succession planning: what’s your excuse?

are you scaring away the next generation of owners?

via accountingtoday

you know it’s important. so why do only 35 percent of multi-owner firms and 9 percent of sole proprietors have written succession plans in place?

robert fligel

“most firms don’t have any plan,” robert fligel, president of rf resources tells accounting today. “even to do a memo would be a major accomplishment… it’s human nature; we don’t want to deal with mortality because it’s a very daunting thing. but there’s a fantastic sense of relief when you do these things. and you should think about your clients – you don’t want to leave them in a lurch.”

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10 ways to recruit & retain the best talent

steve erickson
steve erickson

rule 1: deliver a consistent message.

cpa and consultant steve erickson offers 10 tips to help firms in hiring and retention:

  1. increase focus and efforts. make recruiting a year-round focus, engaging both
    partners and employees in the process.
  2. build an employee referral network. use it to find employees and offer your expertise to other accountants while spreading the word about the profession through speaking and writing engagements. focus on reciprocity–make referrals for other firms and don’t burn bridges. read more →

10 global mega-trends for this year’s partner retreat

as busy season ebbs into memory and accounting firms start looking toward the future, top managers will be confronting a host of difficult issues.

by rick telberg

many of the most pressing issues are close to home — winning a few more big clients, nurturing succession, finding adequate capital to reinvest in the business. some other issues, however, may seem more abstract. they are, to be sure, no less real.

a host of global trends are conspiring to make this year’s retreat season just that much more complicated for accounting firm leaders.

here are 10 top global trends that are rushing headlong toward the american accounting firm industry: read more →