innovation & change management

accounting needs a ‘rethink’ not a ‘rebrand’

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two women talking while seated at a table

your value is in the knowledge you have and the relationships and trust you’ve built.

by seth fineberg
at large

the field of accounting, and being an accountant, is challenged on many sides – none more so than the very act of being an accountant. in short, given the demand for new services and the growth in automation for nearly all “tasks,” what does accounting or being an accountant mean anymore?

more: big change comes with deep reflection | three ways to raise the bar for your business | randy crabtree: stress management for overworked accountants | tax chat: eric green reveals the tax rep guide to tax season  | it’s time to do the uncomfortable  | three ways to improve next tax season  | meet basis, the new ai bookkeeper on the block | is this when accountants start taking freshbooks seriously?
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let’s be clear: accounting’s literal and metaphorical face is, and needs to be, changing if it is to grow and thrive. this, however, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. but, as we well know, change is not easy or quick. what should encourage accounting professionals is that at this very moment in time, they have the ability to have a say in what accounting, and being an accountant, actually is and could be.
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disruptors: chase birky builds the anti-cpa firm

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don’t reinvent the wheel. join a better wheel. 

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the disruptors
with liz farr

chase birky wanted “a better way to cpa,” so he and co-founder max fritz created dark horse – the “anti-cpa firm,” which would be “the opposite of what a client would expect of a cpa firm, of what talent expects of a cpa firm.” dark horse democratizes access to the resources, tools, and technology available to larger firms so sole practitioners and small firms have an easier path to the modern cpa firm.

more podcasts and videos: jason blumer & julie shipp: move leaders out of client service | james graham: drop the billable hour and you’ll bill more | karen reyburn: fix your marketing and fix your business | giles pearson: fix the staffing crisis by swapping experience for education | jina etienne: practice fearless inclusion | bill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid work | sandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow |

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dark horse was born out of the realization that small businesses were underserved by their accountants. many small business owners have “these horror stories about the large firm that deprioritizes them and charges them an arm and a leg, or the one-off practitioner or micro firm that wouldn’t return their emails or phone calls, and never provides advice, just tells them to sign on the dotted line,” birky says.

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six steps to battle cybersecurity risks

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what cost or time investment would you pay to protect your firm and your clients?

by donny shimamoto
cybersecurity for accountants

when it comes to cybersecurity, one risk aspect to consider is whether or not the steps you’ve taken to protect clients’ pii will stand up in court in the event of litigation related to a data breach or damages to a client because of a cybersecurity issue caused by your firm. during litigation, opposing counsel will often bring in cybersecurity experts to describe cybersecurity best practices—which are often a higher level of controls than just compliance.

more: understanding the full cost of a data breach | the 7 categories of of cybersecurity solutions firms need | future firm growth requires a mindshift | donny shimamoto explains how ‘agile’ applies to cpa firms | 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.

be sure to consult with both your cybersecurity advisor and legal counsel to determine which controls you may still want to implement even if you qualify for some of the exemptions. many controls, like the ones identified in the ftc exception, do not cost much to implement and can demonstrate that you still fulfilled your professional obligation to protect clients’ data—reducing your litigation risk.

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is audit in crisis because of definitions?

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auditors, accountants and businesses need to agree on expectations and deliverables in audits.

by alan anderson
transforming audit for the future

instant download:
“the new manifesto for accountants.“

do the banks and investors get useful information from historical audited financials? in their book, “the end of accounting and the path forward for investors and managers,” baruch lev and feng gu researched the relationship between changes in stock prices and the dates that corporate financial reports were released.

more: three fundamental questions to ask in audit | how auditors can beat ai | the big issues in audit: frustration, inconsistency and technology | five ways to increase audit efficiency | early adopters gain an edge in audit | talent retention: five tips for an audit adjustment | six benefits of an internal audit | the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | five cash reports you can’t live without | when an audit is a great thing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in the 1950s and 1960s, roughly 90 percent of the market value of public companies could be directly attributed to the earnings and book value reported in their financials. by 2013, that percentage had dropped to just 50 percent. personally, i’m surprised it’s even that high. the historical financial statement does not serve the needs of the users of those statements.
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disturb the present to improve the future

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eight excited office workers around conference table

five suggestions to help you compete.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

to thrive in today’s tough and fast-changing market, accounting firms must become more agile and adaptable than ever before. but what are the characteristics of an agile, adaptable, quick-learning cpa firm? and how do you get that way?

more: new partners must be impact players | why partners can’t shirk performance reviews | what firms should address in partner agreements | 11 best practices for partner compensation | why buying into a firm is such a great investment | the business side of cpa firms | it shouldn’t take so long to make partner | three types of skills you need to become a partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

my initial, somewhat amusing (probably just to me) thought was the credo for little league umpires (who in many communities are 14-18 years old):

be mobile.

be assertive.

be loud.

it may have more relevance to what follows than either of us might initially think.

