and it’s not about the money. it’s the people.
the key driver of accountants’ work happiness may not come in the form of a paycheck, but instead in a sense of accomplishment, the relationships with peers, and the daily tasks of the work.
signs of the economic times: tax pro’s are running 4.8% ahead of last year’s marks, while do-it-yourself’ers are…
you’re right.
the middle-class has been picking up more of the tab for federal spending since the late 1980’s, and the rich have been paying progressively less. above-average burdens, for instance, appear thick and red and below-average thin and blue.
one-third of all cpa firms don’t.
that’s just one of the surprising findings from the latest aicpa national practice management survey.
granted, 66% of firms have a website. but 33% don’t. who thinks their clients are still using the yellow pages?
survey shows the verdict is still out, although many executives are doing it.
eighty-six percent of senior executives polled said it is common for professionals they work with to read and respond to e-mail messages during meetings.
about 31 percent, however, disapprove of the practice.
thirty-seven percent of respondents feel it’s ok to respond to e-mail as long as the message is urgent, and 23 percent of those polled said professionals should excuse themselves from the meeting before responding to e-mail.
occupational fraud is a global issue.
organizations around the world lose an estimated five percent of their annual revenues to fraud, or about $2.9 trillion, according to a study by the association of certified fraud examiners.
rosters shrink 1%.
so, when’s the rebound?
the revenue decline is the second in a row for the profession’s largest firms, prompting accounting today managing editor daniel hood to liken the conditions to a “deep freeze.”
strong niche for cpa firms getting stronger.
law firm marketing consultant larry bodine reports new results from a bti market research study that shows the four top areas where lawyers “can earn top dollar from corporate clients with litigation.” and if lawyers can cash in, so can the cpas who advise them.
here are the top four growth areas:
but still years away from being ready. via cfo some 34% of cfos rank “convergence to ifrs” as their no. 1 issue. cumulatively, cfos rank ifrs convergence higher than any other accounting issue, according to the latest duke university/cfo magazine … continued
new universal rules sought for audits and social responsibility.
via ifac
the accountancy profession’s top leaders worldwide see a new set of global auditing standards as a top priority, according to a survey by the umbrella organization of national and regional associations and institutes.
your firm’s image could be turning off prospects before they even meet you.
by bob lewis
visionary marketing
this is a simple concept, but one that eludes a large number of accounting practices.
when going to a fine restaurant a patron expects a higher check. the guests will pay more for the experience and come back if the food is excellent and the environment provides the level of comfort that meets their expectations. the restaurant next door may have better food at lower prices, but they look like a diner and do not present themselves as a more interesting experience so they immediately turn off a large segment of the higher paying clientele.
cpa firms do the same thing.
seasonally-adjusted employment sinks to 874,100.
that’s down from 876,400 in january, according to new government data, and part of a consistent decline since january 2008.
meanwhile, the nation and economy overall added 192,000 jobs to non-farm payrolls in february, the fastest pace in nine months. the unemployment rate declined to 8.9 percent, almost a two-year low.
economists suggest the economy may be shifting into higher gear. but you wouldn’t know it from the employment trends in the almost million-person accounting and bookkeeping sector.
upbeat assessment follows a modest outlook last quarter.
via aicpa
cpas expressed their highest level of optimism on the u.s. economy since the third quarter of 2007, according to the latest aicpa/unc quarterly economic outlook survey.
in addition, there was a slight improvement in expectations for hiring and an uptick in plans for capital spending for it and other areas over the next 12 months. on the broader level, there was concern about inflation.