today's features

three critical factors drive the value pricing trend

embrace the value pricing perfect storm.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

ron baker is known as the value pricing guru in the accounting space. he was way before his time in separating the price of labor from the value of a product. labor-based pricing is based on the difficulty of doing a task. value pricing looks at everything from the client’s viewpoint. his argument is as follows: the value you provide your customer, regardless of the deliverable, is worth way more than the hour.

more: accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
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while value pricing isn’t new, automation has driven it to the forefront. automation gives cpas up to 90 percent more time to provide valuable services based on their expertise, knowledge base and experience.

although it was clear the cloud was going to have a disruptive impact on our business model, ron baker would always explain: it’s not the technology that’s going to make value pricing the way to go, the value’s always been there.

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tax pros gain ground, and diyers maintain lead

data table

refunds are up over 4 percent.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

with about a month left in the 2024 tax season, the individual income tax returns keep pouring in, and the internal revenue service keeps grinding them out.

the irs had received 62.8 million returns, down 1.1 percent from the previous year, as of march 8, the latest data available. it had processed 61.9 million returns, down 2.1 percent.

more: tax pros handle 46.4% of e-filing | tax refunds, tax pro market share trending up | refunds up as tax pros tackle 41.5% of e-filings | tax pros handle 37.7% of e-filings | tax pros file 33% of early returns
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e-filings

electronic filings totaled 61.2 million, down 0.9 percent.
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revenue up at 59% of accounting firms … and more good news

financial graph on blackboard

technology is key for competitive advantage.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the 2024 accounting industry report from wolters kluwer cuts through a lot of the underbrush of sentiments and anecdotal evidence about the state of the accounting business today. backed by statistical data, the report presents a some significant truths about the state of the industry.

more: compensation’s up, but up enough to retain staff? | are accountants charging too little? | revenue growth is top priority for small firms | is the cpa business model the clog in the pipeline? | accountants cozy up to clients with cas | survey: cpas culling clients for better work-life balance | women-owned businesses upbeat but need help | accountants to the rescue as startups struggle | looking for recent grads? good luck | what the corporate transparency act means for accountants | understanding the full cost of a data breach | why the u.s. must act now to protect our online privacy
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and the general state is good. most firms are growing, profitability is up, new services are surging, and serious practices are making efforts to improve the quality of client experience.

here are some of the most notable facts.
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even with value pricing, time tracking matters and here’s why

higher productivity equals higher capacity, which drives faster turnaround times. faster turnaround times create happier clients. 

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

employee productivity plays a huge factor in managing wip (work in progress). because capacity is the denominator in the lean six sigma equation, and employee productivity is a big factor in capacity, employee productivity becomes a big factor in determining turnaround time.

more: end tax season meetings with clients…seriouslyget clients to understand firm processes … or say goodbye | train now before it costs you down the road | keep clients from “balance due” shock | it’s ok to say no to clients (even the large ones) | you train your clients, whether you mean to or not | business owners face one of three exits | how small firms can win the talent wars | do you know your turnaround time?
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first, let’s dismiss all the consultants from the room who tell us that time tracking and productivity metrics don’t matter. mostly, these consultants have never managed or owned cpa firms. rarely have they worked in firms for any length of time. they have never known the struggles of meeting payroll during the first pay period in february when employee hours are up, but the tax season money is not rolling in yet. goodbye. don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out, or do let it hit you. that’s up to you. i hope it’s a heavy door.

here’s an example that shows why time tracking and productivity metrics matter:

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breakthrough implant uses excess blood sugar to generate electricity

a medical breakthrough in one area could translate into ground-breaking solutions in others.

by rick richardson
technology this week

scientists at the department of biosystems science and engineering at eth zurich in basel have created a unique implantable fuel cell. it produces electrical energy by utilizing extra blood sugar, or glucose, from tissue.

more: one state is now america’s clean energy paradise | microsoft moves further into nuclear development with new director | nuclear battery could keep your future phone running for 50 years | mit tests new ingestible vital signs sensor | major websites blocking content from ai crawlers | electronic skin that can sense touch will transform robotics | four of today’s new technologies that will be tomorrow’s ‘norm’
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this achievement could usher in a new era of self-powered implantable medical devices and help people with type 1 diabetes and other chronic ailments that need constant monitoring and care.

