consumer demand creates an omni-channel buying experience.
by webb stevens
avalara
how often do your clients tell you they aren’t very concerned about tax law and regulations? what they would rather know, in very simple terms, is their out-of-pocket tax liability, the accounting processes they have to change on their side, and how you, as the trusted advisor, can make all of this seamlessly happen. read more →
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 finds tight cost controls, slow wage increases and an influx of women workers.
by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
lifted by a steadily recovering economy and aggressive retooling, the nation’s cpa firms are adding staff at a 2.3% annualized rate, the strongest advance in a year, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 study. but hours are unpredictable, wage growth is stalled and firms are trading higher-paid professionals for cheaper labor.
the study goes on to report new data, trends and analysis regarding:
– the total cpa firm workforce
– leverage ratios
– productivity efforts
– cost controls
– wages and hours
– women in the workforce
tax professionals fight political uncertainty, ragged clients, toughened rivals.
by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
after what for many was a disastrous season in 2013, many tax prep professionals are laying new plans and taking on ambitious initiatives to avoid a repeat of last year and maybe even vault ahead of the competition.
with input from more than 400 practitioners, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 expects 2014 to be rocky from the start, with washington politics playing a big role, and also highly competitive, as practitioners battle both fee pressures from clients and each other for a smaller pool of good clients.
in the last 30 days, practitioners’ outlook has been generally positive as they start to get their plans in place and with a momentary lull in washington infighting. as of today, about 60% of the more than 400 practitioners surveyed expect a better season than last year, including 12% who are hoping for a “much better” season.
if there are themes among the new strategies from lessons learned last year, they fall into a few general categories: read more →
how to become and remain competitive in the marketplace.
by robert j. lees and august j. aquila
creating the effective partnership
the challenge in designing the right system for the firm’s context is ensuring it motivates the partners to deliver the initiatives the firm needs to be successful.
if compensation is supposed to motivate and reward productive behavior and outcomes, and discourage non-productive behavior and outcomes, then you must ask yourself, “how well are we doing?”
we don’t claim that our recommended system is perfect since we know that the perfect compensation system does not exist. we do feel, though, that it encompasses the critical elements needed for leaders to better engage and reward partners.
we believe that if a firm wants to maximize its performance and keep its partners motivated and engaged, then it needs to design a compensation plan, which includes the following elements: read more →
executive summary
by rick telberg
cpa trendlines
most tax practitioners across the nation are preparing for the 2014 busy season with the hoping it can’t possibly be as bad as last year’s “worst tax season ever,” according to exclusive 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 polling.
about 61% of accountants today expect at least a “somewhat” or even “much” better season this year, according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer, a tracking poll now approaching its 11th year. some 26% expect no change from last year, and 13% are bracing for “somewhat worse” or “much worse.”
in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 special report, responses and comments from more than 400 practitioners surveyed have been tabulated and analyzed. key findings:
more
finding the perfect compensation system
by robert j. lees
and august j. aquila
creating the effective partnership
a critical element in keeping partners engaged is having a compensation system that rewards them for doing the right things. every compensation plan should be constructed to help the firm enhance its ability to service clients, achieve its strategic goals and attract, reward and retain the right people. if a firm’s plan does not accomplish these objectives, it needs to be restructured. read more →
in this week’s research update newsletter we bring you two views on value pricing and new data on billing rates.
bruce w. marcus explains how a law firm learns 14 steps to the right “value price…” but frank stitely argues that any billing method that relies on client ignorance is certain to fail. can they both be right?
also, don’t miss the new bookkeeping billing rate survey.
on a related note, do you charge for travel time?
– rick telberg
president / ceo
rates drop by $4 an hour for basic accounting services.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 staff
a new survey of mostly solo and small-firm tax and accounting practitioners shows average rates and fees for standard accounting and bookkeeping services tasks are tracking downward. read more →
join the survey, get the results.
by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
it’s too early to draw a final conclusion, but the early returns from the annual 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 marketing and business development survey are startling and may represent a dramatic trend reversal.
after three years of intensifying marketing activity — with 33% of firms last year saying they were increasing their business development efforts “significantly” — today only 19% of accountants tell us they are planning to “significantly” expand their programs. read more →
conference-opening keynote tells firms they need to reinvent themselves.
the veteran visionary leader of one of the big three largest tax and accounting software vendors is warning accountants that the profession is being redefined by changing client expectations and always-on connectivity. his blunt message: change or become extinct. read more →
four quick fixes and a magic bullet.
by august aquila
the fact of the situation is that too much time is wasted in meetings that don’t accomplish anything. we meet, we talk and we leave. no one takes minutes, there is no follow-up and we are all glad that another meeting is over. don’t get me wrong; i am not a meeting basher. a meeting can be an effective way to make sure you are on course to achieve firm and departmental objectives and use your “bully pulpit power” as the managing partner. read more →
sage’s jennifer warawa: innovation isn’t an event. it’s a continuous process. #sleeter2013 pic.twitter.com/cxgmax7t6w
— (@cpa_trendlines)
60% of buying decisions are made before talking to a seller. what else? see pic
clients want problem-solvers #1.
value pricing is the only pricing a buyer understands. the rest is noise.
“@cpa_trendlines: who’s you’re competition when everyone is you’re competition?”
zen koan of day: rt @cpa_trendlines who’s ur competition when everyone is ur competition?
redefining success for
today.
do the math: double your rates. lose half your clients. get a life.
only ‘a’ clients are worth the work. pic pic.twitter.com/sfzmjkpjbl
what if you invest in training staff and they leave? er… what if you don’t, and they stay?
7 principles of small, easy innovations. pic pic.twitter.com/zpabwjyzoy
cpas slow to adopt marketing automation.
too many firms are failing to leverage their websites to capture leads, and the state of the art of using marketing technology to automate the lead nurturing process is in its infancy, according to the author of a new study of 150 cpa firms.
[pro members get the full report]
