Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man

The inside story of H&R Block's entrepreneurial founder Henry Bloch

In 1955 Henry Bloch and his brother Dick founded H&R Block. Through a mixture of hard work and luck, they transitioned this Kansas City based bookkeeping business into a tax preparation firm just as the IRS stopped preparing tax returns for people. Over the course of more than fifty years, the company grew to become the largest tax preparation firm in the world, serving more than twenty million clients a year.

Many Happy Returns tells the compelling story of this company and its founder through Thomas Bloch, Henry's son, who worked along side his father for nearly twenty years. Page by page, you'll discover the rich history of this successful organization, and how Henry Bloch's relentless focus on providing consistent quality at the lowest cost helped the company expand into the worldwide industry leader it is today.

  • Explores the professional and personal life of one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the United States
  • Written by one of the closest people to Henry Bloch, his son, Thomas
  • Details fifty years of H&R Block's rich history, from its humble beginnings to the present day
  • Reveals the hard-won and fresh insights straight from one of the most uncommon business leaders of a generation

Inspiring and informative, Many Happy Returns is the true story of a man who achieved the American Dream.

1100296600
Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man

The inside story of H&R Block's entrepreneurial founder Henry Bloch

In 1955 Henry Bloch and his brother Dick founded H&R Block. Through a mixture of hard work and luck, they transitioned this Kansas City based bookkeeping business into a tax preparation firm just as the IRS stopped preparing tax returns for people. Over the course of more than fifty years, the company grew to become the largest tax preparation firm in the world, serving more than twenty million clients a year.

Many Happy Returns tells the compelling story of this company and its founder through Thomas Bloch, Henry's son, who worked along side his father for nearly twenty years. Page by page, you'll discover the rich history of this successful organization, and how Henry Bloch's relentless focus on providing consistent quality at the lowest cost helped the company expand into the worldwide industry leader it is today.

  • Explores the professional and personal life of one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the United States
  • Written by one of the closest people to Henry Bloch, his son, Thomas
  • Details fifty years of H&R Block's rich history, from its humble beginnings to the present day
  • Reveals the hard-won and fresh insights straight from one of the most uncommon business leaders of a generation

Inspiring and informative, Many Happy Returns is the true story of a man who achieved the American Dream.

9.99 In Stock
Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man

Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man

by Thomas M. Bloch
Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man

Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man

by Thomas M. Bloch

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Overview

The inside story of H&R Block's entrepreneurial founder Henry Bloch

In 1955 Henry Bloch and his brother Dick founded H&R Block. Through a mixture of hard work and luck, they transitioned this Kansas City based bookkeeping business into a tax preparation firm just as the IRS stopped preparing tax returns for people. Over the course of more than fifty years, the company grew to become the largest tax preparation firm in the world, serving more than twenty million clients a year.

Many Happy Returns tells the compelling story of this company and its founder through Thomas Bloch, Henry's son, who worked along side his father for nearly twenty years. Page by page, you'll discover the rich history of this successful organization, and how Henry Bloch's relentless focus on providing consistent quality at the lowest cost helped the company expand into the worldwide industry leader it is today.

  • Explores the professional and personal life of one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the United States
  • Written by one of the closest people to Henry Bloch, his son, Thomas
  • Details fifty years of H&R Block's rich history, from its humble beginnings to the present day
  • Reveals the hard-won and fresh insights straight from one of the most uncommon business leaders of a generation

Inspiring and informative, Many Happy Returns is the true story of a man who achieved the American Dream.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780990437512
Publisher: Ascend Books
Publication date: 09/30/2014
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 240
File size: 7 MB

About the Author

Thomas M. Bloch is an author, speaker, educator, entrepreneur, former CEO of H&R Block, and the son of its cofounder, Henry Bloch. Tom worked closely with his father at H&R Block for nearly two decades, serving as President and CEO while Henry was Chairman of the Board. In 1995, Tom Bloch resigned as CEO to rather a teacher in an impoverished inner-city section of Kansas City. He cofounded University Academy, an urban college preparatory charter school.

Table of Contents

Introduction Henry W. Bloch xi

Author's Note xv

Chapter 1 A Chip Off the OI'Block 1

Childhood Lessons 4

Without a Road Map 7

Henry's Deductions 9

Chapter 2 Heaven Can Wait 11

Off to War 13

A Lucky Bastard 18

Henry's Deductions 20

Chapter 3 Three Nobodies with an Idea 21

A Tradition of Trailblazers 26

Carrying on the Entrepreneurial Spirit 29

Henry's Deductions 32

Chapter 4 Taking the Plunge 33

The Plan 35

The Start 39

A'New Partner 42

Henry's Deductions 45

Chapter 5 Made in Heaven 47

The Courtship 49

The Union 52

The Family 53

Henry's Deductions 56

Chapter 6 A Blockbuster Idea 57

This Tax Thing 59

The Birth of an Industry 64

Henrys Deductions 66

Chapter 7 New York, New York 67

The Second Season 69

Henry's Deductions 73

Chapter 8 Building Blocks 75

Entrepreneurship 101 77

Henry's Deductions 80

Chapter 9 Going Places 81

Like a Family 82

Going Public 86

Henry's Deductions 90

Chapter 10 Learning to Soar 91

Little Details 92

The Best Ideas 95

Henry's Deductions 97

Chapter 11 Setbacks and Comebacks 99

The Aftermath 102

Distractions 105

A Dreadful Diagnosis 108

Henry's Deductions 110

Chapter 12 Heartbroken 111

A Bad Dream 116

Henry's Deductions 119

Chapter 13 Gains and Losses 121

Transitions 124

A Transformation 127

Mourning 129

Henry's Deductions 131

Chapter 14 "Block Heads" 133

Blunders 136

Henry's Deductions 139

Chapter 15 A Fork in the Road 141

Hitting a Wall 143

More Taxing Times 146

Henry's Deductions 148

Chapter 16 A Taxing System 149

Tax History 150

Tax Policy 153

The Ideal Tax System 157

Henry's Deductions 160

Chapter 17 Opening Doors 161d

The Bloch School 162

The Bloch Scholars 165

A Debt to Society 167

Henry's Deductions 170

Chapter 18 Making an Impression 171

Giving Back 176

Henry's Deductions 177

Chapter 19 And Then Some 179

Secrets of the Successful Entrepreneur 182

Building the Winning Team 184

Thriving in the Changing Marketplace 186

Creating a Responsible and Dynamic Business 188

True Success 191

Henry's Deductions 192

Chapter 20 Miscellaneous Deductions 193

A Decent Man 196

Henry's Deductions 199

Notes 201

Acknowledgments 207

About the Author 209

Index 211

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