prioritize your prospects

young black woman with magnifying glasscan you deliver some value in advance?

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

after you have listed business prospects, then what? it’s time for a good hard look at those prospects, and an honest appraisal of their value.

more: would you make yourself a partner? | four biz dev tasks to start the new year | what the next generation of practice leaders faces | five ways to show commitment | selling isn’t hardselling happens all the time | do you make your firm look good?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

how long do you think each prospective client will take to make a decision to move to your firm or not? is it a month? six months? a year or more? this information is the next filter you will use to prioritize your time and efforts.
read more →

vector databases: the newest tool for the ai era

rapid data searches and production-ready features can be game changers.

by rick richardson
technology this week 

making data-driven decisions is becoming increasingly understood by companies in every industry as a requirement for competing today, in the next five years, in the next 20 years and beyond. according to current market research, the worldwide artificial intelligence (ai) market will “increase at a compound annual growth rate (cagr) of 39.4 percent to reach $422.37 billion by 2028,” driven by the exponential expansion of unstructured data in particular.

more tech this week: russia-linked ransomware back with a vengeance | amazon aws: the mainframe killer? | amazon launching its first internet satellites | russian solarwinds hackers at it again | nasa finds a $10 quintillion asteroid | firms must balance benefits, risks of emerging technology | microsoft and google go to war
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the era of data overload and ai has arrived, and there is no turning back.

read more →

accountants’ top problems for tax season 2023

as tax season gets underway, a lot to worry about.

join the 5-minute survey. get the answers.
start here.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

if you’re not worried as we plow into the busy season, you aren’t paying attention.

more tax season ’23tax season 2023: better or worse? | tax: the procedural checklists your firm needs  |  stop tax return review shortcuts  |  offers in compromise aren’t for everyone  |  trump’s tax returns: read the originals here  |  survey: tax software favorite keeps crown

on the front lines: langworthy, expanding with 200 new clients.

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

and if you are concerned, you’re not alone.

  • in van nuys, calif., steve glick came up with a new concern: “now the software companies—turbotax, intuit, etc.—are competing against their customers by preparing tax returns.”
  • gretl siler, at succentrix business advisors, in panama city, fla., has the problem everyone wishes they had, plus the one everyone wishes they didn’t. she says, “note that i am not having any problem with increasing prices or with competitors.  the problem is too many new clients and staffing… plus the irs is still terrible.”
  • to be sure, there’s bob langworthy, the founder of southern maine’s management accounting. he couldn’t name a single concern. “none!” he says. “we served 1,000 clients last year and already have more than 200 committed new clients this season.”

for 2023, the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer expanded the list of possible concerns, 24 in all, plus an “other” option. it’s our longest list ever, and accountants checked off each and every possible worry.

read more →

simple controls can prevent fraud

businessman holding up magnifying glasseven their existence can be a deterrent.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

i’ve talked about fraud in not-for-profits, but it is also a serious issue for business firms. here are some cash fraud scenarios and prevention techniques that can apply to all types of organizations.

more: five ways to ward off fraud in not-for-profits | manage better with the right financial tools | do you need a forensic professional? | six benefits of an internal audit | the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | five cash reports you can’t live without
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

scenario: one employee who is responsible for, or has access to, the handling, recording and mailing of cash disbursements creates a non-existing vendor who sends the company invoices, which are paid.
read more →

aynsley damery: adding value is the only way to stay in business

rethink the 80:20 rule, because the 80% are likely stealing from you.

subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: apple, google, spotify, iheart, deezer, amazon music and audible, player fm, audacy, gaana (india), and boomplay (africa).

the disruptors
with liz farr for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

aynsley damery wants accountants to think more deeply about their work. the ceo for clarity said we need to think about what clients want and deliver it to them, but as simple as that sounds, the problem is he doesn’t “think many accountants truly understand what their clients are looking for.” clients who have started their own businesses are looking for a combination of “money, time and freedom.” however, damery said, we’re selling them dashboards, kpis and cash flow forecasting without explaining why that’s important and what that’s going to do for them. “clients are looking for an advisor who’s going to listen to me, understand my hopes, my fears, my vision, what the challenges are, and be able to be there to support me,” damery said.

more: erik solbakken: yes, you can work less and make more | donny shimamoto: future firm growth requires a mindshiftjennifer wilson: empower young workers to build the firm everyone lovesmike whitmire: re-think your hiring and training practiceshector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be freeprivate equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  | accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinsonwhen financial statements go extinct with corey schmidtcan geraldine carter save accountants from themselves?re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

“our clients don’t understand numbers, yet we give them plans with the numbers, and … it doesn’t help,” he said. instead, damery said cpas need to help them understand what they need to do “to make a difference and move their business forward. and that’s not about giving them the answers. that’s about asking the right questions.”

read more →

seven ways to market your cas offering

//www.g005e.com/2016/06/11/adopt-a-marketing-mindset/plus a tip for referrals.

