Smith Office Solutions, Inc. Company Profile

rowing up in Sacramento, California, Lynn Smith wanted to be an anthropologist. But the universe kept steering her in other directions. In high school she won awards in business and when she entered the job market she noticed that every time she took a job, regardless of the field, she ended up working in the bookkeeping department. "I didn't know why!" said Lynn, laughing. Eventually she gave in to fate and from 1986 to 1998 she ran her own tax preparation and bookkeeping service. She sold that business to pursue a passion for sailing, but came back eventually and took a job with a CPA firm that specialized in accounting for the construction industry. In time, Lynn Smith became an expert in this field as well.

In November, 2007, Lynn decided to go into business for herself again and started Smith Office Solutions (or SOS, with a nod to her passion for sailing). If a tax or accounting problem has taken the wind out of your sails, SOS will help you navigate your business and tax solutions.

Personal Attention and Quality Service
"I wanted to be able to provide quality service and personal attention," said Lynn. "I wanted to stay away from the extremes in this business, from the cheap tax preparation businesses that pop up around tax time, to the large, faceless firms that don't provide personal attention. I knew we could give great service for a fair price."

Lynn Smith also saw her new business as a way to bring her family together. There are four employees of Smith Office Solutions, and all of them are family. Lynn's daughter, Summer Smith, has over seven years of experience with QuickBooks, construction industry bookkeeping and office management. Jake Smith, her son, serves as the Systems Coordinator while his wife, Laurel Smith, is the office manager.

Integrated Software, Computer and File Systems
Lynn feels that Smith Office Solutions offers benefits that others don't, including staying abreast of cutting-edge technology. "We are a paperless office," said Lynn. "We don't retain any paper records so there's very little waste. We can email documents in any format to clients, the IRS or others with a push of a button. Our system completely integrates our tax and accounting software, our Web site and client electronic file cabinets." In fact, the Smith Office Solutions Web site allows clients to sign in and go through their own files any time day or night to retrieve or review documents they need.

Their site also offers do-it-yourself financial calculators to explore the options on mortgages, retirement, required minimum distributions of pension plans, IRAs, auto loans and more.

Specializing in Construction Industry Accounting and Tax Preparation
While the staff is able to help any individual or small business owner, the company generally serves in the highly specialized area of construction industry accounting. Construction industry accounting brings a special set of problems and challenges to the table, all of which Lynn and her staff can manage. Both Lynn Smith and Summer Smith have years of experience in this intricate and advanced field. "We are certified to train and implement three different construction industry software programs," said Lynn. "The technical aspects of construction industry accounting are much more complex than for other businesses."

An All-Inclusive Approach to Her Clients Businesses and Lives
But technical expertise aside, Lynn Smith offers something even more important: a love of her work, compassion for and a genuine interest in her clients' lives and businesses and an all-inclusive approach to accounting and tax preparation that incorporates her clients' lives and interests, not just the numbers on the paper.

"I love being able to serve and be a teacher," said Lynn. "I love learning about their lives and businesses and being able to help them. People appreciate the attention. I look for that place where they become uncomfortable with their own ability to do what needs to be done and I take it from there."

---Jim Brumm
Staff Writer
The Prime Buyer's Report