Above all, Liz Ross is 100% committed to offering exceptional customer service to the clients of Liberty Tax Services in Estevan. “I want to provide the best experience possible,” she says. “I really enjoy educating people with respect to their tax situation and being a resource they can rely on to keep them organized and informed. We really strive to create a fun and welcoming environment for everyone who walks through our doors.”
Year after year, Liz says she is continually exploring opportunities to improve the business in order to serve clients at the highest level. “In addition to providing friendly and outstanding customer service, we’re constantly updating our education in the field to ensure we are providing the most accurate and efficient tax preparation services.”
Given her dedication and determination, it’s not surprising that Liberty took home the EBEX (Estevan Business Excellence) Award for New Business Venture in 2015. Of the recognition, Liz says, “It was such an honour and an experience I will never forget! We are very grateful to Community Futures (CF) for the nomination. They are always doing everything they can to help businesses succeed and we truly appreciate everything they've done and continue to do for us. We can't thank Verna, Teresa, and Marion enough!“
When we asked why she opted to launch her own venture, Liz told us that she’s always been passionate about business and that she owes a great deal of her entrepreneurial acumen and spirit to her dad. As a successful small business owner himself, “His support and encouragement have been invaluable. When I have hard days or need to make tough decisions, I remind myself that if my dad got through it for so long, so can I!” She also credits her fiancé Jordan as a strong and steady source of support in business and beyond. Liz says, “I definitely don't think I would now be going on to year five without him!”
As for pursuing the tax field specifically, Liz notes that she’s always taken pleasure in doing this particular work for herself, family, and friends. She also notes, “I saw that there were a lot of tax preparation companies that were not holding themselves to a very high standard and I wanted to change this in order to offer an optimal experience for customers.”
In terms of the best business guidance she’s received, Liz says that CF Sunrise manager, Verna O’Neill, offered up some particularly memorable words of wisdom: “When you get into business, you always need to stay two steps ahead and be thinking about the future.” For instance, Liz says, “While it’s hard to try to imagine the end at the beginning, it’s critical that you have an exit strategy mapped out from day one, particularly if you’re in business with a partner.”
Liz also offered up some other sage words for other budding small business owners, cautioning that it’s vital to always proceed with due diligence and carefully consider contracts, along with other important documents, prior to signing on the dotted line. “You can’t always just ‘take their word for it’ and so it’s imperative that people seek out trusted and sound professional advice.”
From borrowing support to coaching services and business training, Liz indicates that Community Futures has played a critical role in her business success. “Without the financing provided by Community Futures, we wouldn't have been able to launch our business,” she says. “While we had another loan through the bank, it simply wasn’t enough to get us started.”
Please join us in congratulating Liz Ross and her staff at Liberty Tax Services on their small business success!