One can read many “overcome your fear of failure” and “it’s never been easier to get your own business up and running” articles and get motivated enough to actually start your own business.  The day comes when you make a conscious decision to enter the uncharted waters of entrepreneurship. According to the statistics of SBA Office of Advocacy, small firms (as defined by 500 or fewer employees) represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms in the U.S. employ about half of all private sector employees. The same source; however, calls for seven out of 10 new employer firms surviving at least 2 years, half at least 5 years, a third at least 10 years, and a quarter staying in business 15 years or more.  That is a bit of a disturbing math for anyone entering the free market.

Given all pros and cons, we continue to initiate new businesses with the ambition to prove our success. It’s almost like a marriage – no one goes into it with the intention of getting a divorce.

All of us, entrepreneurs, have strong positive traits that, we believe, will outweigh the missing ingredients when it comes to running a business. My experience as an accountant working in  public accounting firms as well as in various managerial positions working for large U.S. and international companies gave me an opportunity to obtain unique skills and provided me with advantages to access diverse legal, marketing and human resources.

So starting my own business was easy, right? I am good with numbers, I have experience with working for small and large companies, and I can create and monitor my own budget and cash flow. Not as easy as it seemed – it all came down to my own strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately when you start a business from scratch, there are no funds to speak of to hire people to cover your weaknesses…and my biggest weakness was marketing (still is!).

Having 15 years experience in accounting and tax and being in my own business for 4 years, I have seen a lot of eager entrepreneurs who have exceptional vision and outstanding ideas but no focused starting point for a successful kick off. I can see how one can get lost looking at a collection of impressively made business cards – attorneys, accountants, marketing consultants, website developers, financial planners, payroll providers, realtors, mortgage brokers, bankers and other professionals (and some not such professionals as their cards say).

The fact that many of my new entrepreneur clients do not have a clear understanding of the business basics and typically come see me after they have taken some initial, and not always right for them steps, gave me an inspiration to launch Smart Start-Up where my team can offer a full start up package that is uniquely customized for a particular industry, individual or market. There are many entrepreneurship programs that are offered through various research and education programs but they all seem to be more of an academic nature rather than solution based. There are also a variety of online learning programs but I am a true believer of a face-to-face personal relationship with my clients where I can be nearly a step or a phone call away.  Every CPA should be more than just a bean counter to their clients and serve as a trusted business advisor.

My aspiration is to use my knowledge, experience, professional resources and stellar network contacts to offer a foundation for not just the start-up business owners, but also for business owners and managers who want to gain a further understanding of some of the fundamental principles associated with owning and operating a start-up or established business. I want business owners to grow in understanding of financial and accounting terms, gain confidence and improve communication skills, and explore the basics of running a business in accordance with regulatory requirements.

At the end, my success is dependent on the success of my clients and the surrounding businesses; therefore we are all partners in each other’s endeavors.

Dalia Cantor, CPA

Owner of Avalon Park Accounting