Why This Tax Preparer Ditched Drake for SBA | SBA Podcast EP 29

Baldeep (00:00)
All right, welcome. We are here with another Service Bureau Accelerator interview series. I’m here with Laquesha and Ross. Ross, if you want to go ahead and kick it off.

Ross (00:10)
Yeah, so Kesha, welcome. Hello. Thanks for jumping in. How you doing? Very good. Very good. Very good. Awesome. Thanks. Thanks for jumping in. For these calls, you know, we always like to hear from our members, you know, their experience with Service Bureau Accelerator and everything like that. But maybe you want to kick it off for the audience listening. Maybe just share a little bit of, you know, your background. Introduce yourself, you know, share your experience in the industry and how you ended up jumping in with SBA.

Laquesha (00:12)
Hey, how you doing? I’m great and you?

Laquesha (00:38)
Well, I’ve been doing taxes since 2009. I started my tax business in 2009 and I’m just a preparer and I guess around 20, what’s this, 24, 25, maybe around 22, 2020 I started wanting to build a team, you know, build a team of tax preparers under me. So I kind of got with, I think it was Crosslink, I got Crosslink and I’m…

So no, I always with Drake. I was a Drake customer. I had Drake for the entirety, yeah, from 2009 all the way up to 2020. And so I got Crosslink and no, I got with Drake and I started having a team under me, but I spent so much money because with Drake, they don’t have it to where you can have people under you and they have access to it. You have to buy like a…

Ross (01:11)
You’re drinking that Kool-Aid.

Baldeep (01:13)
Yeah.

Laquesha (01:33)
Get the name of it but you have to pay extra. You have to buy the software for like $1,500 then you have to pay an extra amount for people to have access to it, right? So I spent a lot of money so I started searching for other software so that’s when I got with Crosslink to build to continue building my team and then I found somehow stumbled upon SBA. I actually stumbled upon SBA before I got with Crosslink but I didn’t jump on the call then. The next year I did and man I…

After that I was like, dang, I wish I would have found you guys so much sooner. I feel like I would have been so much further, but yeah.

Ross (02:11)
Very famous words by a lot of our members. I wish it was sooner.

Laquesha (02:14)
Yeah, I’m like, man, I should have took that call when I missed the meeting. But the next year I took the call, I got in with SBA and I’ve been with you guys. I think this will be my fourth tax season.

Ross (02:28)
Yeah, I think it’s the third coming up. I think we just, yeah, third coming up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, awesome. So you were kind of building your team, hitting a bit of bottlenecks just with being able to scale it, right, with the fees and everything like that. What was, so I mean, was that something that you were always wanting to do, recruit? Oh, yeah, no worries, I’ll repeat. I was just curious, like, so what was really the major…

Laquesha (02:30)
Yeah, my third. This is my third season here. Yeah.

Baldeep (02:33)
Yeah.

Laquesha (02:44)
Kind of breaking up. Say that again? I’m sorry.

Ross (02:52)
Deciding factor that ultimately led you to be in a Service Bureau. It sounded like you were kind of already wanting to grow a team. And then was it just kind of like the perfect fit where you could have the licenses and you can continue to do what you’re doing? Like what was the decision ultimately make you jump in with Service Bureau Accelerator?

Laquesha (03:09)
Because when you’re working with, when you have teams working under you, basically they’re using your EFIN, right? So I wanted to be able to resell software to where I could have EROs under me and they could use their own EFIN. And so that’s what kind of, when I took the call, I’m like, man, this is the perfect thing. So because I was able to sell the software and still, so my team that I had under me, I initially started gradually.

Giving them the opportunity to grow their own team to start, you know, have getting software, getting on EFIN and getting software in that way. And now where I am now, I’m weaning myself out of being in the office to where I could just, you know, sell software.

Ross (03:51)
Yeah, support, support your EROs and sell software. Yeah. Yeah. So it was just like, it was just like the perfect fit because you’re already kind of building a team. You’re like, well, now I can actually get them to become their own ER, become an ERO and provide them with software. So it was just like, just exactly what you’re looking to do. Yeah. Perfect. Cause I know there’s a lot of people out there that are, are trying to do that. We hear a lot like people trying to like franchise their business. Right. And it’s like, this is being a Service Bureau is the best path to be able to do that. Kind of similar to how you’re growing a team and want to

Laquesha (03:53)
Yeah.

Laquesha (04:07)
Yes, exactly.

Ross (04:19)
Want to do that as well. So awesome. So what is that? Have you kind of continued along with that strategy like for growing your Service Bureau? Because you, you just about doubled last last season, right? Compared to the previous year. What was kind of the strategy for growing that volume? Was it kind of recruiting more preparers? Did you go after more EROs? What did that look like for you?

Laquesha (04:39)
Well, I added two, maybe three EROs that wasn’t a part of my team initially. But basically, it’s like transitioning them from a PTIN holder to getting their own EFIN and then purchasing software.

