For more than 20 years, Travis Green had all his accounting needs covered. Or so he thought.
But when his full-time bookkeeper decided to move on, the owner and general manager of Green’s BrandSource Home Furnishings in Fort Frances, Ont., had to find another employee to mind his ledger. That second hire didn’t last nearly as long, and within a few years, Green found himself once again in need of an accountant.
This time, Travis reached out to MEGA’s in-house Expert Accounting team, a professional, full-service financial group that provides member retailers with everything from fiscal reporting and payroll processing to in-depth business analyses and advice.
The Journey Begins with Bookkeeping
At first, Green called upon Expert Accounting to simply handle his bookkeeping needs, although its role would soon evolve well beyond that. The 96-year-old business had been a MEGA member almost from the buying group’s start, and Green enjoyed what he considered a solid income selling furniture, mattresses, appliances, and accessories out of his 12,500-square-foot showroom.
Following a smooth transition to the MEGA Expert Accounting team, Green came to realize that he’d been selling himself short all those years. Through no fault of his bookkeepers, their financial focus was narrow; their business experience was limited; they were hesitant to raise red flags; and there were issues requiring attention that were off-limits to employees.
“Expert Accounting brought a different perspective and a different set of eyes to my business,” Travis said. “They picked through the numbers, pointed out areas to watch for, and were willing to bring up things that my bookkeepers may not have felt comfortable saying.”
Monthly Reports Track Performance
One of the first issues Expert Accounting brought to Green’s attention was inventory creep — a steady rise in stocking levels that was restricting the company’s cash flow. The resulting inventory reduction effort was “pretty successful”, Green said, which he attributed to the team’s monthly e-accounting reports. “The breakdowns allow me to consider key metrics on a monthly basis,” he explained, versus the day-to-day focus of his in-house staffers, who lacked a comprehensive view of the business.
What’s more, Expert Accounting provided Travis with margin comparisons to fellow MEGA members — anonymously, of course — so that he could better gauge his marketplace performance.
In due time, Expert Accounting also assumed the payroll function for Green’s BrandSource Home Furnishings, which further streamlined operations. “They handle the payroll systems for us, which is nice,” Green said. And, taken together, outsourcing his accounting duties “allows our staff to focus on selling and to spend less time on the backend,” he noted.
“They know the furniture and appliance categories, they operate within them every day, and they had been very successful in their own businesses. They get back to me promptly, answer my questions and let me pick their brains.”
– Travis Green
The business is further bolstered by its around-the-clock access to the Expert Accounting team, led by Accountant Jason Good, a past business owner and retail comptroller, and General Manager Ron Muller, himself a former home furnishings retailer. “It’s great to have someone with experience to use as a sounding board,” Green said. “They know the furniture and appliance categories, they operate within them every day, and they had been very successful in their own businesses. They get back to me promptly, answer my questions and let me pick their brains.”
Enjoying Exponential Growth
It’s been five years now since Travis Green first brought in Expert Accounting, and over that time his sales have increased by more than $1 million. “I’ll take some of the credit for that,” he laughed, “but there’s no question that we’ve had huge increases since we started with them. We’ve grown considerably.”
What’s more, Green has also grown as a businessman. “They helped me learn different aspects of the business that I didn’t consider when it was handled internally,” he said.
“I would strongly recommend that dealers take a look at Expert Accounting. They are people you can trust. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t consider their service.”
– Travis Green
Little wonder then that he urges his fellow MEGA dealers to look into Expert Accounting services. “Many family-owned businesses have family members handling their bookkeeping,” he observed, and their limited scope may be depriving their companies of greater profits and performance. As well, bringing in the MEGA Expert Accounting team can spare owners the stressful and disruptive cycle of hiring, losing and finding new financial personnel, he said.
“I would strongly recommend that dealers take a look at Expert Accounting,” Travis concluded. “They are people you can trust. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t consider their service.”
About Expert Accounting
Expert Accounting is the seven-year-old financial services arm of MEGA Group. Led by General Manager Ron Muller and Accountant Jason Good, both of whom ran successful small businesses, the Expert Accounting team is attuned to the needs of the independent retailer and is well versed in the ways of the appliance and home furnishings categories. The staff is available around-the-clock to provide accurate and timely financial support that extends from monthly profit & loss statements and year-end tallies, to payroll processing, rebate submissions, accounts payable reports, and financial advice, all for a competitive fee.
For more information, contact:
- Ron Muller, rmuller@megagroup.ca, 1-778-477-0040
- Jason Good, jgood@megagroup.ca, 1-866-956-5328
- or visit www.expertaccounting.ca.