Beyond the Books: Lemons into Lemontinis

I am here to dispel the myth that bookkeeping is a lane only in the lines of the ledger. True bookkeeping is specialized problem solving.

What resources do we have? What are we working with? What can we expect to work with in the future? Where do we want to go from here? How do we get there? Is there a better way? 

Lemme tell you a little ditty about the notion of “Is there a better way?,” a client success story that will change your perspective about the strategies and solutions that are oftentimes hidden in plain sight—and it’s my job to sniff them out. 

This story has nothing at all to do with balance sheets, reports, or reconciliation; this is a tale (or should we say ‘tail’?) of simply doing the best we can with what we’ve got to circumvent the insurmountable hill. 

In my quaint and coastal town, my colleague has a problem. She wants to capitalize on cocktails in her asian-fusion restaurant, but she doesn’t have a liquor license. In fact, it will be near impossible to get one. There are only so many available to bars and restaurants within my jurisdiction, and they are ungodly expensive. Even if you have the capital, and the patience, to wait out the process, the odds of it actually coming to fruition are slim…and downright depressing. 

Happy hour after happy hour slipped by while she watched her customers clink their glasses at the competition. Each Monday another Karaoke night passed by with missed opportunities for sales and promotion. 

Was my girl doomed to an anemic bar business and a life of just wine and beer? No, and also no. 

🍸 🍶

What she did have was sake. What I had was strategy. 

Stop worrying about that coveted and elusive liquor license. Shake what your mamma gave you. Like, literally. 

Instead of obsessing over what she didn’t have, we started looking at what she did have, and how we could repackage it. Instead of designing a drink menu around vodka, gin, or bourbon, we created “Saketinis,” up-drinks that played homage to classic cocktails, with an Asian Fusion twist. Like, literally. 

SAKI FUSION | Fine Drinks for the Polished Palate 🌾

Sake Shaken Not Stirred A play on the traditional Martini Enjoyed by none other than James Bond | very dry sake with a hint of vermouth and 3 olives or a twist | Shaken not stirred, dirty optional 

Sake in the City Homage to those fabulous ladies from Sex in the city and their favorite drink | Plum Sweet Sake Cosmopolitan with a hint of orange bitters, cranberry juice and a splash of Lime with an orange garnish and a touch of Spicy Salt on the rim

Sake on the Beach Who doesn’t like a little Sex on the Beach? This will have you smiling all the way to the sand | Pear Sake with a dash of peach Juice, a little orange juice with a splash of cranberry and a Hint of sugar on the rim

Life Give You Lemon Sake Martini Our take on the Lemon drop Martini – refreshing and smooth | Sweet Sake with fresh squeezed lemon juice a splash of club soda with a light sugary finish

The only thing dry about being in the business of bookkeeping is my sake martini, thankyouverymuch. It is less a technical skill and more an ability to think creatively about the problems you’re trying to solve. And if your bookkeeper isn’t trying to make lemontinis out of life’s lemons, it might be time for a new business bestie. 

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Need to solve business problems more creatively? You’ve come to the right place. We’re the lemons-to-lemontini people who will not rest until we have obliterated every obstacle on your path to prosperity. Reach out.

Unleashed Financial Advocates become infinitely adaptable