strategy

think growth, not marketing

by

man and woman chatting over a cup of coffee inside a cafe or restaurantadd product management skills to the mix.

by gale crosley

the next time you’re in a starbucks, conduct an informal survey of the millennials sitting and sipping around you. ask their college major, or the field they’re working in currently.

more crosley: channels, not referrals   |  technology will solve labor shortages  |  four-part plan to re-ignite revenue growth  |  not all fish need audits  |  the three elements of growth strategy  |  defining the new business model  |  the new growth evolution  |  at the best firms, growth is no accident

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

i’d wager that in the time it takes you to order and consume a grande iced coffee or chai latte, you’ll have identified at least three people whose answer included the word “marketing.”

read more →

how to dominate the internet

by

rob nixon: “if you want to dominate the web then you need something to say.”includes a scoring system. be honest!

by rob nixon

i am willing to bet that the vast majority of clients you currently have were referred to you by an existing client.

more on strategy: be an ‘object of interest’ | niche markets are your best buyers | 8 questions for product creation | how to deliver wow! every day | why a virtual team makes sense | 14 ways to leverage client data for new billings
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

a referral from a trusted source is a very powerful marketing tool. that method of “lead source” will continue into the future. however, it’s changing. there are still people involved and now so is the internet.
read more →

who will be the next category killer?

by

man climbing upward arrowsthe opportunity is there.

by domenick j. esposito
8 steps to great

going from a merely good firm to a mid-market sustainable brand requires a tremendous amount of discipline and leadership.

more on strategic planning: the dangers of low-hanging fruit | how to capitalize on the trusted business advisor opportunity | leadership must be persistent and consistent | using a high-performance business framework | what a client service plan can add | 36 consulting services you might be overlooking | how to drive consistent partner behavior
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the business, the basic governance and economic model, and its priorities are simple on the surface until the complexity of a partnership comes into play. tried and true traditional business practices like strategy planning, performance management and compensation plans can take on unusual twists and turns when pulled out of shape by competitors and strong-willed partners.
read more →

be an ‘object of interest’

by

poppy fielddo potential clients know who you really are?

by rob nixon

we don’t buy professional services from faceless companies that have no personality. people buy from people they know, like and trust.

more on strategy: niche markets are your best buyers | marketing objectives determine marketing amount | what products should you create? | keep a watchful eye on clients | rewards go far beyond money | people still needed, but in different ways | don’t let technology make you dumber | are your goals big enough? | finding new opportunity in compliance services | how offshoring is shaking up accounting
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i am about to choose an accounting firm to entrust my financial affairs with. we are about to get intimate on my finances and i want to make sure that you are who you say you are and you are worthy of trusting.
read more →

lessons for accountants from self-driving cars

by

//m.g005e.com/2017/02/20/seven-lessons-accountants-self-driving-cars/how to make the leap from sci-fi fantasy to business reality in six steps.

by hitendra patil
the definitive success guide to client accounting services

the uberization of accounting has already begun, and disruption is creating a “no-choice future” for some firms.

more:  rotten tomatoes: what do your clients really think of you?  |  targeting the top 50 highest-paid client categories  |  survey results: decide to be decisive  |   the curious case of ‘the irreplaceable accountant’  | the three gears that drive success in the accounting business  |  brexit worries?  worry more about cexits, texits and pexits  |  linkedin launches accountant-for-hire service  |  4 pillars of future firm foundation  |  ‘uberizing’ means more than technology  |  you don’t think technology helps get new clients?  |  do you want a practice … or a business?  |  ‘decisiveness’ rated top trait for   success in accounting business  |  tax season management: multi-tasking is a myth  |  3 apps to automate business networking  |

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

self-driving cars are meant to enrich human life. and therein are the hints of the future of the accounting profession. here’s how… read more →

niche markets are your best buyers

by

"target market" illustration with arrow and bull's eye4 rules for selecting your target.

by rob nixon

someone once said, “if you are everything to everyone then you are nothing to nobody.’”

more on strategy: marketing objectives determine marketing amount | marketing must be about sales | turn your knowledge into products | why clients really stay | communicate until it hurts | why a virtual team makes sense | 14 ways to leverage client data for new billings | what it means to be a real-time accountant | 12 predictions on the future of accounting | will the internet replace cpas?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i don’t know who said but it sums up my thoughts on who you should target as clients. i am a big fan of having clients in niche markets. i am a big fan of knowing who your “best buyer” is, what they look like and where they hang out.
read more →

when the inmates are running the asylum

by

crazy doesn’t get better by adding more crazy.

by dom cingoranelli

“we can’t really enforce this because we don’t want to risk having him (or her) quit.”

