new research shows opportunities to boost revenues by up to 31%.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
as cpas know better than anyone, these are turbulent times. whatever the situation was, it just changed. cpas know because they are at the center of it all — the calm, analytic eye at the center of hurricane upheaval.
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so consider for a moment the desperation of the businesses that are or could be your clients. they are suffering:
- the financial and logistical onslaught of the pandemic,
- the ever-evolving rules on taxation,
- the constant change in compliance,
- the lack of time for issues not within their core business (accounting, for example),
- the problems and insecurities of their own clients and customers, and
- concerns about the future.
in other words, clients have more important things to do than keep track of financial matters.
and they’re willing to pay for the freedom to stick to their core business.
the trick…
a new study issued by the aicpa’s cpa.com finds that clients are willing to pay more for more services. among small businesses, the study finds potential for a 31 percent growth in revenue to accounting firms. among mid-size businesses, the potential is 11 percent.
the trick, then, is to identify what additional services clients are willing to pay for.
after interviews with 650 business leaders, the study finds:
- 19 percent want help with planning for growth and expansion.
- 18.6 percent want expert financial insights.
- 18.2 percent want help with cash flow and minimizing overhead costs.
- 17.4 percent want cpas to help them comply with laws and regulations.
- 17.4 percent want relief from the burden of accounting/finance matters.
- 16.6 percent want advice on maximizing profit margins.
- 14.6 percent want their accounting firm to help maintain quality and efficiency.
- 12.2 percent says their firm could help attract and retain top talent.
- 12.2 percent see the possibility of help with technology.
of all the above, only 10.5 percent thought they were paying too much for accounting services. more than twice that many are willing to pay more for more service.
in other words, the untapped business — the potential revenue — is huge… but not in traditional tax, accounting, and bookkeeping services.
here’s an inexplicable paradox from the study: while 64 percent of accounting firms say they conduct assessments of client needs and offer tailored recommendations for new services, only 40 percent of clients say their accounting firms have made such an assessment.
in other words:
- there’s a lot of potential business out there, and
- too many accounting firms aren’t looking for it.
the survey also asks what services currently offered by accounting firms are most highly valued.
- accounts payable ranked most valuable and is offered by 33 percent of firms.
- data analytics and tech services rank second but are offered by only 14 percent of firms.
- forensic accounting ranks third but is offered by only eight percent.
these turbulent times are times of opportunity. the more difficult the challenges for businesses, the more they need the kind of help that only accounting firms can provide. the trick is to assess, to identify, and to offer. now is the time.