Moninainen Kainuu

“Everyday life is smooth here.” Anu Kemppainen, Puuking Oy

I am Anu Kemppainen, an accounting firm entrepreneur, accountant and mother of two from Kajaani. Entrepreneurship was not my calling – during my studies I thought I would never want to be an entrepreneur, let alone work in accounting. However, during my working career and by chance, accounting became a field that eventually took me completely with it. When my employer retired, I took the opportunity and bought the accounting business for myself and founded my own accounting firm.

I studied commerce and administration in Kajaani, Kuopio and Turku, and graduated with a Master of Science in Economics from the Master’s programme in Auditing. My professional path has been diverse – I have worked as a cleaner, a café worker, a bank teller, in the insurance industry, in payroll administration and in the defence forces, among other things. When accounting came into the picture, I unexpectedly found a career in the field where I could combine exactly the things I am most interested in.
Entrepreneurship offers freedom, but also challenges you to take responsibility. Combining work and other life is sometimes demanding, and as an entrepreneur it is important to accept uncertainty. However, it is great to build your own business, help companies succeed, offer work to others and grow yourself at the same time.
The corona pandemic brought with it new ways of working – remote work and the use of technology are also part of everyday financial administration. Nowadays, we meet with clients and the team more often through Teams, but these do not replace face-to-face meetings and we are still all in the office once a week at the same time. However, new working models have brought flexibility and diverse opportunities for customer service, and they have also made our everyday lives more efficient.
“Space to breathe.”
Kajaani is an active and vibrant small city that offers great opportunities from both a work and family perspective. There is space to breathe in Kajaani and everyday life is easy. Honesty, community and respect for others are valued here. Working is based on trust and on everyone bringing their own cards to the table.

Kainuu offers its residents closeness to nature, safety and ease. Everyday life here is smoother and less stressful than in many larger cities. In Kainuu, you can easily combine work and leisure, and the peace of nature provides a unique opportunity for a balance between work and other life.

Text and photos: Anu Kemppainen