Today I manage a well-run, profitable firm servicing 7000 personal and business clients, but it wasn’t always that way. 

Ten years ago, the business was running us, instead of us running the business. Our office was chaotic; tax season meant putting in 100 hour weeks and at one point we had 100% staff turnover.

I continually had to step in and take over the work our employees were doing so the clients could get their work done on time. The few weeks I did manage to take off during the off season weren’t really a vacation; I would still have to keep in continuous contact with the office to make sure things stayed under control during my absence.
 
All that changed when a colleague in Missouri told me about his experiences with Sterling. My parents, who founded and still worked at the company, and I decided to follow his advice and see what Sterling could do to bring our personnel trouble under control. Why reinvent the wheel when we could just cut and paste his successful actions into our practice?

With Sterling’s help, we managed to hire high-quality staff and train them to do their jobs effectively. Our employee turnover rate dropped from 100% to zero. Putting in place the organizational systems Sterling teaches, we managed to reduce the clutter and double-work, boosting productivity, profitability and the quality of our customer service.

Since starting with Sterling, my parents were able to cut their hours and have now retired, but because everyone in the company knew their jobs, the transition was seamless and we have continued to grow. 

Just as important, I am able to lead a balanced life. Because the office runs smoothly, I work 20 hours less per week during tax season. The rest of the year, instead of working five days a week, I only work three. I now take ten weeks of vacation instead of four. And, when I am out of the office, I am truly out. I am not constantly calling in to check up on staff or put out fires. I have staff I can trust to do their jobs in my absence.

Over the last ten years, I have experienced, first hand, how Sterling can help a business owner achieve his or her professional and personal goals. I am very grateful to that Missouri accountant who told me about Sterling - it made a huge difference in my life – and am glad to pass that same advice along to other financial professionals who are overworked, underpaid and under stress.

Stephen E. Hall, EA