by hitendra patil
client accounting services: the definitive success guide

we asked about sales and marketing methods as part of the accounting profession’s largest cas survey. among firms offering client accounting services, the chief means for gaining new cas business is “proactively seeking referrals” and the firm’s “website,” each at 48 percent. networking at local/regional/national events follows at 35 percent.

more: 12 cas profitability killers | how to set your firm’s cas pricing | craft an engagement letter for cas success | six ways that cas processes are different | how the pandemic changed firm mindsets | the tech stack you need for cas | finding profits in cas | cas is an upgrade pitch
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the other marketing methods deployed by cas firms are:

  • networking at local / regional / national events: 35%
  • search engine optimization: 14%
  • influencer or social media marketing: 11%
  • content marketing and thought leadership: 10%
  • paid advertising in local, regional, national or internet media: 9%
  • we’ve assigned it to a specific person or team: 8%
  • webinars, events or podcasts: 6%
  • outbound telemarketing and emails: 5%

read more →

eight criteria for partnership

old key in hand isolated on white background.bonus: a basic partner evaluation form.

by august j. aquila
what makes a great partnership

one major result of the great recession is that firms can no longer afford to keep partners who are unable to pay their own way and help the firm grow. i say this because firms have already cut staff to maintain their level of profitability and there is no additional fat to cut. competition and fee pressure from larger firms in every market continues to put a squeeze on profits. in addition, employment opportunities are surfacing again for the employees in your firms.

more: how to achieve partner unity | five questions to ask your partners about accountability | how you can get partners to change | the seven building blocks of a great partnership
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

there is only one area left that should be considered for possible cuts, or better yet, for improvements – the partners. as a professional services firm, you are a business. and like any other business, you need to be profitable in order to continue to exist.
read more →

commit to change

post with two signs, "same" and "change"be sure to document every stage.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

before you consider adopting the cloud or any of the “new firm” mindset, you have to ask yourself if you are willing to be the change.

once you decide, first thing, first. own it! you have to commit. if you teeter it will be harder. jump in feet first and feel the shock of the cold water.

more: your client base is global | ready for change, so now what?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i’m not saying it won’t work if you wade in, i’m just saying it’ll be more of a challenge. when you change all your processes, it’s a lot of hard work but part of what will get you there is commitment. if you are seriously considering uprooting your firm’s foundation, you need to ask the following questions:
read more →

seventeen basic expectations of partners

serious-looking businessman in front of empty conference roomdevelop staff, develop business, develop yourself.

by marc rosenberg
how to bring in new partners

the following apocryphal vignette plays out at partner retreats on a regular basis: the partners brainstorm what is expected of partners at their firm. they have a spirited, productive discussion that results in a dozen items written on a flipchart.

more: the four essentials for every new partner | five people to keep out of partnership | nine ways to woo a prospective partner | tell potential partners what it takesgoprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

all of a sudden, one of the partners yells, “oh, no!” the startled partners ask him what’s wrong. he points at the flipchart: “none of us qualify!”

there is not one firm whose policy on what a partner is reads exactly like the list below. this is a collection of what i have seen at many great firms i have had the pleasure of working with.
read more →

tax: the procedural checklists your firm needs

best practices for individual and business returns.

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

ask a preparer who submits returns with errors, “is this the best you can do?”

better yet, have the reviewer ask the question before accepting the return for review.

more: don’t use eyes, use brain | stop tax return review shortcuts | routine is key to reviewing tax returns | seven types of tax return reviews
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

ask yourself this question after you hear that a return was submitted for review that needed extensive corrections: “why am i letting the future of my firm depend on people who keep making errors on tax returns?”

comment: the future of your firm means your future wealth and your eventual financial security.

question for you: why do you put up with the pattern of continuous errors on tax returns?
read more →

would you make yourself a partner?

young businessman standing on edge of rock mountain and looking acrossfive questions for self-evaluation.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

when challenges come our way, regardless of what shape or form they arrive in, our world seems to lose a bit of brightness, there’s a little knot in the gut and a sense of peace broken.

more: four biz dev tasks to start the new year | good enough is not enough | consistency is key to business development | comfort vs. complacency | how are you showing your commitment? | five questions about your network | seven things that good advisors skip
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the question is, if we were watching our own responses to these trials, would we appoint ourselves as the next partner of the firm?
read more →

easy ways to avoid ‘done but’ tax returns

meeting of six peoplechange mentality and ask better questions to eliminate bottlenecking.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

a project hung up in process is one where there is a disagreement between people involved in a project as to the status. for example, a client thinks he has answered your tax return questions, while you believe he has not. another example is when a tax return preparer believes a return is ready for review while the reviewer does not believe it’s ready.

more: six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm | do you know your turnaround time? | tax season client meetings: kill them now | leadership growth is a two-way street | 12 subjective factors for pricing your next engagement | the six pillars for finance transformation | three strategies to keep emerging leaders engaged
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the result of a hung-up project is a dead project – one that’s not moving to completion.
read more →