Oct 10, 2019
Ben Golden lives in Thomasville, Alabama, which is a town of only 1800 people. He sold his practice in Florida five years ago and purchased a construction company, but he wanted to get back into the business, just not the compliance side. He saw Michael’s program, but had some major concerns about living in a rural area.
[4:00] Ben’s original practice did the things that a traditional accounting firm would do other than auditing. Buying the construction company was a lucky move for Ben but he couldn’t get away from his love of helping people with their taxes, he just wanted to get out of the compliance game.
[5:45] When Ben got out of college he worked for a regional firm in San Francisco for a few years before moving back to Alabama and buying his first accounting practice. He grew that business pretty quickly, but the trouble came when he agreed to sign a client’s payroll account.
[6:50] The client didn’t pay his payroll taxes and the agent at the IRS failed to follow procedures correctly and started chasing Ben to cover the $170,000 in taxes the client owed. Ben looked into the procedures and learned that she had acted inappropriately, which led him to push back on the IRS and speak to the agent’s territory manager.
[10:00] The final result was that the agent was pulled off the case and given a 30-day suspension. The client subsequently went out of business and only paid $35,000 of the total amount. Ben didn’t have to pay anything that he was originally assessed for.
[11:30] If we see something that’s not fair, we stand up and fight. What the IRS tried to do to Ben was criminal and is an example of what makes tax resolution and IRS representation so important.
[12:20] The IRS essentially violated all of Ben’s privacy rights, which is why he was compelled to pursue the issue. Ben has also had experience having his tax identity stolen a few years prior.
[15:00] When Ben purchased the Tax Domination system, he wanted to plan and set his company up for the greatest amount of success he could. He studied the material in the program for several months before even starting his business.
[17:40] Ben landed his first client at the end of 2017 and it was a $25,000 case. That first client proved to Ben that he could make some real money in this business while also helping people who really needed it.
[19:30] This past August was Ben’s biggest month ever with over $100,000 in revenue. He projects that he will generate about $300,000 by the end of his second full year in business. Ben operates completely remotely so all communication with clients is done over the internet.
[20:50] Ben has been focused on the lessons in the Tax Resolution system and implementing them the same way as Michael said to do, with some minor modifications due to the nature of the remote work. For Ben, the number one thing is to take a proven strategy and replicate it.
[23:00] As an enrolled agent or a CPA, you don’t have to be licensed in all 50 states to operate all over the country. You just have to be in good standing in your home state. Ben currently has clients in Hawaii, California, and Alaska. The key is to have a good plan on how you want clients to come in.
[24:00] Pricing is very important, it should be done in a way that you show the value of what you do instead of billing per hour. The fee schedule is a major asset.
[26:30] Communication and setting expectations correctly are crucial to a positive customer experience, even if you can’t get that customer the greatest result. Clients feeling abandoned is a common problem in the industry. You need to communicate with your clients, especially when there is nothing going on with their case.
[28:30] Locate your bottlenecks and do your best to clear them away. Do your best to teach every client that you work with that you work hard for them. Being a specialized technician with specialized knowledge doesn’t guarantee success any longer.
[31:00] When Ben started his practice in Florida, he was charging $35 an hour for his work because he didn’t feel like he was worth more than that. Now the education he’s received has given him the confidence to charge higher rates that actually reflect the value of what he’s providing.
[34:30] There are so many people that need help. There’s enough business for everybody since everyone in this country knows someone with a tax problem. The business involves hard work so bring the passion and you will find success.
Mentioned in this episode:
Golden Tax Relief
Michael Rozbruch's Tax & Business Solutions
Academy