signs of resignation among sellers.
in what may come as mixed news for tax and accounting professionals, the pace of small businesses sold accelerated 8 percent in the second quarter of 2011, but it may be because owners are accepting that their businesses aren’t as valuable as they used to be.
warning: your clients’ answers may differ. by jean caragher and rick telberg sevenkeys cpa new studies conducted by the bay street group and the capstone marketing group illuminate several very significant gaps between the opinions of clients and their cpas. … continued
mid-sized accounting firms step up competition for the heart of the market.
by rick telberg
no one is fighting harder for every new client and every new dollar than the accounting firms in the middle of the market, according to new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research.
nationwide, an astonishing 86% of mid-sized firms (those with five to 15 partners or about 51 to 100 employees) have been stepping up their marketing efforts, according to the new study.
to be sure, firms of all sizes are increasing their marketing activities — from solosists (about 47%), to 2-to-10-person offices (55%), through 11-to-50-person offices (73%), and the more-than-100-persons offices (77%). but it’s in the 51-to-100-person category that the battle seems most heated these days.
cpas must provide wisdom. [this was submitted by a director-level professional at a mid-sized west coast cpa firm.] in our experience, it’s all about niches and specialized expertise. the deeper and the broader our knowledge in the industry/services/critical issues that … continued
hint: the answer is closer than you think by jean caragher and rick telberg sevenkeys cpa
by jean caragher and rick telberg sevenkeys cpa according to the aicpa’s latest cpa firm top issues survey, the most significant challenge facing cpa firms of all sizes across the nation today is gaining new clients. but too many firms … continued
they fail to understand differentiation and value. by chris zdunich porte brown llc the new war for clients is compounded by the fact that: 1) most markets have multiple accounting firms that are high quality, mature and have a difficult … continued
“blogging takes at least 0.5 fte.” by david albrecht the summa when i teach a more basic business/accounting class, i remind students that it is far easier to keep an existing client than to find a new client. and that … continued
digital emerging as chief weapon.
results for the new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 study of marketing trends are eye-opening:
accounting firms are rapidly escalating their business-building efforts:
66% of accountants say their firms have been increasing their marketing and business development activities in the last 12 months.
start by stopping.
stop doing things that undermine accountability, says skip reardon at six disciplines business coaching, “stop overseeing, legislating and micro-managing.”
reardon, a veteran of the accounting business dating back to solomon software, says “accountability is not something you ‘make’ people do – it has to be chosen or accepted by people within your organization. people must ‘buy into’ being accountable and responsible. for many, this is a new, unfamiliar way to work. most importantly: individual purpose and meaning come from assuming responsibility and accepting accountability.”
so, how do you build company-wide accountability?
kurt siemers is the ceo of kennedy & coe, the first top 100 cpa firm to implement value pricing. here he describes what inspired him to…
technology isn’t new. but the pace of change is.
and it’s adding new stresses to cpa firms every day, according to l. gary boomer of boomer consulting.
the impact can be seen — and felt — in how firms attract, retain, nurture and leverage talent, he tells the cpa leadership institute. staffing takes on a whole new meaning when it’s done within a firm-wide culture of continuous learning and improvement.
here’s how: read more →
defying national trends, accounting industry expands by 2,200 jobs.
total employment in the accounting and bookkeeping sector grew by 2,200 positions in june (preliminary, seasonally-adjusted), to 933,200, the fourth straight month of gains and the highest headcount since 944,600 in december 2008, according to new government data.
the surge is being fueled by big gains in tax prep shops and in payroll services. cpa firms slimmed down after tax season, as usual, but headcounts are still running higher than a year ago.