Enrolled Agent Candidate · Milwaukee, WI · IRS-authorized e-filing · Pay-by-refund available
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The story behind Ballard Finance

Built from the ground up by someone who knows your numbers

Ballard Finance LLC was founded on a straightforward belief — that small businesses, restaurants, and farms in Wisconsin deserve financial expertise that actually fits their budget and their reality.

Milwaukee-based, currently taking on early clients at accessible pricing while building the full practice around real client experience.

HB
Hunter Ballard
Founder · Milwaukee, WI · (608) 566-9956
Enrolled Agent candidate — EA exam in progress
BBA — Accounting, Finance & Supply Chain · UW-Milwaukee · Expected Spring 2027
Tax Preparer II — Jackson Hewitt, Milwaukee (Jan 2026–present)
QBO Level 2 & Intuit Bookkeeping certified
Intuit CAS Foundations certified
"I started this firm because the businesses I care about — restaurants, family farms, small operators — weren't getting the financial expertise they deserved."
The founder
A different kind of financial professional

Hunter Ballard is completing a BBA in Accounting, Finance, and Supply Chain Management at UW-Milwaukee while working as a Tax Preparer II at Jackson Hewitt. That combination — formal accounting education, real tax preparation experience, and supply chain operations knowledge — is what makes this firm different.

The supply chain background isn't incidental. Restaurants live and die by food cost and inventory turnover. Farms manage input cost cycles and yield economics. Every one of those problems has an operational dimension that a pure accounting background alone misses.

The Jackson Hewitt experience means this firm doesn't theorize about tax preparation — Hunter has prepared real returns for real clients under real deadline pressure since January 2026. That foundation matters when your books and taxes are on the line.

The honest positioning: Ballard Finance is an early-stage firm building a track record. Clients who engage now get attentive service, genuine expertise, and accessible pricing — and a firm that is genuinely invested in their success.

Background & timeline
May 2018 – Jan 2022
Store Associate — Festival Foods, Portage WI
Financial transaction handling, inventory management, and customer service across multiple departments.
Jan 2022 – Dec 2025
Process Assistant / Associate — Amazon, Pewaukee WI
Operational data analysis, workflow optimization, quality control, and departmental reporting in a large-scale distribution environment. Supply chain and process improvement experience that directly informs our work with restaurant and farm clients.
In progress — Spring 2027
BBA — Accounting, Finance & Supply Chain · UW-Milwaukee
Triple concentration providing the academic foundation for financial reporting, tax planning, and operational advisory. QBO Level 2, Intuit Bookkeeping, Intuit CAS Foundations, and QuickBooks Payroll certifications completed alongside the degree.
Jan 2026 – Present
Tax Preparer II — Jackson Hewitt, Milwaukee WI
Structured client interviews, IRS and state due diligence, accurate return preparation, and confidential handling of sensitive financial data.
In progress
Enrolled Agent exam — Parts 1, 2 & 3
The highest credential the IRS grants to non-attorney tax professionals, enabling full client representation in audits, appeals, and collections.
2026
Ballard Finance LLC — founded
Bookkeeping, tax preparation, and advisory services for Wisconsin restaurants, farms, bars, and small businesses. Milwaukee-based, serving clients statewide.
Credentials & qualifications
What we bring to your return

Enrolled Agent (EA)

The highest credential the IRS grants to non-attorney tax professionals. Enables full representation before the IRS in audits, appeals, and collections.

Exam in progress

QuickBooks Online Level 2

Intuit-certified at the advanced QBO level — covering full bookkeeping workflows, reporting, bank feeds, and client management.

Certified

Intuit Bookkeeping Certified

Intuit's professional bookkeeping certification covering double-entry accounting, financial statements, and bookkeeping best practices.

Certified

Intuit CAS Foundations

Client Advisory Services certification — focused on moving beyond compliance into proactive financial advisory for small business clients.

Certified

QuickBooks Payroll Certified

Intuit-certified in QuickBooks Payroll — covering payroll processing, tipped wage handling, tax filings, and compliance.

Certified

BBA — Accounting, Finance & Supply Chain

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Triple concentration providing both accounting foundation and operational context for niche advisory work.

Expected Spring 2027
What we stand for
Four things that don't change
01

Honesty about where we are

Ballard Finance is an early-stage firm. We don't pretend otherwise. What we offer is attentive service, genuine expertise, accessible pricing, and a firm as invested in your success as its own.

02

Specialization over breadth

We focus on restaurants, farms, bars, and small businesses in Wisconsin. Deep niche knowledge produces better outcomes than a generalist who knows a little about everything.

03

Tax planning is year-round work

The worst time to think about taxes is April. We build tax planning into every monthly retainer because the best strategies require decisions made before December 31.

04

Your data stays confidential

Client financial data is handled with strict confidentiality consistent with IRS requirements and the professional standards we hold ourselves to as an EA candidate firm.

Where we operate
Milwaukee-based, Wisconsin-focused

Ballard Finance is based in Milwaukee and serves Wisconsin clients. That focus is intentional — local knowledge produces better outcomes than a national firm handling your account from out of state.

We serve clients remotely across Wisconsin, with in-person availability in the Milwaukee area and willingness to travel for farm and rural clients in Portage, Columbia County, and the surrounding region.

Milwaukee is an ideal base for the industries we serve — strong restaurant density, close proximity to Wisconsin's agricultural regions, and a small business community that is underserved by niche-specialist financial firms.

Current presence
Milwaukee, WI
Headquarters — in-person & remote
HQ
Portage & Columbia County
In-person available — farm & rural clients
Travel
Wisconsin statewide
All services available remotely
Remote
Get in touch
Start with a free financial review

Book a free review

We'll look at your last 3 months of financials and tell you exactly what we find — no obligation, 45 minutes, genuinely useful regardless of whether you become a client.

(608) 566-9956
Ballard.hunt555@gmail.com
ballardfinance.com

What to expect

Reach out by phone or email. We'll schedule a 45-minute video call, ask you to share access to your last 3 months of financials or bank statements, review them before the call, and walk you through what we find.

No pitch. No pressure. If we're a good fit we'll send a proposal. If not we'll tell you who might serve you better.

Want to work with someone invested in your success?

Early clients get attentive service at accessible pricing — and a firm that grows alongside them.

Book a free review See our services