Deb Shugg pulled herself back from illness and despair to become founder and director of The Award Bookkeeping Company and she is now ready to talk openly about her life.
There was a time when Deb Shugg covered up her past. For a long time she would just tell people that she needed a change from corporate life and decided to start a bookkeeping business, working from home. It was a partial truth that glossed over a story of suffering and guilt.
“There was a time in my life when I couldn’t leave my own front door. I was such a broken person that I really didn’t think that life was worth living.”
As a child, Deb was subject to both violence and sexual abuse both from within her family and from a stranger who forced his way into the house while she was at home by herself. Deb’s mother, who worked to make up for the excesses of a violent and alcoholic husband, had no choice but leave her children alone.
“There was not enough money, not enough food, not enough of anything but I guess I could always see there was something more to life than whatever circumstances you’re in. There is always a bit more to it than where you are at.”
Later as a young mother herself, Deb worked full-time but found that it was compromising the parental care and involvement she had promised herself she would provide for her own children. She didn’t want to drop them off early in the morning to have breakfast with someone else, then pick them up at teatime just in time for a quick take-away meal and then bed. She wanted a family where everyone was there to care for everyone else.
The divided loyalties became too much, the past caught up with her and anxiety took a debilitating hold.
Despite the inner turmoil her goals in life hadn’t really changed, she still wanted to earn a living and to care for her family, but she no longer enjoyed the freedom that others, who have never suffered agoraphobia, take for granted.
Yet, she found that her childhood experiences had given her determination as well as pain.
“I won’t let this keep me here.”
And with that thought she used the skills she had in a new direction and started a home business working as a bookkeeper. She just focused on meeting her immediate needs – to earn an income and to care for her family – as best as she could at that time.
“I had been earning an income a long time until everything caught up with me and so I decided I’d start my own home-based business – I had the skills – and I wouldn’t have to go anywhere.”
As the business grew so did her confidence and more and more she was able to leave home to visit clients when they requested it. It was a challenge, and there was no single turning point in her recovery, just a gradual return to the world outside the four walls that had contained her.
In time, she was able to seize the opportunities that the introduction of GST brought and expand the business. Franchising saw the company spread throughout Australia but Deb maintained a steady, controlled pace, not compromising the care of her children, the quality of her work or the importance of her franchisees.
“Really, what my whole management style is based on is ‘we are going to do it one step at a time’. We are going to do it with one foot in front of the other. We are going to see the big picture – where we want to go. But all we are going to focus on for today is just getting today’s things done and understand that this one thing is going to take us to the next thing.
“It is not just in business, anything you have got to confront is really a day to day thing.”
Firstly working as a bookkeeper herself, and now through her franchise, Deb is helping others making their way in the business world.
“Bookkeeping isn’t an industry; it is a profession and a bad bookkeeper can do as much damage to a business as bad management.
I am able to give back to the people who are looking for a bigger picture, who are looking for something else. What I didn’t want to do was generate a business that had lots of employees who were just stuck in that same mould. What I wanted to do was encourage people, and women in particular, to actually look outside their circumstances.”
Although she measures the success of her business financially, Deb understands that flexibility can be a precious gift to those whose role includes the care and support of a family.
“We are not a franchise system where pressure is on franchisees every minute of the day to be earning lots of money. The pressure is on the franchisee to get the most out of their business so if that means flexibility then that’s what we are going to be helping them focus on.
“As much as we like to think that we’ve come a long way in terms of equality, a lot of family issues are still left to the woman in the household to manage, especially children and elderly parents. Those things are still seen as a woman’s role in a lot of aspects and you need to be able to fit those in and you need to be able to still make a reasonable income.”
As her children have grown, Deb has been able to commit more time to growing the business and her husband, Harold, has shared the role of caring for the children.
Harold is now also sharing her business success, running franchise development and franchisee training. As an insolvency expert, his experience with failed and salvaged businesses means he is able to help his franchisees build a solid business and avoid the pitfalls that can lead to failure.
Their close working association is successful because each brings different strengths to the business. “We are not here to put labels on people and fit them in boxes and to play politics with that. We’re here to be cooperative in the outcomes we get and everybody in the organisation is part of that.”
With over 45 franchisees nationally, Deb now travels the country and she is well enough to travel with ease. Her children are now in their twenties and Deb is allowing the expansion bug to bite. As well as furthering her national expansion she is looking to build opportunities in America. Deb believes the complex taxation environment is suited to a highly trained and professional organisation like The Award Bookkeeping Company.
The prospect of travelling around the globe holds little fear for her now and, at 43, Deb is proud of her achievements. She hopes that others will be inspired by her story.
“It is a case of trying to empower people and to let them know it is not a forever thing. It doesn’t matter what circumstances you are in today – it is not forever.”
This article appeared in Issue 1#6 (Sept/Oct 2007) of Business Franchise Australia & New Zealand – http://www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au