Meet Kelly Flaherty CPA, LLC

Thanks for sharing your story with us Kelly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Many folks ask me how in the world I got from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX to working in public accounting for PwC to starting my own boutique accounting firm in Atlanta, GA. Before I get into the story, I need to say that the past several years have been an amazing journey to say the least, and I’m extremely blessed with such incredible support from family and friends. I know for a fact that I would not be where I am today without their help. Their courage and conviction inspire me everyday to be the best I can be both personally and professionally. And so without further adieu, here’s the story of how Kelly Flaherty CPA, LLC came to be!

In late 2016, I ran into a friend of mine from college, and we caught up on what we had been up to since we last saw each other. She told me that she had recently moved from New York City to Atlanta to start her own company. I expressed my excitement, and I applauded her courage for chasing her dreams. At the time, I did not reveal to her that I had similar aspirations in mind for stepping out on my own after gaining valuable experience from Big 4 public accounting.

In early 2017, I received a message from that same friend, asking if I had time to help sort out her new company’s accounting. Her start up had taken off, but she desperately needed help making sense of the numbers that had come from her newfound success. Due to our friendship, I was more than happy to help! Over the next few weeks, I organized her books and started putting processes in place that gave her a sense of financial stability. During that time, I began to see the impact that organized and readily available financial information was having not only on her business strategies, but also on her peace of mind. This gave her the confidence to expand her company by hiring more employees, moving to a larger office, selling a line of her business, and implementing a new service offering. I am happy to report that her company grew 300% over the next 12 months.

Over the next year, I began doing more freelance work around the greater Atlanta area. Quickly, I started to realize that there was a huge need for accessible and affordable CPAs who provided bookkeeping, tax return preparation, and business advisory services to small businesses, start ups, and entrepreneurs. During my time with a Big 4 firm, I also recognized that most clients would have benefited from the services of a smaller accounting firm earlier on saving them time and money when they signed on with a larger accounting firm because they needed their vast resources. Many individuals were also looking for a trusted CPA to answer their questions throughout the year, not just during tax season. Most had trouble deciphering tax forms, and were using online automated tax prep software that led to a mediocre result. A lot of times these businesses most importantly needed a strategist to come in, make sense of their finances, and provide tangible suggestions that they could implement in their companies. So, what started out as freelance QuickBooks consulting transformed into the idea for my boutique accounting firm, Kelly Flaherty CPA, LLC.

In the last couple of years, I also came up with the concept for WELL.Businessed – a community that connects female entrepreneurs and gives them the tools they need to achieve complete wellness in every facet of their lives be it financial, environmental, health, and mental. This concept is a personal passion of mine since I’ve both started a business and worked diligently to uncover the secret recipe to taking care of myself in a fast paced entrepreneurial environment. Long story short, it’s NOT easy to align these facets of wellness with owning your own company, but it can be done! This idea morphed into a one day conference this past Spring including speakers with their own businesses in PR, Branding, Social Media, Organizing, Functional Medicine, Mindfulness Practices, Beauty & Home, and Registered Nutritional guidance. We are excited about the positive feedback this event received, and are planning out our next steps as we speak!

I’ve come to realize that the WELL.Businessed concept and strategic business consulting are truly where my passion lies and where I want to focus a majority of my career moving forward. With that in mind, I recently made the decision to sell my accounting and tax practice to another very capable and insightful Atlanta CPA, John Pitts at NTRC CPAs. With my CPA experience coupled with my passion for figuring out the secret to living “well,” I hope to give all my future clients the confidence to chase their dreams, strive to be the best version of themselves, and see their companies excel to new levels of success! This is only the beginning for WELL.Businessed and Kelly Flaherty CPA, LLC.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Owning your own business certainly has its challenges but it also has incredible rewards. I feel so grateful to have had access to 50+ industries around the globe by serving as my previous client base as their CPA and/or bookkeeper. Overall, it felt like a giant case study into what works and what doesn’t work in small business operations. I directly applied those lessons to my own accounting firm, and grow the practice to a point where I could ultimately hand over the reigns to another fantastic CPA.

Throughout it all, I’ve learned most importantly that you have to set aside the time to take care of yourself as an entrepreneur even if it’s 5 minutes. Breathing, eating, sleeping, moving are all important elements that will actually HELP you be a better business owner because your body will be functioning properly. All nighters and eating take out for every meal won’t help you run at your optimum speed. You are the only one that can give yourself the permission you need to take care of you! WELL.Businessed focuses on this theory and is working to expand programs that cater to this mindset. In the end, you won’t regret taking time for you… trust me.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kelly Flaherty CPA LLC and WELL.Businessed – what should we know?
With the sale of the bookkeeping and tax preparation part of my firm, I am currently undergoing a restructuring of my service offerings for Kelly Flaherty CPA, LLC and the evolution of WELL.Businessed. Both will remain “under construction” throughout the duration of 2019. What I do know for certain is that when I launch these next business lines in early 2020 it will be full of real life insights and meaningful takeaways that I’ve seen first hand help scale businesses past the 1M mark. I plan to focus on providing an actual plan for how to start and run your business all the while keeping the idea of “wellness” at the forefront of your mind. In the meantime, I will be consulting and coaching on one off engagements at a fixed rate per hour for a limited number of inquires.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My family, friends, and faith deserve a LOT of credit. They’ve all supported me through the ups and downs, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m also sincerely thankful for my KFCPA bookkeeping and tax clients. They’ve taught me so much and entrusted me with access to their businesses. So far this has been an incredible opportunity!

Pricing: 

• $100 per hour for all coaching and consulting until the launch of the new WELL.Businessed and Kelly Flaherty CPA, LLC platforms.

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