Team IS Everything
At Hauser Jones & Sas, the quality of our client service depends on the quality of our team, that’s why we believe “Team IS Everything” and that’s why we are constantly recruiting top-notch talent into our firm, especially those who value timely service and well-reasoned strategies that advocate for our clients.
“You Can’t Do That”
When other CPAs say something like this, it changes the way our clients view CPA services, and not in a good way. If this mantra is accurate – great! We know the limits of the regulations, too. But if we’ve learned anything over our decades of service, it’s better to say, “there is more than one way to skin a cat” or “we can probably figure this out.”
In our firm, we value open-thinkers who are willing to challenge the status quo of service, and those who appreciate the client’s point of view and have empathy regarding their challenges.
The model for successful accounting firms is changing, and because we are serious about delivering more value to our clients, we are strategic about the professionals we recruit and how they contribute to moving us beyond offering just a commodity service.
The Case for more Heather Martins
A perfect example of this philosophy is our recent appointment of Heather Martin, CPA, as a tax manager at our Bellevue, WA, headquarters. Today is her first day on the job (welcome Heather)! Heather is a seasoned CPA with over a 20-year track record of successfully serving small and midsize businesses and individuals. Although not a millennial, Heather embraces the use of technology, wants to maintain her personal life while simultaneously advancing her career, and believes that clients come first. She is also technical and very experienced.
We are constantly evolving, (isn’t everyone?), and as we try to discover what our clients really value, we have learned that it is fundamentally our advice and wisdom along with open and frequent communication. We recruit professionals like Heather because it takes a lot more to anticipate client’s needs, to help them prepare for growth, and to work with them through the cycle of life, whether in a business capacity or personally. The extra time to learn and meet your needs is expensive – but the end result is worth it, because the benefits will outweigh the costs.
Repeat Becomes No Pete
We once worked with a client who never needed much of anything in the way of clever tax strategies, well-written financial statements, or continuing advice. Pete ran a successful small manufacturing company in the Seattle area, paid his taxes on time, and came in to the office every year for fifteen years to file his simple returns; and that was all he needed.
But, as time marched on, we always asked Pete about his business, his plans for retirement, whether Pete Jr. (Peter), would be taking over as the boss and what that would mean for both their business and personal lives; of course, we also reminded him about the tax implications of waiting too long to plan for the natural changes of life, and about the best way to purchase, finance, (and deduct) the cost of new machinery and plant upgrades. Along with the tax saving advice along the way, Pete finally allowed us to help him write his own succession plan, and we did so four (4) years before he was really ready to hang it up for good. With the help of our team, Pete was able to become No Pete (yes, he retired) and now we are going to repeat Peter.
Team IS Everything
We wouldn’t be able to help the Petes and Peters of this world if it weren’t for our experienced team, collaborating with a singular client-service purpose. With a deep bench of consummate professionals, we are able to provide a noticeably superior brand of service that provides real value to our clients. So while we are very pleased to be adding Heather Martin to our team as Tax Manager, it’s really a great time to remember the importance of teamwork – Team IS Everything.
