Working with numbers has not always come easy for Rudy Schmid, author of "The Entrepreneur's Guide" He struggled in school in his early math classes; yet, his fascination with them, to bring meaning to everything financial, drove him to work harder, until he began to gain a sound understanding of how to effectively work with numbers.Building upon what he had learned in his early years, he continued to find ways in which he could develop useful data, with ratios, comparative figures and analysis.Rudy attended UCLA following his time in the army, graduating in 1958 from the Business School, with a degree in Business Administration. Following school, he began his career in auditing with Ernst & Ernst, CPA's, currently known as Ernst & Young. It was during that time he discovered the opportunity to meet the owners, managers and others in the business communities from diverse industries, and to learn about the inner workings of the companies.When completing audits, his favorite part was to write closing reports that pointed out strengths and weaknesses of the businesses, based upon the development of ratios and other data found in the financial statements. Conclusions formed in this manner gave Rudy great satisfaction in being helpful with constructive data for management.After three years with Ernst & Ernst, Schmid realized that his goal in business was to own his own company, become self employed, make his own policy decisions, and manage his own company. He began his business on January 2, 1960, in Santa Maria, CA, as Rudolf F. Schmid, CPA, and has never looked back until his final retirement in 2022, sixty-four years later. He explained, "I believe there is the right place for everyone in the workforce. Some folks are more comfortable as employees, while others find their best place as company owners. Both positions are highly important and vital to the business community." To his delight and continued satisfaction, he was able to serve as a CPA in every imaginable industry, providing accounting, income tax services, and consulting.By 1968, Rudy opened an office in Santa Barbara. During the period when limited partnership investments were gaining in popularity, he developed a large following. He also discovered a specialized area of work in which he could serve as a part-time controller for mid-sized companies. In this manner, he was able to provide partial management for a publishing company and a soft drink bottling company based on the knowledge of numbers contained in the financial statements. He was able to recommend constructive steps to take on re-financing, employment, and other vital areas.