cpas see best outlook in three years, with notable exceptions

some 76% of cpa corporate executives are now optimistic about the prospects for their own organization, less so about the u.s. economy in general.

cpa execs forecast economic boom.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
via aicpa

the economy is poised to come roaring back in the year ahead, with forecasts for revenue and profit growth not seen since 2018, according to the second-quarter aicpa economic outlook survey of members in business and industry.

more surveys & research: women lag men in accounting jobs recovery  |  tax season ends with pros covering 54% of returns  |  tax pros retake market share from diyers  |  tax pros race to the finish line |  making partner: what managers need to know  |  survey: tax season swings into the red  |  who’s heating up accounting tech?  |  another tax season from hell?

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there are concerns, however. “availability of skilled personnel” reemerged as the top-cited challenge for businesses as job recruitment turns up. and two-thirds of business executives now express concern about inflation, up from 44 percent last quarter.

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women lag men in accounting jobs recovery

new records set in hourly earnings.

by beth bellor

across the tax and accounting industry, almost all the jobs relinquished by men in the coronavirus layoffs have been regained by men. the jobs given up by women, on the other hand, are still largely vacant.

more on jobs: comeback stalls as layoffs hit 1,500 in accounting | tax & accounting regains 3,800 jobs | accounting jobs recovery slows | tax & accounting firms rehire two-thirds of pre-covid workforce | tax & accounting firms rehire two-thirds of pre-covid workforce
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overall, the tax, accounting, tax prep, payroll, and bookkeeping sectors employed 1.02 million full-time equivalents in march 2020, before 70,000 layoffs hit in april. so far, the industry has re-filled all but 17,600 positions.

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the cpa’s best role: leveraging knowledge, not just process

david bergstein says you’re wasting your time and your client’s money if you’re not focussing on the future.

with steven sacks
the new fundamentals: thriving in disruption

to be more competitive, cpas need to shift their focus from compliance service to process-oriented, value-added work, veteran cpa david bergstein tells 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. this means working with clients to understand their business operations, competition, and financial challenges, such as liquidity, solvency, and profitability.

more on value-add: how cas communications are different | how value billing eliminates guesswork | avoid last-minute deal making | how a great managing partner impacts firm growth | tax season client meetings: kill them now | do you give yourself too much credit? | the 17 rules for making partner at a cpa firm | family feud isn’t just a game show

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see more 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 videos here | see more david bergstein here

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the key takeaways:

  • accountants need to switch their focus to look to the future and real-time accounting, which means that the right way of doing things these days is to take advantage of all technology and automation.
  • it’s a small and mid-size business that doesn’t have a bookkeeper, that doesn’t have an accountant, that doesn’t have a controller, that doesn’t have a cfo that looks to cpas to help them. cpas’ advantage is to use that technology to automate all those processes and then spend time selling value-added services.
  • today, to be successful as an accountant, you must identify what platform or platforms you’re going to use to capture your clients’ data at the source to move it through the system.
  • payroll tax processing services can be expanded by setting up the human resource tools that go with it. beyond processing payroll, cpas can find ways to get lower workman’s compensation; automate the onboarding of employees, and provide various benefit options.
  • as part of the de-emphasis on process, younger staff members don’t want to do vouchering anymore, which will be supplanted anyway by automation. so, it’s great for firms to offer more training opportunities to their younger staff regarding analytical thinking, selling, and how to consult with clients to find out what their needs are.

 

transcript

david bergstein, interviewed by steven sacks
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when value billing eliminates guesswork

businessmen standing on dollar billplus three other ways to bill clients.

by jody grunden
building the virtual cfo firm in the cloud

when i attend cpa conferences across the united states, i often hear from cpas: “i don’t want to bill for my time.”

so, how do you bill your clients?

more: make tech your ally in protecting clients | be more efficient with tech stacks | not all employees will work out | learning to love video calls | be more effective remotely with disc | protect client files from cyberthreats | get ready to launch virtual cfo services | riches in niches
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client billing can include hourly billing, but it can also include flat-fee, retainer-based and/or value-based billing. most people use one of these four methods. some use all of them or even a hybrid.

let’s take a closer look at each of them:
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price-sell-deliver is broken

what to do instead.

