BST & Co. CPAs, LLP, one of the Capital Region’s leading accounting and management consulting firms, today launched the BST Consulting Group, designed to leverage the escalating demand for outsourced services and to offer a “one-stop shop” for clients seeking multiple business solutions.
BST Consulting Group is comprised of four outsourcing divisions: Accounting & Advisory, Cybersecurity, Marketing, and Talent Strategies. A market leader in outsourced solutions, BST attributes approximately 30 percent of its overall revenue to these services.
“Now more than ever, the current climate requires the most cost-effective way to navigate every level of operations as businesses and not-for-profit organizations face talent shortages, increased regulations, and financial constraints,” said BST & Co. Managing Partner Ron Guzior. “We’ve seen firsthand the burgeoning demand for outsourced services which today comprise a significant line of business. By using a more comprehensive outsourced approach to finding strategic solutions, BST Consulting Group can offer clients unmatched expertise without incurring the cost of full-time employees.”
BST Consulting Group serves a variety of clients, including professional services, financial, health care, governmental, not-for-profit, manufacturing, and other for-profit and closely held businesses.
Hyman Hayes Associates, an architectural firm, has been working with BST for the last five years utilizing the marketing and accounting and advisory services.
“Having BST as our fractional CMO has brought significant value to our company by providing high-level marketing and business development expertise without having the overhead associated with a full-time CMO position,” said David Loucks, Principal.
Colorize Inc., a locally owned Benjamin Moore paint and decorating store, has been working with BST to manage its accounting and advisory needs through a cloud-based software suite that streamlines financial processes and provides real-time dashboards, graphs, and traditional reports.
“We very quickly realized that what BST was offering with Virtual Accounting Solutions was exactly what we needed so that we could do what we enjoy doing and what we were better at than accounting,” said Mike Coffey, President and CEO of Colorize.
The newly formed BST Consulting Group is headed by Kristen Berdar, a BST partner since 2005 and the founder of Virtual Accounting Solutions (VAS) -- a cloud-based accounting platform that now serves as an integral facet of the outsourced services accounting and advisory division. A seasoned CPA and management professional for more than 25 years, Berdar leads all four divisions of the consulting group. She is a trailblazer in her own right, having pioneered in 2017 a largely untested approach to accounting through the launch of VAS, which harnessed technology to offer more efficient remote-based services that had previously been handled exclusively through time-consuming, on-site visits.
“One of the things that I’m really excited about as we unveil BST Consulting Group is the ease with which we can offer cross-over expertise from each division as well as our ability to pursue clients in vertical markets without being constrained by geography,” said Berdar. “We have developed a hybrid model that will effectively assess a client’s needs as they grow their business and offer solutions at every phase of development.”
Through BST Consulting Group’s cohesive approach, an outsourced accounting client that may be looking for enhanced visibility would work with the Marketing Division to develop a marketing plan to achieve its growth goals. If later in need of in-house marketing support, the BST Consulting Group could tap into its Talent Strategies Division for assistance recruiting a well-qualified candidate. Additionally, if that same business had concerns or questions about its’ online security practices, the Cybersecurity Division could provide an expert assessment.
Each division of the BST Consulting Group is led by a seasoned professional whose team is focused on providing the following services:
Outsourced Accounting and Advisory
This division merges the services of the former VAS and CFO for Hire, which was acquired by BST in 2017, and offers the following: Development of expert, personalized strategies to achieve the financial and operational goals of clients, using a forward-looking trajectory to enable business leaders to make informed decisions to improve overall performance; financial planning and forecasting; implementation of software technology to enhance efficiencies; tax strategy and risk management planning, among others.
The Accounting and Advisory Division is led by Sarah Walls, CPA, whose background includes more than two decades of experience overseeing accounting practices, audits and strategic initiatives for not-for-profits and commercial business firms. The leadership team will continue to include Meredith Brinkmann, who will lead the advisory and temporary placement services as well as the Outsourced Accounting and Advisory team operations.
“We conduct operational assessments to help businesses successfully chart their path forward with a growth-oriented strategy while assessing their current financial needs,” said Walls. “Our outsourced services are designed to be collaborative in nature to elicit a deep sense of trust among our clients whose financial health we treat as our very own.”
Outsourced Cybersecurity
For small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), hiring a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) can be a costly challenge. The on-demand cyber resources provide cost-effective solutions and the expertise needed for businesses to protect their systems, networks, and data from the simplest to the most sophisticated cyber-attacks. Experts are experienced in conducting a detailed risk assessment of a company’s administrative, technical, and physical controls, then creating a roadmap to fortify a business’s security posture, aligning security initiatives with business objectives. Following the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines, this division can craft effective risk management strategies and introduce appropriate security controls designed to minimize potential threats and vulnerabilities, as well as build effective disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.
Norm Massry heads the Cybersecurity Division and is CEO and founder of Albany-based West Point Security. A seasoned compliance attorney and cybersecurity professional, Massry has more than 15 years of experience in information security governance, operational risk management, audit of information systems and networks, incident and disaster response and business continuity.
“Protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks should be a priority for every business, regardless of its age or size. A single data breach can result in significant and costly damage to any business or entity and its reputation,” said Massry. “In the world of cybersecurity, human error can be the Achilles' heel of any organization.”
Outsourced Marketing
This division, formerly CMO for Hire, is designed to assist in the development of a strategic marketing plan to support the overall growth goals of clients through the following services: Development of an holistic approach to Marketing, including a deep understanding of each client’s objectives, target audience and brand identity; with recommendations and implementation of effective brand communication strategies designed for both internal and external audiences.
Outsourced Marketing is led by Susan Radzyminski, a senior executive with the firm and marketing professional with more than three decades of experience developing and executing brand, public relations, marketing and business development strategy for professional services firms, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations. The team includes Nicole Stein and Ellen Sax, both award-winning executives with 30 years’ experience building brand and philanthropic strategies for some of the area’s leading organizations.
“Our goal is getting to the heart of what an organization is trying to achieve, looking at their mission, reviewing their potential pain points and helping recommend more productive marketing and communications strategies,” Radzyminski said. “We can then develop a marketing plan tailored to their overall goals and incorporate their community engagement into the communications plan to reinforce their brand. Sometimes it’s necessary to help assess their brand, review their tactics, and adjust their marketing focus and budget to achieve their goals.”
Outsourced Talent Strategies
This division focuses on talent acquisition, organizational development and growth, leadership coaching, human resources, compensation analysis, market analysis, people strategy and performance development services. While its prior focus has been to support clients in accounting and financial services, this division has expanded to include a wide variety of professional services organizations.
Outsourced Talent Strategies is led by Adam Lawrence, whose background includes more than two decades of providing Talent Management and Human Resources expertise to companies of all sizes. He has held various leadership positions in human resources, talent acquisition, organizational development, and talent management.
“While our division is versed in all facets of Talent Strategies, Talent Acquisition is the division’s most popular service, accounting for as much as 60-70% of overall demand. It includes designing a process for clients to properly vet potential job candidates and assisting them with hiring decisions,” Lawrence said. “We have been instrumental in filling roles in the financial services industry and have expanded our talent acquisition capabilities to include numerous professional services and not-for-profits.”
For more information about the BST Consulting Group, visit BSTco.com.
