here’s what you’re looking for: edward mendlowitz

client service opportunities

how to become a specialist

woman's hand pressing words "ask an expert"some of your training can happen on the job.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

once you decide upon a specialization, you need to go about making yourself an expert. read, join professional associations, take focused cpe, and try to write articles or give speeches. accountants who are industry experts become industry thought leaders.

more: success secrets in specialties | making sure the son got proper credit | yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | family trees of clients
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some specialties require obtaining designations or certificates of completion that require study and time – an investment you and the firm would have to make. there is no easy path to growing and establishing expertise, but it is a joyful ride.
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client service opportunities

when to pick up the phone this tax season

businessman talking on phone in the officepersonal touches help retain clients.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

clients are not numbers on a list that needs to be reduced. they are all individuals and consider themselves very important people and want professionals who treat them accordingly.

more: these five procedures will simplify your tax season | 11 steps to better client tax instructions | get your team ready for tax season | 12 ways to squeeze fun into tax season | 6 ways to get paid faster in tax season
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it is attitudinal and accountants must adopt that mindset and transmit that through to their culture. so you need to know when it’s essential to pick up the phone.

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these five procedures will simplify your tax season

man talking to woman with checklistof course, this includes checklists.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

one way to guarantee extra work is to have everything always done differently each time it is done.

more: 11 steps to better client tax instructions | get your team ready for tax season
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not establishing uniform procedures is bad business and unnecessarily consumes part of your life. consistency in performance reduces work and review time and creates a greater reliance on the staff people.
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11 steps to better client tax instructions

help them help you.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

providing instructions of what a client needs to do must be clear enough so that the client doesn’t call you to find out what to do.

more: get your team ready for tax season | 12 ways to squeeze fun into tax season | 6 ways to get paid faster in tax season
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sometimes taking an extra minute to lay out what the client should do can eliminate that call or indecisive moment a client might feel.
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get your team ready for tax season

happy multi-ethnic business team with thumbs up in the officethree steps to a happier grind.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

if you have staff, have happy cheerful helpful people. don’t surround yourself with downers and naysayers.

more: 12 ways to squeeze fun into tax season | 6 ways to get paid faster in tax season
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also have team players. part of this is your firm’s culture. it takes work to get people to work together and to focus on doing what it takes to service the client fully, properly and timely.  everyone working together gets it done.
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client service opportunities

success secrets in specialties

make sure your choice is interesting and portable.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i was not a specialist. in some respects, i am the last of the “expert generalists” and generalists are fast becoming extinct.

more: making sure the son got proper credit | yes, shirt logos can matter | preparing for the worst (thanks to my wife) | why cpas should stay in public accounting | readers rip: ‘she wanted her shoebox back’ | ceos don’t always know numbers
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in this age of specialization and niche expertise, being a generalist is a negative to most people, indicating a lack of competency in their area. i tend to think of the old general practitioner physicians versus the modern-day specialists. no one looks at the whole patient.
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12 ways to squeeze fun into tax season

four young happy office employeeswhy not?

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

tax season presents exciting opportunities for accounting firms and their staffs. every moment should be enjoyed and appreciated.

more: 6 ways to get paid faster in tax season

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following are 12 reasons:

1. tax season is profitable and accounting is a business where we try to maximize our earnings. sure, there is a great concentration of work in a short period with occasional pressure, but if handled properly, the work can be managed sensibly with tensions at reasonable levels. i also believe much of the pressure is self-induced by poor scheduling, inadequate quality control and the lack of uniform systems that are followed by everyone in the firm, particularly the partners.

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client service opportunities

making sure the son got proper credit

businessman holding word "success" and upward arrow in handsthe difference a graph can make.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i have a client who owns considerable real estate that her son manages. the son actually does a very good job maintaining the property, growing rents and keeping vacancies to a minimum.

more: yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | the 10 best movie accountants | when cpas leave to work for a client | when parents, children hit an impasse | wealth is a state of mind
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

my client’s husband was the builder and driving force behind this mini empire, but he passed on a few years ago. he was a dynamic self-made person who amassed quite a fortune and turned over daily operations to his son about 10 years before he died to spend considerable time golfing and traveling.
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client service opportunities

six ways to get paid faster

stamp paid - 3dit’s good for business and considerate to clients.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

accounting is a business and businesses need to be paid.

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it’s harder to justify prices when providing services rather than products. products are usually priced before delivery while many times services are priced after delivery, i.e. performance.

many accountants price tax returns before they are worked on, usually basing the fee on last year, or a rate schedule. sending a bill with the return establishes the relationship that you should be paid promptly for the work done.

it shows that you run a business and also provides a courtesy to the client in that they can immediately evaluate the cost and value of what was done.

but just as importantly: read more →

client service opportunities

when to avoid the appearance of assuming a responsibility

magnifying glass held over document with word "agreement" highlightedbottom line: are clients willing to pay for your services?

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

accountants are really nice people who look for ways to help and better serve clients.

more: yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | the 10 best movie accountants | when cpas leave to work for a client | when parents, children hit an impasse | wealth is a state of mind
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

sometimes we present the appearance that we are doing something or are assuming a responsibility that we are not, and this should be avoided.

here are some illustrations:

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yes, shirt logos can matter

two businessmen shaking hands at meeting in officemarketing is the totality of your efforts to get additional business.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i like to wear shirts with my firm’s logo. we have an arrangement with land’s end where we can order what we want from their catalog and have the withum logo applied. it is a very easy process.

more: 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | family trees of clients | why accountants quit | when siblings battle over the family business | how bickering can ruin a family business | one hour a year since 1972 50 ways to make more money in busy season
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when i had my own firm we let staff freely choose what they wanted from the land’s end catalog, and we ordered it for them. it shows pride in the firm, is a walking billboard advertising your firm, and presents an appearance of a “together” firm. it is a low-cost method of promoting your firm and strengthening your brand and culture. in instances in which clients asked for shirts, we willingly provided them. there are other vendors, including local suppliers, and this is not restricted to land’s end.
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what is a “reasonable” number of work hours?

clock facesit depends. but you knew that.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: how many hours a year do you recommend staff working?

answer: it depends…

more: make today “day one” of your new business | why does all work take so long? | profit sharing for a staffer? | titles can make people happier | reasons to drop your book of business | are you marketing for 2022 yet?
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the quick answer is: as many as reasonable.
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10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting

midsection of businessman moving out with cardboard box from officebosses are part of the problem.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

as i have written about cpas who leave public accounting, there has been widespread interest. there is a lot more to say so i’ll address many of those questions.

more: family trees of clients | preparing for the worst (thanks to my wife) | the 10 best movie accountants | why accountants quit | why cpas should stay in public accounting | when cpas leave to work for a client | when siblings battle over the family business | readers rip: ‘she wanted her shoebox back’
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

general comment

generally speaking, many bosses do not listen to staff concerns. at many firms, there is a lack of serious mentoring and little help for staff people in managing their careers. in many practices, there is an appearance of a lack of growth, or if there is growth, then staff people are often left behind. in most instances, these problems are exacerbated by staff people not being clear about what they want. they are hesitant to speak up, share their concerns with their bosses or venture beyond their comfort zone. both are culpable, but i place greater blame on the bosses, who should know better.
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