UTICA, N.Y. — What started out as a hobby in 2015 for Justin Miller has since grown into a full-fledged business with a staff of five and a new location coming later this year.

Miller was working as the CFO of Hospice & Palliative Care in New Hartford at the time but started providing accounting services on the side to one business. Then he added a few more businesses, working on their accounting needs during nights and weekends. Before he knew it, he and his wife Beth, who previously worked as an accountant at Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Rome, were working every night on this “hobby” and knew they had a decision to make.

The pair decided to turn the hobby into a business and opened Universal Bookkeeper, Inc. first office in Mohawk Valley Community College’s thINCubator shared workspace in Utica. The space was ideal for Universal, which offers all its services remotely as well as in-person. Those services include accounting and bookkeeping, outsourced CFO services, consulting, tax preparation, and do-it-yourself payroll with Gusto Payroll software for small businesses.

Working in that space proved to be immensely helpful for a business just starting out, Beth Miller, Universal Bookkeeper’s COO, says. “The [incubator] helped us transfer our hobby into a finalized business plan,” she notes. 

The Millers were the sole employees of the business for the first six months, before hiring their first employee at the beginning of 2018. 

“Obviously, we were growing and ready to look for a bigger space,” Beth Miller says. Universal Bookkeeper spent about a year in the thINCubator before moving to 421 Broad St. in Utica.

By 2019, Universal Bookkeeper added two more employees and continued growing its roster of clients. The business currently operates from 2,800 square feet of leased space that includes a reception area, three offices, and a large conference room.

Since the company already primarily functioned remotely, the COVID-19 pandemic did not derail its growth. In fact, Universal Bookkeeper was able to offer even more robust services to clients by researching all the assistance out there such as paycheck-protection loans and other small-business benefits.

“We tried to step up to help our small-business owners,” Beth Miller says. “We did the research and helped them apply for these things,” referring to various government-assistance packages that were made available to small businesses.

With plans to continue growing at a “good click,” as the pandemic eases, it made sense to look for a space that will accommodate future growth, CEO Justin Miller says.

That led to the purchase of the 14 Genesee St. property in New Hartford at the end of 2021. The Millers worked with Bradley & Bradley Real Estate in Barneveld, and it took about six months to find the perfect site. Oneida County property records show Universal Bookkeeper purchased the building for $250,000 from the trust of John and Arlene Capraro. The building previously housed a hairdresser and a screen-printing business but was empty at the time of sale.

“We are basically gutting it down to the studs,” Justin Miller says. Their vision is an extremely modern office space with an open concept and lots of glass. “A space employees want to be at,” Beth Miller adds.

The Millers expect Universal Bookkeeping will move to the new space sometime this summer. The lease on their existing space ends in August. While the new space is smaller at 2,000 square feet, it’s being designed to suit the Millers’ needs. “It’s our right size,” Justin Miller notes. They are working with roi Office Interiors of Rome to design and furnish the space. The Millers declined to disclose renovation costs.

The space still allows the company room to grow, Justin Miller says, and they are hoping to attract new “top talent” employees to the firm where everyone is a certified pro advisor for QuickBooks. He estimates the space can accommodate up to eight employees, giving the business space to add three more people. The building also has eight parking spots in a lot in the rear and ample street parking for clients that prefer to meet face-to-face.

While the business’s downtown Utica location has been great, Justin Miller is excited about new prospects at the new site in New Hartford. “It’s an opportunity for us to attract and market to a different clientele,” he says.

Universal Bookkeeper (www.universalbookkeeper.com) currently works with 55 monthly recurring clients, about 400 business and personal tax clients, and provides outsourced CFO services to four hospice organizations around the state.

The Millers expect that client growth will come organically as current client businesses grow along with the addition of new clients. Current Universal Bookkeeper clients include The Balanced Chef, Center for Leadership Excellence, Nail Creek Pub & Brewery, Mohawk Valley Wellness, McGrogan Design, and Passalacqua & Associates law firm.