April 17, 2020
Dear Clients and Friends of CBM:
Our hope is that you are working hard, staying well and keeping safe. Our staff is also continuing to work hard, staying well and keeping safe.
Four weeks ago, we announced CBM was moving to a virtual workforce. For obvious reasons, we were concerned about our ability to effectively serve our clients while at the same time keeping both you and our staff safe. I am happy to report that all of our client service processes are working uninterrupted. Now let me add there were certainly hiccups along the way. We fully grasp the inconvenience our shutting the physical doors has caused many of you, especially our more senior clients. I am impressed by the ingenuity many of you have shown getting your information to us, all while not coming into personal contact with a CBM employee. Thank you.
Over the last ten days, we have hosted six webinars concerning the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application, tips for remote working (including software recommendations) and financial planning matters. These knowledge-sharing webinars have become a rallying cry for many of our senior staff. While none of us are doctors, nurses, first responders or grocery store workers – the real champions – we have found through these webinars that we can help you adjust to the circumstances in some small way. All of our senior staff are carrying heavy client responsibilities, yet somehow are figuring out how to contribute to these knowledge-sharing events. We have had nearly 600 registrations and an untold number of questions, both by email and phone. Many CPAs from other firms have also attended and shared their insights during the webinars, which we appreciate. Your questions have become the foundation of our ever-getting better sessions.
CBM has also developed an online coronavirus (COVID-19) resource center to keep you current with our news and alerts. (The Fairfax County website also offers guidance on what to do if you feel you have COVID-19).
Morale at CBM is at a very high point. Contributing to our positive attitude is the sense of purpose we have gained sharing our knowledge of the CARES and PPP Acts. In the next week or so, we will begin another round of industry-specific webinars, where tax-free treatment of the PPP loans and the status of additional stimulus funding, among other topics, will be addressed. In the meantime, we have learned so much through your questions that we want to keep the avenue open to them. Below you will find industry and service niche professionals (and links to contact them) who are available to answer your questions. As always, we remain centered on your success.
Auto Industry
John Comunale
Keith Laudenberger
Not-for-Profit
Tax
Richard Morris
Jeff May
Tom Burton
Client Accounting Services (Outsourced Accounting)
Dominick Bellia
Amanda McWilliams
Financial Planning and Investments
Small Businesses
Angela Prochaska
Brenda Haase
Tom Hudson
Construction and Real Estate
Professional Services
Benefit Plans
Stay safe during this challenging time and let us know how we can help.
Peter B. Reilly, CPA, CVA
President & Managing Partner
Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C.