Who is Clarity?
Clarity by the Numbers specializes in Accounting Services, Medicare Solutions, and Tax Preparation for individuals and small businesses in Bloomington, Ellettsville and the surrounding area. Allyson is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, holds an Indiana insurance license, and is an Enrolled Agent which is the highest credential the IRS awards.
At Clarity by the Numbers, each client is unique. I don’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach, instead, I provide individual solutions for each of my clients and serve as an advocate should you need help throughout the year. It's about building a relationship, not just processing a transaction.
Allyson Smerud, EA
I grew up just south of Bloomington in Harrodsburg, but I spent several years in the Washington DC / Northern Virginia area. Having children changed my priorities, and after my daughters were born I decided to move back to Bloomington to live near family.
Prior to having children, I worked for a large corporation. I knew when my daughters started school that I wanted to get back into the workforce, but I also knew Corporate America was not "family-friendly" enough for what I wanted for my girls. I began working for a local small business, and I loved the ability to get to know each client personally. I started out just doing taxes, but I quickly added payroll and bookkeeping to my list of specialties. Then I found a passion I would have never expected: Medicare. I've never been a sales person, and I don't much
like sales people, but I found Medicare to be more educational. It was a way to serve the older population that I respected so much. I have always loved conversations with older people, as so many things can be learned from listening to their life experiences. In some of those conversations, I learned that they had been taken advantage of by sales people, and that was always very disappointing to hear. I was able to build relationships with my clients, to present the data, and to support them in whatever choice they made. My trifecta was complete: Accounting Services, Medicare Solutions, and Taxes.
So when people ask me why I started Clarity, I smile and say I love numbers and old people. I usually get a funny look or laugh, but in all honesty that is why I started Clarity. I love my clientele, and I enjoy being a local specialist that they can count on. I never want to grow so large that I don't know each of my clients personally, and the flexibility of working for myself gives me the perfect work/family life balance.