Alan grew up around his parents’ tax firm, helping with tax returns and witnessing the impact of their work. Though he initially resisted entrepreneurship, his love for numbers and helping people with taxes eventually led him to build his dream accounting firm.
Laid Off & Upgraded
“GOING INTO 2022 I WAS JUST LIKE, THERE MIGHT BE A TIPPING POINT HERE.”
Alan was disillusioned by corporate accounting’s lack of care for employees and clients. He consistently saw larger companies prioritize self-interest over well-being, leading to loyal employees (including himself) losing jobs. This spurred him to create Pruitt Prep CPA in 2018 as a tax side practice.
By 2020, his “small” firm not only hit but doubled its six-figure revenue goal. Fate intervened when Alan was laid off, a turning point he now sees as pivotal, giving him the push to commit fully to building his dream accounting firm.
PRUITT PREP CPA PROBLEMS BEFORE DREAM FIRMS
“THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE FACED WAS THE INCONSISTENCY IN OUR REVENUE STREAMS.”
Before joining Dream Firms and the “Create Your Dream Firm” program, Alan’s firm faced significant challenges, especially inconsistent revenue streams. He relied heavily on one-time services like tax prep, making financial planning difficult and leaving him worried about the firm’s stability. Without a steady source of recurring income, the business was vulnerable to seasonal demand, straining both finances and Alan’s peace of mind.
“MY BUSINESS HAD BEEN GROWING VERY SUCCESSFUL TAX RETURNS, BUT I KNEW THERE WAS KIND OF A MISSING PIECE THERE AND I WAS LIKE, HMM, WHO IS MY LARGEST CLIENTELE?”
By trying to serve everyone, the firm lacked direction and struggled to stand out in a crowded market. This diluted their brand and made it difficult to attract ideal clients. Alan regretted the missed opportunities and the challenge of competing without a strong value proposition.
“I’D DONE A LITTLE BIT OF ONLINE ADVERTISING, JUST TRYING TO GET MY NAME OUT THERE. BUT A LOT OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, NATURAL REFERRALS.”
“WE WERE DOING MAINLY TAX RETURNS THAT HELPED US GET UP TO $200,000 A YEAR. BUT I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE’RE VERY REACTIVE IN THIS PHASE OF DOING TAX RETURNS.”
Alan also recognized challenges in client retention and relationship-building, spending too much time on one-time services instead of fostering long-term connections. This led to missed opportunities for deeper client engagement and loyalty.
To grow beyond tax returns, Alan shifted his focus to proactive, year-round client support. By offering valuable insights and advice beyond tax prep, he aimed to deliver better outcomes for clients and increase the value of his firm’s services.
Alan, like many accounting firm owners, felt isolated. With inconsistent cash flow, he couldn’t afford a support team, forcing him to manage everything himself. This overwhelming workload led to mistakes and hindered his focus on growth. Handling client work, admin tasks, and planning alone took a toll on his productivity and morale, limiting the firm’s potential. To grow and build his dream firm, Alan realized he needed a dedicated team.
PRUITT PREP CPA FINDS DREAM FIRMS
Driven to provide year-round support, Alan began searching for ways to revolutionize his firm. He stumbled upon a free CPE course on marketing for accountants and unknowingly started his journey to his dream firm.
After being impressed by their free content, Alan joined Dream Firms’ Practice Ignitor Challenge, which proved that the Dream Firms team knew what they were doing He then took the final step by joining the Create Your Dream Firm program.
In the program, Alan found strategies that transformed his firm, improving services and expanding its reach, setting him on the path to continuous growth.
From Tax Preparer to In-Demand Niche Advisor
Alan’s transition from a tax preparer to an essential advisor for his clients is the real reason he was able to build his dream accounting firm. He made the commitment to stop being seen as a commodity and start being seen as an expert, and it paved the way for his dream firm.
He started by embracing his niche and tailoring packages to suit their needs better. This enabled Alan to position his practice effectively within a specific niche market.
By honing in on the needs and preferences of their ideal clients, Dream Firms was able to tailor Pruitt Prep CPA’s marketing to resonate more deeply with its target audience.
Niche Success in the Mental Health Space
As he reflected on his existing client base, Alan realized that a significant portion consisted of mental health professionals, including therapists and counselors.
This revelation came as he recognized the success of his wife’s private practice in the mental health field. With coaching guidance he accessed in our Create Your Dream Firm program, Alan embraced the idea of specializing in serving mental health professionals.
Initially hesitant about narrowing his focus to a specific industry, Alan soon discovered the tremendous benefits of his decision.
