Joshua Katz of Universal Tax Professionals, LLC.
Tell us about yourself?
I am a US CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and I am the founder of Universal Tax Professionals, an online tax firm dedicated to helping Americans living abroad with their US tax needs.
What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?
I think the biggest misconception is that you need a lot of money and a lot of investors before your start you company. You can start your company as a side job, on weekends, or during your lunch break. Every startup started small.
If you could go back in time to any moment from your journey, and give yourself one tip, what would it be?
I would have told myself to start the business sooner. I would recommend that I start the business when I had the idea, and not when the time was right.
What makes you stand out as an entrepreneur?
I think I just got very lucky to have had some good ideas, and found great partners and employees and great clients.
What are some of the best working habits you’ve gained over the past couple of years?
I think I am not afraid to work early in the morning and late at night. When I finished college and started working at a big accounting firm, all I wanted to do was leave work early. Now that I am working for myself, I enjoy the work much more, I do not mind working early or late.
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
I think at the beginning we were inspired by other firms who were doing something similar to us but charging a lot more. We thought that we can give much better service for a fraction of the price.
Where do you see your business in five years?
I hope to continue growing the business and helping our current clients while adding new services and new clients.
What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you in getting there?
We are currently in the process of hiring and it is always tough to find great employees. Our current team is fantastic, so I want to make sure that any new employee that we hire is just as good. Our company would not be where we are today without our fantastic team.
Talk to us about your biggest success story so far?
Our biggest success is having our clients return year after year. We now have some clients who we have been working with for over 10 years.
How do clients and customers find you? Are you much of a salesperson for yourself?
I think when you have a great product you do not need to be a great salesperson. I do not think of myself as a salesperson, but I do make decisions regarding our sales. We use Google, social media, and other means to find new clients, but a lot of word of mouth.
What one tip would you give to fellow startup founders?
I would recommend that any startup founder continue to be flexible with the business. As the business grows, it will change and that is ok.
And finally, what do you hope the future brings both you personally, and your business?
I hope that our team, our business, and our clients continue to grow and we continue to have happy clients.
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