So I kind of started with them. Now I’m starting to like try to recruit more people that’s outside of my group. But basically I’m trying to get more of my people to go out on their own. Not like, cause everybody don’t want to have their own EFIN. Some people are okay like that. But my goal is to get out of the office, you know, let the office run itself and kind of like pour into the people. And then, you know, once the tax season started, I could just be their support while they, you know, help the people do taxes.

Ross (05:25)
Yeah, yeah, 100%. Not solid. So looking at our program, like you’ve been in, so I guess you, yeah, you joined in 23, so that was before we rolled out the seven day launch, right? So you kind of saw that shift a little bit. What’s been your experience going through our training that we have with Service Bureau Accelerator, just kind of like learning how we talk about making offers and marketing and all that kind of stuff. What’s coaching calls as well?

Laquesha (05:39)
Yes.

Laquesha (05:51)
What I love about that is that you all don’t gatekeep. You, you all the same way that y’all got me is the way that you train us to get other people like to stay on them, to the programs that y’all are. And it’s like, you don’t have to go and hire a coach because I already have coaches that I, you know, it comes with the package. Like you all are always there, want a call away like literally. So, I mean, it’s great. The training is immaculate. I really couldn’t ask for anything more.

Ross (06:21)
Awesome, awesome.

Laquesha (06:22)
I really feel like I haven’t taken full advantage of it though, because like I say, I’m part way still in the office and then part way, you know, but you know.

Ross (06:29)
Yeah.

Well, you got some, hopefully you got some time now over the summer, right? Just to go back through all the training. That’s always something, right? Just kind of going through. And even if you’ve watched the training, if you’ve gone through the training before, it’s like, you can always go through it again. And there’s gonna be tons of more stuff that you’re gonna learn and hear different things and understand other concepts that maybe you missed the first time through. So yeah, awesome, awesome. Cool, so training, coach calls talked about that. As far as support goes, that’s another thing that comes up a lot when we’re talking with the EROs where they’re like,

Laquesha (06:36)
Yes. Yeah.

Ross (07:02)
In the peak of the tax season and they need help and you know they reach out to their to their software provider and they don’t get any. It’s hard to get support when they need it. Do you want to talk a little bit on your experience and I don’t mean like the tech support in the software but I your direct support with us with Service Bureau Accelerator or ticketing platform. What’s that been like for you? Have you been leveraging that a lot? Any feedback on like the support team?

Laquesha (07:24)
Yes, I use it a lot.

Baldeep (07:26)
I can vouch for seeing quite a few tickets.

Ross (07:26)
I always, I always, always, always preface those questions that I look over at Baldeep and he’s just like gritting is like, OK, he’s got he’s got some insight on your on your use of the support system.

Laquesha (07:39)
Yeah, like I really do use the tickets. I had a ERO that was like I already had signed up with somebody. She’d already came on with them and she’d already did a banking product and whatever and I talked to her into giving me a shot and I put in a ticket and it was no problem for you guys to like get everything reversed to get her under me. I think within a couple of days, the support is great.

Baldeep (08:06)
Yeah, so kind of piggybacking on that, a lot of people overlook this and it’s hard to quote unquote promote, but in a lot of, I think I remember like they’re already enrolled, so it was rejected, this and that and that. There’s a lot of little steps that need to happen to get something like that resolved. The problem is if you don’t know what to do or what to say or how to say the thing you need to accomplish to the bank so it makes sense to them.

That’s where shit kind of gets lost and people get frustrated. So like in those scenarios when you say, this is what I’m trying to do, we already know, okay, this is what’s happening. This is how we need to present it so that we can get the resolution that we need for our members. So there’s a little bit of insight for the millions watching at home. You know, just knowing what to ask or how to ask it or how to present it to the right people. The other problem is, I’m not gonna make this call about talking negatively about the banks is but,

Ross (09:02)
Yeah.

Baldeep (09:03)
When you call up their standard bank support, the person answering the phone is very seasonal. They don’t really know how lot of this stuff works. And it ends up being really frustrating, which is why two years ago, I believe, we ended up taking the majority of bank support over internally, just because a little situations like that. So it’s not like, reach out to the bank and they’ll help you. And then the person that’s on the phone just their first season and they don’t know what a Service Bureau is or how anything works. So.

Ross (09:33)
The funny story on that too is that when that first came up, I was jumping in and kind of assisting with support a little bit too. And I was like, well, this is, you know, like we’re the software provider, right? We’re like the Service Bureau, like, well, we don’t really have a whole lot to do with the banks as far as like our control or authority. Like we have, they’re a completely separate entity. And I was like, well, why are we handling all this stuff? We should just like kick them over the banks. That’s the bank’s job to do that. And Baldeep’s like, no, no, no, you don’t understand. Like the way that we need to ask questions, the way that we need to present the information, we can just take it on ourselves and we can get things done way faster. And so sure enough, I was like, once I started seeing it, I was like, okay, yeah, that’s 100 % true.

