mergers & acquisitions

ira rosenbloom: m&a money’s easy – culture fit’s hard | the disruptors

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progressive firms are the key to the future of the profession.

this is a preview. the complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members | go pro here
sponsored by “holistic guide to wealth management,” by rory henry – see today’s special offer

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the disruptors
with liz farr

the world of m&a is full of disruption, distraction, and disorientation these days, says ira rosenbloom, ceo of optimum strategies. while the headlines focus on private equity’s increasing role in cpa firm acquisitions, two new types of acquirers are playing a bigger role: family offices and wealth management.

more podcasts and videos: roman villard: ditch the suit & shine | monique swansen: align firm values with services | tina mcgill: how to create lasting client impact | stefan van duyvendijk: develop operational mindset | steve evans: why traditional hiring methods fail | roger knecht: can you be an accountrepreneur? | beth whitworth: focus on outcomes not hours |mike sylvester: learn to say no | salim omar: identify your client’s $100,000 problem | jackie meyer: earn more with fewer clients | jack fleherty: don’t be a ‘yes’ person | greg adams: from finance to storytelling | the disruptors | jody padar: make radical changes now if you want to be relevant in 2030 | rebecca driscoll: amplify reach by helping other firm owners | rory henry: create the return on relationships | mike maksymiw: be the leader you wish you had | terrell turner: build a solid business showing up as yourself | kelly mann: be the bull in the china shop | alicia katz pollock: create a human-centric business |  nancy mcclelland: be the one your clients ask first |alan whitman: stop accepting the status quo | sean duncan: discover your own genius | ingrid edstrom: true wealth is not financial |

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these different participants are disrupting “the more traditional marketplace, which for years has been driven by two cpa firms getting together that had a lot in common, except one was larger and the other one was smaller,” says rosenbloom. “i just think that what we’ve seen is there’s not one approach that works for everybody. we’re seeing dimension now. we’re seeing a whole bunch of choices.”

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how private equity is impacting accounting

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and how these deals compare to traditional cpa firm deals.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

one of the biggest game changers in the cpa profession since the dawn of the 21st century has been the introduction of private equity in merger transactions.

more by marc rosenberg
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prior to roughly 2020, 99 percent of all cpa firm mergers were between two cpa firms. an early exception was the “consolidator” phase of the cpa industry from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s. this is when three companies, the consolidators – american express, h&r block and cbiz – acquired a few hundred cpa firms, spawning the creation of alternative practice structures. because cpa firms must be majority owned by cpas, this new structure featured the attest function spun off as a separate but related entity, owned primarily by cpas while the remainder of the firm was owned primarily by the consolidators.
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deals 2024: over 100 cpa firm mergers and acquisitions

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howard

buckle up for 2025.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

curious about the deals that went down in 2024 and how they might inform your next move? marc howard is, too. so, he compiled a comprehensive list.

howard is a serial entrepreneur in the accounting space, host of the pitch your firm podcast, founder of firmlever, founder of taxplow, co-founder of bizpayo, and creator of tax advisor gpt.

howard found upwards of 115 deals in 2024, ranging from the first deal of the year, ata cpas’ takeover of  whitehorn tankersley & davis on jan. 3, to the last, platform accounting group’s roll-ups of midwest advisors and crossroads advisors on dec. 23.

some of the most active buyers on his list include cbiz, which counted marcum among its three deals; citrin cooperman, with eight deals; cla, crowe, and doeren, each with three; and eisner, with four deals.

he predicts an even busier 2025 for the profession.

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want to merge? here are 23 things to request

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this is your starting point.

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

question: what do you ask for when considering a merger?

more: i’m just starting out; why join an association? | don’t blame the client for your location | who to hire when it’s time to grow | the top tip for reviewing tax returns | you can’t win with lowballing | yes, you have to share work papers | should you merge? here’s how to chart your path | hold staff accountable if you want them to listen to you | higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better
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response: this is a “you show me yours and i’ll show you mine.” you should have this information fairly well organized.

also, look at it critically and try to imagine what a prospective partner would say, and how you would react if this were someone else’s information that were being presented to you.
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richard kopelman: inside aprio’s bold makeover | accounting influencers | part 1 of 2

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lessons from dozens of strategic mergers & acquisitions.

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accounting influencers
with rob brown

richard kopelman, ceo and managing partner of pe-owned aprio, reveals the firm’s dramatic transformation and rebranding into a global business advisory and accounting firm.

see part 2: richard kopelman: aprio’s plans for global conquest  | more accounting influencers with rob brown here | aprio sells majority stake to charlesbank capital partners here | cited: mindset: the new psychology of success

in this first part of a two-part accounting influencers with rob brown, kopelman analyzes the high demand for accounting services due to changes in business, regulatory requirements, and technology. according to kopelman, a key challenge for accounting firms often lies in mindset, requiring a shift from a risk-averse outlook to a more “positive,” entrepreneurial one.

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allan koltin: how small firms can thrive against pe-powered competitors | gear up for growth

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how to remain independent when private equity comes knocking.

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gear up for growth
with jean caragher
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

“more than half of the cpa firms in the country won’t qualify to be part of private equity,” says allan koltin, ceo of koltin consulting, appearing on gear up for growth, a new show hosted by jean caragher, president of capstone marketing, and powered by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

gear up for growth is tailored specifically for public accounting firms with up to 100 team members looking to expand their practices intelligently and efficiently. each episode focuses on a topic crucial for accounting firms aiming for smart growth in today’s competitive landscape.

find more episodes here, including:

follow jean caragher on 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 here. | get her best-selling handbook, the 90-day marketing plan for cpa firms, here | and watch for jean caragher’s other show, capstone conversations, with leading growth strategists from the nation’s most dynamic firms, also available on 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

part of the discussion explores the criteria private equity companies look for and the challenges firms may face in qualifying for pe funding. koltin believes that more than half of the cpa firms in the country don’t make enough excess profitability to create earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (ebitda) to calculate an acceptable enterprise value.

