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”