i can’t tell you how many times we hear something to this effect when we talk with cpas. we hear this at small firms and we hear it at large firms. we hear it from partners, from directors, and from managers. it doesn’t matter what size firm they’re in, nor does it matter what level or position they hold.

it’s always the same line. it reminds me of the old adage, “the inmates are running the asylum.” and, it raises the question of who actually is running the firm. who’s in charge?

read more →

the dangers of low-hanging fruit

by

pan of apples in woman's hands over green grassseven questions to ask about new clients.

by domenick j. esposito
8 steps to great

it’s 2017 (hard to believe).

more on strategic planning: how to capitalize on the trusted business advisor opportunity | why is strategy execution so difficult? | time running out for succession planning | the benefits of a client situation review | capital markets 101 | how to implement industry practice groups | what is ‘acceptable’ performance? | 6 measures of partner performance | is hr ready for your partner pipeline? | is your pyramid upside down? | taking a balanced scorecard to your partners
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

many mid-market firms are finalizing their numbers for 2016 and it appears to be shaping up to be a pretty good year with

  • organic growth averaging at 4 percent to 6 percent,
  • equity partner compensation seeing a modest increase principally through technology enhancements,
  • more and more work being shifted to india and
  • intense expense control.

read more →

marketing objectives determine marketing amount

by

ring engraved with words marketing, strategy, profitbonus: a chart of growth rate to double revenue.

by rob nixon

i get asked all the time, “how much marketing should i do?” or, “when should i hire a marketing person?”

more on strategy: marketing must be about sales | 8 questions for product creation | how to deliver wow! every day | communicate until it hurts | why a virtual team makes sense | 14 ways to leverage client data for new billings | what it means to be a real-time accountant
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

my answer is always the same: it depends what your objectives are.
read more →

how to capitalize on the trusted business advisor opportunity

by

two businessmen talking in officewhen to move past the lip service.

by domenick j. esposito
8 steps to great

several of the top 50 cpa firms, particularly the larger ones that derive a majority of their revenues by providing recurring attest services that add integrity to financial statements and reduce the cost of capital, emphasize that they are trusted business advisors providing forward-thinking solutions to their clients.

more on strategic planning: why is strategy execution so difficult? | 10 common leadership traps | expand your national and global geographic reach | show clients how to improve working capital | do you belong in cybersecurity? | why you need marquee clients | net profits: how much to whom? | how to drive partner performance with a smart compensation plan | 3 tools to boost your metrics | start with sound firm governance, economics
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

as examples, here are excerpts found on the websites of four cpa firms:

  • “we are more than accountants, we are trusted business advisors”;
  • “our role is to be trusted advisors….”; “
  • our mission…serving as a trusted business advisor to our clients”; and
  • “we believe a true business advisor always protects a client’s vital interests.

read more →

marketing must be about sales

by

businessman and businesswoman shaking hands in office hallway“the message you need to be selling is social proof and the results i get when i use you.”

by rob nixon

what’s the point of having a great service offering, fantastic client results, great people and an inspiring vision if only you and your team know about it?

more on strategy: 8 questions for product creation | what products should you create? | keep a watchful eye on clients | rewards go far beyond money | people still needed, but in different ways | don’t let technology make you dumber | are your goals big enough? | finding new opportunity in compliance services | how offshoring is shaking up accounting
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

your business might be a finely tuned instrument but if it is not played in the orchestra then no one will hear it.
read more →

why is strategy execution so difficult?

by

maze with word "plan" at the center14 key components to actually executing your firm’s strategic plan.

by domenick j. esposito
8 steps to great

many cpa firms do not have a living, breathing strategic plan that enables them to successfully navigate through their next two or three years.

more on strategic planning: 10 common leadership traps | leadership must be persistent and consistent | using a high-performance business framework | what a client service plan can add | 36 consulting services you might be overlooking | how to drive consistent partner behavior
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

that in and of itself is not very surprising since most cpa firms are basically small and mid-sized businesses with the same generational challenges faced by most small and mid-sized family and privately owned operating companies. after all, the 100th largest cpa firm in the united states is only about $35 million in annual volume.
read more →

8 questions for product creation

by

businessman looking at question mark sketch on the wallbuild the plane as you fly it.

by rob nixon

i have noticed that accountants can be pretty good procrastinators.

more on strategy: what products should you create? | turn your knowledge into products | why clients really stay | 8 ways to build team engagement | how to create 4 new billable hours per day | do you know what clients want? | is your business by design or default? | the world is flat | the profession disrupted: compliance commoditized
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

really you say! i think it’s because they think they need to get it right before getting started. if you take that attitude then you’ll never get anything off the ground.
read more →