Kruze Consulting is a highly recognized and prestigious startup advisory brand. If you’re interested in knowing more about working at Kruze Consulting, COO Scott Orn appeared on the Earmark Podcast with host Blake Oliver. Scott and Blake discuss working as a remote accountant and how Kruze is different from other firms, including:

• Kruze’s growth. As of mid 2023, the company has increased from a small firm to 165 employees with over 800 startups and early-stage clients.
• Kruze’s culture. Our core values include innovation and continuous improvement, and we actively search for new hires that share those values and proactively deliver value and service to our clients.
• Kruze’s clients. We work exclusively with startups and early-stage companies, who are creating some of the most exciting and transformative products and services in the world.
• Kruze’s workplace. Our staff is 100% remote, giving us the opportunity to hire the best and brightest talent from around the world.

We hope you enjoy the podcast and the opportunity to learn more about working at Kruze Consulting. Please review our available positions and we encourage you to apply.

Having a remote and flexible working style was the number 1 request from our team, and while it took some time to implement… we made it happen! At Kruze, we don’t believe that a traditional office culture is necessary. And remote work offers significant benefits:

• Employees get more time. You’re not commuting. You’re not carrying your laptop to different conference rooms and connecting to wi-fi or display screens. You’re not packing lunches or filling your backpack or briefcase with files and folders to bring home or to work. You have more time to spend with family and/or on leisure activities.
• Employees save money. Items like gas and tolls, work clothes, parking fees, and other expenses drop when you work from home. In addition, parents may be able to cut back on child care expenses when you’re able to adjust your schedule around school and other activities. And let’s not kid ourselves – employers can save money too on office space and other facility expenses. Plus it reduces recruitment costs, since 54% of workers say they would leave their jobs for positions that offer flexible work times.
• Employees have less stress. Even before the pandemic, commuting was linked to stress and job burnout. Working from home gives you more opportunities to take walks, eat healthier foods, and improve your work/life balance.

While we’ve fully embraced remote work, we like to get together as one whole team once a year. 

By the Year 2030, Kruze seeks to be the elite provider of startup advisory services. There are over 15,000 Seed, Series A, and Series B startups that have raised more than a billion in funding in the US alone.

We’re not here to be the biggest, we are here to be the best.

Yes! Our last get-together was in Dallas for 3 nights and 3 days. Attendance is encouraged, but optional - there is zero pressure to attend in person. We’re getting better at integrating virtual/remote attendees to most of the sessions!

We typically hold these offsites the first week in May in a central destination in the U.S.

We bond. We learn. We eat!

Yes, there are “busy seasons” for our team:

1. If you are in our Accounting department, the first week of every month is the busiest.
2. If you are in our Tax Department, April through September is the busiest.
3. If you are in our State and Local Tax Department, January through June is the busiest.
4. If you are in our Onboarding Department, January through March is the busiest.

We are constantly assessing appropriate pay levels to be competitive with the market. Two excellent resources are:

1. The Robert Half Salary Guide
2. The Going Concern Compensation Report

Kruze not only “cares more” for our clients, but our appreciative management team also cares for our employees and takes their needs into account as well. Our employees asked for remote work and we answered. In fact, we were one of the first finance companies to go fully remote, even prior to the Covid pandemic.

Now the yucky stuff.

• Timecards: As an accounting firm, we do timecards. Not the most fun thing, but a very necessary evil. Because we operate a remote firm, we have no other way of managing the team’s workload, and we want everyone’s schedule to be balanced. Because most of our work is done on a Fixed Fee, timecards let us know which projects are profitable. Recording by the end of the week (Friday night), at the very latest, is mandatory.
• The M&A/VC diligence work: It comes straight out of the left field and there is no planning for it. While we absolutely factor in some cushion to account for this, you might have to work late, or a weekend. With a lot of money at stake and tight deadlines, tensions can run high. Finally, M&A work also means having to expect and be comfortable with change: the vast majority of our clients start small, grow quickly, and get acquired or graduate to in-house accounting teams.
• Exposure to Many Clients and Industries: While this is a benefit, it’s also a drawback. There will often be competing requests from clients, none of whom realize that you work with other clients! It is critical that you communicate your boundaries with the client and the team frequently and ahead of time. For example, “I’m sorry but I’m booked for the next two days, can I get this done for you on Friday?” and “Just a heads up, I’ll be on PTO in August for 2 weeks with no access to WiFi. If you need anything before then, please let me know with ample time. Otherwise, please feel free to reach out to Bob with any urgent questions while I’m away.”

• The Team: We’re a diverse bunch, experts in our respective fields, and eager to help each other and clients. We hope that team members will work with Kruze for a minimum of 2 years to maintain a consistent relationship with our team members and clients. The relationships that are formed between our remote team members and our clients need to be consistent.
• The M&A Work: As a firm, we are blessed to assist with 2+ M&A transactions per month. You’ll get an opportunity to work with the Big 4 M&A teams, top-tier law firms, and investment bankers. There is no better resume-building opportunity!
• Exposure to Many Clients and Industries: Exposure to many mission-based clients and industries: Too often in the Accounting/Finance/Tax Industry, professionals become pigeonholed in a certain industry, whether that be SaaS, eCommerce, or Manufacturing. At Kruze, you’ll have the opportunity to learn multiple disciplines and work with a wide variety of high-visibility clients and find your passion. If you prefer to work with a specific industry, we can help pair you up with your interests and skill set. If you want to explore a new area or industry, we’ll provide you with mentorship.