It’s the time of year that small businesses and freelancers loathe – tax season. A near-universal pain. Here at CoMotion, we have the luxury of leaning on the expertise of a few fellow and former members to get those returns filed on time. The government’s happy and we maintain our sanity for another 11 months or so.
There are always a few exceptions, but most of us aren’t in business because we love filling out tax forms. Yes, there are tons of things I love about being a freelance copywriter. But, man, I hate tax season. I have no problem paying my fair share – in fact, I even see it as my contribution to the greater good – but everything that precedes that is agony.
Expertise is just steps away.
I’m a writer. I think I’m pretty good at it, too. But this right-brained tendency makes for a pretty sizable aptitude gap when it comes to crunching the numbers. A quick glance around the space here affirms that I’m likely not alone. Even if you’re less averse than I am to the bean-counting aspects of the biz, it’s still time consuming. Time that could be spent serving clients, networking, adding the final touches to that script, or making a few more edits to that video you shot.
About 8 metres from where I’m penning this is the office of Savage Tax Service. Owner, Janice Savage, is a Commodity Tax Professional that’s been in the game for over 20 years. (I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I have no idea what a ‘Commodity Tax Professional’ is; but I do know that Janice has worked with just about every type of business under the sun. It’s safe to say, she knows her stuff!) I’m willing to bet that she’ll have a few panicked faces arrive at her door over the next few weeks.
Another one of our members, Trevor Juandoo, also provides a suite of financial services. As a Licensed Public Accountant, Trevor is qualified to complete assurance engagements for businesses needing reviews and audits. Like Janice, he’s worked with a laundry-list of business categories and professions. And, with his history and credentials, he can provide key insights and advice on how to grow and develop your business.
Accessible Alumni.
We’re also lucky to have a strong alumni network here at CoMotion. So, there are a few accounting-related businesses that may no longer occupy a spot here, but still maintain longstanding relationships with members. People like Brigitte Soares of Apostrophe Accounting, Amy and Aaron Lefleur of Stamp Bookkeeping; these are names and faces that are still a part of our community and still viable resources for members.
Connected by CoMotion.
Tax Season is definitely a time of year where the coworking concept comes to life. It’s not infrequent to see members here forging business relationships – tapping into the resources and skills within the space. But taxes and other financial guidance is a service that every business and freelancer can use. The proximity of ‘customer’ and ‘expert’ ensures that mutually beneficial arrangements can be made quickly and easily.
