leadership

the 6 market advantages of women-led firms

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ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

changing marketplace demands changing firms.

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

most male leaders today under­stand how important it is to keep high-performing women in the pipeline and help them achieve their potential within the organization.

more on women in accounting: men, women: a tale of two brains for business  |  beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters  |  firms that ‘get’ women stand to win the talent wars

these men are genuinely concerned about their firms’ inability to retain and advance the women they hire because having a substantial number of women leaders is a demonstrably significant benefit to the company, while a lack of gender diversity at the top of organizations can be very costly to the bottom line. read more →

6 simple steps to impress a prospect

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and ahow to walk in with head start.

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

question: how do you make a presentation to get a new client when you do not know everything you should about the client’s business?

response: no one can know everything about everything. smaller firms have a harder time but they can reach out to others in their firm, or even partners in similar firms who have the knowledge to assist in the proposal, or friends in larger firms.

here are six simple steps to learn as much as you can about a prospect and their industry.  read more →

beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

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man woman handshake shake hands istock_000010387373smallit’s time for the men running cpa firms to “man up” and get serious about promoting women into leadership roles.

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.

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

today cpatrendlines launches the exclusive new series, “sponsoring women: what men need to know.” author ida o. abbott delivers the tools cpa firms need to develop a new generation of women in leadership. training, encouragement, and even mentoring are all helpful. but abbott argues it takes person-to-person sponsorship to finally break through. particularly, she says, it takes a man. the role of women in the cpa profession is a critical issue. abbott’s is an eminently practical strategy. and it’s about time that men “manned up” about promoting women cpas. – the editors

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. this requires direct per­sonal involvement by leaders, particularly leaders who are men.

read more →

how to use snail mail to find sellers for mergers

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with four steps and a sample letter.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

in all areas of mergers and acquisitions, it’s always much more difficult to find sellers than buyers. this is certainly true in the case of cpa firms. cpa firm merger consultants and brokers can do a great job finding buyers, but they are limited in their ability to dig up sellers. this is because the vast majority of all mergers and sales take place when buyers or sellers who “know each other” get together on their own without the help of a consultant.

one way to identify sellers is to conduct a snail mail solicitation. the steps in the process are: read more →

when a staffer stops listening

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four issues and solutions in leadership and management.ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and a

question: one of my managers is complaining that the staff don’t listen to him. the specifics are that he assigns work and it isn’t completed on time and is usually incomplete and full of errors. he says he doesn’t want to supervise people anymore. any suggestions?

answer: i have many suggestions, sorted into four general areas.

here goes: read more →

the 8-point financial tune-up for your accounting firm

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hstrengthen your partnership and protect minority interests.

by auqust aquila
creating the effective partnership

with busy season just around the corner, it’s a good time now to tweak your firm’s financials and partner performance.

start by reviewing your billing rates, billing and collection policies, type of work partners are doing, how you reward performers and your leadership.

more august aquila on creating the effective partnership: three ways to run a firm: but only one is sustainable  •  eight key goal areas for partners  •  5 must-do’s for every managing partner today  •  are bad clients driving you crazy?  •  6 steps to handle staffing problems in a merger  •  new times call for new cpa firm metrics  •  6 reasons why cpa firms fail in innovation  •  when the deal is done: a 24-point checklist for the morning after  • 

take the time to focus on what drives the bottom line. it’s time well spent. here are eight issues you shouldn’t miss: read more →

how to plant seeds for mergers

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veteran buyers say that for every firm they merge with, they had discussions with 10 others.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

firms that are serious about merging in smaller firms on a regular basis understand that conducting mergers is all about planting seeds.

a buyer has to have this attitude:

every day of every year, at least one firm decides to test the merger waters. if our efforts to identify sellers are made continuously throughout the year, every year, sooner or later, we will find at least one interested merger candidate and probably more than one. read more →

the 21 steps in every merger deal

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checklist: for every step in the merger negotiations, there’s a possible misstep.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

it’s important to understand the flow of the entire merger process.

every merger has its unique aspects. it’s impossible to choreograph, from a to z, exactly how the process for all mergers will work. most steps occur in the same order from one deal to the next. but then, all mergers are different. your mileage may vary.

still, there are at least 21 steps that need to happen. and one can’t happen without the other. take a look…

read more →

making meetings more productive

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and a…by making people more accountable.

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

question: we seem to have a lot of meetings where great ideas are exchanged and then nothing is done. any suggestions?

response: a problem with many meetings is that there are no action items decided upon and assigned. a secondary problem is that many easy and quick-to-do items are assigned but they do not lead the firm toward their overall goals. read more →

the 13 big reasons firms merge

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and 13 potential sticking points with conflicting agendas.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

whether you’re looking to acquire a smaller firm, merge upward into a larger one or join forces with an equal, answering this basic question honestly and objectively is key to laying the groundwork for a successful merger. read more →

eight key goal areas for partners

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aquila
aquila

getting specific with leadership duties and partner accountability.

by auqust aquila
creating the effective partnership

as leaders of a firm, partners need to do more than pay for themselves and contribute to overhead expenses. their duties to the firm and to each other extend to bringing in new business, improving their own skills as well as developing skills in others, contributing to strategy and a passion for continuous improvement in all things.

more partner issues: are bad clients driving you crazy?  |  6 steps to handle staffing problems in a merger  |  new times call for new cpa firm metrics  |  why cpa firms fail in innovation  |  when the deal is done: a 24-point checklist for the morning after  |  7 signs your firm is headed for an implosion  |  why some partners should not retire  |  why is it always about partner compensation?

most firms don’t take enough time to develop meaningful partner goals because it is a very time-consuming process. but, if you want to get better results in this highly competitive environment, this is the road you need to take.

here are eight key areas where partners can and should provide leadership in a firm. read more →

15 deal breakers and non-negotiables in mergers

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prepare for the unexpected.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

potential deal breakers in a merger negotiation can crop up at any time – and unexpectedly. but here are 15 that seem to occur more often than others. in most cases, one firm wants something, the other firm doesn’t and the two can’t agree on how to resolve the conflict. be prepared. read more →