u.s. leads big four’s global growth
revenues are rising almost twice as fast for the the big four in the u.s. as in the rest of the world, according to a new study. read more →
today's features
six great online places to find talent
by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator
when you need to expand your team, the good news is there are many options available today:
- full time vs. part-time
- your location or theirs
- contract or employee
- permanent or temporary
- project-specific or recurring
- and many more options
thousands of people are looking for work, and thousands more are looking for small tasks that they can do on the side. to find the perfect person for you, here’s a list of sites that help match you to the perfect person for your task, project or job. read more →
the 15 rules for partner teamwork
no lone rangers, no prima donnas.
how healthy is your firm’s partnership? 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 contributor marc rosenberg, cpa, has been asking that question for 20 years at more than 700 firms by now. he has a few ideas. in fact, he has a checklist of 15 items by which to measure the strength and sustainability of any accounting practice. how well does yours measure up?
the tried-and-true rules for successful partner teamwork
1. partners agree on a common vision, goals and a set of firm practices, which are followed by all partners, even if each partner doesn’t agree 100%.
2. key firm personnel are viewed as team players, particularly in servicing clients. clients are viewed as clients of the firm, not the individual.
3. people rarely go on sales calls alone.
read more →
thank you, accountingtoday
rick telberg, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 president / ceo, named among the top 100 most influential people in the profession
thank you for the honor!
and congratulations to the friends and contributors to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间, including:
august aquila; erik asgeirsson; ron baker; jon baron; chandra bhansali; jason blumer; gary boomer; jim boomer; jim bourke; jean marie caragher; david cieslak; tom hood; pascal houillon; randy johnston; rita keller; roman kepczyck; allan koltin; mark koziel; greg kyte; rene lacerte; taylor macdonald; teresa mackintosh; barry melancon; james metzler; jay nisberg; jody padar; marc rosenberg; donny shimamoto; sandi smith leyva; joel sinkin; doug sleeter; jennifer warawa; sandra wiley; and jennifer wilson.
altogether, they make up about a third of the top 100 and we’re privileged to have them as collaborators and colleagues.
the weekly research update: today’s best job advice
from this week’s research update. see the complete newsletter here
i’m looking over the responses to our new cpa careers survey. and one from a veteran senior finance manager at a fortune 1000 company stands out for its practicality and wisdom. his advice begins…
1. if you aren’t a cpa already, make it a goal.
2. if you need hours, apply to every accounting firm that you could drive to or are willing to move close to.
3. apply beginning in mid-april, after busy season, when accounting firms clean house.
p.s.: who’s hiring today? join the cpa careers survey; get the results.
the irs and big data gone bad
bookkeeping data is notoriously unreliable. so why is the irs relying on it?
get the instant download:
the 10-minute bookkeeping test
by frank stitely
sk cpas
“please give me a copy of your 1099-misc forms.”
the irs agent was a 25-year-old woman, with only a couple of years of experience dealing with my client.
my client was the “how-dare-you-question-me?-i’m-a-taxpayin’,-god fearin’-american” type of client – one of those guys who think the marlboro man is a wimp.
but he had a tax problem. he was being audited and he had thrown out all of his paper records when he moved his office.
missing 1099-misc
he didn’t have copies of his 1099-misc forms. so he had his bookkeeper reprint them from quickbooks. i gave them to the irs agent.
“mr. stitely, these 1099 forms don’t match what we have in our records.” read more →
sleeter: inside the mind of the client
a beautiful time to be an accountant focusing on technology for small business.
peering into the mind of the small business client, doug sleeter, head of the the sleeter group, sees some real concerns.