“leaders of these firms tell me they’ll go back and get more profitable,” says koltin. “how’s about, let’s stay as an independent firm. let’s put a level of governance in. let’s make the tough decisions we’ve been talking about forever, and let’s really run it like a business. let’s not be a 501(c)(3) anymore. let’s just pretend we’re in business to make money.”

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rosenbloom: don’t merge for the money

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merge to make a better business.

this is a preview. the complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members. 

the disruptors
with liz farr

ira rosenbloom has worked in m&a with accounting firms for years, but things are changing today. the community of buyers is shrinking, so firms are being more selective about with whom they partner. rosenbloom is also seeing more creativity in transactions, and acquiring firms are looking closer at the clients they may be adding.

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“we’re bringing in more clients. are they the right clients?” he asks. “and if we bring in clients from this other firm, and we do some cutting, how do we let that other firm earn some money back?”

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aprio sells majority stake to charlesbank pe

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kopelman

aprio is breaking off its cpa firm after reportedly selling a majority stake to charlesbank capital partners, a private equity firm.

already on a growth-by-acquisition streak, aprio has logged dozens of deals in the last few years. with fresh cash on hand, this pace is sure to accelerate.

more richard kopelman talks with rob brown on accounting influencers

aprio plans to adopt an “alternative practice structure,” with aprio llp as the legacy licensed cpa firm and aprio advisory group llc as the new pe-backed acquisition engine. read more →

should you merge? here’s how to chart your path

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businesswoman at crossroads, facing two paths

lease renewals trigger this concern, but they’re not a good reason.

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

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?

more: a friendly chat or a billable discussion? | busy season is over, so it’s time for some resolutions | want to merge? six steps to take | how to start providing family office services | every accounting firm needs quality control | no one listens to you? change how you talk | 47 types of business valuation to provide | thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice | uncooperative partner might not be the problem
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response: i get a lot of calls similar to this when lease renewals are coming up, or a tenant is lost and a merger could fill up the space, a key employee is lost or a major client is lost. in my opinion, these are not reasons to merge. merging is a major change of life and needs to be done with great care.
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eleven possible pitfalls of mergers

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illustration of merger: four jigsaw puzzle pieces, each held by a different person's hand

what is driving the sale? is your firm ready?

by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services

the trend for small and midsized cpa firms to merge is accelerating as the competitive environment becomes even more demanding. while hundreds of firms merge every year, history continually shows that at some point in the future, things don’t always work out. like marriage, some mergers are successful while a great majority fail. many of the reasons for failure can be avoided if firms do their homework at the front end before entering the merger.

more: dodge the four curses of a production orientation | clients buy solutions, not features | make sure you know what you will get from your marketing | three pillars support a successful accounting firm | clients have six reasons for needing you | six ways to market your technology consulting practice | sixteen marketing activities to try | the four steps of your personal marketing process | how does your firm measure up? | six questions before asking for all the referrals you deserve | five rules for a marketing orientation | ten keys to marketing success
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the merger and acquisition drivers are constantly changing. some of the drivers we see today are a constantly changing marketplace, the creation of megafirms beyond the big 4, the sophistication of clients, the high demand for qualified people, technology, the cost of acquiring new clients, and finally, the accounting industry being in a mature market.

as we will see, most mergers fail because of non-financial reasons. unlike the sale of the manufacturing company, mergers of accounting firms are a lot more difficult to accomplish.
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when selling a firm to staffers is tricky

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two writers have similar problems.

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

i received two related questions, which i’ll answer together.

first question: i am nearing retirement and want to sell my practice to two longtime staff people, but they don’t get along, and i’m afraid to sell to them. what should i do?

more: want to merge? six steps to take | how to raise your rates | higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better | three ways to start an accounting practice | free consultation? not always | referral fee? forget it | how much is your tax practice worth? | merge in lower-priced work without losing out
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second question: i have a large individual tax practice, but also have an audit practice that is handled by different staff in my firm. how do i sell this practice? none of the larger buyers want the tax clients and none of the smaller buyers want the audit clients.

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want to merge? six steps to take

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man writing in notebook

bonus: key considerations in evaluating a practice continuation agreement.

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

question: what i should do about merging? i need a specific answer.

more: how to raise your rates | courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | nine tips for a healthier tax season | fifteen strategies for first-time supervisors | measure knowledge gaps (then close them) | should you offer financial services? | ready to retire? selling your practice is no strategy | 20 things you need for a business valuation
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response: i can’t give you an easy answer. i can give you a process to follow that should provide an answer. actually, this works pretty well and i’ve gotten good feedback from many colleagues. i’ve also rethought it many times, and still think this is the way to go about it.

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thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice

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man sitting at desk, staring off thinking

are you being realistic?

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

question: i am getting older and want to continue working at least five more years. should i merge now to anticipate and facilitate a buyout?

more: how much is your tax practice worth? | ready to retire? selling your practice is no strategy | uncooperative partner might not be the problem | merge in lower-priced work without losing out | 20 things you need for a business valuation
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response: selling means retiring. is that something you want to do? i’ve written many times about being clear about your goals and what you really want. that being said, here is a general discussion about the reality of the value of your practice.
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