management

the agile accountant

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scrum line art illustrationlearning a lesson from software programmers.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

agile project management conjures up the image of scruffy software programmers surrounded by empty pizza boxes at 3 a.m. hacking away at producing the next google.

more: the cure for commoditization | ruthlessly efficient workflow management | what the value-pricers get wrong | four amusing millennial myths | the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it. | 3 rules for asking great tax-return questions

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what could agile possibly bring to accounting and income tax preparation?

actually a lot, and it could transform your workflow and provide a quantum leap in the efficiency of your project management.

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the 21st-century cpa firm

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young businesswoman using a tabletlearning how to learn.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

our profession is woefully behind state-of-the-art management.

more: the cure for commoditization | ruthlessly efficient workflow management | what the value-pricers get wrong | four amusing millennial myths | the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it. | 3 rules for asking great tax-return questions

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have you read anything about agile project management in cpa firms? no? well then, lean in a little.

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the great marketing hoax

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dump “differentiation.” embrace profitability.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

there are only two ways to succeed in a commodity market: 1. differentiate or 2. get really efficient.

more: the cure for commoditization | ruthlessly efficient workflow management | the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it.
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

if you’ve been drinking the kool-aid from industry consultants who have never worked in cpa firms, you’ll likely choose differentiation. when you differentiate, you get paid what you’re worth – at least according to these experts.

but let’s take a closer look.

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the cure for commoditization

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managing for profits beats price-cutting.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

in the beginning, the irs created the 1040 and saw that it was good. shortly thereafter, the first cpa crawled out of the primordial muck and asked, “how can i make money preparing tax returns?”

more stitely: what the value-pricers get wrong | four amusing millennial myths | the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it. | 3 rules for asking great tax-return questions | where workflow management runs off the rails | three ways your office tech is ruining your firm | when value pricing works | the 4 dark clouds hovering over cloud accounting software | value billing on the 19th hole | the irs and big data gone bad | will zero data entry end your tax practice? | three trends that will transform your tax practice or eliminate it | value, billem & dunn: a value billing case study | how to make an extra $72,000 by working smarter

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

the green eyeshade-wearing neanderthal cpas eventually evolved into cpas experienced in electronic data management, but today, we are still trying to answer that first question.

effective project management isn’t the entire answer, but it’s an essential building block.

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ruthlessly efficient workflow management

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work smarter, not harder.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

for years, i’ve written angry-man blogs flogging cpas and tax preparers for not treating their practices like businesses.

more stitely: what the value-pricers get wrong  |  four amusing millennial myths  |  the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it.   |  3 rules for asking great tax-return questions  |  where workflow management runs off the rails  |  three ways your office tech is ruining your firm  |  when value pricing works  |  the 4 dark clouds hovering over cloud accounting software  |  value billing on the 19th hole  |  the irs and big data gone bad  |  will zero data entry end your tax practice?  |  three trends that will transform your tax practice or eliminate it  |  value, billem & dunn: a value billing case study  |  how to make an extra $72,000 by working smarter  |

goprocpa.com

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

i coined the term “ruthlessly efficient workflow management” to promote the marriage of project management and delegation.

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ineffective management is hazardous to your firm’s health

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red warning sign9 warning signs, plus 4 things a managing partner should not be.

by domenick j. esposito
8 steps to great

hard to believe but every year there are a number of small and midsized cpa firms that either “die on the vine,” break up or merge up as “damaged goods” if a well-run firm is willing to take them on.

more on strategic planning: why do we accept poor new business results? | is it time to manage your receivables like a real business? | mine vs. yours vs. ours | 22 things leaders must do | 21 questions to help unlock accelerated growth | m&a candidates: valuations and vetting | ai likely to accelerate merger mania
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

why is it that so many firms continue to spiral into a slow death? it’s because they are aware of the danger signals but little, if anything, is done about them or because they are not paying attention to the warning signs including the following:
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the do’s and don’ts for a happy accounting office

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the knack of feedback doesn’t always come naturally.

by rick telberg

if the finance and accounting people in your office work together like a well-oiled machine, then consider yourself lucky.

let me suggest you take them all out to lunch and raise a toast to their attitudes … because without their skills and goodwill, you are no longer working in a firm or company. you are a solo practitioner.

even if you’re not working in a traditional command-and-control hierarchical organization, you are, in the end, a professional. and you work with fellow professionals. understanding how to trade feedback honestly, openly and without rancor is an essential ingredient to your successful work life.

personnel who fall short on skills can usually be brought up to speed. all it takes is a little coaching and training.

but personnel who fall short on attitude are a big problem. you need to talk with them, and you need to do it the right way. while a few words might suffice for the wise, you need carefully chosen words for the attitudinally challenged.

