outlook & analysis

five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity

by

just in time for busy season.

by sandi smith
the accountant’s accelerator

no matter how small or large your practice is or how experienced you are, you’re probably going to meet some prospect or clients this busy season who are price-sensitive. many of you try to run from them as far away as possible, and others of you tell me you have to take these clients or you wouldn’t have a full practice.

sandi smith
sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms from at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间: rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech  •  four ways to practice entrepreneurial perseverance • 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients •  the success secrets women already know  • his and her brains at work in tax and accounting  • the power of deadlines in closing a deal • on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths • the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference  •

so you might already have a solution to dealing with price-sensitive clients that you’re happy with. if you don’t, or are ready for more ideas, this article is for you. read more →

how to change a partner

by

august aquila
august aquila

take a lesson in change management from weight watchers.

by august aquila
aquilaadvisors.com

david maister in “strategy and the fat smoker” notes that there are two elements needed in order for us to change. the first is a willingness to do it. the second is determination. but alas, we know the path to hell is paved with good intentions.

there are a multitude of platitudes about change. but unless we change we don’t grow and the skills that got us to where we are, won’t get us to the next level. none of us can achieve more unless we become more. if i fail to change, i will not produce different or better results, but only the same thing. this is extremely dangerous because the world around us – our clients, our employees, the market place continue to change.

take a quick acid test. what do you know today that you did not know five years ago? ten years ago? if your list is short, you haven’t changed much. if your list is long, congratulations! the longer the list, the better.

is there a change process?

the quick answer to the question is yes. read more →

hackers show how to break into major accounting software systems

by

the hacker transfers receivables credit balances to payables in gp dynamics (from the white paper)

pro members: get the details in an instant download.

by rick telberg

when finance and accounting professionals worry about computer security, they may think about stolen laptops, purloined passwords, or lost backup drives.

but few worry about hacker attacks against their accounting system software, the kind of attacks that could bring down an entire business or even up-end part of the global accounting system.

well, start worrying.

a pair of computer science security experts has unveiled new research that shows just how easy it might be to crack into such commonly used software systems as sap, oracle, or even quickbooks, sage or microsoft’s dynamics.

get the details in an instant download. click here…

read more →

novice manager needs to know: how to do it all?

by

 

15 strategies for a first-time supervisor’s success.

here at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间, ed mendlowitz answers some of the toughest questions practitioners can throw at him. he’s the right one to ask. after more than 40 years in the business – building his own practice, running the firm, and eventually selling it to a major regional firm, withumsmith+brown, where he remains a senior partner and consultant to professional services clients – he has the answers. we’re happy to have him at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. send your questions for ed here, or chime in with comments below.

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and amore from ed mendlowitz, the practice doctor q&a: why no one listens to you | fun reads for busy season  |  when not to offer a free initial consultation | measuring growth in yourself, staff and partners  |  what do you think you’re doing?  | can you teach judgment?  |  clients’ calls at home  | what you need to know before expanding into business valuation |

question: my boss asked me to call you.  i am a staff accountant with five years experience.  i am having a lot of stress trying to manage everything i have to do. i am juggling supervising people that i don’t know how to supervise, being managed less by those above me and having to figure out more for myself – including things i never did before or in industries i never worked on previously, keeping current with changes in accounting rules and taxes (since i am more like a generalist and clients ask me everything) never seem to have any free time, juggling my schedule because most of my clients are never ready when they say they will be and being accountable to my boss for everything i do plus what the staff working under me does. so how do i do it all? how can i prioritize all my responsibilities? read more →

rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech

by

3 tips for a powerful pitch.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

an elevator speech is that short and sweet 30-second answer to the question “what do you do?” in networking circles, it’s critical that your elevator speech is clear and interesting. if it’s not, people will be confused, and no one who is confused will know how to refer you to others.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms from at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间:  four ways to practice entrepreneurial perseverance • 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients •  the success secrets women already know  • his and her brains at work in tax and accounting  • the power of deadlines in closing a deal • on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths • the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference  • 3 steps to start running on millionaire time  • 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients • why you’re missing out on 98% of your new business potential • how to win new clients with a freebie strategy  • 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• five things accountants take for granted that costs them revenue • what’s in your new client funnel? • what’s in your welcome kit for new prospects? • five fun and easy ways to wow your clients • six ways to give yourself a raise • strategies to stop losing business to competitors

the typical networker recites their elevator speech by listing everything they do. for example, i recently heard an insurance agent say, “we insure your auto, car, home, life, …” well, i heard part of it. she listed a dozen more things – the kitchen sink may have been in there – and i bet some of those services haven’t been sold in years. read more →

how a founding partner passes the baton to a new managing partner

by

with 16 questions and 10 steps.

by august j. aquila

one of the most difficult events that a firm faces is the transition of power from one managing partner to another, especially when it’s the first time. knowing when to pass the baton and how to pass it are critical decisions every firm will have to make.

