Advisory Services

We offer value added services that help you structure and manage your business to its best advantage. We help new businesses get off the ground and provide objective assessments of existing ones. We help you establish policies and procedures to protect vital assets and perform audits to ensure the integrity of your records. You reap the benefit of increased efficiency, control, and insight.

New Business Formation

Are you thinking of joining the ranks of small business owners? Along with a great idea and strong sense of the market you’ll serve, you’ll need a business and financial advisor who can help your dream take flight while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.

We can help you:

Develop or refine your business plan with the associated pro forma financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow) and budget
Select a business structure that suits your needs by considering tax advantages, legal exposure, ease of operation, and portability
Develop partnership agreements, as needed, to avoid financial and/or emotional trauma downstream
Prepare and file all required state and local licenses and permits.
Make application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.
Identify start-up capital needs and available resources to address them
Examine your borrowing power and provide coaching on how to cultivate a mutually beneficial banking relationship
Identify your business insurance needs
Select the right accounting software and establish the appropriate chart of accounts
Establish billing and collection procedures to maximize your cash flow
Establish procedures to monitor and control costs
Provide payroll and payroll tax filing when and if you hire employees

We’re eager to get your business off to a good start.

Business Valuation

We provide objective assessments of business interests by helping you identify and analyze the relevant factors that drive value. We examine:

The strength and stability of the customer base and the associated revenue stream
Prospects for growth given the available market and competitive positioning
The overall financial health of the business
Valuations for comparable entities

The results inform your decision making as you buy or sell business interests, forge partnerships, negotiate with third parties for debt or equity financing, navigate martial separation, or settle estates. Our professionals can serve as advisors during due diligence and provide expert testimony in legal proceedings.

Internal Controls

We help you establish appropriate internal controls to ensure proper handling of resources and guard against employee theft. Some best practices include:

Segregating duties across multiple individuals to minimize exposure to error and inappropriate behavior
Establishing lines of authority and the associated processes for transaction approval
Assigning responsibility for periodic review and reconciliation of financial records by someone who was not involved in executing transactions or preparing statements
Scheduling periodic manual counts of equipment, inventory, and other tangible property to ensure alignment with the accounting records
Documenting policies and procedures as guideposts for your employees’ day-to-day activities
Training employees on their respective job duties and establishing appropriate levels of ongoing supervision
Reviewing operations to ascertain whether results are consistent with established goals, objectives, and protocols

Audits, Reviews, and Compilations

We offer three levels of assessment of your financial statements based on your company’s needs:

An audit is the highest level of assurance that we can provide. It entails a systematic examination of the financial statements, internal controls, and selected transactions for purposes of expressing a professional opinion on the fairness of the information provided.
A review is a more limited investigation to provide some level of assurance that material modifications to the financial statements need not be applied. Testing primarily consists of high level examination, year-over-year comparison, inquiry, and analysis. It does not examine back-up data to substantiate the financial data. A review may suffice for selected outside interests.
A compilation presents client-supplied data in financial statement format. No assurance is provided by the accountant as no testing, inquiry, or analytical procedures are performed. This service typically serves an internal audience.