Baldeep (10:11)
I think that specific example was like, you know, the time of year we don’t really deal with it. Like, but you’ll deal with it more. Laquesha is like your ERO is asking for loans and maybe you for your office asking for loans. And we’re also like, well, why are we dealing with ERO loans? Like that should be for the bank and thing. And I’m like, yeah, you’re right. But then it just causes a frustrating experience. Here’s why here’s let’s just get the information we need. Cause we know what they’re going to ask for. Let’s just get it and present it and get it done. Right. And that’s kind of the philosophy we took over and just taking over banks.

Ross (10:35)
Yeah.

Baldeep (10:41)
Internally as much as possible right there’s some things that will require them calling the bank about they want to hear specifically from the ERO but then nowadays we can pretty much get most stuff done for our Service Bureaus and their EROs without having to involve them.

Laquesha (10:55)
Yeah, just like you said, you guys kind of know already what we need when we tell you. They’re seasonal. It’s their first season. You know, they just like, they’re day two of training or whatever, and they really don’t know. Sometimes you call them and they don’t know. You hang up the phone and talk to the next person and then they know. If you get someone that’s seasoned, they kind already know. Yeah, just hang up and call the next person.

Ross (11:14)
Yeah, just hang up and call again and hope.

Baldeep (11:21)
That’s a good strategy.

Ross (11:24)
Awesome, awesome. So looking forward to this year, obviously we got the convention coming up. But what are you kind of like the most excited for for your Service Bureau? Like do you have, you kind of like come up with your goal for this year? Like what you’re really looking to achieve?

Laquesha (11:41)
Well, I’m really excited about to see what the elite program is offering to enrich my Service Bureau. But I’m doing a CRM with a tax academy. So I’m offering more to my software package because, you know, like now everybody wants to be a Service Bureau, right? Everybody wants to be a Service Bureau. And not only that, the software companies are kind of like, well, not Drake. Drake is so expensive, but.

Baldeep (12:08)
Hahaha!

Ross (12:09)
No.

Laquesha (12:10)
I was so stuck on Drake before, you know, but I’m like, man, I was over paying so many EROs, but yeah.

Baldeep (12:15)
They just went more, they were more expensive now than they were back then.

Laquesha (12:18)
I know they start they go up every year, but yeah, so I’m more excited about add more value to my Service Bureau offering my EROs more support and like pulling away from doing tax returns so I could pour more into them.

Ross (12:32)
Yeah, awesome. Yeah, that’s a that’s I was actually just talking with someone who she just recently joined her program. And I just having a quick call with her earlier today. And that’s like, that’s exactly her goal. She’s like, I’m, I’m just tired of dealing with everyone calling me at like two in the morning asking where their money’s at. It’s like all these people who never talked to me all year. And then suddenly they’re just, you just won’t won’t stop lighting up my phone during the season. So that was her big goal to is like, let’s make that transition away from

Laquesha (13:05)
It is, yeah. Yeah.

Ross (12:58)
Having to run the tax office and just be the software provider. It’s a much more relaxing tax season too when you can kind of sit back and just handle support when it’s needed. So awesome, awesome. So one of my last questions for you and then then Baldeep will ask one more for you. But my last question is if there’s…

Ross (13:17)
Someone who’s kind of looking at joining Service Bureau Accelerator, right? Maybe there have been, as you said, a lot of people are interested in becoming Service Bureau these days. And there’s more options available today as well. But if someone’s looking at joining Service Bureau Accelerator, what would you say to them? What would be your comment or suggestion?

Laquesha (13:33)
I’ll tell them it’s a great opportunity. I mean, I’ve actually sent two people to join the Service Bureau Accelerator, two of my peers that kind of like started with me. And I have one that’s on my team now that’ll probably be joining next year once she, you know, I offer her the resell program to help me sell software this year. And next year when she build up her EROs, I’m gonna actually turn over to you guys rather than trying to, you know, gatekeep to myself. I don’t never want to stunt no one’s growth, you know?

But I would tell them it was a good move, a great move, actually.

Ross (14:08)
Awesome. Appreciate it.

Baldeep (14:08)
Awesome, we appreciate that. Now one final thing and then we’ll let you go. So one of the millions of people watching this on YouTube, right, somebody’s gonna say, hey, I wanna work with Laquesha. How could they find you? Where do they look you up? How do they get in touch?

Laquesha (14:26)
Well, they can find me on Facebook or they can call me. It’s okay to get myself normal.

Baldeep (14:32)
I’d recommend giving a business number.

Ross (14:34)
A business line.

Laquesha (14:37)
Well, you know, like I don’t know about y’all, but my cell number, it started off personal, but it’s nothing personal about it. I got my own personal line, but they can reach me at 214-335-8139, or they can find me on Facebook, Laquesha Massie, and we can get it going.

Baldeep (14:56)
Well, we’ll go ahead and wrap this up. Thanks for being here, Laquesha, and we’ll see you in a few weeks at the convention.

Laquesha (15:02)
Okay, thank you.