About Profit

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a software development services agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Barlin Business Solutions?

We needed help with tax preparation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Barlin Business Solutions has been able to provide consulting in addition to doing the actual tax filing and preparation. We actually went to them when we started the company, looking for insights on how to set up everything. For example, we were digital nomads, so we had a lot of questions about state-to-state issues and were looking for the right time to formally move the business to California. 

As a sole member LLC, we also were looking for personal tax advice and how to balance the business and personal tax implications of whatever decisions we make. We wanted to know how to pay ourselves and structure our salaries to avoiding any audit red flags.

As we’ve grown, we’ve had more complex things that happened. For example, our payroll company didn’t work out, and we had to handle a lot of notices with Wendy’s (Owner/Principal) advice as we fixed that. 

What is the team composition?

I just work with Wendy.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around the end of 2015, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We have someone reliable who we can talk to and work through creative solutions to our problems. Wendy is a great person to bounce ideas off of and say yes or no when appropriate.

We’ve definitely noticed considerable time savings and increased peace of mind 

How did Barlin Business Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We talk a couple of times a month just to address questions that come up. We only have 3–4 formal meetings per year. We communicate through email and phone. We did a couple of in-person meetings, but living in LA, if we don’t have to drive across town for something, we don’t.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Wendy is very prompt in responding to emails, even if it’s just a sentence to let us know what’s happening.

Are there any areas they could improve?

With the payroll company, I feel like that debacle could’ve been addressed a little bit better on her end.

Any advice for potential customers?

Just have clear communication. Wendy is prompt with her responses and isn’t afraid to ask to hop on the phone. She definitely makes time for her clients.