today's features
outlook & analysis

how to build a marketing plan on an excel spreadsheet

7 key elements.

by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

it’s quite common for accounting firms (even the regionals) to have no marketing plan in place. the marketing plan might very well be, “get as many referrals as we can.” or it might be a number for each partner (which is not a marketing plan). or it might be, “if it’s not busy season, i’ll go to my business networking international group.” none of these are plans. they are individual marketing tasks and components. read more →

outlook & analysis

2014 roundtable: the baby boomers take control

2014 top trends logo vf
click for the full rosenberg map survey

as one generation ages out, a new one reshapes the future of the profession.

see the complete 2014 roundtable

by jennifer wilson
convergence coaching

analysis

without a doubt, succession issues permeate all aspects of the firms we’re encountering.

these include identifying and developing successors — especially rainmakers and practice leaders, ensuring that the buy/sell makes sense and can be sustained over time, determining retirement timing and issues, establishing and executing transition plans, communicating plans, recruiting new talent to backfill positions and exploring new ways to govern the firm to give more voice to those who will be taking over. succession implications are far-reaching and can be consuming. read more →

outlook & analysis

2014 roundtable: tax season tech boom

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click for the full rosenberg map survey

buying opportunity: firms trailing the tech curve will need to merge out – cheap.

see the complete 2014 roundtable

by roman kepczyk
xcentric

analysis

firms are getting optimistic again and gearing up for slow steady growth. we are seeing investments in many specific technologies (workflow, cloud, remote access, security, byod) and projects targeted for handling this growth.

kepczyk
kepczyk

outlook

i think cautionary investments will be the rule and we can expect to see major activity coming out of busy season for both investments in firm technology and processes, particularly cloud applications that are more secure, available from any internet-enabled device and less expensive. read more →

pro member exclusive

the five habits managers must master to make partner

by marc rosenberg
author of how to bring in new partners

how will the duties and responsibilities of a manager change when he or she becomes a partner in the firm?

unfortunately, this is one of the grayest areas in bringing in new partners. common sense must prevail. ideally, there should be a gradual transition for new partners from their last two to three years as a manager to the first few years as a partner. during their last few years as a manager, they should:

read more →

outlook & analysis

2014 roundtable: partners already checked out

2014 top trends logo vf
click for the full rosenberg map survey

passion. succession. growth.

see the complete 2014 roundtable

by august aquila
creating the effective partnership

analysis

the biggest issues that i am seeing revolve around partner engagement (commitment), succession issues and growth. the economy has been pretty much in a no-growth environment the last 12 months.

aquila
aquila

markets are becoming saturated by the national and super-regional firms. many secondary markets now have five or more of these players going after the same clients. the result is that this competition drives down fees and we are training clients to constantly go out for bids.

outlook

i personally don’t see a lot of change in the economy in the near future. succession, growth, commitment will continue to be major issues for a lot of small to mid-size firms.

read more →

outlook & analysis

2014 roundtable: replacing the rainmakers

2014 top trends logo vf
click for the full rosenberg map survey

next-gen leapfrogging. aggressive pricing. widening gaps.

see the complete 2014 roundtable

by jeff pawlow
the growth partnership

analysis

the demographic tsunami is upon us with firms finally being forced to face what the successor generation is going to look like. loyal technicians are next in terms of tenure, but i see many next-gen practitioners leapfrogging these long-term managers / non-equity partners and landing in key firm leadership roles instead.

pawlow
pawlow

opinions are mixed when it comes to the overall economic outlook. the recession may be falling behind us but main street doesn’t seem to have recovered as quickly or as deeply as in the past. as a result, we continue to see very aggressive pricing in the market, which is placing pressure on some long-held client relationships.

outlook

anecdotally, we see the business development and leadership development areas of our practice growing, which suggests a deeper level of engagement by most firms in these areas going forward into 2014. read more →

outlook & analysis

11 considerations in a partnership buy-sell agreement

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and a

by ed mendlowitz
“tax season opportunity guide“

question: i have an accounting practice with three partners. we do not have a partnership buy-sell agreement and feel we need one, but cannot agree on what should be in it. none of us want to give up any independence, be locked into something or have to start being more accountable. can you offer some suggestions?

response: first, 11 not-so-simple questions for you: read more →

outlook & analysis

3 steps to business clarity amid the sea change in accounting

by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

with 2014 upon us, it’s a good time to take stock of where we stand for the year, plus regroup as needed before the busy season begins. with so many changes in software, politics, tax laws and global standards, it’s pretty easy to feel a little disorganized.

here are three steps to help us take stock of our foundational business goals, re-evaluate our big picture and get us centered as we enter this new phase. read more →