2015 Trusted Advisers Accountant: Bill Dunton

While it might seem like accountants focus solely on numbers, Abacus CPAs LLC owner Bill Dunton says his focus is on what’s behind those numbers.

“It is important for me to understand those numbers, so I can use them to provide guidance and my clients can make smarter decisions,” he says. His consulting skills are the key.

“Consulting is where science meets the art of business. Consulting done right can make all the difference to my clients.”

Nearly two decades have passed since Dunton founded Abacus CPAs LLC in 1998.

At the time, he was 37 old years and had just four employees.

“Since then, we have grown to become the (fifth) largest firm in Springfield with almost 70 employees and a steady growth of 20 percent each year,” he says.

Those years have taught Dunton a thing or two – not only about accounting, but also about how he wants to serve his clients.

“I want to give my clients every tool possible so they can become better than I am,” Dunton says, noting he believes his real value for clients is in his planning.

“It is my goal as a trusted adviser to provide my clients with better guidance so they can make smarter decisions.

“I do that by following three major themes: growth, trust and confidence.”

In addition to those themes, Dunton also gives clients an advantage through a process he’s created called ALIGN.

An acronym for available, listen, innovate, guide and next, Dunton uses this strategy to ensure nothing is missed when it comes to working with clients.

“I actively follow this process,” Dunton says of ALIGN. “I am available when my clients need me, I listen to properly understand their situation, I innovate to give each client better service, I guide so that my expertise and experience help each client achieve their goals and I focus on what’s next to create strategies that focus on their future.”

Dunton counts his faith as another cornerstone in helping build his business.

“Glorifying God has always been my guiding motto, and it’s very prevalent in our company mission and all of my dealings with staff and clients,” says Dunton, an 11-year  trustee of Springfield’s Second Baptist Church. “Clients respect that I am willing to say my beliefs out loud and have more faith in me because of it.”

Dunton also is active civically as the longest-standing board member for the Gillioz Theatre, where he’s served as treasurer for 12 years. Three years ago, he also became a founding board member for Girls on the Run, on which he also serves as treasurer. Dunton is a member of the Mission Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He also is a diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Accounting.

“I am very proud of what the organization has been able to accomplish in its first three years and to play such an integral part in it,” he says.

As an accountant, Dunton says it’s easy to look back as he tallies the year’s numbers, but he strives to always move forward.

“I never looked back,” he says. “I learn from mistakes and continue to improve every situation I am in, both for myself and my clients.”