Bernard A. Hintzke, president and founder of Hintzke Tax Group, LLC

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?

“In 2009’s recessionary economy, we were seeing more requests for help than ever, so we refocused our firm’s marketing efforts to better communicate our specialty of tax problem resolution. We want businesses and individuals to know that we can help them with difficult tax situations and effectively represent them before the IRS and state tax agencies.”

What’s new at your company?

“We are upgrading our website with a client portal that will simplify communication, provide helpful resources and house encrypted tax documents for paperless service. We’re positioning our firm to use more technology to communicate with our clients even more efficiently.”

Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?

“An increase to our client base in 2010 has necessitated the addition of two professional staff members. We plan to add an administrative position later this year.”

What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?

“Our biggest challenge will be finding and implementing technology that will enable us to become more digital. Our goal is to reach and communicate with our expanding national client base more effectively, and we think becoming paperless will help us do so.”

What’s the hottest trend in your industry?

“The IRS is expanding its workforce, doing more audits and pursuing collection on more delinquent taxpayers this year. With new regulations and privacy issues, the trend in this industry is to continually stay on top of changes so that we can better serve our clients.”

Do you have a business mantra?

“‘Do unto others as you would have done unto you.'” Simple and effective.”

From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?

“I look up to my first boss, Marvin Toepfer. He taught me the proper way to prepare returns, handle client issues and take calculated business risks. He was a perfectionist and very detail-oriented – qualities that rubbed off on me.”

What was the best advice you ever received?

“When serving people with serious tax problems, you come across a lot of heartbreaking stories. My wife gave me a great piece of advice when she told me to walk a mile in every client’s shoes. Having that empathy makes me better at my job.”

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?

“I don’t know if there’s a single ‘funniest thing’ that happened, but we try to have a sense of humor and keep the atmosphere at Hintzke pretty light. You have to have a sense of humor to balance out some of the personal tragedies tax problems bring in.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“My wife and I like taking road trips, going fishing and spending time with our grandkids.”