Kristin Jones, a licensed tax consultant, stands near the sign for her business in La Grande on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2020. She operated out of her home until opening an office about 10 months ago, and work has kept her busy in spite of the pandemic.

LA GRANDE — Kristin Jones, a licensed tax consultant who specializes in helping small businesses, took a big step 10 months ago.

Jones moved her bookkeeping business, J2K2 Books, out of her La Grande home and into an office building at 1614 Fifth St., formerly the home of a dental office. The move has proved to be fruitful.

“I like having a separation from home and work and the increased visibility,” Jones said

The greater visibility is enhanced by her business’s eye catching blue, black and white J2K2 Books sign. The name reflects the initial letters of the first names of Kristin Jones’ family — hers, her husband Jeremy and their son Jeremiah and daughter Kylie.

Jones said she likes helping small businesses because often the owners and their staff are extremely gifted at what they do but are only being held back by bookkeeping procedures she can easily help them with.

She has long enjoyed bookkeeping.

“I love numbers and solving problems,” Jones said.

She started her bookkeeping service 10 years ago in Coos Bay. She moved to La Grande in 2015 when Eastern Oregon University hired her husband to work for its student housing office. Jones then operated her bookkeeping service from home before making her move earlier this year.

She studied accounting for two years at Southwestern Oregon Community College and was certified as a tax consultant in May by the Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners. Jones has a bachelor of science degree in sociology from Vanguard University in California.

The bookkeeping services she provides includes comprehensive tax services for individuals and small businesses and office support that ranges from file management, to payroll and human resource services.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones said some businesses have done and she has been busy this year.