Would it be nice to speak the same business language to your accountant as you speak to your coworkers? Communication is key to long-term successful relationships, including your financial ones. Inspired by my latest tax return with mentions of APIs, AWS, iOS, SaaS, Flurry, Cloudlytics, Postini, Libsyn, Heroku, and the like… I am beginning to feel as if I am learning another language. And while I don’t know how to program, (CSS styling does not count) I can at least interpret some Bay Area conversations. Why does this matter?
In the San Francisco 7 x 7 world of Ubering, pivoting, and… oh no… no, yes, “disrupting” a lot of these terms are common place. But, believe it or not, not everyone, even in this great city, can get it. I believe there is value in having a very narrow client focus and tech happens to be one of mine. Clients have distinct needs across certain categories. Restaurateurs and Technopreneurs (made that one up) have different needs. Yes they both need a tax return, but value added services tend to come from someone who knows the industry.
I advise business owners and employees to get tax and financial help from someone who understands, at least generally, the business model. It is deeper than tax. It is your business and your future.
John Gillingham CPA performs tax and consulting work in San Francisco, specializing in: small business, tech, tax, and employee equity compensation. Assisting Delaware C-Corps, bootstrapped, crowdfunded, LLC, and funded businesses.
Other resources from John Gillingham:
Learn Accounting: https://accountingplay.com/
Get the App: Lessons, Audio, and Illustrated Accounting Flashcards for iOS on Android
Get the App: Learn Accounting Debits and Credits with the game on iOS
My Innovative Accounting Books: Amazon Kindle