Case Study: Plumbing Business Owner Finds a Clear Path to a Profitable Retirement
Diane Glover
Oct 27, 2025
When a successful plumbing, electrical, and HVAC company suddenly lost its accounting provider, the owner turned to Kirsch CPA Group for help filing tax returns. What started as a short-term fix quickly became a long-term partnership. As we dug into the company’s challenges, we discovered the owner’s real concern wasn’t taxes — it was finding a way to exit the business profitably after a failed sale. The company’s financials didn’t reflect its true strength or potential, especially with a promising new service line ready to grow.
Setting the Path: Kirsch Client Review
Rather than simply preparing tax returns, the Kirsch team proposed a more strategic approach, beginning with a Kirsch Client Review to dive into the financial performance over the previous year. This review, part of our proprietary framework called “The Path,” which helps businesses clarify the goals, the roadblocks, and the owner’s definition of success.
As part of the pre-work, the owners answered questions, including:
- What were the financial goals you wanted to achieve last year, and what were your results?
- Where do you believe your business could improve its performance?
- Were you able to draw sufficient cash to fund your desired lifestyle?
- What areas would you like to focus on?
Turning Strategy into Action
With clarity established, the Kirsch team facilitated business planning sessions to establish quarterly and annual targets. Together, we addressed blind spots – including gaps in their visibility into cost structures and the uncertainty around which divisions were driving the greatest results. Planning sessions covered strategies for increasing gross margins, establishing specific metrics and goals, and implementing a cadence of quarterly strategic meetings to refine their strategies and progress toward two key goals: improving margins and increasing revenues from the new division.
In addition to providing ongoing strategic guidance and monitoring the company’s financial health, Kirsch helped to:
- Refinance company debt with a new banking partner
- Fine-tune processes for accounting by division
- Align organizational structure to significantly improve the reporting needed for due diligence inquiries of prospective buyers.
To maintain momentum, monthly advisory calls continue to drive the consistent progress needed to keep the business on track and ensure the smooth succession planning the owner seeks.
The Path to Results
Kirsch’s ongoing advisory partnership transformed this engagement from a tax return into a roadmap for long-term success — improving profitability, positioning the business for sale, and supporting a smooth transition into retirement.
To learn more about how Kirsch CPA Group business advisory services can put your business on The Path to your goals, contact a member of our team.
Schedule an appointment to learn how we can support you
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About The Author
As the Manager of Practice Growth, Diane focuses on the market awareness and growth of Kirsch CPA Group…
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