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August 2025
HANSON HEADLINES
CraigHansonCPA.com • (701) 252-6190
Numbers and Nostalgia THE COLORS OF A CAREER
What colors are your memories?
I loved studying accounting so much in college that I was a senior twice — not because I stayed too long, but because I had enough credits by my third year to qualify early. I was lucky to enjoy college and every step I took there to secure my future. Of course, that’s not to say it was all smooth sailing. Like high school, college teaches you many things you’ll rarely — if ever — have use for later in life. The amount of information accounting students needed to study and retain back then was pretty astounding, and the testing requirements were equally demanding. “CPA” means “certified public accountant” in the real world, but it might as well mean “can’t pass again!” in college terms! I’m glad I passed my exams way back then, as who knows how well I’d do if I had to take any of them a second time! Above all, college allowed me to hone my ability to help people in areas of life where they struggle. Taxes and accounting can be stressful and overwhelming for some people, and I’m happy I pursued a direction that has enabled me to help get them out of trouble and back on the right path. Just as I used to help my high school classmates with their homework all those years ago, I’m pleased to assist
This may seem like an odd question to ask at the start of a newsletter, but it’s a valid one, especially considering that Aug. 29 is National College Colors Day. College was a special time in many of our lives, and this occasion is a great reason to look back at how much that experience defined us as people. I’m a graduate of Mary College, a liberal arts institution in Bismarck, North Dakota, now known as the University of Mary. Admittedly, the school’s colors — blue and orange — didn’t wow me at all, but the time I spent there as an accounting student set the foundation for who I am today. Thanks to an accounting class I took in high school, I knew what I would do with my life by the time I was a junior. Working with numbers came easily to me, so I’d help everyone else with their homework in school — which meant I had to take mine home with me! A lot of my high school classmates were a little mad at me because I already knew my future profession that far in advance, but I’ve always loved doing this work. I guess it ran in the family, as my dad was also good at accounting and had done the books for various organizations. He was a natural-born math person, and I suppose I followed suit.
my clients in working through their financial frustrations or concerns. I’ll never not be a numbers person. I congratulate any of my clients’ children who’ve decided to study accounting in their college careers, and I wish them nothing but success. Although it’s a profession rooted in hard facts, accounting is more flexible and mind-opening than many realize. Unlike other fields of endeavor, it can be applied to many disciplines and professions and constantly evolves. Above all, working with figures — and providing a valuable service to members of your community in the process — is fun . Good luck to today’s accounting students in becoming tomorrow’s financial pros. May you prosper in a rewarding profession — and, with some luck, learn the craft at a college with colors you like!
–Craig Hanson
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
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DOMINATE YOUR DOMAIN
Smart Tactics for Small-Business Triumph
“Success” as a small business means different things to different people, but everyone knows failure when they see it. Regardless of the product or service you’re attempting to sell, consistent growth in any market depends on your business’s willingness to embrace proven tactics. If you feel your budding enterprise is running in place — or worse, running on fumes — here are three basic pointers to help you reevaluate your mission and avoid missed opportunities. You don’t know everything, but your employees might. Every business with a staff requires a managerial hierarchy to ensure everything operates smoothly. Still, not everyone at the top of the pyramid may know the business as well as those working in the trenches every day. Suppose you’re an owner/manager prone to taking a my-way-or-the-highway approach to employee engagement. In that case, you may be setting up your operation for ruin by not welcoming feedback — and even criticism — from your workforce. Consider reevaluating your business culture to allow for a more participative environment across all segments of your team. One way to accomplish this goal is to host regular meetings where staff members are encouraged to present new ideas or voice concerns.
A manager may have an idea for a more streamlined production process, or you may have data-entry personnel with thoughts on reducing redundant steps. Many businesses survey their customers, and following a similar path in-house will encourage greater buy-in and may alert you to issues influencing employee turnover and other operational concerns.
Give your competitors some business (really). Do you want to better understand how your chief
competitors earn and retain their customers? Become one of their customers yourself. See how they market their products or services to you, consider the strength of their customer service skills (or lack thereof), and identify any key strengths they have over your current model. If you own a Mexican restaurant, there’s nothing wrong with going to the one down the street to sample their enchiladas. You can also research your competitors by reviewing their websites, online customer reviews, and social media content. If your business focuses on trade-specific areas, such as technology or manufacturing, gain a leading edge by staying updated on trade publications and other industry-specific news sources that analyze consumer trends and their potential impact on you and your competitors in your field. Train, train, train. If you’re concerned about training an employee because they might take the knowledge you’ve paid for and leave for a competitor, imagine how bad it will be if you don’t train them and they stay . Investing in ongoing employee training — especially with in-house mentorship and leadership-building programs — helps your workforce stay productive and innovative. From role-specific certification to technical webinars to presentations by guest speakers, the opportunities for better educating small-business employees are endless. They could serve as a strong incentive to attract and retain new staff over the competition. While the strategies mentioned herein aren’t groundbreaking, they are powerful and among the most overlooked in the push for business survival and profitability. Implementing one or all of them will help keep your market position strong while you focus on what matters most: your customers.
