client service opportunities

stop clients from performing “favors”

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“oh, you shouldn’t have.” (you really, really shouldn’t have.)

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

we all have clients who bring in tax documents in laminated three-ring binders. they smile big toothy grins and tell us how they’re our most organized client. there’s no reason for us to organize the documents, as they’ve already done us this huge favor. of course, there will be no reason for us to remove anything from the binder and everything should be left in the binder just as it is.

more: who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you | it’s ok to say no to clients (even the large ones) | you train your clients, whether you mean to or not | business owners face one of three exits | how small firms can win the talent wars | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we call these people binder boys. they have no clue that organized for them is not organized for tax return preparation. preparing a return from documents in a binder takes twice as long, at least, as preparing returns from a well-organized pdf file.

we also have the people who use five pounds of staples to organize 20 pages. they don’t want any loose documents falling out of the file.
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20 things you need for a business valuation

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man reading in paper notebook in front of two screens

how to help a client who wants to sell their business. (hint: it’s about them, not you.)

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: i have a client who’s thinking of selling his business, and he asked me to recommend a consultant to help him get his business in shape to sell. i am afraid that if he finds someone on his own i’ll lose control of the client. he might end up not selling and i could lose the client. i do not know anyone to recommend. what do you suggest i do?

more: valuing a family-owned business: eight options | business valuation comes down to cash flow | 50 ways to create value for business owners and board members | what earnings mean for a business valuation | use organization charts to rewrite the future | what clients don’t know about cost variances | why and how to track payroll costs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

ed’s response: i suggest that you decide what is best for the client and proceed that way. you can find consultants by contacting other cpas, attorneys, or business brokers that work in this area.

however, i also think that this is something where you can probably do most of the work yourself or through your firm. it is not a magic process, but a four-part process.

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would you buy your own services?

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don’t expect potential clients to if you don’t know what sets you apart.

by steven e. sacks, cpa, cgma, abc

do you ever wonder why after spending many hours on drafting, editing, proofing, and polishing—and proofing and polishing just once more—your engagement proposal efforts did not result in winning the engagement? and if this happens on a semi-regular basis, the frustration is never easier to take.

more steve sacks: how do you value your most important asset? | how to build a winning proposal | six ways to fix your firm agreement | the great resignation or a reshuffling? | listen to learn | build the framework to a solution with five answers | try for success, not a win
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

you may have the requisite knowledge, experience, and perhaps even a broad view based on a diverse set of clients. however, you may have become complacent by maintaining a “cookie-cutter” approach to developing your proposals. like the old joke defining a consultant: “a person who takes off your watch, tells you the time, and gives the watch back to you,” implies an approach that you believe is best for your potential client, yet reflects no understanding of what the client actually needs.

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bundle tax services with financial planning

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businesspeople having a meeting over coffee sitting together at a table discussing a document, young man and two middle-aged women present

two sample engagement proposals.

by ed mendlowitz
how to build a stronger tax practice

following are two sample engagement proposals for tax return preparation bundled with additional financial planning and business planning services.

more on marketing: when clients haven’t filed taxes for years | seven keys to a complete succession plan | the tax effects of buying or selling a business | elder care: not sexy, but vital | how to guide clients through divorce | help clients manage their investments
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

letter 1:

dear _________________:

it was good meeting with you last week. ed and i are excited to be working with you and look forward to a long and satisfying professional relationship.
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who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you

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avoid balance-due whining sessions and earn additional revenue.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

you’ve surely had this conversation a million times during multiple tax seasons, most often in april. you give a client a tax return with a $20,000 balance due.

client: i didn’t expect to owe that much.
you: how much did you expect to owe?
client: about $5,000.

more: it’s ok to say no to clients (even the large ones) | control your time: avoid ambush meetings and calls | train your clients before they train you | don’t let clients dictate tax workflow | how small firms can win the talent wars | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

here’s where my conversations may differ from yours a bit.

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when clients haven’t filed taxes for years

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help them put a stop to this.

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

it is not unusual to meet with potential clients that have not filed tax returns for many years.

more on marketing: seven keys to a complete succession plan | how to begin a business valuation | how to offer conflict resolution | get your clients talking about retirement | when clients remarry | seven questions to suggest estate planning | four reasons to perform tax projections | four additional services to suggest
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

with these clients it is important to get them to understand the seriousness of their situation and that the sooner they comply, the greater the likelihood that the worst they would be subject to would be penalties for late filing and payment if they owe money.
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it’s okay to say no to clients (even the large ones)

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working with “smaller” clients can often be more rewarding – and profitable – than “big” clients.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

there’s a reason you aren’t actively training clients to allow you to work efficiently. you’re afraid that you’ll lose clients.

i guarantee that you will.

more: control your time: avoid ambush meetings and calls | get clients to bring tax docs early … yes, early | why time tracking still matters | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity | six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

clients have trained you to be inefficient. they’ll resist retraining. some of them will leave and infect someone else’s practice.

the reason you fear losing clients is that you fear you can’t replace them.

