leadership

6 things leaders must do

by

aquila
aquila

it’s about accountability, not politics.

by august aquila
creating the effective partnership

every book you read on leadership will tell you certain things you need to do to become a good leader. however, you can do these things and still not be someone who people want to follow.

why? leadership is all about trust. if you cannot trust me, then you will not follow me or believe in me.

more on leadership for pro members: 5 questions about your firm’s direction | 6 reasons to keep partners from retiring | 6 reasons why cpa firms fail in innovation | 6 steps to handle staffing problems in a merger | 7 signs your firm is headed for an implosion | it’s not always about money: 16 tweaks for your comp system | eight key goal areas for partners | like herding cats: partners must ‘walk together’ | managing partners must remember partners’ needs | new times call for new cpa firm metrics | partners have love-hate relationship with leadership | the 8-point financial tune-up for your accounting firm | three ways to run a firm: but only one is sustainable | what does being a partner mean?

here is my short checklist for the things good leaders need to do:

1. always tell the truth. this is the basis of trust. just remember the story of george washington and the cherry tree – “i cannot tell a lie.” leadership is not about politics, it’s about clear and honest communication with your partners, employees, clients and referral sources. leave the double talk to the politicians who populate the sunday morning tv talk shows. read more →

the four ways ‘non-competes’ #fail in the social media age

by

how friending, liking, connecting or tweeting can come back to haunt you. 

by r. peter fontaine
newgate law

it is axiomatic that the only true assets of any accounting firm are its clients and its people.  these relationships are typically protected through a legal agreement between the firm and its people.  known as restrictive covenants (or, colloquially, as “non-competes”), under these contracts former partners and employees are prohibited from soliciting or serving firm clients, and soliciting or hiring firm employees.

restrictive covenants are becoming increasingly more significant in the accounting industry because of the growing mobility of and competition for a scarce workforce and partner and employee “fallout” following a merger. the ever expanding popularity of social media only contributes to the uncertainty surrounding the enforceability and effectiveness of post-employment restrictions.

read more →

why cpa firms need more women

by


two women shaking hands across a tableto recruit the best, you must sponsor women for leadership.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

smart accounting firm leaders want to be in the forefront of efforts to advance women.

as the global economy continues to become more competitive, firms need to use all the talent they can muster — and more and more of that talent will be women.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: beyond mentoring to sponsorship | ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms

companies that successfully tap into the full potential of women will be far ahead of their competitors. the key to doing it is to identify women who are likely to succeed and sponsor them, so they reach the top levels of leadership. that requires direct per­sonal involvement by leaders, particularly leaders who are men.

read more →

do cpa firms need management or leadership?

by

differentiating between the two, and the two most common styles of management.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 / succession institute

let’s start out with a straightforward question. what is the difference between management and leadership?

from one point of view, leadership is far different than management. for example, leadership might be all about developing a vision for the organization, being innovative, motivating others, empowering those around you, focusing on developing the people around you instead of just developing yourself, looking for positive ways to change, doing the right thing, and keeping the forest in view and not just see the trees.

read more →

clear billing procedures make collecting easier

by

tips for handling everything from late payers to extra services to minimum fee schedules.

by ed mendlowitz

question: can you give me some suggestions on overall firm pricing and billing methods?

more practice doctor q&a: there’s more to growth than marketing | how to make staff a team again | before you even think about selling your practice | how to make annual staff evaluations work | change your thinking about ‘small’ clients | why adopting new technologies is a must | when fees don’t keep up with cost increases | lowballing and why it (usually) doesn’t work | what goes in a client’s permanent file? | why the average fee doesn’t matter | how to apply value pricing to bundled services | 6 ways to take a client beyond tax prep

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

answer:  here’s how we’ve handled the billing and collection process at my firm.

read more →

there’s more to growth than marketing

by

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and ayou need goals, not just a desire to get new business.