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duty: a tough hurdle to overcome

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businessman crossing finish line after leaping hurdlesonce again, you may be your own biggest obstacle.

by bill reeb

in my opinion, most people are rarely driven by just their own desires. rather, they are influenced heavily by the desires and expectations of those around them as well as by the roles they fill.

more: fear stifles you in every way | being judgmental is self-destructive | 3 ‘letting go’ actions to help you get unstuck | get better, work better, right now | constantly build on the basics | from martial arts to business: 5 steps of evolution | expect and embrace failure anytime you do new work
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

duty is synonymous with words like responsibility and obligation – and the thesaurus offers the phrase “what you have to do.” duty has intellectual and emotional ties to your value systems, too. therefore, to defy one’s duty is to default on one’s values.
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fear stifles you in every way

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young businessman standing on edge of rock mountain and looking across“it is as though fear is a virus, constantly coursing through our veins and waiting for the first sign of weakness so that it can instantly activate and take over.”

by bill reeb

fear is an important topic to me. i believe fear is often one of the greatest offenders interfering with behavior, skill development, success, satisfaction with yourself, and happiness in your life.

more: being judgmental is self-destructive | you are right where you are supposed to be | become your mind’s lead programmer | stay in the present | how ‘take what’s given’ works in business | learn to work ‘better’ instead of ‘harder’ | be realistic regarding expectations
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i am not just talking about fear as it would manifest in feelings of terror, but rather the entire range of fear, from being afraid of dying on one extreme through a simple negative thought wafting through your brain on the other.
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a cpa looks back across the generations

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why the profession is so great.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything

when i became a partner emeritus, it meant that it was time to slow down and work less.

more ed mendlowitz: how many hours should staff work? | is this a rut?  | taking over poorly done work | when to offer profit sharing | what’s in a title? | managing partners should drop their book of business | what’s lousy, the client or your approach? | checklist for running a practice | why credentials are worthwhile
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i started working only two days a week. i thought i would have more time to pursue many of the things i had always wanted to do but never had the time. since that point, i seem to be busier than i ever was and still have many projects i want to do, but can’t seem to get to.
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running on passion, or running on empty?

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feinberg

‘passion is nice. but passion with positive cash flow is so much nicer.’

by andrea feinberg

hey, new business owner: congratulations on making a huge leap. your choice to risk it all (and i’d say a predictable income, resources and benefits are pretty huge to leave behind) takes enormous courage, persistence, and a plan. and, many would say it takes a strong devotion – some call it ‘passion’ – to the service or product you plan to deliver.

well, i have a suggestion and i hope you’ll take this personally (not a typo: i want you to take it personally because your business will be among the most personal relationships and responsibilities you’ll ever have.)

i’m going to suggest you shift your thinking: don’t start a business; solve a problem. unless your product or service can solve a specific problem (or, secondarily, expand on an opportunity) for a recognizable category of customer, you’ll never make a penny. read more →

let’s talk about the fiscal close

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portrait of chris doxey
doxey

who has time for metrics and analytics?

by chris doxey
doxey inc.

if your finance and accounting organization is bogged down by a fiscal closing process that never seems to end, it has little time to focus on enhanced reporting or analytics. visibility to accurate financial information and underlying operating metrics are critical to your management team in any economic environment.

many factors place the spotlight on the fiscal closing process, which is usually led by a team of individuals in the corporate finance and accounting department and managed by the corporate controller. the complexity of the process is driven by the nature of the company – private, public, nonprofit (tax-exempt or mission-based) or government – and the type of industry or industries for which the company is responsible.

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