q: i was wondering what your thoughts are regarding initial consultation fees. currently, i do not charge a fee for an initial consultation, and it seems that most cpas do not charge either (at least not the sole practitioners that i know).
would the fee deter new clients or actually weed out the ones who are most likely not going to become clients anyway? if a fee is charged, then how much, and how long should the consultation last? should the fee be applied to any work that i am eventually engaged to do?
a: there seems to be a toss-up between two different philosophies:
q:sometimes i get stuck doing work that the client did not ask me to do, that is not chargeable and simply a waste of time, but i get trapped (by myself).
the accounting profession has faced staffing issues for years now and, especially post-pandemic, the problem has compounded. penny breslin, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 contributor and the founder of moneypenny, talks about how firms are facing the hiring challenges and popular solutions that seem to be working, including using predominantly cloud-based apps for collaboration and engagement and taking a true evaluation of the talents and skills needed for each position.
firm culture is a term that is frequently used and often taken for granted. assuming that your culture matches the firm’s stated goals isn’t wise, nor is considering the culture to be static and unchanging.
to create and maintain a firm culture that delivers positive results and brings team members together to work toward a common cause, you must take action to ensure that the many elements contributing to an engaging, positive firm culture are all working to create concrete manifestations of the culture you desire to see. read more →
jamie lopiccolo, the managing member of a small midwest firm, has been employing a subscription-based model for more than four years to invoice clients for services rendered. in addition to positioning the cpa as the client’s partner for success, it also encourages those who employ the system to provide maximum value in each client interaction, rather than focusing on getting as much money or billable hours as possible. catch another conversation with lopiccolo here: sell service, not hours.
the approach is to both manage expectations by the client and ensure a normalized cash flow for the firm. additional benefits include a more strategic approach to dealing with new clients because they are getting the full picture of their business’s needs.
there is no one right way to effectively network. you can join boards, attend conferences and sign onto various electronic forums, among other ways. no matter how you decide to get yourself out there, the critical factor is the approach you take. asking others, “how may i help you?” is the positive, proactive way to establish relationships.
you as the networker are seeking to build a relationship. if the other person or group benefits from your effort, think of it as an investment for the future. if you are looking for an immediate quid pro quo, it will become transparent to the other party. when you offer assistance, be authentic and sincere in your words and actions. follow through on your promises. read more →
now that everyone has (hopefully) had time to recover, there are four important steps to take to help next tax season go as smooth as possible
by christopher hayden
managing partner, hayden nelson & yoder
christopher hayden, cpa, cma, cgma is the managing partner of hayden nelson & yoder, a cpa firm based in pennsylvania, at hnycpas.com.
to avoid sugar-coating it, tax season is stressful. long work hours, back-and-forth with clients and mountains of documents can keep accounting professionals in the office for 20 or more additional hours each week. and this tax season felt extra-stressful with all the tax law changes, not to mention explaining to clients who had huge capital gains why they owed taxes.
but once the busy tax season is over, it’s time to review processes and take action to help the remainder of the year go smoothly.
make sure to give team members a pat on the back, especially if it’s their first time going through the madness of tax season or they went above and beyond this year.
however, once everyone has recovered enough, it’s time to go through the following steps: read more →
cpa firms often believe the most crucial part of negotiations to close a deal happens at the final stage of talks. but in order to have a satisfactory conclusion, you must set the tone at the beginning stage with an honest and forthcoming discussion based on mutual benefit – with an underpinning of respect and trust.
for young professionals, it is never too early to evaluate your negotiation aptitude. think about this as a process with key milestones. this gives you the chance to make modifications along the way and to avoid the last-minute pressures of bargaining that can remove the advantages you have created. adhering to a game plan will reduce the chances of objections from the other party, or even worse, the backing out of an arrangement that you considered to be a “lock.” this can be applied to discussions involving a promotion or a pay increase. read more →
it’s not uncommon for even the smallest of businesses to have employees and contractors all over the world. at one point i had an employee in ukraine, two employees in san jose, a virtual admin in orange county, a warehouse team in indiana, a transcriptionist in las vegas, partners in new york, chicago, missouri and atlanta, and a coach in sydney, australia.
i moved from san jose, calif., to plano, texas, while my team stayed put. and it didn’t hurt my business one tiny bit. here are five tips to help your virtual team play at their best. read more →
we enter into negotiations every day without realizing it, whether it is on a professional or personal basis. irrespective of whether it is a contractual transaction between a company and vendor or if a husband and wife are deciding on which couch to buy, each side is seeking to gain something. neither side may get everything it wants because an all-or-nothing-at-all approach will be a barrier to making any progress.
negotiating involves getting and keeping agreements that work for all parties. you can reach an agreement, but the issue is whether you can maintain the agreement and the relationship built around it. both sides need to have a sense of victory or, at the very least, feel they have not lost, because if this should occur then further conflict will result. read more →
how long are you talking?exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
more disruptors: 
