how to start providing family office services

couple meeting with investment advisor.

including a sample engagement letter.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: some of my clients are getting older and are becoming unable to handle their own financial affairs and i have been asked if i could assist them. what is involved and how do i charge for it?

more: higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better | nine tips for a healthier tax season | fifteen strategies for first-time supervisors | measure knowledge gaps (then close them) | should you offer financial services? | ready to retire? selling your practice is no strategy | 20 things you need for a business valuation
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response: many large firms provide “family office” services. this is a complete one-stop financial service that helps clients manage their money, pay their bills, collect their dividends and interest, and make sure insurance isn’t cancelled, mortgage, car lease or condo fee payments aren’t skipped, and tax payments paid on time.

following is a sample engagement letter that i use with clients needing such services. also, this letter provides a detailed description of what the service involves.
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offer your tax clients other services

woman and man shaking hands across a desk

here are 40 they should know about, plus a checklist for considering additional client services.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

the following listing can give you ideas of additional services clients might need.

more on tax season: can your tax reviewers answer these 10 questions? | the top 12 mistakes in tax return preparation | six types of person: which are you? | answer these two questions first | help your tax clients, help yourself | what’s your value to your tax clients? | are you excited about tax season?
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this list is not complete, but it is a good start for you to start thinking about what types of additional services you can offer to your clients!

  1. estate planning
  2. inheritance advice and guidance
  3. succession planning
  4. personal financial planning

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cover these five areas of information security

how to thoroughly safeguard client information.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

your clients trust you with their information; however, in today’s world, where sensitive information can be compromised and distributed, clients want assurance that their information is safe and that you are protecting them from identity theft.

more: let tech make communication easier | how to craft a service level agreement | how to maximize on-site client meetings | sixteen guidelines for naming conventions | you have to manage three kinds of procedures | tech tips for back office support | decoding accounting tech (and all those acronyms) | digital marketing strategies level the playing field | eight tasks to delegate today
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although certain state laws (check with your state); federal laws such as gramm-leach-bliley (glb), which covers individual privacy disclosures; and the aicpa rules of ethics do provide some protection, we recommend that as the trusted business advisor, you should disclose to your clients how you:

  • safeguard their information in your office and on your servers
  • securely transmit sensitive data
  • closely supervise access to authorized parties only

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let tech make communication easier

man seated at laptop talking on phone

how to create effective systems.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

open and clear communication is essential when you provide back office support (bos) services. you cannot take on this type of work and not stay on top of it. previous examples have shown what happens when you do it right. here’s what happens when you don’t.

more: how to craft a service level agreement | three examples: pricing your bos value add | use timesheets for productivity, not billing | revisit your back office support procedures | federated search: what it is, why it matters | accounting tech tools to minimize your pain | do your apps play well with others? | it’s ok to have favorite clients | ten questions for teamwork | yes, you can be an outsourcer
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case study: when you don’t keep up your side of the agreement

a cpa wanting to provide bos services to his clients contacted us to help with the first setup. the software of choice by the business owner was quickbooks.
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how to craft a service level agreement

man and woman at table in client meeting

bonus: a sample checklist.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

anytime there is a business relationship between entities, expect to see a contract or some form of written agreement. in outsourcing, as in many other relationships, this is called a service level agreement (sla). this agreement is used to establish the scope of the engagement. it clearly states who is responsible for what, when, where and how. it provides a quid pro quo that you can verify with the business owner(s), so that both parties are fully aware of their obligations.

more: three examples: pricing your bos value add | how to assess needs for a client proposal | best practices for source doc permissions and handling | every back office support client needs a playbook | strengthen client ties with workflow tools | understand your online marketing options | narrow your prospects by choosing a vertical | build your team, then choose your clients | how back office support adds value
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the important thing is to go through each function and each area with the business owners(s), have them read it with you together and check off each item so that they are clear on what you expect from them, and so you are clear on what deliverables you are promising.
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