“IT’S A TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THERE’S A BIG FEAR OF LOSS WHEN WE GO, OH, I’M CUTTING OUT ALL THIS OPPORTUNITY, BUT REALLY ALL WE’RE DOING IS INCREASING THE CHANCES THAT YOU CAPTURE ANY OPPORTUNITY.”
“BEING A YEAR AND A HALF PLUS INTO IT (CHOOSING A NICHE), IT’S LITERALLY BEEN ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS.”
Choosing mental health professionals as his dream clients proved to be one of the best decisions Alan made for his accounting firm.
By aligning his services with their unique needs, he forged strong partnerships and achieved remarkable success in helping his clients grow their practices. And the best part of all, they were ready and willing to pay a premium price for Pruitt Prep’s services because they too, recognized the value Alan was delivering.
From Podcasts to the Local News: How Niche Marketing Led to a $32,000 Client
Because Alan chose a niche, Dream Firms was able to refine his marketing approach and secure exciting opportunities like speaking engagements at niche events and therapist webinars. These opportunities directly led to measurable results. For example, one webinar generated six booked calls, resulting in multiple new clients.
This strategy also helped Alan secure his largest client—$32,000 in annual recurring revenue —and significantly raised his firm’s profile in the mental health sector. Through these targeted engagements, Alan consistently attracted high-value clients, positioning his firm as a trusted expert in mental health accounting.
How Dream Firms Generated 122 5-Star Reviews For Pruitt Prep CPA
Alan’s 5-star service was clear to existing clients but not to prospects. To attract new clients and reinforce Pruitt Prep CPA’s reputation, Dream Firms launched a review generation campaign.
Within a few short weeks, Alan’s firm went from 5 to 100+ 5-star reviews.
BEFORE DREAM FIRMS:
AFTER DREAM FIRMS:
The influx of positive reviews became a game-changer for Alan’s firm, boosting credibility and trust with prospects. These five-star testimonials enhanced the firm’s online reputation, influenced client decisions, and set Alan’s firm apart from competitors. With an army of brand advocates, Pruitt Prep CPA positioned itself as a market leader, ready for continued growth and success.
From Tax Returns to $40,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue
Armed with Dream Firms’ strategies and resources to propelled his firm to new heights. Alan made the most important decision for his firm’s future- He would no longer rely on the commoditized service of tax prep. Instead, he would aim to become the go-to financial expert for his clients.
“IF WE BE MORE PROACTIVE WITH THEM… THAT GIVES THEM A BETTER RESULT. AND IF I’M BEING HONEST ON MY END, WE CAN ALSO CHARGE MORE FOR THAT AT THE SAME TIME. SO IT SERVES BOTH OF US EVEN BETTER. “
Alan’s firm shifted from focusing on tax returns to providing year-round support, helping clients save on taxes and streamline finances. This approach built strong, trusting relationships, with clients feeling heard and valued.
By offering tailored service packages, Alan positioned himself as an invaluable partner, guiding clients through complex financial matters so they could focus on their expertise.
Delivering on The Dream Accounting Firm Promise:
Pruitt Prep CPA is a firm that effortlessly attracts high-value niche clients with above-and-beyond services that don’t all fall on Alan. And, more importantly, it is a business that can run itself when Alan isn’t there and continually provide him with new opportunities to raise profits and connect with more dream clients.
How did Dream Firms help build Alan’s dream accounting firm?
If you’ve been following along with the timeline, you can see that Alan’s average client value has skyrocketed since joining the Create Your Dream Firm program. But what you might not see is that Alan was able to invest more time in marketing & firm growth and leave things like tax prep and branding to his ever-expanding team.
The Numbers That Made Alan’s Dream Accounting Firm
Utilizing our proprietary software, Dreamleads.app, over the past year, Pruitt Prep CPA has booked over 200 client appointments. That’s over 3 new appointments every week. And, in just the last two months, using our lead generation techniques, Pruitt Prep CPA has secured 73 booked calls and had their first $100,00 month. Alan doesn’t have to worry about where his next client is coming from because they’re already on his calendar.
Alan built a successful practice by himself, but it wasn’t until after he joined the Create Your Dream Firm program that he built his dream accounting firm.
From lead generation to service packaging and social proof, Alan’s partnership with Dream Firms allowed him to enhance his firm’s capabilities, streamline operations, and effectively serve clients with a comprehensive suite of services.
But a Dream Firms partnership doesn’t only boost financial gains… Running his dream accounting firm allowed Alan to purchase his dream car, expand his family, and enjoy his time off. Alan’s dream accounting firm supports his lifestyle. Does your firm do that?
