July 24, 2018

Client Spotlight: SweatFixx

July 24, 2018

Sweat Fixx is a boutique fitness studio specializing in low impact, high-intensity full body Row and Sculpting workouts. Owner and ex-college basketball player Elise Caira was inspired to launch SweatFixx to help others discover challenging, fun and effective workouts that won’t put unnecessary stress on client’s joints. After two reconstructive knee surgeries, Elise learned firsthand just how many workouts and group fitness classes put a ridiculous amount of stress on the joints. Combining her skills as a personal trainer, yogi, group fitness instructor, and social media consultant she launched her first SweatFixx studio in January 2017 in Wakefield.

“Working with Tristan enabled me the ability to spend time on other areas of the business instead of having to worry about tracking the financials and staying up with tax requirements.” - Elise Caira, Founder & Owner, SweatFixx

Elise initially hired Tristan CPA for tax services, but once the business started taking off she knew she would need more help. By the time she opened the second studio in Arlington in September 2017 she had gone from 6 contract employees to 1 employee and 15 contractors. Having experienced Tristan’s services for taxes, she trusted he would continue to provide highly skilled work for SweatFixx accounting and payroll. Elise says: “Working with Tristan enabled me the ability to spend time on other areas of the business instead of having to worry about tracking the financials and staying up with tax requirements.”

In just 18 months, SweatFixx has become a brand that people recognize in the area, something that Elise is proud to say that she has accomplished without any investors or other partners. By outsourcing her accounting and payroll early on she was able to grow and scale the business quickly! Asked if she has advice for other entrepreneurs, Elise says: “It’s so much easier to start and stay organized from the very beginning. Keeping good records and having someone help you keep your financials in order from the start will save you so much time in the long run!

Learn more: SweatFixx

Featured

Mar 26, 2020

CARES Act - Senate Coronavirus Economic Relief Bill and How It Impacts Individuals and Small Businesses

Mar 26, 2020

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, H.R. 748 was just passed through the Senate late Wednesday's night March 26, 2020. This $2 Trillion economic aid package aims to stimulate the economy as it suffers from the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. This 880-page bill contains a plethora of provisions that are related to small businesses and individual taxpayers. These key measures are summarized below.

This bill still has to pass through House and sign by the President and therefore there might be additional changes.

Mar 26, 2020

Oct 23, 2018

Client Spotlight: SA PA Vietnamese Kitchen

Oct 23, 2018

Ky Nguyen, owner of the popular downtown lunch spot SA PA Vietnamese Kitchen, has this advice for other wannabe food entrepreneurs: make sure you have a strong team behind you. When he opened his business in 2012 he made outsourcing the accounting part of the plan. With a growing business including a food truck, brick-and-mortar location, and catering services he was going to have his hands very very full.

One of the first things that Tristan CPA did was to help reorganize the categories that SA PA was using for their financial statements, including their Profit & Loss account. This helped Ky get the most accurate and up to date information so he could make critical business decisions along the way. He says: “It’s good to have another person to talk over all of the financial information with. And Tristan is great, because he gets the business.”

Running a restaurant is a tough business, one where profit margins often run very tight. With a strong staff behind him, and consistent and reliable accounting from Tristan CPA, Ky says that he is proud to see SA PA turning a profit that supports the growth of his employees and business. He enjoys seeing happy customers devouring his carefully crafted egg-rolls, banh mi, pho, and savory bowls, knowing that he’s got “a good numbers guy” on his side that lets him focus on the food and his customers.

Check out SA PA Vietnamese Kitchen!

92 Bedford Street. Boston, MA 02111

Oct 23, 2018

Sep 27, 2018

Accounting In-House vs. Outsourced

Sep 27, 2018

Reliable and accurate accounting is key to the success of any business, but many business owners struggle when it comes to the decision of whether to hire an in-house or outsourced accountant. Being able to clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of each will help you to decide which type of investment is best for your growing business. Below we outline three common scenarios that business owners face around accounting.

Keep in mind that there’s no one-size fits all answer to whether or not you should outsource your accounting work. Therefore we would strongly suggest that you weigh your options carefully, and seek a professional opinion on your specific situation.

Scenario I: You have, or are considering hiring, a full time accountant for your office.

Having an accountant on staff may provide more access and day-to-day control, but these minor advantages can be quickly outweighed by the cost and inflexibility of the scenario. A full-time accountant requires the same competitive salary, recruitment costs, office space, equipment, supplies, software licenses, and benefits as any other employee. On top of being costly, your accountant’s experience will be limited to your business, giving them less exposure to different problems, and their ability to increase production along with demand may be more limited than an outsourced accountant.

Scenario II: You or an employee are doing, or are planning to do, your own accounting work in-house using simple software.

As a business owner you may be thinking that you know your business best, and can rely on software to let you take care of accounting needs. It certainly appears to be the quickest and most cost-effective way to get started, but the increased risk of costly errors won’t be worth it. An employee turning ‘bookkeeper’ for a growing business is also dangerous for several reasons, the most dangerous being that the employee will lack the accounting knowledge needed to properly advise a growing or struggling business. Professional accountants are able to provide an unparalleled level of advice, as they are able to see much further into your business than you think.

Scenario III: You have, or are thinking of finding, an accountant that takes care of your books.

With advances in technology and the cloud, outsourced accounting has become a scalable, affordable option for many small to large businesses. An outsourced firm can provide much of the same ‘real-time’ access you would have with an in-house accountant with the advantage of reducing the burden of manual reporting by internal employees, eliminating costly mistakes.

Every accounting firm has different rates, pricing policies, and client experiences, so be diligent in your research and speak directly with the firms. Does the accountant treat you like another paycheck, or do they feel like part of the team that genuinely cares about your businesses success? Here’s a quick checklist of questions to ask:

What are your response times for questions?
Do you have a fixed cost package?
Do you work solo or on a team?
Do you offer a full service accounting solution?
Do you offer professional business advice?
Do you offer professional representation in case of an audit?

These are just some of the things that we provide at Tristan CPA. To learn more about how you can save money and still have high quality accounting service, contact us or get started today with our Quickbooks Review service!

Sep 27, 2018