My small CPA business began in 2005 assisting clients with individual and business tax preparation. My goal was to focus my practice on small business owners and individuals, especially those preparing for the transition to retirement or a change in lifestyle which accompanies retirement. I plan to maintain my license in South Carolina.

While working for other firms on projects such as collateral audits, and working on the tax returns of small business owners who used anything from notebook paper to QuickBooks or Peachtree Accounting Software, I noticed that a common theme was clients who said that their CPA told them they did things wrong, but they did not take the time to show them how to fix whatever was wrong. I decided to take the QuickBooks ProAdvisor training and soon found my client base growing with business owners who needed assistance with the set up or maintenance of their QuickBooks files.

As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, I can assist you with many of your bookkeeping questions and help provide solutions to your bookkeeping problems. Examples of work done with QuickBooks includes:

1. Setting up assemblies so the cost of Goods can track properly from raw materials to the finished product.
2. Adding custom fields to invoices and receipts to track information required for a specific industry.
3. Switching Credit card entries from "bills" to credit cards entries.

I completed 9 of the 11 courses needed to earn a Master of Science in Taxation from Grand Valley State University. I then found myself too distracted with trying to work for myself to finish the degree. Taking most of the courses did give me a solid base to assist my tax clients whether they are making real estate trades with section 1031 exchanges or advising my clients on the options they have available to meet with a financial adviser to set up a small employee benefit plan.

Whether it is showing a business owner how to take care of their own bookkeeping or doing it for them, once business owners make sense of their numbers, they are able to make better business decisions.

This is just a small list of questions a business owner may have, but not know what is needed to even make the decision.

1. Should I expand?
2. Can I qualify for a loan?
3. Am I better off reinvesting in the business or giving myself a raise?
4. Am I charging enough for my products/services?
5. Do I need to cut back on my expenses to get ahead?

Volunteering and giving my time to others is an important part of my life.

I have a strong belief that people who get involved with organizations for reasons other than their own profit will succeed in the long run in addition to having the satisfaction of volunteering. Also as others get to know what kind of person they are, a good reputation will spread by word of mouth. During most of my adult life I have spent a great deal of time volunteering for various nonprofit organizations.

My volunteer activities in the past have included:

• Teaching craft classes at Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids and being part of the planning Committee for FUNDANGO which is an indoor walk/carnival family fun fund raiser. From 2002 to 2010.
• I have been involved at both team and committee level with several American Cancer Society Relay for Life events both in Michigan and in my new location in South Carolina.
• I served on the Board of the Rotary Club of Kentwood, and still assist with their bookkeeping. Upon moving to South Carolina, I joined the Rotary Club of Goose Creek.
• When I started my practice in 2005 I joined my local Chamber of Commerce. I found that a good way for a new business to be noticed was by volunteering in a business setting.

Between 2005 to 2010, I built a practice from zero clients to all the work I could handle. I am in a new location, retaining a few of my clients from Michigan, and looking forward to meeting new clients in South Carolina. I know the only way to grow is to give the best service possible to my current and future clients. One goal which has not changed it to make your duty to comply be less taxing.