leadership

how the structure of an accounting firm changes through the years

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when to re-organize your firm’s management structure.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm management & governance

firms may operate for years without much structure, enjoying happiness and profitability. then, seemingly overnight, the firm “hits the wall.” growth slows or stops. staff turn over. systems become inefficient. profits stagnate. for many firms, the “wall” is at the $6 million to $8 million annual revenue mark, while others don’t experience the slowdown until revenues approach $10 million.

roberto goizueta, ceo of coca cola in the ‘80s and ‘90s, described this perfectly: “challenging the status quo when you have been successful is difficult. if you think you will be successful running your business in the next 10 years the way you did the last 10 years, you’re out of your mind. to succeed, we have to disturb the present.”

the cure for this malady is to get organized.

in this report:

  • five reasons no two firms are exactly alike.
  • nine keys to strong cpa firm organizational structures.
  • how cpa firm governance structures change as firms grow larger.
  • sample cpa firm org charts for three sizes of firm.
  • the 13 forces of departmentalization. read more →

the six challenges crippling progress in today’s multi-partner firms

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how to engage partners in the firm's future

before you work on improving firm performance, you need to work on partner commitment.

by august j. aquila and robert j. lees
how to engage partners in the firm’s future

no one would ever question that a firm’s success is ultimately tied to its partners’ performance. and yet, increasing partner performance, getting the partners to work across practices, is one of the key issues facing the majority of firm leaders today. read more →

the debilitating effects of denial at accounting firms

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patrick j. mckenna
patrick j. mckenna

and four other hurdles today’s accounting firms must overcome.

by patrick j. mckenna
professional services firm consultant and author

many firms are in denial, and the few that aren’t move very slowly.

if your firm gets caught behind the curve, it wasn’t because critical trends weren’t visible; it was because they were ignored. the huge challenge remains that for too many firms, unless there is acute “pain,” there is little incentive to change. history proves that laggards only grab for the new once they are totally convinced the old doesn’t work anymore.

adapted from the introduction to “how to engage partners in the firm’s future: the secrets every leader needs to know,”
by august j. aquila and robert j. lees

and the old doesn’t work anymore!

when does a firm’s strategy change? usually only in response to a crisis or because of the initiative of a new managing partner. in many firms we have a generation of stewards rather than entrepreneurs.

read more →

when should you sign a new lease, merge or just retire?

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a seven-step process to confront the questions raised by lease renewals.

question: i signed up with a broker who introduces buyers and sellers of cpa practices, to find someone who would buy my practice when i want to retire. i don’t want to retire yet, but am starting to think about it. the broker suggested a merger now combined with a buyout deal when i am ready to retire. am i going about this in the right way? read more →

congratulations! your firm needs a human resources director

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now what?

that’s what a lot of successful firms are asking these days.

as more firms grow, merge and consolidate – and as hr and payroll rules and regs proliferate – it’s no small decision.

after studying hundreds of cpa firms and distilling their best practices, marc rosenberg, author of “cpa firm management and governance,” compiled this handy 15-item checklist of responsibilities and duties for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

more strategies for growing firms: 12 best practices for a cpa firm compensation committee   |   the 19-point marketing director job description   |   billable hours for partners: how much is too much?   |   charting the evolution of the firm administrator   |   checklist: how the best managing partners and firm admins work in concert   |   25 managing partners list best profitability ideas in 7 key areas   |   two cpa firm committees that need explaining: management and executive   |   ten-point job description for the firm administrator or coo   |

read more →