why most partner comp systems are performance-based

handshake

to perform well, partners need to work hard every year.

by marc rosenberg
partner comp: art & science

any discussion of partner compensation must start with a fundamental concept: should a partner group’s income allocation system be performance-based?

more on partner compensation: what partners earn and how they earn it | partner compensation: an art, not a science | how partners view compensation: it’s not all about the money | why most partner comp systems are performance-based

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

the fact is: compensation motivates performance.

read more →

want to merge? ask for data

hand tossing a portable drivebonus checklist: 17 data points you should exchange. and don’t forget the client list.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

i have always been a big believer in the buyer and seller exchanging financial and operating information as early in the process as possible. numbers aren’t everything, but they do speak volumes. the data enables each firm to gain an understanding of the other in a manner that is not always possible in conversation.

more on mergers:merger prep: getting to know you | one times fees is a steal! | the merger process in 21 steps | plant seeds to turn up merger candidates | 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

the data is also a good way to corroborate things that are said verbally.

read more →

leave your retreat with a to do list

businessman writing to do listbonus checklists: 11 criteria for selecting a retreat facilitator, plus a sample summary of retreat goals.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

sometimes an outsider brings a fresh outlook, and asks questions that wouldn’t occur to an insider who knows “how it’s always been done.” if you’re considering an outside facilitator for your retreat, keep these criteria in mind:

more on retreats: every retreat needs a leader, but who? | retreats are no place for clowns | who should participate in a retreat? | retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | what should cpa firms discuss at retreats? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

1. vast experience consulting to cpa firms. your firm can derive great benefit from the experiences of the consultant. your firm needs to learn about the best practices that the consultant has observed over many years, working with many firms.

read more →

merger prep: getting to know you

four people meeting at a restaurantbonus checklist: 18 questions to ask and answer.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

all merger discussions have to begin somewhere. after merger candidates have been identified, there obviously needs to be an initial meeting for the two firms to get acquainted.

more on mergers: the merger process in 21 steps | plant seeds to turn up merger candidates | 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

everything is confidential and informal. no exchange of financial statements. the two parties simply spend an hour or two – you guessed it – getting to know each other. many firms like to convene this meeting over breakfast or lunch because meeting at a restaurant gives the encounter an air of informality and sociability. other firms like to do this in the larger firm’s office so that the smaller firm can get a “house tour.”

read more →

every retreat needs a leader, but who?

small business meeting silhouetted against city skylinethere are 3 options.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

when you have a retreat, someone needs to lead it. this goes beyond organizing the logistics of the retreat. in this context, i’m referring to the person who runs the sessions, keeps everyone on task, gets participation from attend­ees, changes topics, monitors the time schedule for breaks, lunch, etc.

more on retreats: retreats are no place for clowns | who should participate in a retreat? | retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | what should cpa firms discuss at retreats? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

the person who leads the retreat should function as a facilitator, not as a boss. a facilitator is someone who makes it easy and convenient for the participants to communicate with one another and address the issues raised. a good facilitator doesn’t “manage” the retreat, arbitrate disputes or engage in too much lecturing.

read more →

one times fees is a steal!

12909723_sthe math might surprise you. 

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

partners in accounting firms are familiar with the rule of thumb that a cpa firm’s goodwill is worth one times fees; however, like many “rules of thumb,” this notion is often incorrect.

when buyers begin to think about how much they will pay for a smaller firm, they often have this one-times-fees notion in the back of their minds. then, when sellers are bold enough to ask for a price in excess of one times fees, buyers often balk because they feel that the asking price is too rich.

more on mergers: the merger process in 21 steps | plant seeds to turn up merger candidates | 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

the purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate that buying a small firm for one times fees is a steal (for the buyer). in fact, it’s still an outstanding investment at a premium price, say, as high as 1.3 times fees. let me illustrate.

read more →

retreats are no place for clowns

group of clowns

four bad attitudes that kill a partner meeting. plus notes on location and scheduling.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

the success of any retreat depends upon active participation by the  majority of the participants.

more on retreats: who should participate in a retreat? | retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | what should cpa firms discuss at retreats? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

participants will be less willing to speak up in any of these situations:

  1. participants see the meeting as being primarily for the benefit of the one who leads it.
  2. participants are intimidated by the way the leader conducts the sessions.
  3. certain participants dominate discussions, using up a greatly disproportionate percentage of the “air time” of the group.
  4. participants are intimidated because one or two partners, usually power partners, are always negative, repeatedly telling people “that will never work” or “we tried that years ago and it failed.”

all participants should be advised: “if you keep on being negative or insisting that ideas won’t work, then suggest a better way or shut up.”

read more →

the merger process in 21 steps

numbered bleacher stairsplus: 15 potential deal breakers and non-negotiables.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide

it’s important to understand the flow of the entire merger process.

every merger has its unique aspects. it’s impossible to choreograph, from a to z, exactly how the process for all mergers will work. the steps in the process listed below appear in the order of how they commonly occur.

more on mergers: plant seeds to turn up merger candidates | 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

but again, because all mergers are different, the flow of the steps might vary from merger to merger.

read more →

who should participate in a retreat?

overhead view of five businesspeople discussing something at a table with an open laptop nearbyinclude the relevant folks – but no more than 15 unless you plan on breakout groups.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

what to discuss at a retreat is important, but so is who will be doing that discussing.

firms naturally tend to limit participation to key people – the partners, plus professional staff such as the coo, firm administrator, marketing director and hr director – so that sensitive and confidential issues are more easily discussed. also, keeping the group small lends itself to better group participation and more fruitful discussions.

more on retreats: retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | what should cpa firms discuss at retreats? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

on the other hand, there are benefits to involving others in the firm beyond the key people… if the objectives include five key items:
read more →

how savvy growth firms attract the best merger candidates

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.

read more →

retreat logistics: how long, what kind?

happy business professionals giving high five hand slaphow often you gather plays a role.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

the great majority of retreats i have facilitated over a period of 20 years have been one-and-a-half to two days long.

more on retreats:what should cpa firms discuss at retreats? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

consider these six factors when deciding the length of your retreat:

1. timing. resist the temptation to convene the retreat beyond a 9:00­-5:30 or 8:00-5:30 work schedule. even though you may work many more hours than this back at the office, a retreat is different. most adults are not used to sitting in a classroom all day, and many find it quite draining.  participants should be able to spend every minute of the retreat refreshed, sharp and engaged.  so in planning your retreat, don’t count on more than 7.5 or 8 meeting hours per day. be sure to provide for an hour for lunch and two 15-minute breaks.

read more →

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

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:
read more →

what should cpa firms discuss at retreats?

businessman writing on clipboardbonuses: 15-item checklist to help set an agenda. and a participant questionnaire to learn what they believe should be discussed.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

most firms spend their time at retreats planning for the future, forming goals and addressing pressing issues and problem areas.

ideally the discussions won’t concern day-to-day issues such as purchasing a new copy machine or revising the policy on sick days.

related: why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

the topics considered are strategic: morale issues, recruiting problems, profitability, etc. here are 15 specific examples:
read more →