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outlook & analysis

six questions to launch your summer strategy sessions

the end of tax season makes a wonderful time to gain the genius of hindsight before the memories fade.

to create your very own business season-in-review, ask yourself these five questions and prepare your answers thoughtfully.

  1. what were your major accomplishments for the season?
  2. what were you most proud of?
  3. what was your biggest lesson?
  4. what person in your life was most helpful or motivating for you?
  5. is there a negative person in your life you need to spend less time with?
  6. how will you celebrate or reward yourself?

– sandi smith, cpa

growth strategies

10 ways to add a “money maker” hour to your day

simple easy activities to boost your business.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

every working day, we’re all slammed with hundreds of things to do. we might need to occasionally slow down and ask ourselves whether we are working on the most profitable things we could for our business. are we constantly fighting fires, dealing with urgent but not important client matters and neglecting the things that could grow our business?

here’s how to move off this treadmill to create a “money maker hour” in your business: read more →

outlook & analysis

11 sources of wealth we can celebrate

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

we all have far more sources of wealth available to us in addition to the assets we normally count as financial wealth. a great skill to add to our tool box is that of resourcefulness. learning and practicing being resourceful has always come in handy for me while traveling, working, and making changes in my life.

as you go through the list, take an inventory and make a list of all of the resources you have available to you in one form or fashion. by the end of the article, you might be amazed at how wealthy you really are.

  1. your financial wealth is measured in currency. this includes cash, all bank accounts, retirement accounts, annuities, stocks, bonds, commodities, and other market investments.
  2. your property wealth includes real estate and personal property such as furniture, dishes, clothes, jewelry, and a car.
  3. your wealth of abilities, experience, education, and skills provides you with a livelihood and is what you can trade others for other categories of wealth. read more →
outlook & analysis

nine value-adds to command a higher fee

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

want to charge more for your services?

one way is to offer clients more value. your fees and your value to the client should go hand in hand.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms: accountants, do you know your opportunity number? • five ideas to reduce client price-sensitivity • rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech • four ways to practice entrepreneurial perseverance • 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients • the top 12 business card blunders accountants make • seven tips to keep the clients you have • how to attract clients like a magnet • eleven easy ways to deliver more value to clients •

here are nine ideas to increase your value to your clients:

read more →

busy season management

12 fast, low-cost tips for a stress-less tax season

stress management is critical to a successful season.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

i don’t want to stress you out, but we really do need to do something about our stress levels.

the american psychological association says our kids are getting headaches, having difficulty sleeping, and eating too little or too much due to pressure from school and household finances. the worst part is that  most parents were not aware of the severity of their children’s stress.

many adults reported not knowing what to do to change their lifestyle so they could reduce their stress, so it just makes sense to talk about this a little.

here are the most common stress-reducing tasks that some people do, according to the survey: read more →

growth strategies

show me the margins: six ways to take home more of what you earn this tax season

options to grow your profits besides raising revenue and lowering costs.

by sandi smith, cpa
 accountant’s accelerator

many accountants these days are anxious to hit the golden $100,000 mark this year.  others are interested in growing their revenues steadily and incrementally.   still others are focused on lowering costs, raising profits from that side of the equation.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms:  seven checklist secrets for turning tax season into opportunity season  •  how to stay energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger through busy season • seven ways to wow your prospect • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals • 10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity   •   five ideas to reduce client price-sensitivity • rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech

all of these approaches are well and good to help you keep more of what you make, but there are far more options to grow your take-home dollars besides raising revenue and lowering costs.

here are six more ways to get more profit out of your practice: read more →

management

the 9 biggest billing mistakes that cost accountants their hard-earned profits

. . . and what you can do about it.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

a critical measure for accountants – whether they bill either by the hour or a fixed price – is the amount they bill clients each month.  as anxious as many accountants are to raise their revenues, their daily activity often sabotages that goal with the same common billing mistakes.

more for soloists and small firms:  seven checklist secrets for turning tax season into opportunity season  •  how to stay energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger through busy season • seven ways to wow your prospect • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals • 10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   

in this article, i present you with a checklist so you can compare your behavior with the list.  i’ll give some tips on how to break the bad habit, and the rest will be up to you. read more →

busy season management

seven checklist secrets for turning tax season into opportunity season [pro member exclusive]

use your time with the client to ask about more than just this year’s tax return.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

here are some fast tips to help you make the most out of busy season, which is when you have the highest amount of your clients’ attention all year long.

more for soloists and small firms:  how to stay energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger through busy season • seven ways to wow your prospect • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals • 10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •

1. make a checklist to go through with your prospects during the initial meeting (a/k/a “the sales call.”).

  • this is the time to find out what your prospects need and why they might be switching accounting service providers.  you can get your hands around the scope of a clients’ needs best when you use a checklist.

some example entries could be: read more →

busy season management

how to stay energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger through busy season

five motivation tips from the masters.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

here are a few of the best lessons i’ve received from the masters. although tried and true, their stories and hardships keep me energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger.

1. don’t give up

  • thomas edison performed 10,000 experiments before he discovered the light bulb. friends asked him what he would carry on after getting no results. edison said, “i got lots of results. i haven’t failed. i’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms: seven ways to wow your prospect • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals •  10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •

  • beethoven had his share of critics during his time and was in constant conflict with the royalty that hired him to write his works. his response: “a few fly bites cannot stop a spirited horse.” read more →
outlook & analysis

seven ways to wow your prospect

 

and stand apart from the competition.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

as the competition for clients heats up, it’s time to pull out all the stops and make your prospect feel like you’ve rolled out the red carpet.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms: • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals •  10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •

how can you do that? here are seven ways to wow your prospect and help them decide you’re the perfect vendor for them. read more →

growth strategies

rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals

leverage the power of habit. by sandi smith, cpa accountant’s accelerator there’s something special about the word ritual. it sounds sacred, like you wouldn’t dare break it. it sounds a little mysterious, as if there’s a component you can’t quite control. and it sounds colorful, like something full of character that you would never get bored of.

more for soloists and small firms: 10 tips for creating more energy this tax season   • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •

we don’t think about rituals much when it comes to business, but i think we should. what rituals could you create in your business that will rev up your revenues? here are two ideas to get your engines started. read more →

management

19 easy ways to cut costs, find more cash in time for tax season

start the new year with the resources you need. by sandi smith, cpa accountant’s accelerator could you use a bit of extra cash each month? i think most people would say yes.here are several tips to start your new year with a little more green in your pocket.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms from at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间: more for soloists and small firms:   •    10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  •   take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference 

  1. if you bill your time by the hour and sometimes forget to write your time down (i know i’m guilty), put in some extra procedures to capture that time. that’s a big cash drain in your business that needs plugging in 2013. read more →
busy season management

10 tips for creating more energy this tax season

 

good habits for thriving through the tough times.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

is keeping a high energy level a challenge for you? here are a few tips to revitalize your personal energy. some of these are very simple, so simple you may think they won’t do anything for you.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms:  take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •   

as you read, check to see which ones have slipped from your current daily routine. in that way, you’ll discover how to change your routine to gain more energy. read more →