Smart Tax featured in Nashville Business Journal

Smart Tax was recently featured in an article in the Nashville Business Journal entitled, “Smart Tax to enter Nashville tax-prep market.” The article discusses the expansion plans into Nashville and the type of entrepreneurs that they are looking to attract. In addition, Nick shares the impact and creation of jobs that Smart Tax has the ability to make in the market. Click here to view the article in its entirety!

Smart Tax to enter Nashville tax-prep market
By Brian Reisinger

Tax preparers stand to face a new competitor as a New York-based franchisor moves into Nashville with the expectation of creating more than 100 jobs over the next five years.

Nick Rizzi, CEO of Smart Tax, said his company intends to open its first locations by January 2012 for the next tax season. The company targeted Nashville because it believes the area is under served, with many people flowing to big-name providers he plans to compete with.

(Read More)

Smart Tax Featured in the Nashville Business Journal

Smart Tax was recently featured in the Nashville Business Journal in an article entitled, “Smart Tax to enter Nashville tax-prep market.” It discusses the expansion plans into Nashville and the type of entrepreneurs that they are looking to attract. In addition, CEO Nick Rizzi shares the impact and creation of jobs that Smart Tax has the ability to make in the market. The circulation of the Nashville Business Journal is 7,372 and will be a great way to inform potential franchisees about Smart Tax. Click here to view the full article!

Smart Tax to enter Nashville tax-prep market
Nashville Business Journal - by Brian Reisinger, Staff Writer
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2011, 2:51pm CDT

Tax preparers stand to face a new competitor as a New York-based franchisor moves into Nashville with the expectation of creating more than 100 jobs over the next five years.

Nick Rizzi, CEO of Smart Tax, said his company intends to open its first locations by January 2012 for the next tax season. The company targeted Nashville because it believes the area is under served, with many people flowing to big-name providers he plans to compete with.

“Nashville happens to be one of those areas where there’s just not enough for the area,” Rizzi said.

Smart Tax sells rights to franchisees who own or want to start their own tax service, offering them the benefit of marketing, training and some standardization of methods. Rizzi anticipates opening five to six locations over the course of the next two tax seasons, ultimately reaching about one dozen spots in the Nashville area.

Those offices would ultimately employ between 100 and 130 people, to help area residents prepare their taxes, he said.

(read more)

Smart Tax featured in The Wall Street Journal

Recently, Smart Tax was featured in an article entitled “Franchisees Make Multiunit Ownership Their Mission." The article discussed the growth of multi-unit expansion and how multi-unit concepts are becoming more common and the ultimate goal for franchisees who purchase them. Yvonne Murray, Smart Tax's multi-unit franchisee cites the work/life balance that owning Smart Tax units gives her as one of the reasons she went into franchising after managing a Smart Tax location for Nick Rizzi, Founder and CEO of Smart Tax. Click here to view the full article, or you can view it below!

Smart Tax featured on BNET.com

Recently, Smart Tax was featured on BNET.com in a column entitled, “The Accidental Franchisor.” Nick Rizzi, CEO of Smart Tax, shares his experience as a small business owner and the route he took to creating Smart Tax. Understanding that the tax industry was a profitable recession-resistant field, Rizzi knew he wanted to get into the industry and initially believed that he would join an established franchise. When the territory in Brooklyn he wanted was sold out, Rizzi decided to bypass the competition and start Smart Tax. Rizzi shares some of the obstacles and challenges that he experienced as a new business owner such as a roof leak, which the landlord refused to fix. After finding success with Smart Tax, Rizzi launched the company as a franchise in 2010, which has grown tremendously to a 27 unit franchise. Click here to view the full article!

The Accidental Franchisor
By Nick Rizzi, Founder and CEO, Smart Tax, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Six years ago I decided that knowing how to do taxes would help me broaden my financial advisory practice. After doing the math, however, I realized that for just three or four months of work, a tax preparer can make more than some financial advisers make in a year. I knew I wanted to get into this business.

It seemed like the easiest way to get started would be to buy into one of the established franchise models, so that I could hit the ground running with minimum startup hassle. The problem was, none of those established companies were looking for more franchisees in my area. So I decided to start Smart Tax from scratch.

(Read Moore)

Smart Tax featured on FOX Business

Smart Tax’s CEO and Founder, Nick Rizzi, was interviewed live on FOX Business’ small business segment entitled "Profiting from Taxes.” The segment discussed the growth of the tax preparation industry despite the economic climate and the aggressive growth that Smart Tax has experienced since launching as a franchise less than a year and a half ago. After reaching 27 locations this year, Smart Tax plans to have over 60 franchised locations open for tax season 2012. Rizzi discussed the recession resistant nature of taxes as it is a service that is needed every year. Additionally, he discussed the profitability that Smart Tax offers for its franchisees as consumers are continuously seeking this high-demand service. He also provided some last minute tax tips for consumers to be aware of when filing this season. Click here to view the segment!

Smart Tax featured in Franchise Times

Smart Tax was recently featured with an article in Franchise Times entitled, “Pop Culture—Temporary Stores Offer Trendy Way to Test the Waters.” The article was built from an in-depth interview with Nick Rizzi. Rizzi talks about his experience with "Pop-up" stores, otherwise known as temporary stores. View the full article below, or click here!

Smart Tax featured in Philadelphia Business Journal

Smart Tax was featured today in an article in the Philadelphia Business Journal titled, “Smart Tax fills a need in underserved neighborhoods” where Nick Rizzi, Founder and CEO of Smart Tax discussed his process of putting the company together, its entrance into the Philadelphia market and future expansion plans. In addition, Jeffery Travis discussed his new opening of Smart Tax in West Philadelphia and why he decided to join the Smart Tax brand. Click here to read more!

Smart Tax fills a need in underserved neighborhoods
BY Jeff Blumenthal

Jeffrey Travis has been preparing tax returns for more than 13 years in a family business he has run with his wife and children called J. Travis & Associates. But when business began to slip, he looked into the idea of joining a franchise.

This year, Travis’s West Philadelphia business became a franchisee for the fast-growing Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Smart Tax Preparation Services, which has entered the Philadelphia marketplace with three local sites this year.

(Read More)