I just finished up an IM conversation with my partner Bill (partner in Diane Kennedy’s Tax Services, our new tax firm). We were looking at different solutions for tax prep for our virtual offices. I’m sure there are other medium sized firms who are completely virtual, but you wouldn’t know it from the solutions we’re finding. In other words, not that many choices.
One program had a complete paperless office set up as well as server resident programs. That would help with client confidentiality as well. There as a flat cost for each of the modules of the program and the cost per preparer would be $1300/each. The cost really adds up.
So Bill called the company. He kept talking until he got up the ladder and then explained what we were doing with our firm and all the marketing we do. You know what the price ended up being? ZERO! ZIP! NADA! I couldn’t believe it when Bill told me that.
“Why?” I asked.
“They hope we become their clients,” he replied.
“But if it’s free, why does it matter?” Then I stopped. I knew the answer. They wanted to use us for testimonials and as the poster child of how a rapidly growing company can successfully use their software to fuel the growth.
Cool.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
The power of asking is amazing - and there’s no downside!
June 10th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
If you don’t ask, the answer is always “no.”
But, have you ever thought that the things that make a good entrepreneur will drive you crazy if your teenager does them?
June 11th, 2008 at 5:14 am
>>But, have you ever thought that the things that make a good entrepreneur will drive you crazy if your teenager does them?<<
Hahahaha!
June 11th, 2008 at 5:17 am
That is so true about the power of asking. There has been so many times I have walked away from something or someone without asking questions or asking for something I wanted. There is always the fear that you are bothering someone. In reality most people like to help. That’s how I got my blog up by asking questions and finally getting an answer that clicked in my head.