Blystone & Bailey

What Blystone & Bailey does

Blystone & Bailey, CPAs, PC is a Michigan-based professional corporation founded in 1986 by Glen Blystone and Thomas Bailey, providing audit, tax preparation and planning, payroll, bookkeeping, and advisory services to individuals and businesses. The firm operates from four Michigan offices (Mount Pleasant, Midland, Canadian Lakes/Stanwood, and Gaylord) and employs over 30 staff including CPAs, accountants, paraprofessionals, and support personnel. Its leadership team includes five current partners (Jill Bourland as Partner & CEO, Paul Truman, Leah Rau, Jonathon Crowley, and Bart Blystone), with co-founder Thomas Bailey now serving as of Counsel following retirement.

The firm serves clients across 10 specialized industry verticals including real estate, hospitality, oil/gas/energy, professional services, construction and transportation, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, franchising, and government/nonprofit. Differentiated capabilities include MSHDA, HUD, and LIHTC audits, brewery excise tax preparation, cost segregation studies for commercial real estate investors, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor support. The technology stack consists of standard professional services tools: QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification, SafeSend secure client portal for document exchange and K-1 distribution, NetStaff practice management, and CPACharge payment processing. The firm completed its AICPA three-year peer review in 2024.

The business model is relationship-driven professional services delivered through direct client engagements, with quote-based pricing tied to engagement scope and complexity. Revenue is generated across seven service lines: audit, tax preparation and planning, payroll, business services (bookkeeping/controller/financial reporting), QuickBooks ProAdvisor, financial planning, and cost segregation. The firm is privately held and bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds, parent company, or outside investors, and serves clients primarily across Michigan with virtual capabilities extending beyond the state.

Name

Blystone & Bailey

Legal name

Blystone & Bailey CPAs, PC

Website

https://blystonebailey.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blystone & Bailey is a Michigan-based CPA firm founded in 1986, providing audit, tax preparation and planning, payroll, bookkeeping, and advisory services across 10 industry verticals from four Michigan offices with over 30 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Tax Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Other Accounting Services (541219)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning & Analysis Support (Budgeting, Forecasting, Management Reporting) (BPAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Tax preparation planning
• Audit assurance services
• Payroll processing
• Bookkeeping services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Pleasant

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Audit Services: Comprehensive audit services for financial statements, compliance audits, and third-party assurance engagements conducted in accordance with GAAS and GAAP.
2. Tax Preparation & Planning: Tax return preparation and strategic tax planning services for individuals, corporations, and partnerships, utilizing current tax law database to minimize liabilities.
3. Payroll Services: Full-service payroll processing including check issuance, tax return filing, and payroll tax compliance with over 30 years of expertise.
4. Business Services: Comprehensive business services including bookkeeping, controller services, financial reporting, and strategic advisory for day-to-day and long-term business needs.
5. QuickBooks ProAdvisor Services: QuickBooks installation, training, navigation, and ongoing support for businesses using QuickBooks software.
6. Financial Planning: Consulting and advisory services including investment consulting, retirement planning, estate and business succession planning, estate tax planning, and insurance consulting.
7. Cost Segregation: Strategic real estate tax technique for commercial investors to maximize depreciation deductions on property components, accelerating depreciation to limit tax liabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blystone & Bailey is a Michigan-based CPA firm providing audit, tax preparation and planning, payroll processing, bookkeeping and controller services, QuickBooks advisory, financial planning, and cost segregation studies. The firm serves individuals and businesses across ten specialized industries including real estate, hospitality, oil and gas, professional services, construction, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, franchising, and government/nonprofit. Services are delivered through four Michigan offices supplemented by virtual client engagement and a secure client portal.

Product overview

Blystone & Bailey is a full-service CPA firm offering a unified portfolio of accounting and advisory services. The core offering consists of tax preparation and planning, audit services, payroll processing, and business services (including bookkeeping and controller services). These are supplemented by specialized add-on services including QuickBooks ProAdvisor support, financial planning (investment, retirement, estate), and cost segregation for real estate investors. The firm also provides clients with technology-enabled resources including a SafeSend secure client portal for document exchange and a suite of financial planning calculators. The services are designed for individuals and businesses across diverse industries including real estate, hospitality, oil and gas, professional services, construction, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, franchising, and government/nonprofit sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Preparation & Planning Tax return preparation and strategic tax planning services for individuals, corporations, and partnerships. The firm's partners and staff use current tax laws and databases to minimize tax liabilities and maximize financial opportunities across personal, business, and entity-level filings.
• Audit Services Comprehensive auditing services including risk assessment, internal control examination, substantive testing, and financial statement preparation conducted in accordance with GAAS and GAAP. Includes specialized audit work for nonprofit, governmental (MSHDA/HUD), construction, and hospitality entities.
• Payroll Services Full-service payroll processing including check issuance, payroll tax return filing, and compliance with changing employment laws. Backed by over 30 years of expertise, the practice also handles payroll tax filings for high-turnover workforces such as those in hospitality.
• Business Services Comprehensive business support including day-to-day bookkeeping, financial reporting, controller services, and accounts payable/receivable management for businesses and long-term operational needs.
• QuickBooks ProAdvisor Services Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor services providing installation, training, navigation assistance, and ongoing support for businesses using QuickBooks desktop and QuickBooks Online cloud-based solutions.
• Financial Planning Consulting and advisory services covering investment consulting, retirement planning, estate and business succession planning, estate tax planning, and insurance consulting for individuals and business owners.
• Cost Segregation Strategic real estate investment tax technique that accelerates depreciation deductions on property components to maximize cash flow and limit tax liabilities for commercial real estate investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of continuous operation since 1986
• +2 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SafeSendcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2010SafeSend provides secure client portal and document transfer system for Blystone & Bailey. Clients can log in to manage tasks, upload/download files, pay vouchers, and distribute K-1s. The direct secure file transfer link allows sending documents directly to firm contacts securely.
• Intuit QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationBlystone & Bailey staff are QuickBooks ProAdvisor certified, providing installation, navigation, training, and ongoing support for QuickBooks users. The firm specializes in both desktop and QuickBooks Online cloud-based solutions.
• Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA)minorOthersBlystone & Bailey professionals maintain membership in MICPA, the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, along with American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blystonebailey
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Blystone-Bailey-CPAs-PC/335239869962692
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blystone-bailey-cpas-pc
• Instagraminstagram.com/blystonebailey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blystone & Bailey