august j. aquila

more august aquila on 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间:  six reasons not to plan for succession  |  how to apply sam walton’s 10 rules for success at your firm |   nine steps to effective succession planning for the small firm |  thinking merger? look before you leap  | four new checklists for succession planning  |   partner accountability: seven signs your firm may be in trouble | 25 ways to grow your practice  | herding cats: change management for cpa firms  | engaging partners in the firm’s future  | what it means to be a partner  | leadership at it’s strongest: what successful managing partners do | no alignment? no execution. | 12 steps to a foolproof merger  | seven steps to building a great partnership  | 5 success tips for tax season  | managing partner job #1: how to get buy-in  | the 10 basic ways to boost profits at an accounting firm | can you really change a partner?  | 11 weekly self-assessment questions for professionals  | seven keys to a successful merger |

for the managing partner who is thinking about succession, there are four primary goals that he or she should be working on during the next few years. each of these issues needs to be discussed with your founding partner: read more →

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis: 40% of firms going to the cloud

by


new data and analysis cited in cch cloud technology report.

accounting, tax and audit leaders are using cloud computing to improve speed, agility and collaboration, while also increasing productivity and profits, according to a new report on technology trends.

rick telberg
rick telberg

nearly 40 percent of accounting and tax firms plan to migrate some systems to the cloud within the next 12 to 18 months, and about one-third plan to do so this year, according to market research and consulting firm bay street group, which publishes 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. as recently as two years ago, the adoption rate was in the single digits. “the environment is changing rapidly,” ceo rick telberg points out. the research is cited in the latest edition of partners magazine, published by cch.

the report also cites data and case studies from tribridge it services in tampa, fla.; stambaugh ness cpas of york, pa.; steven brewer & co. cpas of salem, ind.; gamble & livingston cpas of myrtle beach, s.c.; and david bergstein, cpa, citp, director of strategic relations for wolters kluwer.

instant download: click here to get the full report (pdf). read more →

seven steps to leverage the power of positivity in your firm, your career and your life

by

success comes to those who go out and find it.

by nick keseric

so what’s wrong in being upbeat and positive? nothing at all. this is not about rose colored glasses.

nick keseric
nick keseric

more on the entrepreneurial accountant:  nine bridges to cross in business development for accounting firms  | if business development is a circus at your firm…   |  my attitude??? what’s wrong with my @#$%! attitude?  |  curious minds want to know: are you helping or selling?  |  the six-step roadmap for cpa change agents  |  20 biz dev ideas for your career and your firm  |

given today’s world, if you are waiting for good things to happen to you, you better get a comfortable chair because that train isn’t coming towards you. success comes from effort. our own individual effort. and having a positive attitude and being upbeat plays a huge role in obtaining success.

this has as much to do with us as individuals as it does about us as a profession. the professionals in accounting are among of the most respected of all the professions. given that foundation, how we deal with others can only enhance an already proud and powerful profession.

read more →

six reasons not to plan for succession

by

here’s how to get started today with four questions to know when you’re ready.

by august j. aquila

it used to be that death and taxes were the only two inevitable events in life. but for owners of accounting practices there is a third – succession. there is no greater threat to the future of accounting firms than the failure to plan for succession.

august aquila

more august aquila on 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间: how to apply sam walton’s 10 rules for success at your firm |   nine steps to effective succession planning for the small firm |  thinking merger? look before you leap  | four new checklists for succession planning  |   partner accountability: seven signs your firm may be in trouble |

many small and medium sized firms have no succession plan. they have their reasons: read more →

four ways to practice entrepreneurial perseverance

by

how to change your thinking to prevail over the toughest of circumstances

perseverance is a skill that anyone can learn to not only survive, but thrive through life’s curves. when adversity strikes, it’s not what happens to you but how you respond to what happens to you that has the greatest impact on your life.

more for soloists and small firms: how to win new clients with a freebie strategy  • the success secrets women already know  •    why you’re missing out on 98% of your new business potential  •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference • 3 steps to start running on millionaire time  •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths   •  the power of deadlines in closing a deal   •   his and her brains at work in tax and accounting • 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients • the top 12 business card blunders accountants make •

here are four specific ways you can change your thinking to persevere in the toughest of circumstances, from sandi smith, cpa, “the accountant’s accelerator:” read more →

four management metrics that fool even the best-run firms

by

how looking at realization, billables, utilization, and labor costs can lead you astray.

by marc rosenberg, cpa
author of “what really makes cpa firms profitable?”

if you’re striving to maximize profitably in your accounting firm (and who isn’t these days?), there a few important things you need to do.

marc rosenberg
marc rosenberg

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 pro members get more [go pro here]: 19 ways to improve accounting firm profitability  • de-bunking the myth about niche marketing for tax and accounting firms • practice development is no longer an optional activity • 10 good ways the achieve partner accountability • pick your partners right to begin with  •  the first nine questions your partner team needs to embrace for optimal profitability  • profitability and the value of strategic thinking  • the five essential building blocks for creating a strong accounting firm • the seven signs of great leadership in a cpa firm • compensation issues for the new managing partner  •

and then there are four things that are just a total waste of time. like these. read more →

why no one listens to you

by

the new “listening deficiency epidemic.”

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and aquestion: i notice that most of the time my staff doesn’t listen when i talk.  how can i make them listen?

more from ed mendlowitz, the practice doctor q&a: fun reads for busy season  |  when not to offer a free initial consultation | measuring growth in yourself, staff and partners  |  what do you think you’re doing?  | can you teach judgment?  |  clients’ calls at home  | what you need to know before expanding into business valuation |

response: i find this issue very widespread.  i believe there is an epidemic of people not listening, not just staff.

read more →