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the right kind of lazy: innovative approaches to streamlining workflows | accounting arc
arc hosts discuss redefining efficiency in the accounting profession and when it pays to ‘slack off.’
accounting arc
with liz mason, byron patrick, and donny shimamoto.
center for accounting transformation
in a recent episode of the popular accounting arc podcast, hosts liz mason, cpa, and donny shimamoto, cpa.citp, cgma; and byron patrick, cpa.citp, cgma; discussed an unconventional yet powerful concept: the right kind of lazy. this idea, which involves strategically optimizing workflows to eliminate non-value-adding tasks, offers a fresh perspective on efficiency and productivity in the accounting profession.
mason, founder and ceo of high rock accounting, shared an anecdote from her early career at grant thornton. faced with the monotonous task of processing paper tax returns, mason decided to automate the process. she spent over 100 hours developing a script that streamlined data entry and document generation. although initially time-consuming, the solution saved significant time when implemented across multiple offices. “it was fun and a great learning experience,” mason remarks. “at scale, it saved a ton of time for people.”
accountants in pop culture: myths, realities, and stereotypes – accounting arc
from “the office” to “parks and recreation,” listen in on how tv and movies shape our view of accountants.
accounting arc
with liz mason, byron patrick, and donny shimamoto.
center for accounting transformation
accountants are often depicted in popular culture in ways that range from humorous to downright exaggerated. in a recent episode of arc, hosts liz mason, cpa; byron patrick, cpa.citp, cgma; and donny shimamoto, cpa.citp, cgma, delve into these portrayals, discussing their favorite fictional accountants and the stereotypes that come with them.
patrick, vice president of client success at the b3 method institute, starts the conversation with “the office,” where characters like oscar, kevin, and angela offer a comedic take on the profession. “the beauty of ‘the office’ is in its exaggerated realism,” patrick explains. angela’s strict, by-the-book approach and kevin’s more laid-back attitude reflect common perceptions of accountants. “they were the butt of many jokes, but also some of my favorite accountants to watch,” he adds.
how a case of beer saved the u.s. financial system
great businesses are formed by trusting others … even if they need a 24-pack to get there.
by frank stitely
the relentless cpa
you’ve probably heard of the 1929 stock market crash, black monday, the dotcom bubble and the great recession. all of these combined pale in comparison to what almost happened back in 1986. save for a case of miller lite, our financial world, as we know it, would not exist.
more: even with value pricing, time tracking matters and here’s why | end tax season meetings with clients…seriously | get clients to understand firm processes … or say goodbye | train now before it costs you down the road | keep clients from “balance due” shock | 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
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
i landed this job not because of my fabulous accounting qualifications. i was a double major in economics/finance in college. i would have taken a job sniffing used toilet paper out of college with those academic credentials. i got the job solely from my relationship with paul karstetter, the second name in what eventually became stitely & karstetter, cpas.
on a mission: introducing accounting, reaction, comedy
accountants on a mission: accounting, reaction, and maybe a little fun.
subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: apple, google, spotify, iheart, deezer, amazon music and audible, player fm, audacy, gaana (india), and boomplay (africa).
accounting arc 
with donny shimamoto, liz mason, and byron patrick
center for accounting transformation
in a universe where financial chaos threatens to overwhelm even the bravest souls, our trio of accounting change agents emerge to restore order, one ledger at a time. these stewards of integrity are uniting to serve the integrated ecosystem of families, businesses, and communities and aligning their efforts to unlock the power of the accounting profession with their unique blend of wit, wisdom, and, yes, a dash of comedy.
more: harper & co. cpas: the perspective of a non-accountant is imperative | menlo innovations: improve office culture by overhauling internal reviews | dustin wheeler: for serious cas success, hire tech teams | chase birky: overcoming paralysis by analysis |
in the inaugural episode, our agents pull back the curtain to reveal the origins of their financial prowess. delve into the captivating backstories as they share their personal journeys, unveil the driving forces behind their decision to become accounting professionals, and what led them to seek and find ways to improve the world.
train now before it costs you down the road
your time investment now could reap dividends during tax season.
by frank stitely
the relentless cpa
we’ve all heard it.
ask if an assigned project has been completed and get the, “it’s done, but …” followed by a few reasons why said project is still – let’s be honest – incomplete.
more: keep clients from “balance due” shock | stop clients from performing “favors” | control your time: avoid ambush meetings and calls | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity | six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm
let’s examine how we got a “done but” society. a lot of this will sound like, “back in my day, sonny …” old man nonsense, and a lot of it is.
however, i promise you a solution after my sociological exploration of 21st-century culture. you won’t need a degree in sociology to understand this.
“done” only has one meaning
“done but” increases wip and turnaround time. profits go … well, you know.
by frank stitely
the relentless cpa
in my last book, i recommended hiring younger staff. in that book, i cautioned that you might have to teach very simple tasks like breathing and using the bathroom to your newbies.
more: keep clients from “balance due” shock | stop clients from performing “favors” | who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you | it’s okay to say no to clients (even the large ones) | control your time: avoid ambush meetings and calls | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity
one reader posted that she didn’t believe it was the responsibility of an admin department to teach bathroom use. she was new to this hot new writing technique called sarcasm, but she did a great job making my point that you have to teach your staff a lot of basic things.
one of those teaching tasks is the meaning of “done.”
keep clients from “balance due” shock
with just a little advanced marketing, you can get paid year-round and have more satisfied clients.
by frank stitely
the relentless cpa
when i talk with prospective clients in any medium, i lead with tax planning. i don’t care if i’m meeting them, calling them or emailing them. i lead with tax planning. the number one complaint clients have about cpas and tax preparers is a lack of planning. they get tax returns and nothing else.
more: stop clients from performing “favors” | who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you | 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
the fun part is seeing the reaction when i mention planning. i tell them that they can know the results while there’s still time to change the results. tax season is no longer stressful because they know the answers in advance about refunds and balances due.
read more →
stop clients from performing “favors”
“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?
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.
read more →
who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you
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?
here’s where my conversations may differ from yours a bit.
it’s okay to say no to clients (even the large ones)
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?
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.
why business email is doomed
malware, ransomware, phishing and other hacker tools will make email obsolete.
by frank stitely
the relentless cpa
last year, the ceo of slack predicted the demise of business email in five years. i think he’s wrong. i think business email maybe has another two years. there are two obvious reasons why email has a foot in the technological grave.
more: control your time: avoid ambush meetings and phone calls | get clients to bring tax docs early…yes, early | you train your clients, whether you mean to or not | train your clients before they train you | why time tracking still matters | business owners face one of three exits | don’t let clients dictate tax workflow | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity | how small firms can win the talent wars | easy ways to avoid ‘done but’ tax returns | six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm | do you know your turnaround time?
first, spam killed the efficiency of email. how much time do you spend each day deleting spam? you can train your spam blocker, but professional spammers get through using variable email addresses and agreements with internet routing companies.
read more →
stop non-tax season service requests
“i know you’re busy, but …”
by frank stitely
the relentless cpa