If you ask William R. Legier, senior managing partner of Legier & Materne, apac, Consultants and CPAs about the Firm's successful growth during the past 15 years he will no doubt attribute it to providing benefits to clients.
 
"Our phenomenal growth results from providing significant benefits to clients during the worst economic times in New Orleans. We have worked hand in hand with our clients in providing business, financial management and tax planning and consulting services to identify, analyze and cure ailing fiscal conditions," he said.
 
And he believes that the need for the Firm's services will continue to increase because of the awareness of the need for these benefits that has been created during hard times.
 
"The key to maintaining a healthy business lies in strategic planning that maximizes profits while eliminating predictable unnecessary risks."
 
"There are many dynamic factors that can change a business' direction at a moment's notice, and we have developed a comprehensive planning process that helps take the unnecessary guesswork out of running a business," said Legier.
 
Legier & Materne, apac, Consultants and CPAs has developed sophisticated, computerized business planning models and systems that reflect the current status of a business versus its financial condition and profitability which can exist in the future given various critical success factors which he helps clients to identify.

"Fiscal Checklist"

"We go into business and, depending on its size, spend four to eight hours or as much as several days going through an exhaustive series of questions and analysis that we have especially developed to diagnose areas within a business for financial treatment. The answers to these questions form a diagnostic roadmap. They enable us to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's operations and make recommendations for improvement so it can achieve its maximum profitability," said Legier.
 
The comprehensive checkup by Legier & Materne, apac, Consultants and CPAs looks deeply into your accounting, marketing and operational methods and procedures.
 
"We find many instances where business owners may be terrific marketers and weak operators or financial managers, and vice versa. Knowing when and where to turn for help is vital when a company is ailing. We recognize the symptoms, identify the sources of problems, develop the treatment and cure the problem. With the 'Fiscal Checkup', our process is really no different than going to a doctor with increased profitability being the objective," said Legier.

Benefits For All Companies

Legier said that while ailing businesses may find the most startling results from the Firm's examination, all companies can benefit from the checklist as a measurement tool. "At the very least, we can determine whether a company is taking advantage of the cost effective technology and management techniques available. We'll tell them if they are effectively using all available techniques and resources or suggest improvements."
 
"Bankers and investors have found these services essential in providing a comfort level on the reliability of information provided to them by their borrowers or investors. Our work may also convince them that the company has sound operating practices that ensure it against the unnecessary or avoidable crises. Taking action is important. As an owner, I would certainly want to know my fiscal condition in all respects at all times and look for improvements wherever I can achieve them," he said.

Office Automation Key Ingredient

In many instances Legier and the Firm are recommending the introduction or upgrade of automation systems. With rapidly improving technology available in the market today, many companies find themselves with hardware and software that spans generations. This lack of the latest in automation systems can lead to major inefficiencies and unnecessary profit degradation.
 
Legier & Materne, apac, will evaluate existing systems and redesign or begin new ones from scratch. "We create them where they don't exist and evaluate them where they do," he said. "We'll provide recommendations on the hardware and software best suited for the type of business and develop a plan for installation, implementation and perhaps most importantly, the training of the users."
 
In addition, the Firm continually monitors the progress of its clients' automation environments to ensure the continued successful attainment of client objectives. "Our systems provide timely and accurate information that ensures management's ability to operate a business with maximum efficiency and profitability," said Legier.
 
Legier is quick to point to his own firm's keys to success. "We recruit the brightest of the bright, often at the top of their classes including those well trained in a 'Big 5' environment. Then we educate and indoctrinate them with our critical client service success factors. Our own growth as a firm continues because we work from a mission statement that emphasizes these critical success factors; quality professional services delivered in a timely and friendly, personable way. We develop a cordial supportive relationship with our clients, no matter how large or small, to go along with our experience, competence and technical sophistication," he said.
 
Legier's background is not only as a CPA with "Big 5" international firm experience but he has successfully managed multimillion dollar companies. The firm's clients range from local business to large multinational publicly traded corporations.
 
And he practices what he preaches. Each of Legier & Materne, apac's clients is internally evaluated twice a month by the firm's members as to their opinions of the client's perceived level of satisfaction with the Firm's services on a scale of one to ten. "We rarely fall below nine," says Legier, "but an eight will bring the full resources of our firm to bear in bringing the client to a nine or ten."