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proper workflow demands consistency

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pixelated blue text "workflow" on binary code backgroundtools are only as good as their users.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

workflow. tasking. these two words are thrown around quite a bit and sometimes they are used interchangeably. so, let’s get this part defined a bit more.

more: top tech tools for building your new bos business | workflow tools can deepen client relationships | going viral: today’s top marketing strategies | top ten types of clients (and 24 more reader suggestions) | which kind of team do you have?
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workflow definition: noun, the sequence of industrial, administrative or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion

tasking definition: noun, a piece of work to be done or undertaken

verb, assign a piece of work to

workflow is always a noun and tasking can be either a noun or a verb. no wonder people get this confused.

a good friend and fellow quickbooks proadvisor, liz scott from accounting lifeline, does these great little workflows for her clients that work directly in their accounting application. she builds the workflows into dropdowns on the browsers. here is an example for making a deposit:
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three apps for ‘inbox zero’

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try these apps to simplify email communication and storage.

by beth ziesenis
app of the week

man writing in notebook at desk

the last business week in january is clean out your inbox week, and we have apps to help you.

more apps of the week:  make your computer a clean slate | recycle and repurpose old devices | enlist ai for more productive meetings | keep teams on task with project management apps | apps to put your affairs in order | app of the week: celebrate black business month | app of the week: cheap flights | help your clients save money | time to upgrade your spreadsheets | app of the week: secretly stash cash | easy apps for increasing client engagement with video | app of the week: grow your business knowledge and career skill sets | app of the week: upgrade your resume | app of the week: end procrastination | 
see all: apps of the week here |
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

an app that disguises email as chats? check.
an app that reads and organizes your email for you? check.
an app that is perfect for teams? check.

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what i wish clients knew about tax liens

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equity is key.

by eric l. green
tax rep network

“i know i can’t sell the property because the irs has a lien for $80,000 it filed two years ago and there is not enough equity, and i don’t have the money to pay them.”

more: tax: explaining the bad news about canceled debt to clients | offers in compromise aren’t for everyone
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ever heard this? we do, on almost a weekly basis. there is a lot to unpack there, but to cut to the chase:

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five ways to ward off fraud in not-for-profits

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reassure donors and regulators.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

again and again, stories appear in newspapers about abuse and misuse of funds in not-for-profit organizations. in many cases, these frauds have been schemes that have been going on for numerous years.

more: charity directors must take theft seriously | client hires new manager: you need a plan | anatomy of a fraud | how to explain internal controls to clients | organization minutes too often overlooked | the seven-minute financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the frauds are usually carried out by long-serving employees who earned reputation and trust that resulted in relaxation of controls or oversight. many times, this provides temptation and ample opportunity to commit and sustain fraudulent activity over long periods paired with a reduction in the “fear” of being caught!
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12 cas profitability killers

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figure out which clients make you less money and why.

by hitendra patil
client accounting services: the definitive success guide

we discussed that you need to explain the why of your client accounting services pricing. a price is a measurable number. “value” of each of your cas component also needs to be reasonably measurable for your clients and prospects to understand the why. this is easier said than done, and you need to keep rewriting the value statements, testing them and revising them.

more: how to set your firm’s cas pricing | the top cas pricing strategies | how to choose your cas processes | nine ways to measure client experience | twelve clues it’s time to outsource or offshore | yes, you have the staffing for cas | why firms shy away from cas
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the best way to define the measurable value of each of your cas components is to state it from the client’s perspective, i.e., which business decisions the client can make based on the information/insight/intelligence you provide in a given cas component, and under which circumstances. then state the measurable impact of such business decisions. e.g., “on an average, we help our clients reduce money stuck in inventory by 11 percent, which in many cases results in lower overdraft interest costs by about 1.3 percent annually.” without the numbers in your value statements, clients can feel you are pitching marketing fluff.
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how to achieve partner unity

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plus five ways that don’t work.

by august j. aquila
what makes a great partnership

i have worked with many firms in helping them build team unity, especially when the firm is undergoing a change in managing partner, merging or just trying to implement its strategic plan.

more: five questions to ask your partners about accountability | how you can get partners to change | the seven building blocks of a great partnership
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everyone knows that partner unity is one of the keys for overall success and sustainability. and, we know the benefits of having greater partner unity than the next firm – better client service, less employee turnover, superior profitability.
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the four essentials for every new partner

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group of four young professionalsbonus: a list of 28 core competencies. which matter to your firm?

