To say that Howard and his team are an asset, would be an understatement. To say that they are trusted friends, companions, and mentors, would also seem an inadequate description.
My mother recommended Howard and his team to me many years ago as his office had done her household annual tax returns for some time. They were also one of my first stops when developing my small business idea in 2014. Mom passed away this August and Howard came to the memorial. On his way out he unfolded from his pocket a piece of paper with several xerox copies of little hand-written notes from her that read, “Hey, Howard! How is the family?”, “Howard, let’s do whatever is easiest for you; let’s file an extension”, etc. He wanted to show me how thoughtful she was; how she treated him as more than just a service provider. I knew she thought of him and his business as more than just a service, and I knew how sweet of a woman she was. None the less, the tenderness of the moment crushed me, and so did the weight of seeing her silly stick-drawn smiley faces.
I most recently saw Howard for an annual year-end review. With Christmas fast approaching, and the end of the year looming behind it, the office had naturally been up to their ears in work. The only appointment I could accommodate was after hours, after 6pm when my store closed. Howard was wrapping up with another client when I arrived, all smiles. We chatted for a few minutes while he made copies of my paperwork so we could both have a booklet to reference. He eagerly reached for a highlighter and started making notes. He was grinning, shaking his head, highlighting different columns on different pages. He said, “this is my favorite part of the whole thing; I love sitting down with people one-on-one and really talking about their business, discussing what I see and what we can do together to make them more successful, in whatever way that may mean for them.” The appointment flew by; I had no idea I had been there for over two hours. It was only when we stood to say goodbye did I notice his Healthy Choice boxed dinner sitting on the desk behind him. Again, Howard hit me with a moment of tender respect; this man would be eating dinner at his desk tonight, because of me, FOR me, and he didn’t even seem notice.
Upon leaving I bravely said, “you know, I understand more of all of that than I did last time (which had been a preparatory review some time in September since I’m a new business owner); I understand at least half this time.” We both laughed but he also congratulated me for being honest and for learning; both of which can be difficult sometimes.
Needless to say, if you’re looking for a service, Howard’s got you covered. You’ll come out with the best service imaginable - beyond imagination - and a family.
Katrin Franklin,
Bump & Baby, LLC
