eight new metrics to measure managing partner performance and potential

aquila
aquila

essential duties currently missing from most job descriptions.

most of the usual responsibilities of a managing partner can be captured in two paragraphs:

  • general responsibilities: report directly to the governing committee and the firm. responsible for the firm’s overall management and practice. supervise overall marketing and business development effort. manage the professional staff and provide guidance for the support staff.
  • specific responsibilities: coordinate the firm’s practices among the different offices and departments. implement the partnership agreement. appoint heads of various committees. represent the firm in community and professional organizations. supervise governing committee. oversee standing and ad hoc committees. provide guidance on financial policies and work with the governing committee to develop personal and administrative policies.

these are, without doubt, all good and necessary functions. but are they the ones managing partners should focus on?

august aquila, doesn’t think so.

his studies, documented in “leadership at its strongest” and “how to engage partners in the firm’s future,” show there are at least eight other areas that can make or break a managing partner and the firm.

– rick telberg

more for partnerships: the six challenges crippling progress in today’s multi-partner firms   |   the debilitating effects of denial at accounting firms    |   the five psychological hurdles that cpa firms must confront today   |   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   |   seven signs you’re working in a firm where the partners don’t trust each other   |   seven tactics to stand out from the crowd   |   achieving partner unity: the competitive advantage   |

in this report: see how you or your managing partner might compare on a new eight-point questionnaire.

read more →

free instant download: 117 no-brainer ways to attract new clients

after seeing this, 9 in 10 accountants put at least one of these strategies to work in their practice.

free instant download: 117 no-brainer ways to attract new clients (pdf, 28 pages)

by rick telberg

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i call these “no-brainers” because, although they require some thought and effort, there’s nothing revolutionary about any of them.

in fact, each of these tips is something i’ve personally seen work successfully in real-life. these are the activities that are making small practices into large ones, and low-earning accountants into high-earning money machines. our research proves it.

you can’t afford to ignore the 90% of the accountants who heard this presentation and pledged to do something competitive.

some of them may be coming after your clients. you can’t just stand there. you need to do something. hopefully, this presentation will help.

ps: check out the last slide for a free download and a $50 discount coupon.

the six challenges crippling progress in today’s multi-partner firms

how to engage partners in the firm's future

before you work on improving firm performance, you need to work on partner commitment.

by august j. aquila and robert j. lees
how to engage partners in the firm’s future

no one would ever question that a firm’s success is ultimately tied to its partners’ performance. and yet, increasing partner performance, getting the partners to work across practices, is one of the key issues facing the majority of firm leaders today. read more →

the hot new tech product for automated data entry

 

by sandi smith leyva
accountant’s accelerator

imagine that a new client comes to you with “the dreaded shoebox” of bank reconciliations, receipts and bills. the client is a year or so behind, and you are hired to get him caught up. do you take that client, knowing you’ll be swamped doing data entry for weeks at a low hourly rate?

more at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 for soloists and small firms:  five value-add service areas to take you beyond bookkeeping  |  six money-making strategies to take you beyond quickbooks   | proactive ways to get more referrals   |  the three biggest money leaks in your practice   |  new client opportunities with mobile apps   |  six questions to launch your summer strategy sessions   |  what most accountants miss in the five simple steps to get more clients   |  10 ways to add a “money maker” hour to your day   |  11 sources of wealth we can celebrate   |  nine value-adds to command a higher fee   |  how to design your business around your strengths read more →

how to attract new clients – 50 tips in 50 minutes

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register today

get ready for a content-packed webinar filled with proven strategies to grow your practice! rick telberg, ceo of www.g005e.com, shares his insights on what’s working in today’s most successful tax and accounting practices. learn how to build your referral network, land new clients, and retain high-margin accounts using social media, e-newsletters, and digital marketing. – presented by rick telberg, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

july 10, 2013 – 2:00pm edt

the expert webinar series | accountantsworld.com
cpe credits awarded: 1 | course level: basic. no prerequisites

 

 

so, you think you’re a whiz at excel?

can you do this..?

tatsuo-horiuchi-1
“cherry blossoms at jogo castle” (2006)

or this…?

tatsuo-horiuchi-2
“kegon falls” (2007)

tatsuo horiuchi: the 73-year old excel spreadsheet artist

“i never used excel at work but i saw other people making pretty graphs and thought, ‘i could probably draw with that,’” says 73-year-old tatsuo horiuchi. about 13 years ago, shortly before retiring, horiuchi decided he needed a new challenge in his life. so, according to the japanese art and design journal spoon-tamago, he bought a computer and began experimenting with excel.

horiuchi-tatsuo-ph2_px420

“graphics software is expensive but excel comes pre-installed in most computers,” explained horiuchi. “and it has more functions and is easier to use than microsoft paint.” horiuchi also tried working with microsoft word but it didn’t offer the flexibility that excel did.

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horiuchi first gained attention when, in 2006, he entered an excel autoshape art contest. his work, which was far superior to the other entries, blew the judges away. horiuchi took first place and went on to create work that has been acquired by his local gunma museum of art.

don’t believe these were made in excel?

you can even download the excel file and play around with it yourself: read more →

the debilitating effects of denial at accounting firms

patrick j. mckenna
patrick j. mckenna

and four other hurdles today’s accounting firms must overcome.

by patrick j. mckenna
professional services firm consultant and author

many firms are in denial, and the few that aren’t move very slowly.

if your firm gets caught behind the curve, it wasn’t because critical trends weren’t visible; it was because they were ignored. the huge challenge remains that for too many firms, unless there is acute “pain,” there is little incentive to change. history proves that laggards only grab for the new once they are totally convinced the old doesn’t work anymore.

adapted from the introduction to “how to engage partners in the firm’s future: the secrets every leader needs to know,”
by august j. aquila and robert j. lees

and the old doesn’t work anymore!

when does a firm’s strategy change? usually only in response to a crisis or because of the initiative of a new managing partner. in many firms we have a generation of stewards rather than entrepreneurs.

read more →

four untapped profit streams locked inside your practice management data

drew west
drew west

how to control costs, maximize profits, and focus on your real money-makers.

by drew west
deltek solution consultant
@deltekdrew

new services offerings or fee increases are obvious tactics for earning more – but service expansion brings with it more expense, and rate hikes risk client defection.

so what about other ways? why not reflect on a few ways to drive higher profits?

the answers are deep within – deep inside your firm’s practice-management systems. reflecting on all the engagement data in those systems might expose opportunities for greater efficiency, less risk, and more control – all drivers of higher profits.

so look to your practice management system to find four places where higher profits might be hiding. read more →