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accolades by delivering goods that live up to its name. Last spring, the company was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Manufacturer of the Year for New Hampshire. In addition to honoring the company for its ingenuity and rapid growth, the SBA’s announcement on the award also credited Velasquez’s resourcefulness in seeking “SBA-backed funding provided
by Mascoma Bank, support from the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) [and] the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) funds, and the backing of local investors” to help make his goals a reality. In addition to consistently seeking financial assistance when needed, Velasquez also benefited from admirable economic foresight. In 2019, long before COVID-19 and today’s concerns over tariffs, he negotiated locked-in rates from his cashew suppliers in Vietnam and South Africa. Revolution Through Ravioli Based on its astronomical sales in 2024, it’s no surprise that Clean Simple Foods has major plans for the rest of this year and beyond. Its dairy-free ravioli line is set to expand significantly, and the company intends to increase employment opportunities in New England. By focusing on finding solutions to his physical and financial needs, Velasquez began an animal-friendly entrepreneurial adventure that shows no signs of slowing down. If there’s one critical lesson from his meteoric rise in the retail food world, it’s this: Never count out the person living on your couch.
HAVE A Laugh Frontier Ingenuity at Its Finest HOW 1800S PIONEERS TURNED TREE STUMPS INTO COZY HOMES
A cozy home carved into a towering tree stump might sound like something straight out of a fairytale, but in the rugged 1800s, it was a reality for America’s earliest settlers on the West Coast. Back then, the forests were filled with trees so massive their trunks could measure 20 feet across or more. Once felled, these stumps were too big, stubborn, and
abundant to remove easily. So, the pioneers did what pioneers do best: They got scrappy. They turned the stumps into homes, post offices, barns, and even dance floors! One of the most legendary stump homes was the Lennstrom Stump House in Edgecomb, Washington. Crafted from a cedar stump 22 feet wide, it sheltered three adults and three children! In a time when luxury was a warm fire and a sturdy roof (or stump) over your head, these quirky homes captured the best of pioneer spirit: grit, resourcefulness, and a little bit of magic.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
905 James Ave. NE • Jamestown, ND 58401 (701) 252-6190 • CraigHansonCPA.com Inside This EDITION
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
1.
A Life by the Ledger
2.
Powerful Paths to Profit
3. The Wild History of the Wild West’s Stump Houses
4.
Plant-Powered Profits
From Couch to Culinary Star A CASHEW KING’S COMPELLING RISE
A little over a decade ago, Joshua D. Velasquez called his aunt’s sofa in the Bronx his home while attempting to make something of himself in New York City. At the same time, he struggled with a health issue affecting more than 30% of the U.S.
based cheese using an uncommon source: cashews. Soon, he and Hamilton launched Clean Simple Foods, Inc. — New England’s first plant-based cheese producer — and brought their creations to market under the brand Nuttin Ordinary. Last year, the duo rebranded their products as Shire’s Naturals. Unsurprisingly, the clearest sign of the company’s growing success was that Velasquez could finally stop couch surfing. Now based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Clean Simple Foods, Inc. manufactures its ever-popular items out of an 8,000-square-foot facility. Shire’s Naturals products are available at over 300 food retailers in the Northeast, including Whole Foods and Market Basket. Last year, the company’s sales rose 96% from April through December, marking a dramatic increase in market recognition and profit. A Health-Focused Honoree With plant-based diets growing in popularity across the U.S., Clean Simple Foods, Inc. continues to generate sales and
population: lactose intolerance. One day, he had an epiphany: Why not address both problems simultaneously by going into business as a plant-based cheesemaker? Fast-forward to 2025: Velasquez and his partner, Adam R. Hamilton, lead one of the nation’s most respected plant-based food companies … and it all started by finding inspiration in a popular snack. From Crunch to Capital In 2014, Velasquez transformed his parents’ basement in Harrisville, New Hampshire, into an ad hoc fermentation lab to develop the perfect non-dairy cheese. After four years of research and development, he succeeded in fermenting plant-
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