MARK KOHLERMain Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, LLC · Owner at Main Street Professionals, LLC

The Biggest Mistake Business Owners Make

5 Oct 2025 · 1 min

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In this interview segment, Mark Kohler explains that the most common error entrepreneurs make is assuming their accountant or attorney will handle all tax and legal matters for them. He points out that many professionals lack practical, cutting‑edge training because their education (law school, CPA exam) doesn’t cover real‑world strategies, and older practitioners may be burned out and resistant to new approaches. Kohler urges business owners to act as the "captain of their ship"—to understand the why and what of each decision before delegating execution to trusted tax and legal advisors, who should serve as first mates rather than sole decision‑makers.

Chapters

So tell us some of the biggest mistakes that you have seen entrepreneurs in general, you've seen them make in just business in general.
We are training thousands of attorneys and CPAs around the country because they're, they're starving for the tools too, to help you, the business owner. You think that these professionals learn this in school or the bar exam or a CPA exam? They don't. They get out and then they go to a firm and hopefully they learn from the right people. But we've got old attorneys, old accountants that are burned out. They're not looking for new cutting edge strategies. And that's what you get. The biggest mistake, business owners think is they're going to find an accountant or find a lawyer that's going to do it all for them people. You have got to be the captain of your ship. Now, I'm not saying you're prepping your freaking tax return or you're filing your llc. That's the last thing you should do. But you need to know why you're doing it, what you're going to be doing, and then turn to your first mate, your tax and legal advisors to get it there.