by marc rosenberg
how to bring in new partners

we’ve all heard the names given to various generations of people over the past century. the lost generation. the greatest (wwii) generation. the silent generation. baby boomers. gen x. millennials. gen z. though i don’t know of any studies on this, i’m sure that every generation of cpa firm ownership has complained bitterly about the younger generation.

more: five people to keep out of partnership | nine ways to woo a prospective partner | tell potential partners what it takes
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baby boomers and gen xers love to complain that today’s staff don’t want to be partners. they cite this as a major reason why bringing in new partners is so difficult.
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now’s the time to clean up your email list

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sending emails from a laptopyou’ll engage more and spend less.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

hopefully, you are building a list of contacts who have given you permission to email them on a regular basis. this can be done via a newsletter opt-in, free report opt-in or simply a client list.

more: five kinds of small thinking | three questions for the new year | 13 reasons to master consumption marketing | when to talk about fees | take a moment for appreciation | beyond compliance: what more you can provide  | boost your cross-selling in two easy steps
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as time goes on, your list will get larger, and many contacts with email addresses you collected years ago may stop interacting with you. as your list grows, you may be charged more to maintain a larger list size. as people stop opening your emails, it can affect the deliverability of all of your emails.

these are the reasons why you should periodically clean your email list.

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don’t use eyes, use brain

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what do your clients deserve?

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

my partner peter weitsen frequently tells reviewers to “don’t use eyes, use brain.” i frequently repeat this. what does this expression mean?

more: stop tax return review shortcuts | the best way to review a tax return | three types of tax return reviews | routine is key to reviewing tax returns | why you can’t skip checklists | tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

this is a clarion call to focus on what you are working on and think about what you are supposed to be doing. the focus can be only a couple of minutes, but it has the potential to yield valuable planning ideas and maneuvers.
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clients don’t understand cas, but they know value

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hitendra patil cas q-and-a logo

your cas marketing itself should provide value, too.

by hitendra patil
client accounting services: the definitive success guide

q: we put in significant work to develop our firm’s cas offering. we know we can deliver great value through cas. we are proactively marketing our cas packages to our existing clients. but the response is lukewarm. how can we make our clients interested in our cas capabilities?

more cas: matching your tech to your cas clients | the tech stack you need for cas | yes, you have the staffing for cas | six steps to spreading cas awareness  | finding profits in cas |

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a: “client accounting services (cas)” are words accountants understand. but clients may not comprehend what cas is. unlike “accounting,” “bookkeeping,” and “tax,” “cas” is not in your clients’ everyday vocabulary. as a result, cas can feel like yet more accounting jargon to them. you must make cas both understood and valued.

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automate your thank-you letters

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tell clients, friends, and family to have an awesome, magnificent day.

by beth ziesenis
app of the week

man writing in notebook at desk

the second full week of january is universal letter writing week. you can celebrate that and build your vocabulary with these useful apps.

more apps of the week:  make your computer a clean slate | recycle and repurpose old devices | enlist ai for more productive meetings | keep teams on task with project management apps | apps to put your affairs in order | app of the week: celebrate black business month | app of the week: cheap flights | help your clients save money | time to upgrade your spreadsheets | app of the week: secretly stash cash | easy apps for increasing client engagement with video | app of the week: grow your business knowledge and career skill sets | app of the week: upgrade your resume | app of the week: end procrastination | 
see all: apps of the week here |
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

snail mail apps can help you reach out without lifting a pen or finding a stamp. plus, you can celebrate national thesaurus day on january 18 (thesaurus pioneer peter mark roget was born on jan. 18, 1779) using apps that allow you to visualize word connections.

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six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm

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your firm’s future depends on successfully engaging younger clients and younger staff. here’s how.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

do you know why millennials can’t buy houses? avocado toast is expensive. how many millennials does it take to change a light bulb? none. they accept it for what it is. buy me a craft beer and i’ll tell you a half-dozen more.

more: do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

now, here’s why you need millennials as clients and how they increase the efficiency of your firm.

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tips for getting clients started on bos

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bonus: two case studies.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

i love the question i get when i set up someone on back office support systems. “what do i need to have to get this started?”

more: top tech tools for building your new bos business | going viral: today’s top marketing strategies | top ten types of clients (and 24 more reader suggestions) | which kind of team do you have? | meet the new bos
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i tell them i need to know your name, address, phone number, ein/ssn and your passwords. except for the guy who closed his bank account and had to have the old statements mailed to him, i run with a chromebook and make sure there is accessible wi-fi when i go onsite. if i need to collect documents that have never been digitized, i just have them download dext and start snapping pics. no paper, no pen, no mess and typically a stunned prospect who wants to become a client. see, i can’t sell, so i let the technology do the selling for me.
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