From Frazier & Deeter, the regional CPA firm that last year acquired Work & Greer, comes an interesting concept that could find a place in the buzzing Music City entrepreneurial scene. The firm has launched FD Venture Farm, a monitoring service that will track a number of financial metrics of (mostly young) companies looking for growth capital and help them prepare for institutional investment. Check out more info here.

“Our investment criteria are such that we often must pass on companies with interesting and exciting businesses but have not yet reached the milestones necessary for us to move forward,” said Frank X. Dalton, Partner of Atlanta-based Fulcrum Equity Partners. “Assisting companies to be investment ready is a valued service. If they can successfully address a few issues, the chances of getting funded can be greatly enhanced. The FD Venture Farm service will help us keep in touch with these companies as they gain traction and become more suited to our investment profile.”

Local accountants Chad McKinney and Joe Carson have merged their practices to form Carson & McKinney CPAs, a firm that will have about half a dozen employees. The two have been running their businesses from Franklin and Elm Hill Pike — Carson's group has operated for more than three decades while McKinney started his own practice in the area after relocating in 2010 — and will retain their respective offices.

"Joe and I are delighted to have joined forces,” said McKinney, who is on the left in our photo. “This move deepens our intellectual resources in order that we may provide, on a broader scale, the individual and business communities with clever, proactive solutions for today and tomorrow.”

McKinney also runs a small money management shop, which early this year had about $1.4 million in assets under management.