Many people look at small to medium sized accounting firms as just providing the basis services.
Often times CPA’s get ‘pigeonholed’ by both clients and others in the business community; thinking that virtually all CPA’s provide (pretty much) just those basic accounting and tax services and nothing more.
Although many CPA’s (and their firms) are comfortable with that assessment, the many hours of education and training, prepare CPA’s for even more specialized services.
We took the approach in the early ‘90’s that there are areas whereby clients are being under-served.
We felt the areas where clients were being under-served were:
Multi-generational tax and estate planning
Asset protection (in the form of what type of entity should be used to hold, manage, produce or provide certain assets or services.
Merger and Acquisition (of businesses).
CFO or ‘business partnering’ services.