Taking a byte out of the bottom line
L. Kianoff & Associates helps bridge the gap between accounting and technology.
By Cary Estes Photo by Cary Norton
In 1986, a new Apple Mac Plus had a grand total of one megabyte of RAM, and the Super Mario Brothers Nintendo video game was considered cutting-edge computer technology.
These were the boot-up days of the computer revolution, when floppy discs ruled, long before the invasion of high-speed wireless, streaming video and constant Twitter updates. Back then, most home computers were not much more than a glorified typewriter, and even a basic program was complicated and expensive.
In this decidedly low-tech environment, Lisa Kianoff decided to start a new business out of her Highland Park home, combining the pen-and-paper world of business accounting with the binary code of computer technology.
“It seemed obvious to me that there was so much potential, that there was a business need,” Kianoff recalls. “But there was a gap between the techie people and the accountants, and they weren’t communicating very well.
Whatever skills I had allowed those two sides to connect. That’s really where this company stemmed from.”
That company, L. Kianoff & Associates, rode the computer wave into the 21st century through accounting analysis and software sales. The firm currently has 24 employees, a client base of more than 300 companies and annual sales in excess of $4 million.
All this expansion, however, has not meant a change in direction. Kianoff says she has tried to surround herself with people who share her original concept of bridging the gap between accounting and computers. “Our team is made of people who are similar in nature. They are accountants who have always liked technology,” Kianoff says. “This is a place where they can meld the two loves together. I don’t think any of us fit the traditional stereotype of an accountant.”
Kianoff grew up outside New York City and moved to Birmingham 30 years ago when her husband, Alan, took a job as a reporter with the Birmingham Post-Herald. She was hired by the accounting firm of Touche Ross (a predecessor to Deloitte Touche), and eventually was given the task of starting a technology department. “I really loved that and decided the focus needed to be on helping businesses improve themselves through accounting software,” Kianoff says.
And thus L. Kianoff & Associates was born. Alan Kianoff came on board as company vice president, and nine years ago the organization moved into a spacious building just off the Red Mountain Expressway near Highland Avenue. “We invested in the building, so we’re going to be here a long time,” Kianoff says. “It was a big move for us. It gave the team a good place to work that was easy to get to.”
L. Kianoff & Associates is a multiple winner of the Pacesetter award from Accounting Technology magazine, evidence that the company has been ahead of the curve when it comes to combining computers with accounting.
One of the company’s more recent software programs is a product called Chef’s Kitchen, which is used by more than 900 casual and fast-food restaurants in 22 states. The product works with Microsoft Dynamics GP to create a detailed analysis of a restaurant’s cash-flow situation.
“A restaurant’s profit margins are so narrow, if there is any theft or if management isn’t handling everything correctly, it can make or break a business,” Kianoff says. “We developed a product that helps them manage their cash and credit cards daily so they eliminate as much fraud potential as possible and make sure they get all the money they have coming to them, which can really help increase the bottom line.
“We go in and show them things they never thought of. In some cases they figure it’s just the cost of doing business that they have to live with, but it’s not. There’s a better way. We’re all about doing whatever is best for the business. That pervades throughout our company.”
In fact, Kianoff says that attitude is one of the main reasons why the company has endured and prospered. Because while L. Kianoff & Associates made its name through technology, Kianoff says the company’s success has been as much about people as machines. “Our focus consistently has been listening to our clients and really hearing what their needs are,” Kianoff says. “Our team is made up of people with business backgrounds and business sense. They’re not just teaching someone what buttons to push. We’re a consulting company.
“That’s what fueled our growth. We’re really focused on business needs. The greatest pleasure we have is being a party to the growth of our clients. We haven’t come at it from the sales end. We’re consultants. We’re there to help people.”
Those clients are located primarily in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, and Kianoff says that is just fine with her. After three decades of living in Birmingham, both Kianoff and the company that bears her name are firmly entrenched in the city.
“We love Birmingham. It is a great city in a lot of ways,” she says. “It’s an ethical, moral city. You tend to have a different type of relationship with your clients in an atmosphere like this. And from a business owner’s standpoint, I look at the city as a great place to grow and flourish.”
For nearly a quarter of a century, L. Kianoff & Associates has been doing exactly that. One megabyte at a time.
