outlook & analysis

leader training is time well spent

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leader addresses co-workersfour questions to test your leadership culture.

by robert j. lees, august j. aquila and derek klyhn

being a good coach is just one of the expectations firms must have of their partners. they are expected to be leaders, as well.

more on leadership: managing partners must remember partners’ needs | 5 questions about your firm’s direction | like herding cats: partners must ‘walk together’

while most of the partners we know understand and accept that need, not everyone does, and not everyone understands what being an effective leader means.

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5 points to consider when paying out goodwill

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how firms decide the goodwill payable to a retiring partner. by marc rosenberg retirements & buyouts there are five factors that need to be taken into account when computing the goodwill benefits due a retiring partner:

going paperless means training clients, too

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stock image of businessman pushing a giant stack of documents isolated on white backgroundand putting a fail-safe system in place.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

one of the most critical steps in transitioning a firm to a “paperless” environment is capturing information in a digital format at its “root” source as that information enters the firm.

more on tech spending: how to cut tax prep costs with scanners | making digital tax process easier is all about the workflow | why firms need document retention standards | digital fax has benefits you may be ignoring | wireless is hot, and here’s how to handle it | how safe is your internet lifeline? | new tech tools for the 24/7 accounting firm | how to choose the right backup system | where laptops rule at cpa firms today | step 1 in building the paperless firm: scanners

at the base level, this means having clients provide you information in a digital format — which can be done via email, digital fax or through a portal — rather than with a physical document.  while email is currently the most prevalent tool utilized by clients, it is anticipated the security concerns will help clients transition toward portals.

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how partner-to-staff leverage drives profits

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pile of new 100 us dollars 2013 banknotesratios affect income per partner, survey shows.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 exclusive

staff sizes and, more significantly, the ratio of staffers to partners are among the most significant factors in determining cpa firm profits, according to new edition of “the rosenberg survey: the national map survey of cpa firm statistics”

more from the map survey: geography plays part in firm success | financial services up at largest firms, down at smaller ones | big firms keep getting bigger

staff-to-partner ratio is the fourth leading determinant of firms’ profitability, behind fees per partner and per staff and partners’ billing rates, says the the map survey team, which is comprised of compiled by marc rosenberg, the noted industry consultant based in chicago, and the growth partnership consulting firm in st. louis. read more →

what if accounting firms were apps?

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smartphone12 ways the app phenomenon could change the way you think about your practice.

by hitendra patil

consider, for a moment, the new “app economy.” there are over a million apps in apple and google stores, with hundreds of them doing much the same thing in almost the same way. according to pew research, 90 percent of americans have cellphones and 67 percent find themselves checking their phones for messages, alerts or calls — even when they don’t notice their phones ringing or vibrating.

so, are accounting firms like apps already — offering the same services, same deliverables, same outcomes at the same or similar prices? if so, the only thing missing in the accounting marketplace is an “accounting services app store.”

more on entrepreneurial strategy: top 10 entrepreneurial traits of successful accountants | four leadership strengths that define accountants | as block and liberty add accounting services, independents face 3 options | readers sound off on liberty, h& r block plans to launch bookkeeping services | threat or opportunity as h& r block, liberty jump into bookkeeping services? | six secret keys to the mind of the entrepreneur | 8 seconds into the future: meet generation z | 5 reasons gen y will make or break your firm

wisdom tells us to “hang out where clients do.” yet, there are hardly any “accounting firm apps” on the app stores. read more →

successful strategy execution requires focus on people

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business people working in group in the officeby robert j. lees, august j. aquila and derek klyhn

momentum is critical in driving change, so it is no surprise that the initiation of activities that drive and support the strategy is key.

more on leadership: managing partners must remember partners’ needs | 5 questions about your firm’s direction | like herding cats: partners must ‘walk together’

it is also one of the reasons why focus is critical. and yet one of the mistakes we see are initiatives having too much time between them.

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no more printouts at cpe programs?

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and atech advice for everyday use.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: i always like to take notes on the handouts when i attend cpe programs. now all the handouts are provided digitally and it forces me to sometimes print out as much as 400 or 500 pages before i go to the program. how can i get the sponsors to provide printed copies?

response: things change. what worked yesterday doesn’t always work today. read more →