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chris vanover: question the why or stay with the status quo

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challenge yourself to do things differently.

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).

see the disruptors

the disruptors
with liz farr

chris vanover is on a mission “to make accounting and auditing better.”

initially, auditclub helped firms mainly with quality control, but over time that grew into offering fractional support on a subscription basis to audit firms that can’t find the talent they need.

more podcasts and videos: jason deshayes: what we’re doing isn’t working | heather satterley: you’ve got to meet people where they are | bill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid work | sandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow | jody padar: build a practice that works for you, not vice-versa | ira rosenbloom: with m&a, nobody wants a fixer-upper | peter margaritis: the power skills every accountant needs | joe montgomery: find the sweet spot of the right clients, right services and right prices | marie green: your bad apples are ruining you | megan genest tarnow: hire for curiosity rather than compliance | clayton oates: one way to keep clients for life | randy crabtree: follow these three rules to keep employees happy | erik solbakken: yes, you can work less and make more | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshift | jennifer wilson: empower young workers to build the firm everyone loves | mike whitmire: re-think your hiring and training practices | hector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be free| private equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  | accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinson | when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt | can geraldine carter save accountants from themselves? | re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

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

audit firms are challenged to plan a year or even a month out, so auditclub offers members weekly access. this weekly flexibility allows auditclub to take a concierge approach to help their member firms out a week at a time. plus, vanover may have the secret sauce to getting employees to perform at their optimum levels daily.

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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?
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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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heather satterley: you’ve got to meet people where they are

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stop saying yes to everything and start saying yes to yourself.

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see the disruptors

the disruptors
with liz farr

heather satterley is well-known for being an accounting tech expert. but tech isn’t the only skill accountants need today and for the future. “you can have great technology skills, but if you don’t have people skills and those softer skills, that’s going to be a problem,” she said.   

more podcasts and videos: bill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid work | sandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow | jody padar: build a practice that works for you, not vice-versa | ira rosenbloom: with m&a, nobody wants a fixer-upper | peter margaritis: the power skills every accountant needs | joe montgomery: find the sweet spot of the right clients, right services and right prices | marie green: your bad apples are ruining you | megan genest tarnow: hire for curiosity rather than compliance | clayton oates: one way to keep clients for life | randy crabtree: follow these three rules to keep employees happy | erik solbakken: yes, you can work less and make more | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshift | jennifer wilson: empower young workers to build the firm everyone loves | mike whitmire: re-think your hiring and training practices | hector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be free| private equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  | accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinson | when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt | can geraldine carter save accountants from themselves? | re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

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

one of those softer skills that will be a key skill for the future is problem-solving, which requires keeping an open mind to “look at not just facts and figures, but look at tools, resources, people and pull them all together,” she explained. no one can be an expert at everything, so having “a wide network of really awesome professionals” is vital for filling in any gaps “to get the job done.”  

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are you ready to become a data analyst?

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the right dashboards can optimize your data … and your value.

by bonnie buol ruszczyk

business leaders are constantly called upon to make snap – yet important – decisions. yet, poring through spreadsheets, reports and financial statements can be a laborious and time-consuming process, especially for those who need to act on urgent matters.

more: survey: zoom, teams top meeting choices | are you using too many monitors? or not enough? | one in four firms replaces servers by schedule | you’re probably not reading this on an ipad | 52% of firms look outside for it support | pandemic? what pandemic? | today’s top 3 problems: staffing, workflow and tech
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this is where data visualization tools can be a tremendous boon to organizations. automatically pulling from various data sources, these cloud-based, interactive dashboards present business data visually using charts, graphs and other widgets. once designed, these repositories save precious time for analysts, managers and key decision-makers, allowing them to focus on the information and analysis rather than on the grueling process of gathering it and creating reports.

