what cpa firm buyers want … and don’t

woman with disapproval face.sellers, how do you compare?

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

many years ago, i was overjoyed that the managing partner of one of chicago’s largest local firms (long since merged out of existence) called me in for a meeting. today, i would have asked what the guy wanted to discuss before shlepping to his office. but 20 years ago, i was just happy he called me.

more: inside a partner comp committee | rewarding partners for seniority: pros and cons | what if founders don’t want to buy each other out? | when cpa partner votes go wrong | why billing less may mean earning more | what smaller firms must do to become firms of the future | when managing partners can’t | don’t let exiting partners double dip | the 13 signs you have a partner problem | covid-19, adversity and innovation
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the managing partner proceeded to tell me that his firm was looking for smaller firms to merge in. i asked him what the parameters were for his search.
read more →

why do you want to merge? be honest.

then we can talk about how.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

whether you’re looking to acquire a smaller firm, merge upward into a larger one or join forces with an equal, answering this basic question honestly and objectively is key to laying the groundwork for a successful merger.

more: four reasons to fear a merger
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the table below lists the main reasons that firms seek mergers. some of them benefit both buyer and seller. others provide the greatest advantage to one firm or the other, depending on the unique situation.
read more →

four reasons to fear a merger

purple no. 4 billiard balland eight ways to tell that one was successful.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

as a generation of aging baby boomer partners continues its relentless march toward retirement, thousands of firms are seeking the only exit strategy available to them: merge into another firm.

more:  12 shifts to ensure firm success |  eisneramper ceo explains the firm’s private equity deal  |  why it’s time for an acquisition  |  are you overthinking an m&a deal?  |  the 9 biggest merger pitfalls  |  will new taxes push you to cash out?  |  the managing partner’s role in mergers  |  inside a partner comp committee  |  making partner: the essential metrics  |  want to be a partner? meet these 17 expectations  |  five reasons not to make someone a partner  |  do you really need another partner?  |  six big mistakes in succession planning  |  new non-compete laws don’t affect cpa firms  |  evaluating the managing partner  |  what a firm needs from its leaders  |

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

thus has a voracious appetite for mergers been created at all size levels, particularly:

  • sellers who are very small firms – sole practitioners (remember, 30,000 of the u.s.’s 44,000 cpa firms are solos, and a huge percentage of those are at an advanced age) and multipartner firms under $3 million
  • buyers with annual revenues of $3 million and larger

read more →

inside a partner comp committee

how buyout was affected.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

we worked with a 10-partner cpa firm a few years ago to change their income allocation method from an incredibly complicated formula that was deeply flawed to a compensation committee (cc). we talked to the partner group recently to get their feedback on how things worked out.

more: rewarding partners for seniority: pros and cons | what if founders don’t want to buy each other out? | when cpa partner votes go wrong | why billing less may mean earning more
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

why did you adopt the cc? it embraces the fundamental concept that an accounting firm’s success depends on its partners’ production and intangible attributes such as management, leadership, mentoring staff, and teamwork, among others.
read more →

making partner: the essential metrics

from mastering business-building skills to people-building skills.

by marc rosenberg

there are many ways to measure the performance of staff on the path to making partner.

more: making partner: what managers need to know | the 17 rules for making partner at a cpa firm | who shouldn’t be a partner? | nine reasons people are promoted to partner | how to make partner?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

as is my style, i will present far more measures than most firms actually use. but i doubt you’ll perceive any of the methods here as unimportant. they are not listed in any particular order of importance.

read more →

want to be a partner? meet these 17 expectations

//m.g005e.com/2021/03/23/17-basic-expectations-of-partners/plus four super basics.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

we’ve all heard the names given to various generations of people over the past century. the lost generation. the greatest (wwii) generation. the silent generation. baby boomers. gen x. millennials. gen z. though i don’t know of any studies on this, i’m quite sure that every generation of cpa firm ownership has complained – bitterly – about the younger generation.

more: five reasons not to make someone a partner | yes, you need another partner | what prospective partners should ask their firm | making partner: 15 steps to the buy-in | drive your profits with only four metrics
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

baby boomers and gen xers love to complain that today’s staff don’t want to be partners. they cite this as a major reason why it’s so difficult to bring in new partners.
read more →

five reasons not to make someone a partner

businessman with hand extended in "no" gesturedon’t ignore the red flags.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

mostly, you’d have to be a fool not to want to be a partner. but being a partner isn’t for everybody.

