strategy

no alignment? no execution.

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seven steps to getting things done right.

august aquila
august aquila

strategy, they say, is easy. execution is hard.

excellent execution beats excellent strategy most of the time. unfortunately, at many accounting frims, good strategies die a slow death as intertia, obstinacy or simple disinterest take hold.

the roadmap to success may seem easy to follow. but, as management consultant august aquila says, “it takes real commitment from the firm’s leaders to do it and follow through.”

aquila is ceo of aquila global advisors, specializing in succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, and compensation plan consulting. here’s his seven-step formula for translating good intentions into real results. read more →

the six-step roadmap for cpa change agents

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nick keseric
nick keseric

… and the nine keys to successful change.

by nick keseric
www.mpscpa.com 

there are some pretty tough jobs out there. sword swallower. repairman at a nuclear plant. dentist for alligators. but being a change agent could top the list.

when you mention change agent, the term “cultural change” is usually close behind. change agents change the way things are being done on two fronts:

1. structurally/organizationally within a business and

2. change employee’s thinking, and how they do things.

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larry autry, wp: looking to acquire a practice group

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strategy 2012: succession solutions

what are your critical challenges for 2012, and what can do you about them? a number of the profession’s leading lights have been sharing their thoughts with accounting today. here’s one:

larry g. autrey
whitley penn

the aging of partner ranks. older partners want to continue when they’re in good health, while younger staff sees that as preventing their career progression.

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new year’s resolutions for and by accountants

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‘tis the time to be thinking and planning for the new year.

so, naturally, we’re all making new year’s resolutions. here are a few from 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 members.

add your resolutions in comments at the bottom, or join the survey and get the results.

  • 90 day performance plans with all staff.
  • increase fees for tax prep
  • provide better information to top management so it better understands cost structures and can react accordingly. read more →

charles postal, sp&co.: investing in people and mergers

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strategy 2012: battling for market share

what are your critical challenges for 2012, and what can do you about them? a number of the profession’s leading lights have been sharing their thoughts with accounting today. here’s one:

charles postal
santos postal & co.

we see a shrinking market share of small and medium-sized businesses with the need for premium accounting services caused by increased competition from larger firms with greater resources.

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bill hagaman, withum: metrics for partners

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strategy 2012: talent, pricing, accountability

what are your critical challenges for 2012, and what can do you about them? a number of the profession’s leading lights have been sharing their thoughts with accounting today. here’s one:

bill hagaman
withumsmith+brown

we see the top challenges as retaining talent, pricing and partner accountability. we’ve worked hard at creating a culture that our professionals want to work in.

read all the 2012 strategies:

this starts with our philosophy that no jerks are allowed at any level and while we will work with partners and staff to mentor them regarding the proper behavior in the office we will not tolerate any unprofessional conduct toward our staff. read more →

benchmark 1040 fee flattens out at $233

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rates up only $4 in two years for “main street” firms.

most tax professionals will be charging an average of $233 for a typical itemized return this year, relatively unchanged since the beginning of the recession, according to a new survey of national society of accountants members.

the new $233 benchmark represents barely a $4 increase in the two years since the last biennial survey, when accountants posted a 10% advance from the 2007 poll, which followed a scant 2% gain from $201 in 2005.

the survey of nearly 8,000 tax preparers by the nsa found that the average fee for preparing an itemized form 1040 with a schedule a and a state tax return cost taxpayers only $233 this year. rates for non-itemized returns are also largely unchanged at $128 for a form 1040 and state return without itemized deductions.

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what do you mean they’re not my clients?

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no, you don’t own your clients.

by jason m. blumer, cpa/citp
founder, thriveal +cpa network
chief innovation officer, blumer & associates cpas

jason m. blumer
jason m. blumer

i’m learning a lot these days. for instance, i’ve learned the value of where my real assets are found.

an australian colleague said he doesn’t call his clients “his” anymore.  that is, he has realized something that many of us in the business are slow to accept – your clients are not your property and you do not own them.  ouch.

why do i believe this?

before we hit some practical aspects to this truth, let me discuss the deeper reasons for this new belief.  with the accountancy revolution, i’m seeing that clients, or customers as i like to call them, have the freedom to make their own choices for their service providers. and i now believe this deeply.

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