Susan Hand, EA Company Profile

ot always the tax maven she is today, Susan Hand honed her people skills as a Pan Am stewardess from 1969 to 1989, where her Father was a pilot. After marrying a golf pro and starting a family, she left the airline to become a stay-at-home mom.

Licensed Enrolled Agent
Susan Hand had always done her own taxes when she was single. After she married and her family grew, filing became more complex, and she relied on the help of CPAs. But one bad experience prompted her to take matters into her own hands. She took a class through H&R Block, and her teacher was so impressed, she offered Susan a job at the local branch. Susan excelled in her new position, which she held for the next ten years. Eventually, the corporate mentality detracted from the job's appeal, so she dealt with the problem head on. With the intent of going into business for herself, she took the Enrolled Agent (EA) exam and passed the first time. Enrolled Agents are tested and licensed by the IRS to prepare tax returns and represent clients to the IRS.

It was 2001 when Susan opened her own tax preparation business in Sonoma, CA. With a clear idea of what she didn't want in her business, she was able to tailor her services to her own business ethics, and focus specifically on the services she deemed to be priority.

Her EA certification comes a deeper familiarity with IRS policies and practices, enabling her to guide her clients through the most intricate of tax issues. "I can follow my clients up from return to representation, they can count on one person." Susan has also earned her real estate license, which allows her to act as a mortgage facilitator for her clients.

Customer-Oriented, Hands-On Service and Expertise
Susan Hand makes an interesting point about the nature of her business: "A lot of ‘numbers' people aren't ‘people' people. I am." Her years in the hospitality industry have equipped her with customer service skills not typical to the tax preparation industry, and it shows—90% of her clients are referrals from existing, satisfied clients. Susan's services are very customer-oriented. She keeps her prices very competitive and her billing practices. Phone consultations are free, and she even makes house calls. "My clients are like friends. I see them around town, and I make it a point to learn about their lives and changes going on."

An avid needle pointer, quilter and church volunteer with a client base of about 100 individuals and sole proprietors, Susan Hand stays pretty busy. And although she intends to grow her client list, she'll never let it get past the point where she can give her clients the personalized attention she values so much. "I'm not doing this because I have to, but because I want to."


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