the 10 best movie accountants

gene wilder freaks out about his blue blanket with zero mostel the producers 1968

we look pretty good up on the big screen.

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

i digress from my autobiographical stories to give you my top 10 movie roles of accountants.

more: why accountants quit | why cpas should stay in public accounting | readers rip: ‘she wanted her shoebox back’ | ceos don’t always know numbers | finding new business in sustainability | 14 simple, easy tips for a better tax season | how to recoup staff training costs | 10 ways to stay in control
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

1. “dave” – dave’s accountant, played by charles grodin, helps the president, played by kevin kline, trim costs so the first lady’s homeless project can be funded.

2. “the producers” – accountant leo bloom, played by gene wilder, hatches the plan for a broadway flop. read more →

five ways to get staff to own their work

help them build careers.

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

question: how can i get staff to step up and assume more responsibility for their client assignments?

more: profit sharing for a staffer? | the secret recipe for staff retention | help! key staffer refuses to supervise people | get more done by saying no | employee demands a raise she doesn’t deserve | how are you spending the next five years? | how to get the most from cpe | does your staff know all the services you provide?
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answer: this is an issue every manager and partner deals with at some point.
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why accountants quit

yellow arrow painted on a roadhint: leadership can avoid these issues.

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

i have written about cpas who leave public accounting and go to work in private industry. based upon the comments and emails i’ve received, this is an involved topic and i would like to delve into it further.

more: why cpas should stay in public accounting | when cpas leave to work for a client | when parents, children hit an impasse | how bickering can ruin a family business | one hour a year since 1972
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i was writing about my observations, particularly of many people in their mid-50s i have known who cannot get jobs in private industry after spending a major part of their careers there. obviously, there are many people with extremely successful careers in private industry and i was not addressing them, but i do consider them to be in the minority. also, we are all individuals, and we each decide on how we want to work and what we are comfortable with. no one, including me, has any right to criticize them or tell them they should have done it differently.
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profit sharing for a staffer?

percentage signs on round hanging tagsthe owner wants to offer a percentage to a staff person, but how?

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

question: i have a small practice and have a staff person with me for eight years (who had nine years of experience before coming to me), and i want to offer him some profit-sharing percentage.

more: the secret recipe for staff retention | 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.

how do i approach it?
read more →

why cpas should stay in public accounting

age discrimination is a real concern.

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

i’ve written about a cpa going to work for a small client who was creating a controller’s position.

today i’ll talk about going to work for a client who already has a controller or working for a large company.

more: when cpas leave to work for a client | 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 | why annual staff evaluations fall short | why create an accounting firm business model? | the clients who keep you awake at night
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the company that already has a controller is a much safer bet for a departing cpa. the position is established, the work is integrated with the outside accounting firm that will maintain its role and there is a place in the management hierarchy. the role is clear and the cpa knows what to expect in terms of daily activity. if there are growth opportunities for the company, the controller could or would be part of them.
read more →

the secret recipe for staff retention

four young happy office employeesthe three reasons people stay at jobs.

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

question: i know you advocate hiring out of school, but that seems to present a danger when they leave after we have invested so much in training them. what can be done to retain them longer, if that is possible?

more: writing a reference? here’s how | titles can make people happier | reasons to drop your book of business | are you marketing for 2022 yet? | stop drowning in client documents | make more money starting now | the wrong way to look for staff
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: unless everyone you hire will become a partner, you will have people leaving. that’s just a fact of life.
read more →

writing a reference? here’s how

woman working at desktop computerstick to the facts.

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

question: i have been asked to provide a reference for a former controller of a former client.

more: titles can make people happierhelp! key staffer refuses to supervise people | get more done by saying no | are you marketing for 2022 yet? | but i am managing! | how are you spending the next five years?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

should i do it?
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titles can make people happier

but some people will never be happy enough.

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

question: my top staff person wants a better title than manager, or senior manager. any suggestions?

more: help! key staffer refuses to supervise people | 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
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: in larger firms, senior manager is one step below partner.
read more →

when cpas leave to work for a client

money tree growing in the middle of green meadoware you sure that grass is greener?

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

i know many cpas who left public accountancy to take a “better” job. for many of them this was a mistake. for some it worked out, so if you are one of the lucky few, you can stop reading what i have to say.

more: when siblings battle over the family business | readers rip: ‘she wanted her shoebox back’ | ceos don’t always know numbers | finding new business in sustainability | how to recoup staff training costs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

there are basically three types of companies the accountant could work for – a small client that does not have an in-house controller or cfo, one whose controller will be replaced by the departing cpa, or a large company that has an entire accounting staff already in place. let’s talk about working for the small companies that do not have a controller.
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help! key staffer refuses to supervise people

businessman with hand extended in "no" gesture4 ways to deal with it.

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

question: i have a key staff person who does not like supervising people. he says he can do everything faster and better than anyone else and doesn’t want to take the time to teach someone who, he says, won’t do it as well. he is a workhorse and spends anywhere from 50 to 60 hours a week all year round. what do i do?

more: 44 key attributes for assessing staffers | reasons to drop your book of business | are you marketing for 2022 yet? | stop drowning in client documents | make more money starting now | the wrong way to look for staff | strategic planning for the small firm
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: he told me his firm consists of 10 staff and one owner and this person is indispensible to him, but he (the owner)
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44 key attributes for assessing staffers

green checks being made on checklistthey’re in no order. what are your priorities?

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

question: do you have a staff evaluation checklist?

more: reasons to drop your book of business | get more done by saying no | don’t fire that staffer on may 18! | employee demands a raise she doesn’t deserve | how are you spending the next five years? | how to get the most from cpe | does your staff know all the services you provide? | price your practice by gross
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: i did not have a checklist of attributes that are looked at in evaluating staff performance, so i prepared one.
read more →

why your billings are ruining your firm

businessman sitting on scales with stack of coins in other traydo you see managing partner as a part-time role? if not, don’t treat it like one.

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

question: about a year ago i became the managing partner of my 50-person, six-partner firm. we gross about $7 million. i still maintain my book of business, which is about $1 million, and have 1,000 chargeable hours.

more: get more done by saying no | make cpe worth your while | are you marketing for 2022 yet? | don’t fire that staffer on may 18! | what to do with a lousy client? | stop drowning in client documents | employee demands a raise she doesn’t deserve | but i am managing! | make more money starting now
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

needless to say, i have been working very hard, about 2,700 total hours, yet my partners are complaining i do not have enough chargeable time and i tend to agree with them. how i can increase my chargeable hours?
read more →

when siblings battle over the family business

succession plans can get dicey… for the advisor.

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

someone has to be the boss. when the founder is active, he or she is usually the boss. but what about arents who step aside to have their children run the business? particularly where there is more than one child working in the business?

more: readers rip: ‘she wanted her shoebox back’ | when parents, children hit an impasse | wealth is a state of mind | the six types of “impossible” clients | you’re not just taxes | granting unconventional request pays off | 20 best practices for staff training and retention | what does the client want to see?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i’ve seen some situations where two siblings can run the business as equals. and then, there are other situations where they can’t. what do you do?

read more →