Blue & Co., LLC firm leadership determined in January of 2024 offshoring was a main strategic initiative for our firm. We conducted due diligence by talking to other firms we knew had offshore experience. What we found was many firms were working with a vendor to a specific service line and most did not have their own firmwide solution that they owned. We then were introduced to a consultant who educated us on the different options for offshoring, and surveyed our firm, to determine our offshore readiness. With this information the consultant recommended we pursue a BOTT model. This was attractive as it both minimized our upfront risk and costs, and ensured the work we would be doing in building the infrastructure in offshoring would be something that would be our own at our time and choice.

During the RFP process we interviewed three companies who proposed to help us with the BOTT model. Totl advisors was the clear best fit for our firm after the initial interviews. Totl advisors separated themselves by providing a clear vision of the journey we would be on to Build, Operate, Transform, and Transfer, how they would help us each step of the way, and their willingness to meet us where we are. We had many questions during the interview process, requested several follow up interviews, and some one-on-one meetings with Totl advisors. They had representatives come to our office and provided us access to other retired CPA’s who had been on a similar journey. The entire process made us very confident we would be successful and that we had chosen the right partner for us. The most significant differentiator and best example of Totl advisors’ commitment to this being successful was the main operations person (Tarun Malpani) leading our BOTT in India, insisted on coming to the US for two weeks, and meeting in each of our offices to get to know our people, their needs and to answer questions any of our people had. Once this was done, our people agreed he was one of us and was eager to take on the work that lied ahead.

Our initial expectations of growth were 15 people year one, 30 year two, and 50 by year three. After just a few months we are already at 21 people, because our people have recognized Totl advisors’ ability to add specific talent to meet needs as they arise is much quicker than we are accustomed to in our local markets. It has allowed us to fill some specific positions which had been unfilled for a few months, and to fill others prior to busy season, when the talent pool typically is thin in the US. The other surprising impact is we initially were thinking offshoring solution was going to be focused on hiring entry level staff, but in addition Totl advisors has been able to hire people with 8 to 12 years of experience to our teams.

We could not be happier with our selection of Totl advisors as our partner in this offshoring journey we are on.