ten questions for teamwork

also: how to divide up back office support roles.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

i’ve developed a series of questions to assess someone’s aptitude for being on a team. each person in your firm who is a possible member of the back office support (bos) team needs to answer these questions. that includes you, as you are a potential team member.

more: build your team, then choose your clients | advisory services done your way | yes, you can be an outsourcer | how back office support adds value | ai is not your enemy
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

ask others in your firm or people you work with outside your firm to give you feedback on these questions as they see you and the other potential members of your team. their responses will give you a second filtering of your potential as well as others you would like on your team. notice these are not questions relating to the competencies in accounting functions. the assumption is that you and your people already possess those skills.
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be the flywheel to increase revenue

“this will be the largest transfer of wealth the nation has ever seen in such a short period of time.”

by rory henry, cfp®, bfa

henry

rory henry is a director at arrowroot family office and host of the wealth management forward podcast. he can be reached to discuss ways to integrate financial planning into your practice through the cpa partnership program at (310) 566-5865 or at rory@arrowrootfamilyoffice.com.

the financial advice business is undergoing significant change, particularly in the accounting and wealth management sectors. the arrival of private equity firms, combined with the rise of m&a and rapid advancements in technology, has shifted the landscape considerably. while these changes are unsettling to some practitioners, i view them as opportunities.

more: four core principles for elite wealth management | why you need a team of experts | why a virtual family office? why now? | is your client’s umbrella big enough? | your client’s instincts are wrong | preserving wealth is a different mindset | three approaches to investment consulting
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in many ways, a cpa is a flywheel at the center of the financial advisory engine. all the other providers and advisors rotate around the cpa, and together they build momentum as the firm expands its offerings and as the advice engine gains speed and confidence.

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why and how to track payroll costs

businesswoman using calculator while reviewing something on laptop screenbonus: nine specific illustrations.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

most business owners look at the total payroll in dollars and go no further. but – payroll numbers are useful only if you drill down several levels to determine …

more: how to account for materials purchased | how to advise clients on allocating business resources | be wary of discounting prices | where is your firm in its lifecycle? | six kinds of loan covenants | what’s more profitable, raising or lowering prices? | insurance you might not know you need | solos need plans for death, disability | you don’t need this, but your survivors do | five ways to ward off fraud in not-for-profits
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

head count

i tell clients to keep track every month of the total head count of the business – whether it’s three, 10 or 100 employees. on a year-to-year basis, the head count can be very revealing. first, it tells you whether employment is growing faster than you realized. second, by comparing head count with unit sales, you can measure worker productivity. if there is growth in units sold, your payroll is in good shape. if growth of units per employee declines, you have a problem that needs immediate attention.
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four simple game-changers to modernize your practice

focus on the client experience.

by blake oliver
with david leary

my mom is in her 70s and still gets the taxes organized for her household. she’s been using the same 10-partner firm for the past 30 years. like many small firms, hers had no succession plan, so it recently merged with a big firm – top 25. as you may imagine, her recent tax season experience was disappointing. she submitted all her documents on time and then didn’t hear anything from her new accountant for weeks. finally, she received a return to review and was shocked to see herself marked down as blind. my mom is not blind. there were other errors in her return, including a missing real estate transaction. clearly, it had not gone through a proper review process.

more: nine ways to measure client experiencehow the pandemic changed firm mindsets | twelve clues it’s time to outsource or offshore | yes, you have the staffing for cas | why firms shy away from cas | hook your firm on cascan you identify real cas prospects? | 8 ways to create your cas practice | do you value your cas value?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

my mind exploded, wondering how such a large, well-known firm didn’t have a better quality control process in place. i’m guessing they didn’t even have a workflow management solution. after sharing this story with several cpas at other large firms, i learned that my mom’s situation was not all that unusual.

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build your team, then choose your clients

group of businesspeople hiding their faces behind question mark signs at officefive aspects critical to success … and they’re not accounting.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

before you can build back office support (bos) practice, you need to assess what kind of team you already have. let’s look at two similar and at the same time, uniquely different accounting and tax businesses who contacted me for help in outsourcing some of their bookkeeping.

more: advisory services done your way | yes, you can be an outsourcer | how back office support adds value | ai is not your enemy
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

both businesses have multiple offices; both have multi-partner owners; both do taxes, accounting and bookkeeping; and both list client advisory services. both have ownership and employees of a similar age. both exist along the same coast. both of these accounting businesses appear successful. one business is full of happy employees, owners and cooperative clients. the other business has the word no figuratively imprinted on their front door.
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