My wife Connie and I are entrepreneurs. Over the years we’ve run 20 or more different companies. Some of them have been fledgling start-ups, while others have been billion dollar, full-blown organizations. While it is always our intent to be successful with these business ventures and make money, we’re realistic – some are profitable and some aren’t. However, at the end of the day, it all flows back to one personal tax return – Connie’s and mine – and we need to make sure that we’re maximizing the benefits of each of our investments. While they may be businesses, they are our family businesses. That’s where Teryn, Carrie and the team at ATKG have been very helpful over the years.
Our relationship started off small, with the firm doing the accounting for one of our ranches. It scaled relatively quickly as we started to see the value in our partnership. Teryn was big picture and insightful, suggesting that Connie and I do X, Y and Z; after consideration and some discussion, we found ourselves agreeing, so we did, in fact, do X, Y and Z. ATKG offered a lot of planning advice that helped us get the greatest benefits for our numerous family-run businesses in a way that was most advantageous to us, personally – the owners.
Today, ours has evolved into a total personal relationship with ATKG. While Teryn, Carrie and the team consistently provide us with accurate financial reporting for our companies to help us effectively run those businesses and they make sure our direction to go in — not necessarily on whether we should do it, but how to do it properly, accounting and taxes are done correctly and timely, our relationship is much more than that. Connie and I look to them as consultants to provide us perspective, advice and counsel on what legally and taking into account our existing planning.
We look to ATKG to proactively guide us in determining how to structure our companies, organize entities for our children and identify any pitfalls we might be missing. We respect Teryn and Carrie, so we listen. With that said, I know they shake their heads in disbelief when they hear some of the things we want to do, and I’ll admit that we’ve gotten caught up in the business euphoria once or twice and have gotten burned when we didn’t listen to them. Teryn is kind enough to smile and keep shaking her head, keeping her “I told you so” to herself. Again, our respect runs deep, so we’re far from offended when this happens.
More than anything else, I want things done right. I want to follow the rules, but also get every benefit I’m entitled to, on behalf of my family. I have confidence that ATKG helps me achieve those objectives. There’s no question in my mind that ATKG has saved me – and ultimately my family — millions of dollars over the years.
