A Different Kind of Client

When Amy Both, CPA, is not up to her eyeballs in spreadsheets and client meet­ings, a different type of client is keeping her busy — the four-legged kind. After providing audit, tax and consulting services all day to clients at Neral & Co, PA, of Wall, Amy often begins her next shift managing the needs of fish, reptiles and exotic birds. That’s because she and her husband run an exotic pet shop in Jackson called Major League Exotic Pets.

It’s not easy juggling clients and family life with husband, Allen, and daughter, Addison, age 11, along with helping to look after the latest chameleon or hedgehog that enters her family’s pet shop, but the combination keeps things interesting. On any given day, snakes, reptiles or African cichlids may need her help. Growing up, Amy always had dogs in the house or a pet hermit crab by her bed but the decision to step up to exotic pets was solely her husband’s influence.

Amy sees both kinds of businesses as a good fit for her. “I love to help customers,” she says, which is particularly the case during tax season. Amy established her niche at Neral, where she caters to nonprofit organizations, cases related to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and issues related to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It’s in these sectors she believes she can truly roll up her sleeves and help the small to medium-size business customers effectively.

Similarly, her desire to help guide the work of other nonprofit groups compelled her to become more involved at the NJCPA. She joined the organization’s Nonprofit Interest Group in 2008 and eventually became the leader of the group. Well-versed in government audit standards from Neral, she became an effective member of the group, advising on expo­sure drafts and new accounting standards, and developing roundtable discussions. Amy currently serves on NJCPA’s Board of Trustees and is a member of the Audit Committee and Student Programs & Scholarships Committee.

That same kind of involvement can be seen in how she helps manage the pet shop. Knowing what it takes for a family to take a pet into their home, particularly a nontraditional one, she and her husband have raised the bar on how they sell pets. Her family’s pet shop matches up the best kind of customer with the appropriate pet, and even turns down business if the fit is not likely to be appropriate for both the pet and the customer. Often a customer may think they want a certain kind of pet until they know what is involved with the upkeep and maintenance. “You have to take into account the interest of the fish/reptiles and the customer, and you want a good match for the pet,” she says. Making sure everything works smoothly is important, she adds.

Paying it Forward

Despite her interest in animals, Amy also has a knack for numbers. She began her “love” of numbers while in high school. With two of her grandparents and an aunt becoming accountants, she was taught at an early age about the virtues of the profession — lessons she still carries with her today.

Amy is adamant about making sure current students have that same interest in accounting. On occasion, when she’s able to speak at her alma mater, Manches­ter Township High School, and tout the profession, she jumps at the chance. “To be able to give back to the high school where it all started for me is great. When an opportunity comes up to speak, it’s great to be able to give back. It’s my high school; it’s my town,” she says.