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stop sending the wrong message to audit teams

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audit is becoming further commodified. 

by alan anderson
transforming audit for the future

instant download:
“the new manifesto for accountants.“

the value of what we provide to clients has declined until it has become a commodity. that, in turn, drives our fees down.

the lack of innovation means that our clients can’t tell the difference between the audit we do and one done by the firm down the street. none of them provide relevant information or any value to our clients.

more: three fundamental questions to ask in audit | how auditors can beat ai | the big issues in audit: frustration, inconsistency and technology | five ways to increase audit efficiency | early adopters gain an edge in audit | talent retention: five tips for an audit adjustment | six benefits of an internal audit | the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | five cash reports you can’t live without | when an audit is a great thing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

if our clients don’t see the value, then the audit is only being done to meet a regulatory or banking requirement, and in that case, the cheapest option that meets that basic requirement is the one they choose.

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adrian hong: necessity can make you an expert

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innovation insights: trial by fire may not be fun, but it can make you a pro.

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).

innovation insights
with donny shimamoto
center for accounting transformation

adrian hong’s journey into the realm of environmental, social, and governmental (esg) reporting has been nothing short of inspiring. as the founder of hong consulting, llc, his dedication to assisting companies with esg reporting stems from a rich tapestry of experiences, all pointing to one common thread – the desire to help.

center for accounting transformation
center for accounting transformation

more: blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be free |private equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  |  accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | private equity vs. the cpa firm partnershipthe fintech flood: accounting will never be the same  |  think small to think big with matt wilkinson | your sales tax headaches are only just beginning | when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt  |  can geraldine carter save accountants from themselves? |  re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson |  turning client service into new revenue

see also: deloitte develops audit technology for smaller firms

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after building a formidable reputation in auditing within public accounting and lending his skills to the financial accounting standards board for refining external taxonomy, life had other plans. hong returned to his roots in hawaii to steer the helm of his family’s venture, island plastic bags.

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bill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid work

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challenge your people and keep the work interesting or risk losing them. 

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).

the disruptors
with liz farr

too many accounting firms have “smart people doing stupid work,” according to bill penczak, a veteran sales and marketing professional. the founder and chief insights officer for mica ventures said to think about the effort it takes to get an accounting degree and get your cpa, and contrast that with the years of mindless work that many new hires are required to do, especially if they go into audit, he said. “one of the reasons why there’s such a talent shortage is because the market has figured this out,” and no one wants to do that stupid work, penczak said.

more podcasts and videos: sandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow | jody padar: build a practice that works for you, not vice-versa | ira rosenbloom: with m&a, nobody wants a fixer-upper | peter margaritis: the power skills every accountant needs | joe montgomery: find the sweet spot of the right clients, right services and right prices | marie green: your bad apples are ruining you | megan genest tarnow: hire for curiosity rather than compliance | clayton oates: one way to keep clients for life | randy crabtree: follow these three rules to keep employees happy | erik solbakken: yes, you can work less and make more | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshift | jennifer wilson: empower young workers to build the firm everyone loves | mike whitmire: re-think your hiring and training practices | hector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be free| private equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  | accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinson | when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt | can geraldine carter save accountants from themselves? | re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

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

besides making smart people do stupid work, penczak said many of the firms he works with are realizing that they need to do a better job with mentoring and career development, as well as simply having more conversations with their people.

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what can chatgpt do for accounting professionals?

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the dawning of new technologies is usually daunting, but this is one we should all be excited to try.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

chatgpt has been in the news almost daily. it’s the latest “hot” technology. you might be wondering what’s so great about it, i.e., what can it do for accountants?

 

new course: are you looking for an accounting-specific course on chatgpt?  we have one right here! 

when we answer that question, we really need to answer a couple of questions. first, what can it not do, or what shouldn’t we use it for? and second, what tasks are safe or low-risk that we can use it for to increase our productivity?

more: make the most of cpe conferences | set bold new goals for the rest of the year | generative ai: should you avoid it or adopt it? | five ways to acquire more clients | five stages of any business | leverage your client list today | need leads? try a quiz
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first, we’ll look at what not to use chatgpt for and then we’ll look at what you should be using it for. last, we’ll examine two rules to follow when using chatgpt.
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