Anne was deeply committed to building something sustainable and meaningful over the long term.

Behind that surface, however, finance represented a persistent source of stress. Like many SME owners, she had developed a difficult relationship with numbers over time. 

Early experiences with accounting had left her feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and quietly embarrassed about not “getting it” in the way she believed she should. Balance sheets, VAT, and financial reports did not create clarity or reassurance. 

Instead they triggered tension and a sense of exposure for Jo Anne.

Add to that, her previous experiences with accountants around her business had reinforced the idea that finance was something to endure rather than something to use proactively.

As the business grew, this underlying discomfort became increasingly problematic.

Financial conversations were often avoided where possible. Important decisions were made with limited confidence, not because Jo Anne lacked intelligence or care – but because ‘the financials’ beneath the business felt like a bit of ‘black hole’!

At the same time, Jo Anne was navigating a period of personal and professional transition, and so the idea of changing accountant during that period felt like another challenge on top of an already full mental load.

What Happened?

The introduction to Sakura came through a business network rather than a traditional sales process.

What stood out early was not technical detail or credentials, but tone, with the initial conversation feeling more human, calm, and unhurried.

Rather than starting with systems, reports, or compliance obligations, the focus was 

• on understanding Jo Anne
• her concerns and 
• the role finance might realistically play in supporting her, rather than overwhelming her.

Sakura’s light-hearted statement about helping business owners “love their accountant” initially sounded playful. However in practice, it reflected something more meaningful: a commitment to removing fear, judgement, and unnecessary complexity from how business owners experience finance.

What Changed After Working With Sakura

From the outset, the onboarding process felt noticeably different.

It was much more clear, supportive and respectful. Rather than assuming knowledge, the Sakura Team took time to explain. 

Rather than rushing to implement software and tools, and just talking at Jo Anne, they worked alongside her.

Over the following months, several important shifts took place.

• Finance was no longer presented as a technical subject that Jo Anne had to keep up with.

• Instead, it was introduced as a practical way of understanding what was happening inside her own business.

• Concepts were explained in plain English, at a pace that felt manageable, with space to ask questions and revisit topics without embarrassment.

• For the first time, Jo Anne was able to engage with her numbers without feeling exposed or judged.

As the understanding grew, her emotional response to finance began to change:

• Reports could be opened.
• Conversations could be held.
• Questions could be asked.

With consistent bookkeeping, clearer structure, and improved visibility, decisions no longer relied solely on instinct, meaning Jo Anne could see where the business stood, how it had arrived there, and what levers were available going forward.

Perhaps the most significant change was internal., with Jo Anne no longer describing herself as “bad with money.”

‘The financials’ became less about personal deficiency and more about having the right structure and for the first time, there was a ‘financial backbone’ beneath the business.

Why This Matters for Other SME Owners??

Jo Anne’s situation is NOT unusual with many very capable, intelligent SME business owners feeling  fearful or uncomfortable around finance – when they shouldn’t be!

They have their own ‘superpowers’ in law, plumbing, marketing or selling widgets – just not in accountancy or the financials.

So Sakura’s role is not simply to just “do the accounts’, it is to change how business owners experience finance altogether, so that they can see it as the 

• backbone to their business
• the tool for them to make GOOD decisions on the growth of the business and 
• enable them to focus on the important parts of their business!

Are you are in a similar situation as Jo Anne, or have the sense that ‘the financials’ can or should be doing more to help you run your business – rather than holding you back? 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP!

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LINK – https://www.hummingbirdmentoring.com/