Courtesy Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli
From business classes in high school to her current job as a certified public accountant at Whittemore, Dowen and Ricciardelli LLP, Karen A. Carpenter has over 30 years of diversified business experience to guide clients.
As far back as high school in the late 1970s in Fort Edward, Carpenter knew that one day she wanted to work in the field of business. It wasn’t until experiencing bookkeeping, typing and algebra classes that she realized accounting was the path she would take. Her algebra teacher encouraged her to go to college to make this a reality.
After high school graduation, she attended Adirondack Community College where she earned an associates degree in accounting. Carpenter continued her education at SUNY Plattsburgh, receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Her first job was at Telling and Potter PC in Plattsburgh and Ticonderoga. Carpenter continued to work in public accounting at various local CPA firms before moving to the Albany area where she became a tax manager at KPMG.
She returned to the Glens Falls area to work in the private accounting arena for more than 15 years in the construction, real estate and funeral service areas. During this time period, Carpenter developed a high level of proficiency in computer skills and software systems.
Carpenter had a son in 1997, which meant a new priority: family. Juggling both, she maintained a full-time career as a financial officer with an international firm. She knew that running a business was not unique to women, and understood the difficulties of managing both a family and a career. This insight has been beneficial to many of her clients.
Carpenter understands that every business has its own unique challenges. The right professional advice can assist in growing a business with long-term results.
When planning a new business venture, a CPA can help determine the best type of entity to form and guide in the initial set-up. Working through the process of attaining proper government registration is necessary in the first stages of business development and vital to do things correctly from the start. Strategic selection of system software should be put in place for monitoring costs and progress.
As a business grows, Carpenter assists in analyzing financial statements, looking for problem areas and improving financial management. She can help clients analyze working capital and cash flow requirements. After determining filing requirements, she helps file tax returns and assist with tax planning for the future.
Near the end of a successful business venture, Carpenter can assist with succession planning, sales, generation transition or dissolution of an entity.