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

question: we are a 20-person firm and are thinking of engaging a marketing consultant for training on how to get new business.

more practice doctor q&a: change your thinking about ‘small’ clients | it’s not sales. it’s your duty | quote with care when asked for valuation | how much should you pay to buy, sell or merge an accounting practice? | why the average fee doesn’t matter | 6 ways to take a client beyond tax prep | 6 simple steps to impress a prospect | 10 ways to get new 1040 clients | 23 reasons clients really need you for taxes

have you heard of anyone in particular for cpa leadership training? what does your firm do regarding this? an internal program or do you use outside consultants? read more →

how to make staff a team again

by

bonus checklist: 5 steps you can take today.

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

question: my staff seems to have “wandered” away from feeling this is a firm – that we are all in this together – to becoming a bunch of people who happen to work at the same address.

more practice doctor q&a: how to make annual staff evaluations work | when staffers stagnate | 7 ways to lose a client’s trust | 18 ways to blow a partnership opportunity | when a staffer stops listening | making meetings more productive | 44 critical criteria for accounting staff performance evaluations

do you have any suggestions to get them to pull together?

answer: yes… read more →

protect your protégée from flextime saboteurs

by

woman sitting at office desk looks at her watchflexible scheduling can benefit everyone, but some people don’t see it that way.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

a talented, ambitious woman who works less than full time or takes extended family leave is extremely vulnerable to being derailed professionally.

whether because she is “out of sight/out of mind,” or because people doubt her commitment, she may be disregarded for promotions or high-profile projects.

learn more
learn more

more on sponsoring women for leadership: ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

a sponsor can ensure that she has access to those opportunities and support when she accepts them. he can make the difference between this woman staying on track and ascending to top leadership posts or leaving the company for another job. read more →

how to keep sex from derailing a sponsorship

by

businesswoman and businessman meetingbonus checklist: 14 ways to prevent trouble.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

if you are concerned about the possibility of sex-related problems, consider the degree of risk involved and whether you are willing to assume it.

before you decide, consider

  • first that you might be exaggerating the risk, and
  • second that this is a risk that can be prevented and managed.
learn more
learn more

more on sponsoring women for leadership: use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | women need promotions, not just advice | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

read more →

before you even think about selling your practice

by

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and abonus checklist: 14 data points you’ll need about your firm.

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

question: do you have any advice to someone preparing to sell their practice?

more practice doctor q&a: how much should you pay to buy, sell or merge an accounting practice? | when is it time to merge? | 8 times when hourly billing trumps value pricing | 10 do’s and don’ts for making small business clients happy | 10 (nearly) painless ways to keep up to date with technology | 5 time management tips for an overworked accountant | complaining client? no wonder! | running an accounting business | pricing, billing, costing: don’t blame clients

answer: here are some things to do when preparing to sell your practice:
read more →

how to make annual staff evaluations work

by

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and abonus checklist: six essential ingredients for the highly effective performance evaluation.

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

question: do you recommend annual staff evaluations?

more practice doctor q&a: when staffers stagnate | when to hire an admin assistant | 12 must-knows for niche markets | when large (or any) clients need backup assurances | when experience doesn’t add up | 6 ways to know what you don’t know | 10 do’s and don’ts for making small business clients happy | when a staffer stops listening | making meetings more productive | 44 critical criteria for accounting staff performance evaluations

answer: yes and no.

read more →

‘soft skills’ advice needed, too

by

four businesswoman having a meeting around a tableyour protégée needs feedback. sometimes you’ll need help providing it.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

feedback is important at any level of professional development.

but for a woman trying to become a leader, honest, clear and practical feedback is essential. she needs to know both how well she is performing and how to project the image she wants others to have of her.

learn more
learn more

more on sponsoring women for leadership: use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

read more →

change your thinking about ‘small’ clients

by

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and abonus checklist: 11 services that should be part of every “cfo” engagement.

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

question: i have many small business clients and can’t seem to get larger clients. any suggestions?

more practice doctor q&a: it’s not sales. it’s your duty | 7 ways to lose a client’s trust | 6 ways to take a client beyond tax prep | 10 do’s and don’ts for making small business clients happy | 14 ways to switch to value pricing | pricing, billing, costing: don’t blame clients

answer: when i started, we called the work we did for small clients “writeups.” at some point, write-ups were an embarrassment and we stopped calling them that – we said we handled family businesses. read more →