Our Story
Every business has a story and we feel like it is important to share ours...
PEAR Accounting Solutions was founded in February of 2016 by Amber Leon, formally Amber Hurst.
Amber's story:
I officially began my career in the accounting industry as a young single mother in 2007. Realizing I needed a career to provide for my young son, I decided to take a course on tax preparation looking to build some skills. Soon after, I found a position working for a local CPA firm doing bookkeeping and data entry for tax preparation. I had spent several years helping with bookkeeping for my family's small business and thought this might be a good fit.
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After a short time, it was apparent that accounting was my perfect career choice. Eager to learn more, I went back to school while working full time and obtained my associate's degree in accounting with Colorado Technical University Online. In 2012, I passed all three parts of the Special Enrollment Examination with the IRS and became a licensed Enrolled Agent. Still eager to learn and grow, I went back to school with Kaplan University Online and obtained my bachelor's degree in accounting. I also took a course on developing business plans through the local small business development center.
For a short time, I managed a small CPA firm in Noe Valley in San Francisco. The burden of a long commute and a small child proved to be difficult to manage as a single mom and I returned to work with the CPA firm in Napa. In 2015, I was approached by a recruiter for a position with a local winery that would eliminate seasonal over time and give me time back with my family.
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After eight months with the winery, I was having a tough time balancing work and family as my son was experiencing medical issues that pulled me away during regular hours of the accounting department. I needed to find something that provided schedule flexibility so I wouldn't have the guilt or loss of pay for not being available during normal business hours.
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At the time, I was getting requests from clients I had worked with at the CPA firm to help them with business plans, since I had been the only one at the CPA firm that prepared them. With only one paycheck in the bank, I took a leap of faith and start PEAR Accounting Solutions. I had a few things in mind when I first envisioned PEAR...
I wanted to create a company that could support my small family and my clients while working flexible hours outside of the typical business day. I didn't want to have to choose between work and family. I knew there had to be a way to have both. I wanted a company that as it grew, employees wouldn't have to worry about choosing either because the flexibility would give them balance.
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While working at the CPA firm, I had seen so many companies not able to stay on top of finances and always playing catch up. I wanted to provide a more affordable solution. The accounting industry has changed so much over the last couple of decades with the advancements in technology and I knew that I could utilize these tools to help clients get the data put together quickly and efficiently so that we could look at the bigger picture and plan ahead.
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Often times I heard people say that they never got a call back from their accountant or bookkeeper. I envisioned a company where we are responsive. Even if it is just a quick note to say we are working on it and we will get back to them.
While I have grown as an individual throughout this journey, so have my family and the business. In 2018, we incorporated and today have eight full-time employees and two part-time employees. Our team spans the country as we work remotely with the ability to service companies locally and nationally. PEAR is continuing to grow and expand, which helps us redevelop and improve the services we offer. We have fallen in love with the restaurant industry whom we have served for many years. Just recently, we changed our focus to redefining the services we provide and specializing in the industry because we realize the value it adds to truly be an expert in one field.
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In 2017, my husband and I married and blended our families of two and three into a family of five. In 2018, we welcomed the sixth member of our family.
It has been a difficult, but rewarding journey. I have seen so much growth and development within and I love seeing our clients growing and evolving, as well. I look forward to what the future brings.
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- Amber