mergers & acquisitions

cpa firm performance assessments: 15 core competencies, 21 questions

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reeb-and-cingoranelli-with-cpatr-si-logo-200checklist: how to fine-tune your own firm’s performance management systems.

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

when evaluating people within a firm, “relative importance” is a way to differentiate expectations regarding the same competency for various levels within your firm. we decided the best way to drill down even further into a competency model was to share some of the details of our competency model with you.

more on performance management:how to target what skills to develop now | what having your employees’ backs means | 5 harmful management attitudes (and how to fix them) | do cpa firms need management or leadership? |  job 1 for the practice owner: client management

it considers the following six levels within a cpa firm (each firm needs to choose whatever breakdown works best for them):

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how savvy growth firms attract the best merger candidates

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man's hand sowing wheatyou need to be on the lookout year round.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

firms that are serious about merging in smaller firms on a regular basis understand that doing mergers is all about planting seeds. a buyer has to have this attitude:

more on mergers: looking to grow your firm? how to find a seller in four steps | 13 ways to screw up a merger | 15 can’t-skip merger terms to decide | 14 keys to a successful merger | 13 reasons accounting firms merge | mergers 101: when negotiations aren’t really negotiations | 5 steps to take before merging

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.

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how to target what skills to develop now

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reeb-and-cingoranelli-with-cpatr-si-logo-200bonus checklist: 12 competencies everyone in the firm needs.

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

in discussing how to become a more effective people manager and developer, the first question we ask is, “what skills and aptitudes are you trying to develop?”

more on performance management: what having your employees’ backs means | 5 harmful management attitudes (and how to fix them) | do cpa firms need management or leadership? |  job 1 for the practice owner: client management

in other words, just saying to someone, “you need to improve” is weak advice.

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looking to grow your firm? how to find a seller in four steps

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businessman stacking coinsbonus: a sample letter to send prospective sellers.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

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.

more on mergers: 13 ways to screw up a merger | 15 can’t-skip merger terms to decide | 14 keys to a successful merger | 13 reasons accounting firms merge | mergers 101: when negotiations aren’t really negotiations | 5 steps to take before merging

one way to identify sellers is to do a snail mail solicitation. here’s the four-step process:
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what having your employees’ backs means

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why failure is a value proposition.

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

i want to start by talking about the phrase “having your employees’ backs.” so what does this mean? simply that, as the boss, you will take the bullets publicly for your people’s mistakes. this is such a rare phenomenon that many of you have never experienced what i am referring to – a boss taking the heat for his or her people.

more growth & succesion: 5 harmful management attitudes (and how to fix them) | do cpa firms need management or leadership? | job 1 for the practice owner: client management

most of the time, when problems are uncovered, company cultures are “at the ready” to quickly identify someone to blame regardless of the situation. in these organizations, those with exceptional cya skills are the most highly valued. no, i did not misspell this acronym as it was not meant to be cia (as in the government intelligence agency or certified internal auditors), but rather those good at covering their butts (i guess i should have referred to it as cyb).

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11 merger tips from managing partners

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a businessman with some jigsaw puzzle pieces in his handsometimes the best voice is experience.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

as you might suspect, in 20 years of consulting to cpa firms, several dozen mergers of my clients have taken place. from time to time, i meet with the managing partner of the firm that was my client and ask them how the merger went, what they would do differently and what advice they would give to firms contemplating a merger.

more on mergers: 13 ways to screw up a merger | 15 can’t-skip merger terms to decide | 14 keys to a successful merger | 13 reasons accounting firms merge | mergers 101: when negotiations aren’t really negotiations | 5 steps to take before merging

here are some choice morsels.

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5 harmful management attitudes (and how to fix them)

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how common management pitfalls hurt firms and employees.

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

how do attitudes, misconceptions and bad habits get in the way of our learning to be better managers?

related: do cpa firms need management or leadership? | job 1 for the practice owner: client management

here are five common attitudes, practices and perceptions we find:

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13 ways to screw up a merger

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bonus checklist: 12 nuances and idiosyncrasies to anticipate.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

in the best case, mergers go smoothly.

more on mergers: 15 can’t-skip merger terms to decide | 14 keys to a successful merger | 13 reasons accounting firms merge | mergers 101: when negotiations aren’t really negotiations | 5 steps to take before merging

but we’re dealing with people, so sometimes things aren’t so neat. some common pitfalls: read more →

do cpa firms need management or leadership?

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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.

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15 can’t-skip merger terms to decide

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#15 billiard ballgot that malpractice tail coverage handled yet? what about wip collections?

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

think your firm is ready to merge? not so fast.

more on mergers: 14 keys to a successful merger | 13 reasons accounting firms merge | mergers 101: when negotiations aren’t really negotiations | 5 steps to take before merging

all of the following are common terms that must be agreed upon by both merger partners.

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14 keys to a successful merger

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man in suit with hand extended, coworkers in backgroundmost successful mergers take several months – or longer.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

so, you’ve met a potential merger candidate. great!

more on mergers: 13 reasons accounting firms merge | mergers 101: when negotiations aren’t really negotiations | 5 steps to take before merging

but wait! curb your enthusiasm long enough to take an objective look at the future, using at least these 14 sets of questions: read more →

how to combine two firms after merger: carefully

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when the deal is done: a 24-point checklist for the morning after.

by august aquila
creating the effective partnership

congratulations! after years of planning and months of tough negotiations, you’ve finally closed the deal on merger of your cpa firm.

you might be thinking the most difficult work is behind you.  think again! you now have to move your eye from the financial to the human side of the merger.

more for pro members: mirror, mirror on the wall  |  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  |  7 signs your firm is headed for an implosion  |  why is it always about partner compensation?  |  why merge and what to watch out for  |  13 steps to fool-proof mergers and acquisitions  |  13 questions to ask yourself for personal growth  |  partner problem? first, ask yourself these 21 questions  |  12 reasons cpa firm staff meetings are a waste of time  |  the managing partner’s secret weapon in change management  |  the 10 basic ways to boost profits at an accounting firm  |  12 must-do items for your partner retreat agenda

your work in this area has just begun and may last for 12 months or more. the so-called soft side of doing a merger is just as important, if not more important, than the financial side. just like with an iceberg you don’t know what lies beneath the surface. just ask the captain of the unsinkable titanic. don’t let this same danger destroy your practice

in order to make sure your merger has a better than average chance of succeeding, here are 24 key items to be addressed: read more →