Franchise and Business Opportunities Articles

By Liberty Tax Service Franchisee Annie Fuller

If you like the fast pace of a seasonal business, and enjoy slower summers with lots of family time, the Liberty Tax Service franchise opportunity is for you! I had no tax background, and hadn't even done my own taxes when I embarked on my Liberty Tax journey as a marketer for one of my friend's offices. Wearing that costume grew on me, and I decided to follow the proven Liberty system and open my own Liberty office in Newberry, South Carolina in December of 2006. Luckily for me, the tax business is really a people business, as I'm clearly not a bean counter!

Guerrilla marketing and the use of costumed Lady Liberty characters have established our Liberty brand name quickly, and created a company known to customers as one where you can have fun and get your taxes done. This is such an advantage, and my staff and I use it everyday! The marketing is the natural part for me, and I followed the Liberty Tax system to hold my fall tax schools and recruit great tax preparers and employees. My tax season day starts between 5 and 6 a.m. I put my Liberty costume on, and stop at several businesses on my way to work with goodies, coupons and Liberty crowns. I'm at the office every day before 6:30 a.m. organizing the marketing efforts for that day.

At 7:30, my marketers and wavers arrive, and we have a huge pep rally. Then my marketers get their assignments on where to go and they're off doing business-to-business visits throughout the day. Others are out waving new customers in to my offices. We have contests to see who can give away the most foam Liberty crowns, coupons and other items. My office staff and preparers arrive here to open by 9 or even earlier during our busiest peak weeks. On Friday afternoons and Saturdays, we also host a roadside party for a cause. It might be for Cell Phones for Soldiers, where we collect cell phones that are recycled to provide call cards for our troops stationed overseas. That's me in the picture with a trunk full of cell phones collected during one of our events. Marketing is really the key to success in this business, that and hiring great people. All day, every day, I'm marketing right along with my staff in and out of the office. If I'm not out asking people if they've had their taxes done, I'm in the office meeting my customers and being sure they're so happy with their Liberty service that they will refer all their friends and family! I don't leave the office until the last customer does! That can be pretty late during tax season.

Joining the Liberty Tax system has changed my life, and set me free on the path of growing a business and building up equity in my future. By Tax Day 2007, my office finished first for new stores with over 1650 returns prepared. In addition to my Newberry location, I became an Area Developer for Liberty for the Chattanooga area in 2008.

Ask me about a day in my life after tax season! During the summer, my offices are open one day a week, and my average day may start much later. I spend lots of time with my family, and we travel a lot. During the fall, I oversee and play cheerleader for the teachers who are instructing our students in tax preparation.

Annie's first office opened in December 2006. She now has six offices, and is the Area Developer for Chattanooga.