Rigby woman wants to make muddy financial waters clear with new accounting business

RIGBY – Charrise Bateman has always had a thing for numbers, and she’s putting that interest into practice with a new accounting business.

The Rigby woman launched Blue Heart Accounting on July 1 with her business partner, Shelby Evans, of Rexburg. Bateman tells EastIdahoNews.com the venture aims to provide “individualized, personalized, attentive accounting” that’s “forward-looking and helps the business owner grow their business.”

“We want to make a profit in this business, but more than that, we want to make a difference,” Bateman says.

The duo offer a variety of service packages for clients, which you can learn more about on her website.

Aside from the typical reasons one would hire an accountant for, Bateman says cash flow management is a challenge many business owners need help with.

“They’ve got the income, they’re generating revenue, they’re spending money, but they need to know ‘How much money should I keep in the bank before I use it for myself?’” Bateman explains. “There’s a fear associated with each of those monthly transfers. To have somebody show you this is the amount that you can transfer, but also show you how that will work … is a sigh of relief.”

The name of the business has a double meaning. It’s named, in part, for Blue Heart Springs near Twin Falls, a place Bateman loves to vacation with her family.

“There is a distinct line in the water where it turns from muddy to clear,” Bateman says. “That’s what I wanted people to feel and experience when they came to (my business).”

The name Blue Heart is also a tribute to the first clients who supported her when she started her accounting career years ago. Those clients, whom she still works with today, are Blu-D Construction in Rigby and Hart Industries in Salt Lake City.

“I want to be for business owners what these two (clients) were for me. They believed in me before I believed in me. I want to believe in my clients’ business and help them have the courage to bet on themselves,” says Bateman.

Bateman helped build another accounting firm over the last five years and that led her to launch her own company.

Bateman’s interest in accounting stems back to childhood. She isn’t sure where it came from, but says she’s always had a brain that’s hard-wired to appreciate data, organization and order.

Her husband, Stefan, is an artist, who she says balances out her right-brain mentality.

Having a data-driven mindset is also a family interest. Charrise comes from a family of accountants.

“We’re a family of accounting nerds,” Charrise says. “All of us dabble in psychology, which is a complementary component (of accounting). There is a whole bunch of money mindset blocks we have to get through and imposter syndrome to overcome.”

If she didn’t own an accounting business, Bateman says psychology would likely be her next career choice. Psychology is all about connecting with people, which is what brings her the most fulfillment in accounting.

“There is no greater satisfaction than helping … someone pursue their passion, find success and build something amazing,” says Bateman. “There are so many talented entrepreneurs out there and often, they’re in their own way. I can help with that.”

She’s thrilled with the response during her first month of operation and hopes to see the business thrive and grow as it continues to evolve.

“We want to create repeatable systems and processes. We have goals to create $2 million of revenue within the first five years to hire talented people and have a brand and system in place so that clients always have that individualized, personal attention,” says Bateman. “I brought my friend, Shelby, with me with the idea that I would sell it to her one day.”