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you’re doing email wrong

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the liscio timeline: will it replace email?

there must be a better way.

by seth fineberg

email has always been an albatross of sorts for firms. most firms use it as their primary source of communication and are under the belief that they are “secure” if they use encryption. add the fact that having personally identifiable information on your machine is illegal, which equals one thing: you’re doing email wrong.

more fineberg: careful… you may be advising! | when live events fail | getting real: accounting tech decisions you need to make today | who’s in control? you? or your clients? | time management rule #1 for accountants | why vc is a bigger threat than ai

more on email & cybersecurity: why business email is doomed | the 7 categories of cybersecurity solutions firms need | the why, what and how of cybersecurity for accountants | top tech tools for building your new bos business | yes, ai writes better emails | survey: records management tops email challenges | three apps for ‘inbox zero’

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

email was never meant to be this nebulous communications zone. nor was it intended to be a source of truth or document and communications exchange storage. and now, with new data security laws, there are strict controls on how to use email.

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valuing a family-owned business: eight options

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businesswoman working late at desk

the correct standard depends on the reason for the valuation.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

here are eight standards of value that a valuation analyst may need to consider and discuss with a client. each standard has a different set of rules, and the valuations can vary greatly. valuing a business is an art – not a science – even though careful calculations are made to arrive at an appraisal of the business. also provided are some insights regarding how these are used and how the valuation analyst can protect their client.

more: business valuation comes down to cash flow | 50 ways to create value for business owners and board members | what clients don’t know about cost variances | how to advise clients on allocating business resources | be wary of discounting prices | where is your firm in its lifecycle? | six kinds of loan covenants
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

valuations of closely held family businesses are confusing because of the varied reasons, uses and purposes for the valuation. there is no one “right” way, because the value arrived at is contingent on the assumption used. this is confusing to many business owners.
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ready for a buy-sell agreement?

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make sure to consider these 20 points.

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

this service puts the accountant in the role of a mediator attempting to resolve conflicts and to serve as a facilitator to move things along to accomplish stated goals.

more on marketing: seven keys to a complete succession plan | how to begin a business valuation | how to offer conflict resolution | get your clients talking about retirement | how to assist investment clubs | when clients remarry | seven questions to suggest estate planning
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

who needs this service

many businesses do not have shareholders’ or buy-sell agreements.
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business valuation comes down to cash flow

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this step needs to come before proper financial planning can occur.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

business owners contemplating retirement should obtain a business valuation to determine the value of the business and whether the other resources will provide financial security. the conversation and successful engagement also require that the valuation analyst understand the owner’s motivating factors, or the qualitative information.

more: 50 ways to create value for business owners and board members | what earnings mean for a business valuation | why and how to track payroll costs | use constraints to make improvements | the role of strategy in pricing | wow clients with trend analysis | 26 ways to wreck a financial projection
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

obtaining the right price is important but holding out for a larger value and deeming all other values lower than that as a “deal breaker” can be self-defeating to the owner seeking financial security. there are other ways to obtain the security. further, quibbling over a smaller amount can potentially undermine the long-term plan, which is to retire.
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how does your firm measure up?

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woman leading meeting, flipchart in background

a new kind of “a” client.

by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services

there are many ways that a firm can evaluate itself, but there is only one way that really counts. at the end of the year, you must determine how you have made your major clients more profitable.

more: five questions for developing your marketing plan | twelve fundamentals of planning | one question to guide your growth plans | four ways to prepare for new business development | ten keys to marketing success
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

remember that 80 percent of your profits still comes from 20 percent of your clients. that also means, as i recently heard, that only 20 percent of your efforts go to the clients who produce 80 percent of your revenue.
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the 7 categories of cybersecurity solutions firms need

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how important are wisp and employee awareness? just ask the irs or the ftc. 

by donny shimamoto, cpa, citp, cgma
on cybersecurity for accountants
center for accounting transformation

historically, finding cybersecurity solutions “right-sized” for the small and mid-sized business space was difficult. most of the technologies were expensive and difficult to implement, and their price points weren’t reasonable for organizations with under 25 people. it’s only been within the last five years that we’ve seen solutions mature and evolve enough to be delivered via the cloud at a price point that makes sense for smaller organizations.

more: how hacker-proof is your firm? | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshift | ai, ocr, nlp & cpas: oh my!   |  accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | early adopters gain an edge in audit | dustin wheeler: for serious cas success, hire tech teams | csr for cpas: the missing ingredient | donny shimamoto explains how ‘agile’ applies to cpa firms |  staff retention for remote workers | why the future is in risk advisory |  ready for non-cpa “cpa” firms?
goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

to check if your policy addresses all of the requirements, take our cybersecurity compliance self-assessment for tax practitioners at: improvetheworld.net/cyberselfassessfortaxbook

with the covid-19 pandemic and the adoption of remote work increased cybersecurity threats, the cybersecurity industry has stepped up and made solutions much more affordable and easier to implement. these solutions still require some technical knowledge to install, but there is much less maintenance, and they now make economic sense even for sole practitioners. read more →