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compensation’s up, but up enough to retain staff?

young woman seated at laptop counting money

people are leaving the profession. more money is one solution.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the aicpa’s 2023 national management of an accounting practice (map) survey came up with an odd statistic. kind of hard to believe until you get the context.

the finding: the median employee turnover rate across all cpa firms is … 0 percent.

yes, that’s a zero.

more: are accountants charging too little? | chatgpt for the reluctant accountant | survey shows challenges, priorities shifting | can big data spot financial fraud? | accountants torn over 2024 economy, offer advice | survey: are you offering the right services? | survey: 42% of accountants turn away work over staff shortages | talent gap widening: be very scared | cpa biz is booming, but for how long? | the 7 categories of cybersecurity solutions firms need
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but wait. a median, as they say, is only half the story.

the bigger story – the broader context – is that more than half the responding practices had zero turnover, so the median fell at zero percent. but that goose egg doesn’t reflect the reality of firms at the other side of the spectrum.
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lack of relevance drives audit commoditization

premium service providers collect premium fees.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

we are all willing to pay more for something that has been custom-created just for us or when we see that the service provider has gone above and beyond to deliver additional value for us. but without relevance, there is little chance that your clients will see any additional value in the audit. for the client, the only reason to get an audit is to meet a regulatory or banking requirement.

more: five crucial attributes for successful audit leadership | traditional audits don’t deserve premium billing | put the ethics code to work for your clients and your firm | turning audit & accounting into assurance & advisory | is audit in crisis because of definitions? | stop sending the wrong message to audit teams | closing the audit expectations gap
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as a profession, our actions have contributed to commoditization, but every cpa firm i talk to complains about how audit is becoming commoditized. when someone complains to me about commoditization, the first thing i ask is, what do you do when you’re under a little fee pressure from your client? oh, lower my fee. so, why are you lowering your fee? because quite often, whether you’re thinking about it or not, you probably haven’t delivered anything more than 24 pages with an audit report on it.

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why exceptional service matters

server holding carafe of water points at menu item; two women seated at restaurant table

and why it has to come from everyone.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

this time, i have a question for you. but i’ll start with a story.

last sunday evening my wife and i went into a reasonably upscale restaurant and we had terrible service from everyone we interacted with.

more: courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | how to start providing family office services | every accounting firm needs quality control | no one listens to you? change how you talk | 47 types of business valuation to provide | thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice | uncooperative partner might not be the problem
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when we were seated, the table wobbled and we asked if they could do something or move us to another table. ten minutes later someone showed up with a wad of napkins that made it worse. five minutes later they asked if we were okay, and put us at another table. ten minutes after that they took our order, but we asked for some drinks right away, which we only got after we complained to the manager.
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tax practitioners say happy days are here … again

bar chart
seventy percent report as good or better year than last year.

 

for most, anyway.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the first results of the 2024 busy season barometer: emerging issues, opportunities, and trends are in, and so far, halfway into the tax season, accountants and tax practitioners are reporting another pretty good year.

that’s two in a row!

more: the irs is coming! get your clients into compliance | end tax season meetings with clients … seriously | brandon hall: firms try to make too much on tax prep | eight steps to getting started with ai: a guide for tax professionals | the nightmare of non-credentialed tax preparers | tax pros are expanding and earning more
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last year, 58 percent of survey respondents said their year was much better or somewhat better than 2022, which, as you may recall, had been a rather rotten year.

so when only 32 percent of this year’s contributors say this season is better than 2023, it doesn’t mean fewer are having a good year. it means almost a third are reporting a year better than a good year.
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got fomo when it comes to ai and chatgpt? you should: here’s what you’re missing

… not to mention $856 per week per employee in savings.

by sandi leyva

in the 10 months that i have been teaching chatgpt, i’ve noticed about a third of my webinar participants have set up a free account with openai’s chatgpt, where they have access to chatgpt version 3.5. another third have invested a whopping $20 per month for the paid version, and the remaining third don’t have an account at all. a tiny number of participants are lucky enough to have companies that have invested in the enterprise version of the software.