“if you’re a business owner today,” says sleeter. “the pressure to go online” is overwhelming. clients know “if you’re going to succeed in business you’re going to be doing things online.”
so, “accountants are being pulled online by their clients,” he says. many clients need to begin selling online to remain competitive, even if they still have a thriving on-premise business. it’s not optional anymore.
the good news is “they need the help of the accounting professional,” sleeter says. “so this a beautiful time to be that accounting professional focussing on technology.”
to see how accountants are rising to the challenge, join 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 at the sleeter group accounting solutions conference, nov. 3-6 in las vegas. save $100 at registration with code rtasc100.
more from doug sleeter on new opportunities and imperatives in technology for accountants:
cpas salute the people who shaped their lives
today’s best career advice: join the survey; get the answers.
- what’s your mentoring story?
by rick telberg
at 20 years old, the world was a blank canvas with vast opportunities for sal inserra. he thought he knew exactly what he wanted in life.
“until,” he once told me, “i was set straight.”
like many cpas, sal owes much of his career and success to a few key mentors who guided him early on.
today — as the kids head back to school and college, and as the rest of us wind up our summers and look ahead to the fall — it may be a good time to salute the mentors who help steward a great profession to the next generation. read more →
leveraging leadership: a new way of looking at growth
leader-driven growth. not just a bunch of rainmakers.
by gale crosley
crosleycompany.com
i see it all the time. well-intentioned accounting firms do what they believe are the right things. they sponsor events. they publish articles. they meet and greet. but they don’t grow.
more on growth strategies for multi-partner firms: are you creating a sustainable firm? | don’t confuse marketing with a true growth strategy | overcoming four imaginary barriers that limit cpa firm growth | how firms unleash the power of diamonds, cash cows and fat cats | how smart firms use market research |
at most firms growth is an individual contributor activity. lone ranger partners do their own thing, attracting clients here and there and offering services they believe clients need. but despite the efforts of individual partners, there’s little solid growth to show for the effort.
that’s when they call. “gale, we need your help! market conditions aren’t great and we’re getting hammered with competitive pricing. we have to increase our marketing so we can grow!”
whoa cowboy, sit back in that saddle and let’s talk a while. read more →
18 pieces of today’s best job advice
get certified. apply early and often. join the survey; get the results.
by rick telberg
i’m looking over the early responses to our new cpa careers survey and one stands out for its practicality and wisdom. this from a veteran senior finance manager at a fortune 1000 company is, i think, 18 pieces of the best advice i’ve ever heard.
1. for the accountant who is not a cpa yet: if you’re not a cpa already, make it a goal.
2. if you need hours, apply to every accounting firm that you could drive to or are willing to move close to.
3. apply beginning in mid-april, after busy season, when accounting firms clean house. read more →
client satisfaction starts with ‘likeability’
the science behind happy customers.
by hitendra patil
pransform inc.
in “the 9 building blocks of a winning vision that the big four have discovered,” august j. aquila and robert j. lees brought out the common vision elements of big four firms. and one of them is “put the best people at our clients’ disposal.”
it’s not common sense! it’s actually human behavioral science. you will be surprised to know how this works at a much deeper level than you think.
read more →
even accountants get the blues
that’s when you need an “appreciation room.”
by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator
most of the time, being an entrepreneur is a delight, an honor and a great way of life. every once awhile, there can be those days where you just need a little moral support for one reason or another.
that’s when it’s useful to create an appreciation room (or even a corner or shelf). right now i have an appreciation cabinet in my home office and an appreciation shelf in my business office.
an appreciation collection can consist of seven items: read more →
10-point checklist for bringing in a new partner
the steps to take today to exit gracefully in the future.
by mark rosenberg
how to bring in new partners
succession planning has hit cpa firms hard. as baby boomer partners approach retirement age, they naturally are focusing on who can take their place and eventually write their retirement checks.
there are two primary exit strategies for partners: 1) sell or merge out of existence. or 2) stay independent, retire and get bought out by younger partners who write the partners’ retirement checks with smiles on their faces.
the vast majority prefers method no. 2, but unfortunately, this option is not available to many partners and firms. for various reasons, these firms have not developed new partners to take their place.
here is a 10-point checklist for what firms need to do to bring in a new partner: read more →