today's features

2024 outlook: ‘specialization is the future’

man holding pen touching the word "specialization" floating in air with symbols

audit troubles meet staffing shortages; uh-oh.

by carrie steffen
the rosenberg map survey

editor’s note: every year, the rosenberg map survey asks the industry’s top consultants to share their observations from cpa firms across the country. how do you think the next 12 months will unfold? also, how would you assess the last 12 months?

there are a couple of interesting stories on the horizon. first is the public company accounting oversight board’s crackdown on audit deficiencies and how that will play out vs. a push to ease some of the requirements to become a cpa.

more: remote work will see cuts; pe will trickle down | three ways firms can succeed in 2024 | new energy comes from new ways of doing business | ai for accounting automation will be significant | a 40-hour workweek is feasible | it’s time for a new business model
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with a perception of the quality of audits declining and the number of cpa candidates dropping, how will the profession reconcile the pressure to improve quality with fewer people to do the work and the proposed solution of lowering the threshold to become a cpa?
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accountants cozy up to clients with cas

bar chartsurvey respondents tell us what their clients want from cas that they don’t get from other services.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

accountants are using client accounting services (cas) to get closer to their clients, according to early results from the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 outlook 2024: emerging issues, opportunities and trends survey.

more: accountants torn over 2024 economy, offer advice | accountants bullish on income | cpas culling clients for better work-life balance | are you offering the right services? | which niche’s the best niche? | 42% of accountants turn away work over staff shortages
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the survey doesn’t exactly ask about cas leading to a closer relationship with clients, but responses to various questions indicate just such a result.
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best practices for source doc permissions and handling

woman wearing glasses typing on laptop in front of wall of windows

four steps to asserting control.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

permissions are key. in our company only three people have a connection to their local c drive from our managed server. also, we can track who is logged in, from where, how long and what they accessed.

more: sixteen guidelines for naming conventions | revisit your back office support procedures | federated search: what it is, why it matters | accounting tech tools to minimize your pain | do your apps play well with others? | it’s ok to have favorite clients
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

if documents are in our cloud storage, the permissions to download them can be turned off. viewing is done from within the document storage app. nothing is perfect. they can still take a screenshot but we attempt to keep things as closed as possible while still allowing for work and efficiency.
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two steps toward mastering selling

two women shaking hands across a table

it’s a new skill. you have to practice.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

if winning new clients is simply a matter of being yourself, why is selling so difficult for accountants? well, it’s a combination of several factors, but there are two main reasons.

more: rate your personal purpose | nine checkpoints before every prospect meeting | three questions about conversion | six keys to turning prospects into clients | don’t overlook internal communication | why firm culture matters for partners | competence is step one of seven
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

first, accountants have not traditionally been required to sell. maybe your practice has grown by referral – business has come to you and you haven’t had to do much to win that business. unfortunately, however, business doesn’t always walk through the door; you don’t know how often it will, or what caliber it will be when it does.
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is your client’s wealth truly protected?

man holding umbrella while standing in stormy ocean

many policies are too small. here’s another option.

by anthony glomski

no matter where your client grew up or how they accumulated their wealth, they can be a target for a host of unscrupulous people. many affluent investors, including entrepreneurs, are worried about keeping their assets safe from potential creditors, litigants, children’s spouses, ex-spouses, and disgruntled former employees and partners. they also want to protect their assets from catastrophic losses that could cripple them financially. as a cpa, you have an important role here.

more: eight questions for estate planning | check tax effects before liquifying | why you should function as a fiduciary | your entrepreneurs need advice, but which kind? | how to implement collaborative wealth management
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

wealth protection involves strategies you can use to ensure that your wealth is not unjustly taken from you by potential creditors, litigants, ex-spouses and children’s spouses. wealth protection is also designed to protect you against catastrophic loss. identity theft is another emerging threat to wealth protection that should be addressed carefully with your clients.
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