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and these are accounting and tax professionals who are eager to learn chatgpt. if you haven’t embraced the paid version of chatgpt (individual, teams or enterprise), it’s time to learn what you’re missing.

 

 

check out our courses on chatgpt,
offered as a deep discount bundle or separately.
webinar schedule:
more chaptgpt here

while the free version of chatgpt can generate answers to thousands of questions, it can’t:

read more →

ten questions to refine your successful marketing plan

stack of cards labeled with question marks

is the right message reaching the right audience?

by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services

the main reason most marketing programs don’t work is that not enough time is spent up front in the planning stage. marketing, like anything else, takes careful planning as well as execution. i’m going to propose 10 key questions that you need to answer before embarking on your next marketing program.

more: ‘sales’ is not a four-letter word | three pillars support a successful accounting firm | clients have six reasons for needing you | six ways to market your technology consulting practice | sixteen marketing activities to try | the four steps of your personal marketing process | how does your firm measure up? | six questions before asking for all the referrals you deserve | five rules for a marketing orientation | ten keys to marketing success
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  1. what one purpose do you want to accomplish? too often, accountants begin a marketing program without really knowing what they want to accomplish. sometimes there are so many things they want to do that it becomes unrealistic to achieve all of them. the result is confusion and dissatisfaction.

read more →

why accountants should be nice to journalists

woman interviewing man in front of full-wall city window

or else you’ll turn into a pumpkin – or something.

by bruce marcus
professional services marketing 3.0

editor’s note: 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 was privileged to have a long relationship with bruce w. marcus, who was ahead of his time in his thinking and practice in marketing for accounting. we are publishing some of the late expert’s evergreen work, which retains wisdom for the present.

your mother raised you to be nice to everyone, and you’ve always been taught to be nice to journalists. answer their questions. tell them everything. stop what you’re doing and cooperate. be polite.

that’s the conventional wisdom. you’ve even read that in the marcus letter. but are there ever times to tell the press to bug off, and leave you alone? maybe.

more: when there’s a leak in your firm | creating the perfect ad | how hard do you work to keep your clients? | when clients think they know marketing | how to put target marketing into context | everyone in your firm is marketing | accountants vs. lawyers: who wins the marketing battle? | professional services marketing requires flexibility | how to set marketing objectives | how marketing in accounting has evolved | accountants don’t sell soap.
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on the face of it, the media seems to have all the power. they speak to a lot more people than you do, and they do it with what the general public accepts, usually unquestioningly and with little reason, as objectivity.
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transformation talks: scharrell jackson: lead with diversity of thought

every smart leader knows to look for blind spots. 

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transformation talks
with donny shimamoto
center for accounting transformation

center for accounting transformation
center for accounting transformation

in the latest episode of transformation talks, renowned international speaker, leadership coach, and business consultant scharrell jackson emphasizes the pivotal role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (dei) in ensuring the sustainability of businesses across diverse industries. jackson delves into the profound benefits of dei, extending beyond business culture to impact recruiting and the overall bottom line.

more transformation talks: harper & co. cpas: the perspective of a non-accountant is imperativemenlo innovations: improve office culture by overhauling internal reviews | dustin wheeler: for serious cas success, hire tech teams | chase birky: overcoming paralysis by analysis |

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the discussion unveils a critical factor contributing to the failure of many organizations in implementing dei initiatives – the lack of a clear definition of success. according to jackson, organizations often struggle because they fail to articulate specific outcomes tied to business success. she advocates for a shift from merely increasing diversity percentages to a more focused approach, urging organizations to identify and commit to the desired outcomes.

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