So many entrepreneurs wait until their business is up and running before they engage a CPA, especially if their business is more like a side hustle than a household name. But business owners who have the forethought to engage a planning-focused CPA early on are set up for success from the very beginning.
DIY is great! But not for your business
We live in a self-service world where thousands of business owners turn to Google, YouTube, and their peer groups for business advice. These are valuable resources in some situations. But when it comes to making major business decisions, the internet is full of unreliable information and Google doesn’t know your unique situation.
Without an advisor, you’re left on your own to decipher hundreds of pages of complicated business and tax information, often coming up with answers on the fly. That’s not wise for any business! And you’re bound to make costly mistakes and missteps along the way that could have been easily avoided by engaging a financial planning CPA from the very beginning.
Cook Wealth CPAs do more. A lot more.
There’s an important distinction to be made between CPAs and planning-focused CPAs. Most CPAs mainly handle tax compliance. They don’t typically offer advice because their job revolves around taxes and accounting. They’ll do your taxes, handle your bookkeeping, and manage payroll. But they aren’t trying to save you money, optimize your spending, or suggest ways to improve next year (like making a retirement strategy for your business). In fact, if you already work with a traditional CPA, you may benefit from getting a second opinion on your finances and recent tax returns. Our team may uncover tax savings your CPA overlooked.
Learn more about getting a free financial second opinion here.
At Cook Wealth, our CPAs don’t operate in a vacuum
We have financial planning expertise or teammates who do, and we are uniquely focused on the big picture. We do more than your taxes— we offer business-building advice every step of the way.
Here’s what makes our team different:
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- We actually answer (or return) your call
- We’re always accessible for any question that comes up
- We don’t bill by the hour and penalize our clients for asking questions
- We’re continuously looking for ways you can streamline your business and avoid missteps
Check out a full list of the services we offer our valuable clients.
How do you know when you’re ready to start working with a planning-focused CPA?
If you want to build an engaging, scalable business, it’s worth it to start talking to your advising CPA while you’re forming the idea. For example, I’ve met with many entrepreneurs just for an hour or two and talked through all their questions and concerns up front. In that short amount of time, they saved countless hours of research, wondering, and worrying. No Googling, no guessing, and they walked away with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they’re launching their new business the smartest way possible.
I personally happen to work with a number of dentists from across the country. They’re brilliant at what they do. They have the skillset, the acumen, and the determination to be very successful. But many of them struggle on the business side. In these situations, if they engage our services early enough in the process, we can do due diligence and help these professionals set up their practices in a way that’s scalable, profitable, and causes the least headaches along the way.
A lot of people think, ‘My business is new, I’m not ready for this yet.’ But here’s the reality: You can pay a planning-focused CPA a little bit now, or you can pay a huge tax bill at the end of the year. Which would you prefer?
That’s why I tell my clients to think of their CPA advisory fee as part of their startup costs. It’s a necessary investment that sets your business up the right way from the very beginning— and saves you money in the long run.
Our small business tax advisors prepare you for every step
A big part of what we do for entrepreneurs is decrease the number of surprises you’ll face. We’re there by your side, coaching you through the big decisions and giving you a heads up when a particular choice will trigger a big tax bill or unexpected consequence. We’re always a phone call away when you have questions. You don’t have to take our advice, but our goal is to equip you to avoid the missteps, maximize the wins, and create a company that lasts – whether you’re a six-figure business or a four-figure side hustle.
The problem happens when businesses start out small, like that side hustle business you launched during COVID, and now that business keeps growing. You’ve picked up some success, you’re starting to generate real profits, and now it’s a little late to make sure your business is set up correctly. Your options become more limited the longer you wait. That’s why it’s so important to engage your advisory team as soon as possible.
The best thing you can do for your company is to focus on what you’re the best at while leveraging a team of experts and advisors to support you in other areas.
We’re here to help your business grow— not dampen your innovation
I think some entrepreneurs are initially hesitant to work with a CPA before their business is launched because they’re afraid we’ll stop them from growing. There’s a perception that CPAs are so compliance-focused that they’ll slow you down at every step. And if you’re working with a traditional CPA who doesn’t have their eye on the long-term growth of your business, your concerns are probably valid.
But at Cook Wealth, where our CPAs are also well-versed in financial planning, our goal isn’t to cuff business owners’ growth. We’re not going to box you in with rules and regulations. We’re here to help you set your business up for success from the very beginning. Sustainable growth, more income, fewer headaches, greater peace of mind— those are the benefits a planning-focused CPA offers entrepreneurs.