management

do you really want that client?

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sometimes you should consider saying no.

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

we all want additional business, but sometimes the client should be vetted to determine if it is a good fit for your firm and if there are any danger signs.

more on marketing: want more tax clients? here’s how | bundle tax services with financial planning | 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 | four reasons to perform tax projections

following is an eight-point checklist that could help you in making a decision to accept the client.
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uncooperative partner might not be the problem

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why are they unwilling to help?

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

question: my tax partner gives me a hard time when i ask her for assistance. is there anything i can do to get her to be more responsive?

more:  merge in lower-priced work without losing out | 20 things you need for a business valuation
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response: this can apply to every research question asked by anyone in the firm. besides tax, it can be for audit, internal controls, succession planning or any other client service area.

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four considerations for effective client culling

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2023: the year “cull” was no longer a four-letter word for cpa firms.

by bill penczak

it finally happened.

for at least the past dozen years, i’ve heard cpa firm partners’ bold talk about culling their clients in order to ease staffing issues, focus on larger, more profitable engagements, or rid the firm of the pita clients, which has nothing to do with animal rights and more about protecting their people from those who are a pain ____  _____  _____ (complete the next three words on your own, and you can skip wordle for today).

more: partner accountability: the only two things that really matter | how to boost profits by (omg) sharing the upside | dustin verity: keep an open mind and constantly learn | secret to success? a growth and abundance mindset | the six essential kpis for managing partners | your marketing sucks: six reasons why | nine smooth moves to build client satisfaction
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

a recent study was published that indicated only 1 percent of cpa firms could adequately staff their engagements. and while more firms are migrating to offshore models to get work done, more are actually culling clients, but without a measured process for doing so.  

here are some suggestions for successful extrication of clients who are wearing down the profitability and the morale of firms: 

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keep clients from “balance due” shock

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

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.
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harper & co. cpas: the perspective of a non-accountant is imperative

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“the perspective of a non-accountant is imperative.”

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).


transformation talks
with donny shimamoto
center for accounting transformation

center for accounting transformation
center for accounting transformation

glen harper, cpa, says businesses should be willing to reinvent themselves and that diverse perspectives can be a valuable asset. the owner of harper & company cpas should know: he’s had to embrace both philosophies to become successful. 

more transformation talks:  menlo innovations: improve office culture by overhauling internal reviews | dustin wheeler: for serious cas success, hire tech teams | chase birky: overcoming paralysis by analysis | dustin verity: keep an open mind and constantly learn | james ross: csr for cpas: the missing ingredient | o.d. lanier: stepping into advisory | mike maksymiw: the secret to success? a growth and abundance mindset | paul mueller: from tax to transformation

more podcasts & videos: cas or caas? getting clarity | the seller’s guide to getting the best price for your firm | 2022年世界杯抽签  | why the future is in risk advisory | fine-tuning the subscription fee model | thinking smart about new tech: byron patrick | 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 all podcasts and videos here

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

in a recent episode of transformation talks, harper tells host donny shimamoto, cpa, citp, cgma, who is also the founder and managing director of intraprise techknowlogies llc and the founder of the center for accounting transformation, that a good advisor can help you see your business from a different perspective and identify opportunities that you may have missed. he said after some self-reflection, he needed what his successful clients already had–a ceo.

enter julie smith.

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pcps map: profits and pay lag behind revenue gains at cpa firms

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revenue grows 11%. profit trails at 4%. entry-level salaries not ‘competitive.’


by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

cpa firm revenues are growing strongly, but profits and entry-level salaries are failing to keep pace, according to new survey data analyzed by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

more in surveys & research: firms rev up expansion plans | overcoming the five hurdles to advisory services | research: accounting pros cautiously optimistic about generative ai | why compliance still matters. but it’s not enough. |  new businesses mean new business | how to transform your team into trusted advisors

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

although the average base salary for new entrants to the profession increased by $5,000 to $50,000 in the fiscal year 2022, this still lags behind comparable pay in fields such as engineering, the aicpa says in commentary accompanying the new 2023 national management of an accounting practice survey, adding "competitive compensation is crucial to firms’ ability to attract talent."

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partner accountability: the only two things that really matter

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both tax and audit partners can achieve margin goals, but in different ways.

by bill penczak

i was leading a midyear review of the 2023 strategic plan for one of my cpa firm clients, one that has experienced exponential growth (you’re welcome) in the past few years but simultaneously is facing the positives and negatives that accompany rapid growth. as we delved into the goals and objectives in the six strategic areas, it dawned on me that partner focus – and the ensuing measurement and related compensation – should be narrowed to just two things, which i will address in a bit.

more bill penczak: how to boost profits by (omg) sharing the upside | bill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid work | chase birky: overcoming paralysis by analysis | dustin verity: keep an open mind and constantly learn | five ways to put success into succession planning | o.d. lanier: stepping into advisory | secret to success? a growth and abundance mindset | from tax to transformation | five steps to building advisory work | the six essential kpis for managing partners | the great resignation: five reasons accountants are quitting | five tips for better decision-making | your marketing sucks: six reasons why | five global cpa leaders: four survival strategies | are you too generous with your write-offs? | nine smooth moves to build client satisfaction | planning for success in 2021 | re-thinking today’s firm with five global leaders | 5 things your firm should do differently this summer | do you have the guts to beat the covid crisis? | how to inoculate your firm against covid competition | ‘found money’ delights clients | don’t buy a rolodex, buy a process | the three r’s for beating the corona crisis | 6 reasons why your marketing sucks
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the polar opposite of this kiss approach was the managing partner of a $100 million-plus firm that wound up being gobbled up by one of the supernationals almost 10 years ago. he was brilliant – he could look at an excel spreadsheet and, in “rain man” fashion, immediately identify wrong entries or formulas. (for those readers on the younger age spectrum, “rain man” was an academy award-winning film from 1988 starring dustin hoffman and tom cruise.) being the king of excel, this managing partner had created a 20-column rating sheet for each partner to measure their performance. in the words of one partner at the time, “there was so much detail, we didn’t even know what to focus on.”

time for wapner, indeed.

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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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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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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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strengthen client ties with workflow tools

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bonus: a solution for authentication code headaches.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

managing tasks and workflow through email, handwritten notes, telephone messages or walking down the hall is a recipe for disaster. a web-based tasking app, preferably linked to your document management system, allows the back office support to inspect what they expect:

  • recurring tasks done on time and accurate load leveling of resources
  • audit trail of work
  • set up, review, make notes, share information and complete tasks while maintaining the relationship with the client

more: decoding accounting tech (and all those acronyms) | do your apps play well with others? | it’s ok to have favorite clients | ten questions for teamwork | yes, you can be an outsourcer
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

tasking applications come on the market regularly and there are a few that are specific to the accounting industry. they can run the gamut in price ranges and capabilities. from advance flow to 17 hats, a firm large to small can find one that will work and fulfill 80 percent of their needs. below are some we work with and that get high reviews with our staff:
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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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