making sure the son got proper credit

businessman holding word "success" and upward arrow in handsthe difference a graph can make.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i have a client who owns considerable real estate that her son manages. the son actually does a very good job maintaining the property, growing rents and keeping vacancies to a minimum.

more: yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | the 10 best movie accountants | when cpas leave to work for a client | when parents, children hit an impasse | wealth is a state of mind
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

my client’s husband was the builder and driving force behind this mini empire, but he passed on a few years ago. he was a dynamic self-made person who amassed quite a fortune and turned over daily operations to his son about 10 years before he died to spend considerable time golfing and traveling.
read more →

six ways to get paid faster

stamp paid - 3dit’s good for business and considerate to clients.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

accounting is a business and businesses need to be paid.

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

it’s harder to justify prices when providing services rather than products. products are usually priced before delivery while many times services are priced after delivery, i.e. performance.

many accountants price tax returns before they are worked on, usually basing the fee on last year, or a rate schedule. sending a bill with the return establishes the relationship that you should be paid promptly for the work done.

it shows that you run a business and also provides a courtesy to the client in that they can immediately evaluate the cost and value of what was done.

but just as importantly: read more →

when to avoid the appearance of assuming a responsibility

magnifying glass held over document with word "agreement" highlightedbottom line: are clients willing to pay for your services?

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

accountants are really nice people who look for ways to help and better serve clients.

more: yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | the 10 best movie accountants | when cpas leave to work for a client | when parents, children hit an impasse | wealth is a state of mind
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

sometimes we present the appearance that we are doing something or are assuming a responsibility that we are not, and this should be avoided.

here are some illustrations:

read more →

yes, shirt logos can matter

two businessmen shaking hands at meeting in officemarketing is the totality of your efforts to get additional business.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i like to wear shirts with my firm’s logo. we have an arrangement with land’s end where we can order what we want from their catalog and have the withum logo applied. it is a very easy process.

more: 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | family trees of clients | why accountants quit | when siblings battle over the family business | how bickering can ruin a family business | one hour a year since 1972 50 ways to make more money in busy season
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

when i had my own firm we let staff freely choose what they wanted from the land’s end catalog, and we ordered it for them. it shows pride in the firm, is a walking billboard advertising your firm, and presents an appearance of a “together” firm. it is a low-cost method of promoting your firm and strengthening your brand and culture. in instances in which clients asked for shirts, we willingly provided them. there are other vendors, including local suppliers, and this is not restricted to land’s end.
read more →

what is a “reasonable” number of work hours?

clock facesit depends. but you knew that.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: how many hours a year do you recommend staff working?

answer: it depends…

more: make today “day one” of your new business | why does all work take so long? | profit sharing for a staffer? | titles can make people happier | reasons to drop your book of business | are you marketing for 2022 yet?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the quick answer is: as many as reasonable.
read more →

10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting

midsection of businessman moving out with cardboard box from officebosses are part of the problem.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

as i have written about cpas who leave public accounting, there has been widespread interest. there is a lot more to say so i’ll address many of those questions.

more: family trees of clients | preparing for the worst (thanks to my wife) | the 10 best movie accountants | why accountants quit | why cpas should stay in public accounting | when cpas leave to work for a client | when siblings battle over the family business | readers rip: ‘she wanted her shoebox back’
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

general comment

generally speaking, many bosses do not listen to staff concerns. at many firms, there is a lack of serious mentoring and little help for staff people in managing their careers. in many practices, there is an appearance of a lack of growth, or if there is growth, then staff people are often left behind. in most instances, these problems are exacerbated by staff people not being clear about what they want. they are hesitant to speak up, share their concerns with their bosses or venture beyond their comfort zone. both are culpable, but i place greater blame on the bosses, who should know better.
read more →

make today “day one” of your new business

businessman stuck in pavementhow to get out of a rut.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: my practice seems to be in a rut.

more: why does all work take so long? | don’t like checklists? find a new job. | the secret recipe for staff retention | help! key staffer refuses to supervise people | get more done by saying no | don’t fire that staffer! | employee demands a raise she doesn’t deserve
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we are not growing, our services haven’t changed and our client turnover is almost nonexistent. any suggestions of what we can do?
read more →

why does all work take so long?

businesswoman with headache at laptopsticking points can materialize anytime.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: everything in my office seems to take too long, and i can’t put my finger on why. can you provide any guidance?

more: don’t like checklists? find a new job. | five ways to get staff to own their work | writing a reference? here’s how | 44 key attributes for assessing staffers | make cpe worth your while | what to do with a lousy client? | but i am managing! | how to run a practice in 90 pages
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: common problem.
read more →

when clients want to sell

sometimes the tough part is getting the information.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: i received this email from an accountant:

more: don’t like checklists? find a new job. | five ways to get staff to own their work | writing a reference? here’s how | 44 key attributes for assessing staffers | make cpe worth your while | what to do with a lousy client?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

ed, we have a client in princeton, new jersey, who owns a weekly newspaper who is looking to sell. wondering if there is a client in your firm who may be interested in buying, just a thought. read more →

family trees of clients

//www.g005e.com/?p=77973have you taken the time to trace your referrals?

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

for those of us in public accounting, there is a continual need to get new clients. many times we look beyond what we have for the “new” when the growth is there for the taking.

more: the 10 best movie accountants | why accountants quit | when siblings battle over the family business | how bickering can ruin a family business | the six types of “impossible” clients | you’re not just taxes | granting unconventional request pays off | 20 best practices for staff training and retention
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

one of the most important ways a practice can grow is for existing clients to recommend new clients. i have always valued such referral sources, and this value surpasses the fees they pay us. they look out for us and help us grow – i owe them!
read more →

when the last accountant was truly incompetent

not just bad, but malpractice-level wrong.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: i was asked to consult with a client selling his business and provided a fixed-fee estimate for the project. the fee was layered based upon how the project progresses.

more: don’t like checklists? find a new job. | five ways to get staff to own their work | writing a reference? here’s how | 44 key attributes for assessing staffers | make cpe worth your while | what to do with a lousy client? | but i am managing! | how to run a practice in 90 pages | how improv can help accountants | four tips for new partners | an alternative to pro bono
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i am usually pretty good at estimating what these things cost, also considering that the accountant might not have done too good of a job and some minor fixing up is needed.  however, in this situation the reports the accountant prepared were totally wrong and needed massive changes. how should i handle this?
read more →

preparing for the worst (thanks to my wife)

get the free practice-continuation toolkit.


by ed mendlowitz

one morning, my wife and i were having breakfast, and she asked me, “what do i do if you and peter get killed?”

download: practice continuation in event of a death or disability sample agreement and letter of instruction,  prepared by ed mendlowitz

this was a friday, and peter weitsen and i were flying together on sunday to a conference in palm springs. my response to these questions was typical: “don’t bother me. nothing will happen!”
read more →

don’t like checklists? find a new job.

green checks being made on checklistyup, we have a checklist for that.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: one of my managers does not use the checklists and i need to go over all his work and sometimes go to the client to make sure they are done right.

more: five ways to get staff to own their work | profit sharing for a staffer? | titles can make people happier | reasons to drop your book of business | are you marketing for 2022 yet?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

what can i do to get him to fill out the checklists?
read more →