The Situation
Samantha Rudolph and her husband, Jared, received an Arch Grant in 2015 to take their company, Babyation, founded on their proprietary redesign of an improved breast pump, to the next level. Fantastically, a cadre of vendors comes with the award—St. Louis companies that volunteer their time and talents to help startups navigate everything from accounting and finances to insurance and marketing. As part of the award, Rudolph was introduced to Anders CPAs + Advisors. Today, they are the only Arch Grant vendor she still uses.
“Everything was first-class—from the attention-to-detail to advice to responsiveness,” said Rudolph.
The Challenges
“A startup, by definition, is challenging,” said Rudolph, laughing. “From navigating growth to fielding investor questions to thinking about the evolution of Babyation, the birth and childhood stages of a startup are filled with unique challenges.”
Currently, they are talking to Anders about how the company structure should evolve when they are fully at market and past the “reserve your pump” phase—when they have an ongoing, continuing stream of revenue.
Thankfully, Anders has a team dedicated entirely to servicing startups so they have experience navigating a wide variety of road bumps across a multitude of product and service-based industries. This expertise is invaluable for startup clients, especially when they are raising large amounts of capital.
“We needed a partner who could talk to our investors, was familiar with the investment documents we were using, and could grow as we grew,” said Rudolph. “Anders checked all those boxes.”
The Solution
The list of startup challenges is ever-evolving, but Anders is never more than an email or call away.
“They are willing to do whatever it takes. An investor had a question about tax implications and Anders immediately answered it,” said Rudolph. “That kind of responsiveness can have a direct impact on our continued funding and success so it’s powerful.”
In addition to business and personal accounting, Anders performs quarterly checks on the books and consults with Rudolph and other company leaders as the complexities of the business multiply.
“I just don’t have to think about it,” said Rudolph. “And that’s huge because there are so many other things I need to be thinking about at this stage of the business.”
The Results
She notes that Anders really understands the unique challenges and exposure of startups, and that they have the benefit of having seen hundreds of startups succeed.
“I’m continually impressed by Anders,” Rudolph shared. “I’m 100% confident that as Babyation grows, they will be able to provide the support and consultation that is right for that stage. Their historical knowledge of our company is helpful and allows them to customize how they support us as we evolve.”
In two years, Rudolph and her team have worked with hundreds of vendors and more than 50 in the consulting arena.
“Anders is the only vendor with which I’ve never experienced anything less than top-tier. It is amazing that they are able to provide this level of service for which they are known to such a large client base.”
Learn more about Babyation, the Anders Startup Group or the Anders Women’s Initiative.
Contact an Anders advisor to learn how we can help you or your business.
