Hey! So nice to speak with you! Can you tell our readers a little bit more about yourself? Where are you originally from and where do you live now?

Ryan Hunt. I’m originally from Lake Tahoe, California, but I left home at 17 to join the Marines. That experience really helped shape my discipline, work ethic, and mindset early on in life. Today, I live in Whittier, California, where my wife and I run Abaco Accounting & Tax Services together while raising our new baby girl.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now?

One thing I really love about living in Whittier is that it has a small-town, community feel while still being close to Los Angeles and so many great places to explore. It has a charming, welcoming vibe that’s hard to find nowadays. I also love being relatively close to the beach, since that’s always been one of my favorite places to relax and recharge. Another thing I enjoy is seeing the neighborhood evolve, with a lot of young families moving in and bringing new energy into the community. It feels like a great place to build both a business and a family life.

Tell us a little bit more about what your company does and how it started? How does it help your customers?

Abaco Accounting & Tax Services provides accounting, tax, bookkeeping, consulting, and advisory services primarily for small businesses and individuals. We work with a wide range of industries, including restaurants, construction, professional services, and e-commerce businesses. Our goal is to help business owners better understand their financials so they can focus on growing their business with confidence.

The company originally started during COVID in 2021. At the time, I had recently completed my CMA while my wife was finishing her CPA, and we were both working in corporate accounting roles. What began as a side project to use our skills outside of our day jobs quickly grew into something much bigger. We noticed that many business owners struggled with accounting because it’s often the last thing they have time to focus on while trying to run and grow a company.

We started helping small businesses clean up their books, improve their financial organization, and navigate tax-related issues. Over time, word spread through referrals because clients appreciated how responsive, hands-on, and invested we were in their success. Today, we continue to focus on being more than just accountants—we strive to be trusted advisors and long-term partners for our clients.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice will help them?

One piece of advice I would give to anyone starting a business is to focus on consistency and patience. A lot of people expect immediate success, but building something meaningful takes time, persistence, and a willingness to learn as you go. There will always be challenges, setbacks, and moments of uncertainty, but staying committed and continuing to improve little by little makes a huge difference over time.

I’d also recommend not trying to do everything alone. Build relationships, ask questions, and surround yourself with people you trust. Having good advisors and a strong network can save you a lot of time, stress, and costly mistakes.

From a business standpoint, one of the biggest things people overlook is setting up the right legal and tax structure from the beginning. Whether it’s an LLC, partnership, or corporation, choosing the right structure can have a major impact on taxes, liability protection, and long-term growth. It’s important to understand what will benefit you both now and as your business grows.

I also think it’s critical to understand your numbers early. Many business owners wait too long to organize their accounting and finances, which can create much bigger issues down the road. Reaching out to a CPA early gives business owners access to valuable expertise, guidance, and often more cost-effective solutions in the beginning stages of growth.

That’s a big part of what we focus on at our firm. We view our relationships with clients as long-term partnerships and genuinely invest in helping them succeed and grow. Our philosophy has always been simple: when our clients grow, we grow with them.

Most importantly, start before you feel completely ready. You learn so much through the actual process of building, adapting, and continuing to move forward.

What was one feedback from a happy customer/client that you won't forget about?

One piece of feedback I’ll never forget came from a client whose books had been disorganized for years before coming to us. He told me that for the first time since starting his business, he finally felt like he understood where his company stood financially and could make decisions with confidence instead of stress and uncertainty.

What meant the most to me wasn’t just the compliment itself, but the fact that our work genuinely helped change the way he viewed and operated his business. After we helped clean everything up and create structure around his accounting and tax planning, he was able to focus on growth and even launch additional companies.

That experience really reinforced why we do what we do. Accounting & Tax is more than just numbers—it can give business owners clarity, peace of mind, and the confidence to grow. Hearing that we helped provide that is something I’ll always remember.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I see Abaco Accounting & Tax Services continuing to grow into a larger firm that remains focused on personalized service and strong client relationships. While growth is important to us, we never want to lose the hands-on and responsive approach that helped us build the company in the first place.

Our goal is to expand our reach throughout California while continuing to support small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals with accounting, tax, and advisory services. We also want to continue building a strong network of trusted professionals so our clients can rely on us not just for accounting and tax matters, but as a true resource for their overall business needs.

Long term, I want the firm to be known as a modern, trustworthy, and relationship-driven company that genuinely cares about its clients’ success.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

One of the biggest misconceptions about the accounting and tax industry is that accountants only deal with taxes or paperwork once a year. In reality, a good accountant should be a strategic partner who helps guide business owners throughout the entire year.

A lot of people also think accounting is just about compliance and keeping the IRS happy, but it’s much bigger than that. Proper accounting gives business owners insight into how their company is actually performing, where they’re making money, where they’re losing money, and how they can plan for growth.

Another misconception is that all accountants and firms are the same. In my opinion, the biggest difference comes down to communication, responsiveness, and how invested a firm is in its clients’ success. We’ve built our firm around being hands-on, proactive, and relationship-driven because many business owners want more than just someone to file taxes—they want someone they can trust and turn to for guidance as they grow their business.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business and how did you deal with it?

One of the biggest struggles in building our business was obtaining clients in the beginning and learning how to build trust as a newer firm. Accounting and tax services are very relationship-driven, and clients are trusting you with extremely important aspects of their business and finances, so earning that trust takes time.

Coming from corporate accounting backgrounds, my wife and I were very confident in the technical side of the work, but entrepreneurship challenged us in completely different ways. We had to learn how to market ourselves, communicate our value, network, and better understand what business owners truly needed beyond just accounting services.

In the beginning, we took on a lot of complex and messy clients that other firms either didn’t want or didn’t have the bandwidth for. While those situations were challenging, they became one of the biggest reasons we grew. We focused heavily on being responsive, providing excellent service, and genuinely caring about our clients’ success. Over time, those clients turned into long-term relationships and referral sources.

Looking back, I think consistency was the biggest thing that helped us push through those early struggles. We continued improving little by little, stayed patient, and focused on building trust and delivering results. Eventually, the referrals and reputation started to grow naturally from there.

What was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Growing up, one of my favorite music groups was the Goo Goo Dolls. I’ve always enjoyed music that feels genuine and storytelling-driven, and their music always connected with me.

I actually wasn’t a huge sports fan growing up. I was much more into movies and film, so a lot of the people I looked up to were actors and storytellers. Some of my favorites were Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, and Matthew McConaughey. I’ve always appreciated the way they carry themselves, their work ethic, and the ability they have to connect with people through their roles and stories.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

I’d definitely like to give a shoutout to the CPA firm Jere McDonald. They played a big role in helping me get started by trusting me with accounting clients early on, which helped build both my business and my confidence. When you’re first starting out, having experienced professionals willing to support and believe in you can make a huge difference, and I’ll always appreciate that opportunity.

Where can our readers follow your work or learn more about your upcoming projects?

Readers can learn more about Abaco Accounting & Tax Services through our website and social media platforms, where we share information about our services, insights for business owners, and updates about the firm. We’re always happy to connect with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals looking for accounting, tax, or advisory support.

Website: https://www.abacoaccountingservices.com

Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn: abacoaccounting