Liberty Tax

An In-Demand Service

Jesse and Angelina Smith were running an insurance business in the 1990s when they decided to make a change. “On the way to work one Saturday morning, we saw a long line of people at H&R block’s office,” Jesse Smith said. “And we thought to ourselves, ‘People don’t line up to get insurance.’ . . . That’s where it started.” They began offering personal tax assistance to their local community, and in their first year, they completed forty tax returns. As their business grew, they attracted the attention of the Liberty Tax franchisor, who gradually convinced them to go corporate. They opened their first franchise location in Clinton, NC in 2010. It was so successful, that they opened another one, and another one, and another one . . . for five years. “After that, Angie said, ‘No more franchises.’” Jesse chuckled. “But corporate called me up one day and said, ‘We really want you to have two more.’”

Today, they own seven franchises in six locations: Clinton, Elizabethtown, Mount Olive, Wallace, Warsaw, and Wilson.

All in the Family

Over the years, the Smiths’ Liberty Tax business has included multiple members of their family. In addition to Jesse Smith, the franchisee, and his wife Angie of fifty-four years, their daughter, Tekesha Smith Murphy, works as Operations Manager. “Angie and Kesha are my backbone,” Jesse said. “They’re the main reason this thing works.” In the beginning, the Smiths’ son, Derrick, also worked in the business, primarily in marketing. Jesse noted that his wife’s financially conservative approach balances his own willingness to take risks. “We hold each other accountable,” he said. “We do business when we’re at work. When we get home . . . Angie’s in charge.”

“I realized through meeting [the SBTDC] on the campus of Fayetteville State that there is help out here. And that was a big lesson for me.”

Jesse Smith

Timely Encouragement

Just like in any business, the franchise model has its challenges and rewards. Not long after the Smiths opened their first franchise location, they connected with the SBTDC through a referral program with the Department of Revenue. In 2012, they participated in an SBTDC-run program called BizBoost, which helped them assess and reorganize their finances.

Years later, the Smiths knew who to call when they needed assistance with an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) during the COVID-19 shutdowns. “Sometimes, as a business owner, you get frustrated,” Jesse said. “And you think, ‘I wonder if this is worth it.’ I met [SBTDC counselor] Joseph James during one of those times.” With Joseph’s encouragement and steady counseling, the Smiths pushed through pandemic-era difficulties. “He lifted my spirits at a good time, when they needed to be lifted,” Jesse said. The SBTDC connected him to a student team at FSU, who performed a SWOT analysis to identify additional income streams for them. Using this research, the Smiths increased their payroll and bookkeeping services to offset the seasonality of the tax services business and improve their overall profitability. 

Growth & Achievement

Since they opened their first franchise, the Smiths have done more tax returns every single year. And as the business has grown, so have their employees, several of whom have worked for them a decade or more. The family atmosphere of the business isn’t limited to kin; the Smiths encourage each franchise to build community through charitable efforts, outreach, and by tailoring their services to meet local needs, including offering Spanish-language support.

Recently, the Smiths were recognized as a top Liberty Tax franchise among two-thousand locations and were awarded five-thousand dollars from corporate to recognize their achievement. 

Envisioning the Future

Soon, Jesse and Angie Smith are looking to step back from the business they’ve spent their lives building to focus on travel and playing more rounds of golf. “We’re going to always be here to assist everybody . . . but we want to have a little fun,” Jesse said. Moving forward, each location will be primarily employee-run. Jesse isn’t worried. “We’ve got good, capable people who can do that,” he said.