telling prospects too much

know when to stop.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers

q. i usually give away too much info at a meeting to get a new client. we simply answer too many of their questions during the initial meeting.

more: how to improve quality control | how to get into your own cpa practice | when not to charge for an initial consultation | what good managers know about bad judgment
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we don’t know how much info to give away, so the possible new client will get hooked and not take the information and run to somebody else. usually, somebody else is cheaper.

how do i find the right balance?

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rule #1: start with cash

lots of information is lurking there.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow! the checklist handbook for small-business advisory services.

one time i was asked to audit a hotel in florida that was going to be foreclosed on by the mortgagor and for which i was paid in advance. the audit was planned and scheduled, and it looked like we had everything under control from our end as much as we could.

more: organization minutes too often overlooked | five cash reports you can’t live without | when an audit is a great thing | which kpis do you need?
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i received a call on a friday morning that the foreclosure was going to take place sooner than expected, and i had to either do my work monday through wednesday or return the retainer because the foreclosure was going to take place on thursday. i took a sunday evening flight with a senior accountant. when i walked into the hotel, i got really nervous. this was not a small motel but a big hilton hotel – not what i anticipated.
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how to improve quality control

your reviewer should be adding value.

by ed mendlowitz
101 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice, the complete 2-volume set

q. i want to improve my firm’s review and quality control. do you have any suggestions?

more: how to get into your own cpa practice | 15 tips for novice managers | what’s your ‘kg’ value? | when clients call you at home | why partner retreats are worth the cost | selling your practice is not a retirement strategy
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a: this is a recurring issue for most firms. every cpa practice needs quality control. the issue is whether a dedicated quality control (“qc”) person is needed, and if not, how the qc can be done without one.
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organization minutes too often overlooked

we’ve got a 34-point checklist to fix that.
green checks being made on checklist

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow! the checklist handbook for advisory services.

corporate, llc, partnership and not-for-profit organizations are usually required to have minutes memorializing certain actions taken by the board of directors or governing body. yet, many do not either because it has never been done, is a bother, is considered not necessary or overlooked through inaction or unawareness.

more: five cash reports you can’t live without | the priorities were backward | how to read a financial statement | 77 thoughts about client needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

however, it is something that should be done as a best practice, as recognition that there are non-active stakeholders who need transparency, or as tangible evidence that the actions recorded took place timely. in some instances, the irs looks for minutes as a symbol that the affairs were handled on a businesslike basis or were not one-sided “secret” actions by those in control.
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how to get into your own cpa practice

bonus: 14 tips on getting your first clients.

by ed mendlowitz
101 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice, the complete 2-volume set

q: i am working for a cpa firm, but would like to get into my own practice. can you give me some suggestions?

more: 15 tips for novice managers | why no one listens to you | how to stop yourself | how to handle referrals with attorneys | why checklists? | thirteen things to know before selling your practice
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a: essentially, you have three options (four if you count my pet project, but i won’t belabor it).
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five cash reports you can’t live without

profits don’t mean a thing if they’re not represented by cash.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow! the handbook for small-business advisory services.

cash is the lifeblood of a business. cash amounts. cash flows. cash changes. no matter what anyone tells you, cash is the bottom line you must watch and accumulate.

more: the priorities were backward | the seven-minute financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs
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simplistically, knowing your cash balance gives you a sense of how you are doing. if it goes up, you are making money – if it goes down, you are losing money.
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15 tips for novice managers

how to prioritize instead of juggle.

by ed mendlowitz
101 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice, the complete 2-volume set

q: my boss asked me to call you.

i am a staff accountant with five years experience. i am having a lot of stress trying to manage everything i have to do. i am juggling supervising people i don’t know how to supervise, being managed less by those above me and having to figure out more for myself – including things i never did before or in industries i never worked on previously, keeping current with changes in accounting rules and taxes (since i am more like a generalist and clients ask me everything), never seeming to have any free time, juggling my schedule because most of my clients are never ready when they say they will be and being accountable to my boss for everything i do plus what the staff working under me does.

more: when not to charge for an initial consultation | what’s your ‘kg’ value? | when clients call you at home | how to handle referrals with attorneys | why checklists? | thirteen things to know before selling your practice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

so how do i do it all? how can i prioritize all my responsibilities?
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the priorities were backward

businessman sitting in office and reading documentswhat is the worst thing that could happen?

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

when i was a junior accountant an eon ago, my boss would always give me the cash to reconcile or audit, the minutes to “abstract,” and the internal control questionnaire to go over with the controller or bookkeeper.

more: the seven-minute financial statement | when an audit is a great thing | how to read a financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs | which kpis do you need? | 77 thoughts about client needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

then when i became a manager, i continued this practice of having lower-level staff perform these procedures. i now consult with many accounting firms and find it is still being done that way. i stopped it many years ago and wonder why it’s still widespread.
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