15 tips for novice managers

how to prioritize instead of juggle.

by ed mendlowitz
101 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice, the complete 2-volume set

q: my boss asked me to call you.

i am a staff accountant with five years experience. i am having a lot of stress trying to manage everything i have to do. i am juggling supervising people i don’t know how to supervise, being managed less by those above me and having to figure out more for myself – including things i never did before or in industries i never worked on previously, keeping current with changes in accounting rules and taxes (since i am more like a generalist and clients ask me everything), never seeming to have any free time, juggling my schedule because most of my clients are never ready when they say they will be and being accountable to my boss for everything i do plus what the staff working under me does.

more: when not to charge for an initial consultation | what’s your ‘kg’ value? | when clients call you at home | how to handle referrals with attorneys | why checklists? | thirteen things to know before selling your practice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

so how do i do it all? how can i prioritize all my responsibilities?
read more →

the priorities were backward

businessman sitting in office and reading documentswhat is the worst thing that could happen?

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

when i was a junior accountant an eon ago, my boss would always give me the cash to reconcile or audit, the minutes to “abstract,” and the internal control questionnaire to go over with the controller or bookkeeper.

more: the seven-minute financial statement | when an audit is a great thing | how to read a financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs | which kpis do you need? | 77 thoughts about client needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

then when i became a manager, i continued this practice of having lower-level staff perform these procedures. i now consult with many accounting firms and find it is still being done that way. i stopped it many years ago and wonder why it’s still widespread.
read more →

why no one listens to you

how long are you talking?

by ed mendlowitz
101 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice, the complete 2-volume set

q: i notice that most of the time my staff doesn’t listen when i talk. how can i make them listen?

more: when not to charge for an initial consultation | what’s your ‘kg’ value? | when clients call you at home | why partner retreats are worth the cost | selling your practice is not a retirement strategy
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

a: err, what did you say?

just kidding! i find this issue very widespread. i believe there is an epidemic of people not listening, not just staff.
read more →

when not to charge for an initial consultation

bonus: a sample initial business valuation consultation engagement proposal.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: the complete 2-volume set

q: i was wondering what your thoughts are regarding initial consultation fees. currently, i do not charge a fee for an initial consultation, and it seems that most cpas do not charge either (at least not the sole practitioners that i know).

more: what’s your ‘kg’ value? | how to stop yourself | how to handle referrals with attorneys | why checklists? | thirteen things to know before selling your practice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

would the fee deter new clients or actually weed out the ones who are most likely not going to become clients anyway? if a fee is charged, then how much, and how long should the consultation last? should the fee be applied to any work that i am eventually engaged to do?

a: there seems to be a toss-up between two different philosophies:

read more →

the seven-minute financial statement

young businessman staring at laptop computer in officedon’t skip the notes.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

how do you start reviewing a financial statement? like any good book, you must start at the beginning.

more on advisory: when an audit is a great thing | how to read a financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs | which kpis do you need? | 77 thoughts about client needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

but where is the beginning? and how can you do it in only seven minutes? here is how …
read more →