more: yes, you need another partner | six big mistakes in succession planning | what new partners should know about buyouts | making partner: do the math | a crash course in the business of public accounting | making partner: what managers need to know | the 17 rules for making partner at a cpa firm
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the reasons listed below exclude issues not germane to this discussion, such as a desire to change careers, opportunities to join one’s family business or boredom with accounting. read more →

do you really need another partner?

number 9 created by gaps between many small green plastic 9'shere are nine reasons why.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

before we get too far, we must answer a basic question: why would a cpa firm ever want to make someone a partner in the first place? why would it want to share profits with more people?

more: six big mistakes in succession planning | what a firm needs from its leaders | comp: what new partners don’t know | there are two kinds of accounting firms | how to get promoted to manager | the 17 rules for making partner at a cpa firm
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the short answer is that it must be beneficial to both the firm and the new partner. a win-win, as the saying goes.
read more →

six big mistakes in succession planning

and three reasons staffers don’t want “in.”

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

accounting firms worldwide are dealing with an enormously difficult challenge today – one that has topped every firm’s list of critical issues since the turn of the century and will continue to be a high priority for years to come. the vast majority of firms struggle with it. failure to solve it causes hundreds of firms to merge out of existence every year.

more: what a firm needs from its leaders | what prospective partners should ask their firm | what new partners should know about buyouts | comp: what new partners don’t know | making partner: 15 steps to the buy-in
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the “it” is, of course, succession planning, with difficulties rooted in a perfect storm of causes:
read more →

new non-compete laws don’t affect cpa firms

statue of scales of justicenon-solicitation is a different matter.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

in july, president biden signed an executive order that made it more difficult for non-compete agreements, in general, to be enforceable. in illinois, a more restrictive version of this change is ahead of the curve, making it more challenging for illinois employers to enter into non-compete and non-solicitation agreements with employees. i have heard that new york and perhaps other states have done the same.

more: when cpa partner votes go wrong | why billing less may mean earning more | what smaller firms must do to become firms of the future | when managing partners can’t | don’t let exiting partners double dip | the 13 signs you have a partner problem | covid-19, adversity and innovation | how covid impacts partner retirements |  three tough questions in partner buyouts | is mandatory retirement a best practice? | covid-19: how your firm can respond | reward partners for performing like partners
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

for cpa firms, it’s much ado about nothing. i’ll explain why in a moment.
read more →

evaluating the managing partner

silhouettes of three business partners talking against a window in an officethey need performance feedback, too.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

“a rabbi whose community does not disagree with him is really not a rabbi, and a rabbi who fears his community is not really a man.” – rabbi israel salanter, museum of the diaspora, tel aviv

more: grading your managing partner | why firms conduct performance evaluations of partners | top issues for millennial managing partners | the managing partner’s secret weapon | how a good managing partner impacts profitability | how a great managing partner impacts firm growth | compensation is no way to manage partners | clarify partner expectations | herding cats: advice for managing partners
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

everyone needs feedback. unfortunately, many people in all walks of life, in both personal and business settings, avoid feedback because they don’t want to deal with the reality of the messages.
read more →

what a firm needs from its leaders

red rocket rising above white hot air balloons“partner seniors” just won’t do.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

a great episode from an old, award-winning tv show, “m*a*s*h,” is relevant here. the two stars, hawkeye and trapper, are captains and doctors serving in the korean war. they drive to a nearby military base on business. they have brought with them the timid but highly effective company clerk, corporal radar o’reilly.

more: what prospective partners should ask their firm | what new partners should know about buyouts | making partner: do the math | a crash course in the business of public accounting | making partner: what managers need to know | nine reasons people are promoted to partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the mischievous captains decide to stop at an officers’ club for a drink, but radar tells them he can’t enter because he’s not an officer. hawkeye, ever the schemer, comes up with a solution. he takes one of his captain’s bars and pins it on radar’s lapel, and the threesome enter the club.
read more →

grading your managing partner

two metal balls balancing at each end of seesawbonus: the 21-point managing partner evaluation form.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

“a rabbi whose community does not disagree with him is really not a rabbi, and a rabbi who fears his community is not really a man.” – rabbi israel salanter, museum of the diaspora, tel aviv

more: why firms conduct performance evaluations of partners | the 14 trends crushing today’s accountants | 44 hard-earned tips from new managing partners | how to enforce the partner agreement | the 9 biggest merger pitfalls | 10 ways to hold partners accountable
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

everyone needs feedback. unfortunately, many people in all walks of life, in both personal and business settings, avoid feedback because they don’t want to deal with the reality of the messages.
read more →