GLM

What GLM does

GLM, Inc. is a privately held accounting and business consulting firm headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, serving small and mid-sized business owners across the greater Chicago area. The firm operates under the DBA "GLM- Business Accounting Strategy Consulting" (also marketed as "GLM Accounting" and "GLM Accounting & Business Advisory") and has been continuously operating since 1997. Its service portfolio is anchored on a "BASiC Back Office Services" offering that spans basic QuickBooks data entry, ongoing bookkeeping, financial statement preparation and analysis, year-round tax planning and preparation, and higher-value consulting including Strategic Succession Planning and Strategic Business Planning.

The firm's operating model is relationship-driven and locally anchored. It employs approximately 27 professionals across Partners, Lead Accountants, Staff Accountants, and Bookkeepers (per its public staff directory), delivers services through its Schaumburg office and virtual appointments scheduled via Zoho Bookings, and relies on QuickBooks as its core accounting platform. There is no proprietary software, no public API, no AI/ML capability disclosed, and no technology differentiation beyond standard SMB accounting tooling.

GLM generates revenue through professional services billed by engagement, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led, built on community involvement (Rotary Club of Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates since 2016, local chambers), a referral program, a weekly business blog (since 2015), and the Steering Direction Podcast. The customer base spans horizontal SMB clients and a secondary segment of professionals and retirees seeking tax and financial planning; no enterprise logos, funding, or M&A activity are disclosed.

Name

GLM

Legal name

GLM, Inc.

Website

https://glm-accounting-bookkeeping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GLM, Inc. is a privately held Schaumburg, Illinois-based accounting and business consulting firm serving SMB owners in the greater Chicago area with bookkeeping, tax, and strategic advisory services delivered through a ~27-person professional staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaumburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Accounting Services: Full-service accounting firm providing business accounting, bookkeeping, tax planning and preparation, and strategy consulting services to business owners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GLM, Inc. is a professional accounting and business strategy consulting firm providing BASiC back-office services to business owners. Their offering spans from basic QuickBooks bookkeeping entry and financial statement preparation/analysis through to tax planning and preparation and strategic business consulting including succession and business planning.

Product overview

GLM is a business accounting strategy consulting firm offering a unified suite of professional services centered on the core offering of Business Accounting. The services portfolio includes Bookkeeping and Tax Planning and Preparation as complementary financial services, alongside Business Consulting which encompasses Strategic Succession Planning and Strategic Business Planning modules. Together, these services provide business owners with comprehensive back-office support, from basic QuickBooks entry to strategic advisory services, all aimed at helping clients understand their numbers and make better business decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Accounting

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients report increased business and better night sleep through unique process

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rotary Club of Schaumburg/Hoffman EstatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GLM has supported the Local Rotary Club since 2016 with membership, sponsorship and volunteers. The Rotary Club is committed to senior well-being, literacy, and area poverty initiatives, having raised over $5 million for community causes.
• Real Estate, Consulting, Financial, IT and Strategy Professionals NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLM maintains a deep network of specialist contacts in commercial real estate, construction, human resources, business financial services, computer systems/IT, and business building/marketing to help solve various client business concerns.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RSM US: Large US accounting and consulting firm with a strong Chicago presence serving middle-market businesses — overlaps GLM in tax, accounting, and business advisory but operates at a far larger scale.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Top-10 US accounting and advisory firm serving SMBs and mid-market clients with accounting, tax, and consulting services — comparable service mix to GLM, broader geographic reach.
• Wipfli: Top-20 US accounting and advisory firm with significant Chicago-area presence serving SMBs and mid-market companies — broader portfolio but overlapping accounting, tax, and consulting services.
• Plante Moran: Major US accounting, tax, and consulting firm with a Chicago office serving closely-held and family businesses — same SMB/private-company customer archetype as GLM, but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Doeren Mayhew: Midwest-based CPA and advisory firm with Chicago presence serving closely-held businesses and SMBs — directly comparable to GLM in target market, service breadth, and regional positioning.
• Porte Brown: Chicagoland-based CPA and business advisory firm offering accounting, tax, bookkeeping, and consulting services to SMBs — directly comparable to GLM in service mix, target customer, and regional footprint.
• Smith Schafer & Associates: Chicago-area accounting and advisory firm providing tax, audit, bookkeeping, and business consulting to small and mid-sized businesses — similar SMB clientele and overlapping service stack to GLM.
• Mowery & Schoenfeld: Mid-sized Chicago suburban accounting and advisory firm serving closely-held businesses with accounting, tax, and consulting — directly comparable in size and target customer profile to GLM.
• Mueller CPA Group: Illinois-based accounting firm providing bookkeeping, tax, and advisory services to small businesses and individuals — overlapping service portfolio and similar Midwest SMB focus.
• Miller Cooper & Co. Chicago-area CPA firm providing tax, accounting, and advisory services to privately-held businesses and individuals — highly comparable to GLM in geography, customer profile, and service stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/gosche
• Xx.com/goglminc
• Facebookfacebook.com/myGLM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 GLM