fees and business lines of course, but what about an operations person?
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
the aicpa’s national management of an accounting practice (map) survey took a good look at a lot of data – revenues and profits, staff turnover and professional salaries, services and fees.
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and then, toward the end, it says, “but all the data in the universe won’t do you any good if you don’t do something with it.”
it then calls on cpa firms to evolve if they want to survive and thrive through seismic shifts in technology and marketing.
that said, the survey offers specific advice.
seven action steps
the survey lays out seven steps a firm can take before the shifts hit the fan. choose one or two of those steps, it says, and “you realize how interwoven the areas truly are.”
example: moving away from hourly billing to value billing can not only improve margins but have a huge impact on taking the steps needed to right-size a firm, which in turn affects a firm’s culture, which in turn affects retention.
so here are the seven steps:
- continue to focus on fees. net fees and rates per position have increased, but there is still room for more revenue.
- continue to evaluate compensation. starting salaries need to improve to be competitive with other careers. the 2022 rise of 12 percent was not enough.
- address billable hours across the board. average chargeable hours are decreasing, but rates for professionals are rising. integrating new tech will further suppress hours, so rates need to keep rising, and hours might not be the best way to charge them.
- shift from hourly billing to value billing. hourly billing still prevails, but value pricing is rising. value pricing becomes more crucial as technology speeds up tasks. getting a given task done more quickly shouldn’t mean lower revenue.
- evaluate new lines of business. new service offerings can lead to updated billing, more evenly spread cash flow, and easier busy season hours.
- seek alternate solutions to talent shortage. options include outsourcing, offshoring, right-sizing client bases and assigning non-cpas to client-facing roles.
- utilize “focused” operations staff positions to improve your bottom line. top-performing firms have more operations staff than the mediocre firm. personnel dedicated to recruitment, retention or project management may increase costs, but they also boost the bottom line.
so take one or two steps and see if they add up to seven.