A Holistic Approach to Tax Practice Management: How Brian Shaltakoff Grew His Practice to More Than 500 Clients
Every business owner knows that flexibility is a requirement for success. Being able to adapt to changing customer needs, vendor issues and work schedules is a part of the job requirement, whether the business is a shoe store, a restaurant or an...
The majority of his clients are in the Northeast, including some friends and former colleagues who’ve been a little envious of the freedom that the change in careers has given him. However, he admits that during the height of tax season it’s not unusual for him to work as late as 2:00 am.
That said, his use of advanced professional technologies is what has enabled him to build a virtual practice, which allows him to spend as much time with his family as he wants, including meals and attending his childrens’ school and sports events.
Brian’s firm scored a 193 on CPA Practice Advisor’s Productivity Survey (www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/productivity), a free online tool that helps professional tax and accounting firms measure how effective their workflow practices and technologies are, and benchmark them to similar practices.
His interest in accounting and finance started in in high school, where he enjoyed classes in math and accounting. He then received dual undergraduate degrees in accounting and finance, and an MBA in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
An active outdoorsman, Brian tries to get on the ski slopes as much as he can before the tax season starts, and also enjoys hiking and camping. He also works out with weights and an elliptical machine every day, including during tax season.
To unwind at the end of tax season, he “gets back to serenity” by taking some alone time in the mountains or traveling. Last year, he went to Port Hardy, a rugged area on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, which is known for its wilderness adventures, kayaking, caving, diving and fishing.
Brian’s wife Caren occasionally helps with the practice and is an entrepreneur in her own right, with an organizational consulting business called Clutter Be Gone (www.ClutterBeGone.net). “She’s consulted other entities for years on business efficiency issues, including time and virtual office conversion/ongoing procedure. Why not for me?” And yes, she also takes some personal vacation time to unwind a couple of times a year.
The Shaltakoffs and their sons like attending football games, and also spend time together exploring the mountains. Brian still has New York in his blood, though, and is a diehard Yankees fan.
Info Box
Brian Shaltakoff, CPA, MBA - Managing Member
Firm Name: Brian Shaltakoff CPA, PLLC
Location: New York City and Boulder, Colorado
Website: www.brianshaltakoffcpa.com
Practice Specialties: Tax compliance and planning for small businesses & busy professionals
Education: BAs in Accounting and Finance, Univ. of Connecticut; MBA, NYU Stern College of Business.
Favorite Vacation Spot: Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
Social Media:
facebook.com/pages/Brian-Shaltakoff-CPA-PLLC/177600878934046
