MARCH 2011 Nick's ‘smart’ franchise Inonlya few years, Nick Rizzi’s Smart Tax franchise has blossomed By TIM RONALDSON ration toa 29location franchise. The adver- topics. So, to make himself a more well- ‘Business Trends tisement wasn'taveinspiring, and it wasn't rounded financial planner, he answered the sxy It simply beckonod, “learn how to pro- bus’ eall and bogan taking tax proparation Nick Riza isa walling, talking advertise- pare income taxes.” lasses ‘ment for public transportation marketing. In the early 20s, Rizi was working as a "Being a financial planner, math, num- 'No, he's not a salesman and he docsn't financial planner at a bank in Brooklyn bers~thistuf made sense to me,"he said. work fr the city’s Transit Authority ‘when the bus drove by He had been playing” During one of the early classes, held ata ‘But an advertisement on the side of a bas similar roles at banks and ‘rms local tx proparation offic, the toichor said did serve as a catalyst ~ atleast in part —for for about 10 years but always had to refer his the particular office where the classes were Riza starting his own business, Smart Tax, clients to specialists when tax Hablity ques ‘hat nsx years went from aone-lorationop- tions became more complicated than basic please ce FRANCHISE, page 5 FRANCHISE Continued from page Del prepared about 2000 ta ro turns per year and the average bre someone paid for that ar Ice was f2a8 Quek math tod Rizal thatthe office created ‘4 in revence each year ‘And 80; he began some invest tation. ‘There wasnt mich 10 Dyslally seting up a tax prepa ation bine af nesoed as Some. desks, printers, phones, ‘ner, ink ahd other base su. piles The other tre tothe indus fay of couse, wa the almost mythologeal tao ofthe tx pre pater who earned a comfortable Fivingand only worked for part ct the} eae Talways heard abou tho fla who wore four months out of the year but T never met hin.” Rizal sali.“ atways the was Like the Great 2" "That was unt he actully met “is gu" Rial struck up a con ‘verstion, confirm he tale as truth and aot mythology ana de kde eto, wart to take pare At ist, he explored bosoming & franchise fr tax preparation companies such as Liberty ax snd Jckeon-tewit, but wile Rizal recoupod his inkl Invest rantin the rst yea with sone Teeation = and has conned that pth evr sion In tho coco year of operation, Smart Tax opened two mare locations, then a Guple more a year after tha Soon enough, colleagues started potieing his growth and asked how they coud got involve. Rizal avis his friends oot start their own company and in Stead buy efenehice rom larger ‘companica, bat they soon exper ‘encod the seme problems he hd wth de tax glans In Nove Tr 208 Smart Tax became 0 fell francis, opening nine o- cations ints frst yea: Ina ite ‘more than a year, the franchise thas grown to 77 operating loa ‘ons, with 4 territories current Iy sold stretching from all five New York City boroughs, North “ound myself accmpltely liferent busines now than tk reparation." Riz sa. "Teshi ‘from dog tax returis myselr {tw supporting the 100 pple or 30 {hat are behind the desk” "Asa tranchiso, Riz belps his franchisees with site selections for office loeations, lease ance, training and other areas of ‘ned such as hiring All his lcs {dons open onthe st Monday a ‘the year and other than few hat ‘emain open im the “flseasen” lose nthe Sorin whe ak ‘While be used to prepare hun- res af tax returns per sear Dy himself las year. ho only Handed About His olenow is toensnre ‘hat eversthing s working well at fll teloeations and that hie fan ‘Soare Tax. Yonne Murrey who ‘as also comorkercé his atthe ‘Dank, is now ane of those fran chisees, “Admittedly Murray said she swan lite seared totep ct on hoe own from being an employ eto being the owner ~ but she Sad the freedom, and esponsibi- ity of managing an office as Riza employe, and his overall Support asa anchisor made the ‘ranoition easier to sallow "oda, Murray owns two loca {ons ene in Bed Stuy and ene in Brownvil, and, ultimate her sua istoowna thi. Bor Murray, & mother of four ccllren ranging tn agp from 20 ars ld fo 18 months old, ware Ing fbr hersel and working on & ‘oursonth schedule, were large ‘rams to the oppertunity tea wonderful feeling when ‘yu ean work real har for your ‘ef and reap the benefits om > she said “At the end of the dy i all you I' a mistake was ‘made, itwasall you. If you dire ally god, twas good cine”