Today we’d like to introduce you to Douglas Hord.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started a tax and mortgage business with a law school friend just after 9/11 after spending fifteen years in small business law and mortgages. While I had always helped people with their taxes, working in a more intense environment brought me a lot more familiarity.
My friend and went our separate ways after a few years, and I’ve been doing tax preparation since. During that time, I’ve solved problems relating to most any situation people can find themselves in.
I’ve always been very focused on helping people understand what the solutions are, and how we get there – translating their tax obligations into plain, easy to understand language rather than speaking using technical terms and acronyms.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are always struggles in any business. Managing growth – going from being a guy on his own doing work for a few dozen people to having employees and several hundred clients – requires a lot of adjustment. Learning social media communications while keeping up with a fast changing regulatory environment has provided a bump or two.
Also, integrating secure client messaging and document delivery systems and training clients on how to use those systems has increased the workload over the last year.
My Tax Guy in Houston – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What I’m most proud of is the number of clients who become visibly more relieved after coming in and having us handle their tax situation.
We work to keep clients informed, to ask good questions, and to make clients certain that they’ve made the right choice. We work with a lot of people who’ve just moved to Houston and Texas, and a great number of self-employed people.
A few weeks back, a fellow came in after calling around to find a new tax guy after his left the business. As we were scanning his documents, he said that another tax preparer had called him back as he was driving over, and, after hearing where he was coming to get his taxes completed, said “Well, you’re in good hands there”.
That means more than positive reviews on social media – when colleague you’ve never met thinks well of your work and how you treat clients.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success in my definition is taking care of people such that they tell those around them how well they’ve been treated. Having people come back year after year, and watching the client base grow through referrals from happy clients. Feeling every day that I did my best.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3818 S Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77098
- Website: mytaxguyinhouston.com
- Phone: 713-893-7348
- Email: tax@mytaxguyinhouston.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTaxGuyinHouston/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyTaxGuyHouston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/my-tax-guy-in-houston-houston-3
Image Credit:
My Tax Guy in Houston LLC 2017
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