by matt solomon

the way you price your services, how you sell them to clients and whether you can deliver at (or beyond) their expectations are key factors that determine the level of your success. if you do those three activities well, it should be easy to grow a profitable business, earn a great income and maintain a clear work/life balance.

more: the path to a conscious business | are you running your practice by default? | your secret weapon for exponential profits
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the problem is that accountants often don’t know how to price, sell and deliver correctly. in fact, the old (traditional) model that accountants use to price, sell and deliver services to their customers often leads to customer dissatisfaction, employee frustration and you working too many hours under too much stress.
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accounting jobs recovery slows

cpa firms and tax prep still down somewhat.

by beth bellor

unemployment edged down to 6.7 percent in november, but the accounting profession saw few of those gains, with its only upticks coming in the payroll services sector.

more on jobs: tax & accounting firms rehire two-thirds of pre-covid workforce | new job cuts at cpa firms | covid job toll: tax & accounting cuts 17,500 employees | firms recall half of furloughed staffers | covid kills 67,600 jobs in tax and accounting | pre-covid-19, accounting profession hits new highs
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in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 highlights:

  • current and long-term hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and cpa segments of the industry (all data seasonally adjusted)
  • average hourly wages for key segments
  • typical hours worked per week
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce

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14 better uses for timesheet data

woman reading paper document at office desk in front of computerif you just pay people and move on, you’re missing critical information.

by ed mendlowitz

question: i keep timesheets for billing purposes but am not clear how i can use them to better manage my practice. how can i do this?

more: tossing timesheets is just the start | how’s your overhead? | 9 must-haves for firm growth | collect more by clearing up billing | envision your future, then plan for it | 5 ways to build teamwork
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answer: analyzing time records is a very effective practice management tool and is an essential part of most professional services organizations. some people contend that timesheets should not be used because they should not be the basis of any pricing, with fees solely based on the value to the client.

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hate billing? use a different method

businessmen standing on dollar billwhat services do your clients value the most?

by jody grunden
building the virtual cfo firm in the cloud

when i attend cpa conferences across the united states, i often hear from cpas: “i don’t want to bill for my time.”

more: protect client files from cyberthreats | boost efficiency with tech stacks | the only 3 metrics you need | how we sell audits online | 3 steps to better client communication in a crisis | four key financial metrics for growing any business | transferring clients to a new employee
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so, how do you bill your clients?
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tossing timesheets is just the start

pen ready to fill in blank timesheetrecommended: two books to read.

by ed mendlowitz

question: i’ve read that many firms are no longer using timesheets. how do you feel about that?

more: how’s your overhead? | 9 must-haves for firm growth | collect more by clearing up billing | envision your future, then plan for it | 5 ways to build teamwork
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answer: there is a growing group of firms that no longer use timesheets.

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how’s your overhead?

//m.g005e.com/2020/09/14/how-to-determine-overhead/plus a tip for increasing revenue if needed.

by ed mendlowitz

question: are there any rules of thumb for a cpa firm’s overhead and salary costs?

more: 9 must-haves for firm growth | collect more by clearing up billing | envision your future, then plan for it | 5 ways to build teamwork
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: the rosenberg survey has excellent metrics and is highly recommended. on a less scientific basis you can use as a general rule of thumb 1/3 for salaries, 1/3 overhead, 1/3 partners salary.
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6 ways to increase your fees … if you dare

hand moving triangle along beam to indicate balance between price and valuereverse value billing defined.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

working out how to set fees and using value pricing or value billing can sometimes be daunting.

more: creating a cross-selling culture | when time-based pricing works | how auditing is like a pirouette | ¿que es bookkeeping? | testifying before congress | underpaying others hurts you, too | my top 10 personal game changers | yes, christopher columbus had an accountant | 10 reasons for my success
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we are in this business to make a living, so we have to become adept at pricing, billing and collections. one thing that vexes me is colleagues who tell me they never would value price or bill, and then they engage in what i refer to as “reverse value billing.”
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collect more by clearing up billing

how to handle everything from late payers to extra services to minimum fee schedules.

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

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

more: envision your future, then plan for it | 5 ways to build teamwork
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answer:  here’s how we’ve handled the billing and collection process at my firm.
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