The newly launched eighth floor section of the Baker Tilly Vancouver offices.
Baker Tilly is one of our much-valued Chamber Members, but how much do you know about this internationally renowned company?
The Baker Tilly Canada Cooperative is one of the country’s largest associations of chartered professional accounting firms. They have a reputation for value‑added audits and tax and advisory solutions, and have just won the ‘Network of the Year’ title in the 2023 International Accounting Forum & Awards.
We recently spoke to Wilson Telford CPA, CA, BBA, who is a partner, audit and accounting, in the Vancouver office to learn more.
What inspired you to get started in your career?
I pursed a career as a professional advisor because I love to help people solve their problems. In business there are always problems to solve and as a business owner you need someone you can trust for professional advice.
What makes your business special?
I think Baker Tilly is special as we strive to maintain close relationships with our clients. We see ourselves as a trusted advisor for our clients and we strive to help our clients navigate all personal and business decisions.
Which product or service are you most proud of and why?
I am most proud of our Baker Tilly Advantage offering as it gives us the ability to take on the role of the accounting office for our clients who don’t want to manage their own team. We are utilizing the latest strategies and analytic tools that provide our clients with timely information so they can make important business decisions.
What challenges do you face running a business in Whistler, and how do you manage them?
I think my biggest challenge will be maintaining a presence in Whistler as I do not have a physical location there. I am working to create visibility about Baker Tilly in Whistler through various avenues, including the Chamber, local events and media publications. I hope to attend more events over the summer and fall months as I really do enjoy spending time there and I live just down the highway in Squamish.
Do you have any big plans for the business you can share with us?
As professional advisors we are always working to find better ways to serve our clients and I expect we will see some interesting developments over the coming years, but nothing official to announce right now.
What’s your favourite thing about being a member of the Whistler Chamber?
My favorite thing about being a member is the opportunity meet other local business owners and local influencers.
What do you wish you knew when you were starting out?
I think the most important lesson I learned soon after starting out was how important communication is. This is not limited to your customers, this is in all aspects of your business, including staff, vendors and other third parties.
What advice do you have for other local business owners?
One thing I wish I learned early on was how important it is to put yourself out there and network. I would say 90% of my best clients come through my network and that is because my network does all the marketing and answers many of the key questions even before I speak with them.
Is there a business in town you particularly admire, and if so, why?
Whistler has evolved so much over the years, and as the story goes, it was born for the games, the Olympic Games that is. So I have a lot of respect and admiration for the teams over the years working so hard to gain the attention of the world. And in 2003 all the work paid off and now Whistler has grown to be the largest ski resort in North America. I admit there have been growing pains along the way and I am sure there is a crowd that would have rather avoided all of that, but I like to think of all the business it supports, all the people it provides jobs to and all the memories for those that visit.
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