FBN reached out to Marc Sterling of Sedona, to learn more about his business, Sterling Financial Services. He’s been in Sedona 12 years and has been working in his field for three decades.
Describe your line of work and the services you provide for clients.
We have an accounting and tax practice, my 30th year in practice, and we provide a full range of accounting and teax services for individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, and non profits. We prepare tax returns, specializing in tax planning, perform all aspects of bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, bank reconciliations, payroll and sales tax preparation, new and existing business and tax consulting, Quickbooks training, new company startups, IRS negotiations, and budgeting and forecasting.
How do you and your team stay ahead of changes in legislation?
We participate in year-round continuing education programs from all aspects of the tax and accounting world from different companies. We also share our knowledge with each other in weekly staff meetings.
In which ways has your work changed over the years?
As in most businesses, we need to offer more diverse services to stay competitive in this economy. We use more technology now, making it easier to service our clients. We keep current with all software and equipment, in order to provide the best service to the client. There are more rules and laws to abide by. There are also more forms to complete.
Why did you decided to move to Sedona in 2004 (?), and how has the move suited you?
We moved to Sedona in 2002 to raise our adopted son. We adopted him in Dallas, Texas, and we wanted to raise him in a different environment. We moved here, not knowing a soul. Then, we submersed ourselves in the community, volunteering for many events, being involved in local politics through city council, producing a motion picture called Sedona, filmed locally in Sedona, and taking a special interest in advocating for the youth in Sedona and the Verde Valley.
What advice do you have for people who would like to make the most of their personal or professional finances?
It is very important to keep track of your records throughout the year rather than all at once at the end of the year. The more information you have during the year, the better decisions you can make about your finances. It is also good to be pro-active in handling your financial information, rather than being reactive, because the people can control the direction of their financial affairs instead of waiting for others to force them to do something they might not want to do.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I love what I do, and after 30 years of having a tax and accounting practice, it is still very rewarding to help people with various tax and bookkeeping services and see the results of proper planning.
Sterling Financial Services
1865 W. State Route 89A, Suite C., Sedona \
928.282.3684
http://www.sterlingfinancialaz.com/