it’s competition, not technology, that’s driving change in the accounting profession. and it’s just as scary.
by bruce w. marcus
professional services marketing 3.0
there seems to be a general impression that the changes in accounting that created the modern firm resulted from the blast of technology that began to enter the professions in the early 1980s. not so. read more →
going beyond outsourcing and virtual workers.
by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator
the days are long gone when the only way to build your business was by hiring full-time employees. now there are so many more choices. many employees are interested in part-time work. some prefer to work virtually, which frees a company up from being limited to local talent. and then there’s crowdsourcing, a whole new way to tap into talented labor on a project-by-project basis.
crowdsourcing is a special way to outsource a task. with outsourcing, you know exactly who will be doing the task. with crowdsourcing, you don’t; people just show up and contribute. wikipedia calls it “distributed problem-solving.” read more →
except when it affects themselves.
by marc rosenberg
author of how to bring in new partners
partner accountability addresses what is expected of each partner, how partners will be managed so that the expectations are met and what the consequences will be for failure to meet these expectations.
i have interviewed hundreds of partners on partner accountability. i frequently ask them if they would like the firm to have partner accountability. the most common response i get, somewhat apocryphal, is: “yes, i’m all for partner accountability (long pause) as long as it doesn’t affect me!” read more →
finance sector jobless rate falls to 4.7% from recession high 7.7% with the job market strengthening, career opportunities for finance, tax and accounting professionals are widening to places like seattle and phoenix, beyond traditional financial industry centers like new york according … continued
and that you can use too.
by august j. aquila and robert j. lees
creating the effective partnership
what should a compelling vision contain?
while we still see some visions that talk about becoming the leading player in a state or region, we are seeing a real recognition that a vision is a lot more than the statement we used to see firms use across accounting and the other professional services firms sectors.
more creating the effective partnership: the politics of an accounting firm partnership | nine rules to creating highly effective partnership teams | audacious vision and grand purpose prove essential to cpa success | are you creating a sustainable firm? | the debilitating effects of denial at accounting firms | the five psychological hurdles that cpa firms must confront today
consider, now, the common ideas from the visions of the big four firms:
ed mendlowitz, cpa, abv, pfs
author of “the 30:30 training method“
question: thanks for the training memo. although i requested your memo because i know i need help with improving efficiency and the like with my practice, many of your thoughts and ideas i have already thought of but simply did not implement them.
response: i think you hit part of the nail on the head in what you wrote – you’ve had many of the ideas and “simply did not implemented them.” you need to make changes or things stay the same. read more →
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are you ready for the new age of professional services marketing 3.0?
by bruce w. marcus
professional services marketing 3.0
professional services marketing 3.0? this from someone who has written, spoken, railed against jargon and gimmicks?
well, yes, because in this rapidly changing economic environment, intensely competitive landscape, and highly charged computer age, it’s the best way to define significant evolution from one distinct period to the next. but, that’s exactly what’s happened – and is happening – with cpa firms. and in management practices, business models, and structure as well. read more →
cpas share some of their best time-management tips. how hard are you working?
by rick telberg
with the days of summer rapidly dwindling, accountants and finance managers across the nation are grabbing their last vacation days. but it’s not always easy.
many finance and accounting professionals are working harder than ever, doing more with less as their organizations cut back with the recession. balancing life and work becomes all the more difficult and all the more important. so we’ve been asking readers for their best time-management tips for a balanced life.
here are nine of the best we’ve received so far: read more →
how one managing partner learned the hard way.
by august j. aquila and robert j. lees
creating the effective partnership
while many managing partners understand the value of a vision statement to focus their partner team’s energies, too few get it right.
a vision is more than a simple statement. when we talk about having a compelling vision, we don’t mean just a well-crafted vision. we mean the vision with a clear destination, the strategies for getting there (the “how to”), the way progress will be measured and the benefits to the partners of going on the journey.
more on partnership management: nine rules to creating highly effective partnership teams | audacious vision and grand purpose prove essential to cpa success | are you creating a sustainable firm? | the debilitating effects of denial at accounting firms | the five psychological hurdles that cpa firms must confront today
let’s look at an example of what can happen when all the elements (vision, journey, milestones and a positive answer to what’s in it for me) aren’t in place. read more →
by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator
with labor day closing in, it’s a good time to take stock of where we stand for the year, plus re-group as needed before the 2014 busy season is upon us. with so many changes in software, politics, tax laws, and global standards, it’s pretty easy to feel a little disorganized.
more for soloists and small firms: the five essential skills accountants need today | the seven essential components of a simple marketing plan for accountants | take six big steps to go beyond compliance services | when your business needs to be rebooted | two steps to easy cross-sells | the hot new tech product for automated data entry | five value-add service areas to take you beyond bookkeeping | six money-making strategies to take you beyond quickbooks | proactive ways to get more referrals | the three biggest money leaks in your practice | new client opportunities with mobile apps | six questions to launch your summer strategy sessions | what most accountants miss in the five simple steps to get more clients | 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 three steps to help us take stock of our foundational business goals, re-evaluate our big picture, and get us centered as we enter the next quarter. read more →
including: managing partner evaluation forms, parts 1 and 2.
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm management & governance
this is really an upward evaluation. like all upward evaluations, people evaluating the managing partner should be limited to those in a position to offer informed input. this means that at firms of fewer than 10 to 15 partners all the partners will probably want to participate. but once a firm gets beyond 10 to 15 partners, an increasing number of partners may not be in a position to respond to the evaluation factors listed in the form.
more cpa firm management & governance: 18 things partners owe their firms – and each other | 17 ways to measure a partner | how the structure of an accounting firm changes through the years | congratulations! your firm needs a human resources director | the 19-point marketing director job description | checklist: how the best managing partners and firm admins work in concert | 21 questions for managing the managing partner | no partner vote needed: 17 decisions best left to the managing partner alone | new rules: 13 items that should be in your managing partner’s job description | when is it time to shift your firm from partnership-style to corporate-style governance? | not every firm needs a general patton |
firms with management or executive committees may wish to limit the evaluation to the partners on those committees.
once you have decided who will be allowed to participate in the evaluation, each partner should complete the evaluation forms. read more →