leadership

16 rules to $2.25 billion: godaddy founder’s homespun wisdom

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now that internet services provider godaddy has been sold for $2.25 billion, founder bob parsons is looking pretty smart.

bob parsons

so maybe it’s worth looking at the entrepreneurial, controversial parsons’ self-written “16 rules.” (by the way, after serving in vietnam, parson graduated with an accounting degree.)

1.  get and stay out of your comfort zone. i believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. i hear people say, “but i’m concerned about security.” my response to that is simple: “security is for cadavers.”

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it’s official: the war for clients has begun

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client retention falls to winning new business as top issue for firms.

in a signal that the competitive wars among cpa firms have only just begun, a new survey of practitioners shows client retention and even revenue growth are taking a backseat to a desperate grab for new clients.

adding new clients ranks no. 1 for firms employing 2 to 5, 6 to 10 and 11 to 20 professionals, according to the 2011 aicpa private companies practice section’s cpa firm top issues survey, last issued in 2009. read more →

what people want from you

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arnold sanow
arnold sanow

the 14 strategies to build better business relationships.

it’s been said that when you look for the good in others, you discover the best in yourself.

it’s nowhere so true as in the accounting business. contrary to the cliche, accounting is a people business — most accountants spend a lot of time working directly with staffers, colleagues, superiors, clients and maybe-clients.

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how some thrive in tough times

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they make all the hard work pay off.

by rick telberg

some tax and accounting practitioners are showing how to deal with the same problems as their peers and competitors, and yet rise above them.

the results can be dazzling.

overall, 45% of accountants say this busy season was better than last year’s, including 12% who said “much better.”

indeed, for those lucky few, it was better by almost any measure. among those who reported operations were “much better” this year: read more →

can you really change a partner?

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august aquila
august aquila

take a lesson in change management from weight watchers.

by august aquila
aquilaadvisors.com

david maister in “strategy and the fat smoker” notes that there are two elements needed in order for us to change. the first is a willingness to do it. the second is determination. but alas, we know the path to hell is paved with good intentions.

available at amazon

there are a multitude of platitudes about change. but unless we change we don’t grow and the skills that got us to where we are, won’t get us to the next level. none of us can achieve more unless we become more. if i fail to change, i will not produce different or better results, but only the same thing. this is extremely dangerous because the world around us – our clients, our employees, the market place continue to change.

take a quick acid test. what do you know today that you did not know five years ago? ten years ago? if your list is short, you haven’t changed much. if your list is long, congratulations! the longer the list, the better.

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