Meet Kevin Olson. A second generation franchisee, you will find Kevin's wisdom and generous sharing in several FCA chats. Committed to building quality relationships with staff, clients and community, Kevin has three offices in Oregon.

Counterintuitive Philosophies That Build Relationships

As a business owner, Kevin operates on three non-negotiable cornerstones:

1. People are not a hammer in your toolbox to build short-term profits. "I want my staff to be successful, but I don't want a culture of pressure to make money," he explains. "I know if we all work together, care for one another and our clients as family, we will profit." 
2. No matter what, family comes first. While Kevin wants business to be on the priority list for his staff, he is adamant that it is not the first priority. Family is. If a tax professionals has a sick family member, even if it is during peak season, Kevin assures his staff not to worry. He supports them being out of the office to take care of family. 
3. Uncovering what his staff wants out of him. Kevin asks each employee: "What do you want out of this relationship? What are your goals with me as the business owner?" Intentional about building two-way relationships, this franchisee is clear that running his business is more than just a job. And he doesn't want employees to work their just because of a paycheck. "We are here because we love the atmosphere; we love the life-long relationships."

It's about the experience
The difference between his major competitors and his H&R Block franchise is the experience. Transactional data entry performed by some random person is not the experience Kevin wants for his clients.

"The circle of family and friends atmsophere that we have created extends to everyone who walks through our doors or calls our number," this 40-something business owner states. "We refuse to just be the person who does their taxes. Our clients can go lots of places to get their taxes done. They can even stay at home and do their own taxes."

When clients come to his offices, Kevin and his staff offer trusted relationships. Everyone in his offices understands that they need to provide a service beyond tax preparation; they provide relationships. If one of his tax prepareres moves to Timbuktu, Kevin hopes their clients follow them there!

More than pumping out a tax return

More than pumping out a tax return, the Olson tax professionals stand by their clients as a buffer between them and tax authorities. His offices tailor services from business, corporate and partnership returns to estates, trusts, reporting documents and informational returns. They also provide business needs for payroll and bookkeeping services. 

This holistic approach to offering services tailored to the needs of the client blended with the family approach by personally knowing each client and their families is why Kevin carries the legacy started by his mom. He may not be married, and he does not have children, but Kevin is definitely a family man. As he says, "It just so happens that my family is not tied to me by blood."