Nelson Accounting Professionals: Building Wealth for Clients
Relationships Are the Bottom Line
The result, the Nelsons agree, is that they enjoy the powers of both platforms, without many of the typical Windows worries. And that freedom to concentrate purely on delivering better services has enabled them to cultivate deeper personal relationships with their clients.
“To be really successful at what we do,” says Kelly, “you need to have that personal element. Often accountants are perceived to be historians, just reporting past events. But we’re actively involved in each client’s present and future. We collaborate on the near- and long-term planning for a lot of closely held businesses — consultants, contractors, physicians, professionals, and attorneys. We focus on their business operations, then ultimately prepare their business, fiduciary, and individual tax returns.”
Thinking Ahead
“And that involves asking the right questions, really listening to the answers, and developing a relationship of trust. We offer a real proactive atmosphere, and I think that differentiator has led to the growth of the firm,” Kelly continues. An example? “For many of our Mac-based clients,” says Art, “we’ve been able to further simplify their accounting functions by controlling their Mac computers remotely with Timbuktu, and preparing checks directly within their MYOB software.
“So, to handle payroll, all they have to do is click Print when they return to their office. Our clients absolutely love this service; they’re so appreciative that we can make their lives easier.”
No Growing Pains
It’s that level of service that’s led to Nelson Accounting Professionals’ steady growth. Though the firm has done no direct marketing or advertising, “We’re growing from 20 to 30 percent per year since we started,” says Kelly. “That’s exactly the rate of growth I want to see, because I don’t want to sacrifice our small-firm atmosphere. The tagline on all my correspondence says ‘Big firm experience. Small firm attention.’
“That’s our credo in a nutshell. I want our clients to understand that we have the training and the technical expertise of the large firms, yet clients can always talk to a person they know.”
Tallying the Intangibles
“We get a lot of client recognition for the little intangible things we’re able to do on our Macs,” adds Kelly. “For example, I create the company newsletter myself, using Pages. CPAs often send newsletters with canned content from various publications. But ours stands out because it has personal commentary, a look we’ve crafted ourselves, even a logo that Art designed himself on a Mac using Photoshop.
“We get so many comments that a design firm must have done it for us. But we do it with our own hands, and that personal effort shines through. It’s been so successful for us that we’re starting to develop a new website of our own using iWeb.
“Ultimately — thanks to the sheer reliability of our Mac technology and its ability to help us communicate easily and effectively — we’ve managed to build a great reputation for delivering impeccable client service. And that reputation is by far our most valuable asset.”
