why tax time is the best time to get new business

businesswoman talking on phonesometimes it’s as easy as being available.

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

tax season has always been the best time of the year for me to get new business.

more: problem clients | how to make your own opportunities | large clients we landed from quickbooks consulting | 26 value-added benefits clients need to know | some mistakes i made | growing with a client
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the reason is that there is much less competition.

i never turn down an opportunity to get new business, whether it is tax work, audits, consultations or special assignments. tax season notwithstanding, i am always available to meet with someone who needs an accountant.
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problem clients

portrait of an angry man yelling on the phonesome people’s money isn’t worth the cost.

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

i have been very fortunate to have really nice clients that i liked working with and for, but i have had some clunkers.

more: how to make your own opportunities | becoming a ‘media star’ | why we ‘kill’ to get partnership returns out quickly | start with the cash | why a break-even analysis matters | staffers need to speak up with clients | bored by cpe? you’re missing out! | roger is my only client
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

during my career i have dropped very few clients and in retrospect i dropped four clients that were “phone stalkers.”
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how to make your own opportunities

take the first steps and ed will help with the rest. really!

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

i have been fortunate to have opportunities that helped me grow and have a great fun-filled career.

more: becoming a ‘media star’ | when to say no to pro bono work | i used to hate quickbooks | learning from lee iacocca et al. | i lost a client to an accounting firm with cheaper fees | how i saved a business | the staffer who was too smart
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the key was that i did not pass up opportunities that i stumbled on as they crossed my path. as payback i offered to assist many accountants in a like fashion and my regret is the lack of success in that regard. too few takers! here are some opportunities for you that i am willing to assist you in.
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becoming a ‘media star’

tv studio with camera in foregroundbeing helpful comes full circle.

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

after i began writing regularly for financial and business publications like boardroom reports and my firm’s own newsletter, that opened many doors, but the opportunities needed to be actively pursued.

more: when pushing the pencil pays off | large clients we landed from quickbooks consulting | 26 value-added benefits clients need to know | how an out-of-work tax preparer ‘saved’ our lives | i always want to be ’the other guy’s accountant’
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

an associate producer of a local news program who was a friend of a client once called to ask if i could help her come up with some questions an on-air reporter could ask the tax expert who was going to be interviewed. i spent almost an hour helping her when she remarked how knowledgeable i seemed. she wondered if i would like to be interviewed instead of the person they had in mind.
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when pushing the pencil pays off

man writing in notebook at deskhow i became an accidental author.

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

i’ve written about publishing a firm newsletter and the opportunities it opened for me. however, i really became a published author when i met martin edelston, the founder of boardroom reports and bottom line/personal.

more: how i became a published author | don’t pass up opportunities | when to say no to pro bono work | i used to hate quickbooks | things change | why we ‘kill’ to get partnership returns out quickly | getting a referral from an adversary
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

about two years after we started the s&m newsletter, marty was publishing boardroom reports and was shown one of our newsletters and called asking if he could meet me. before we met i picked up a bunch of his boardroom reports publications to get an idea of what was included and the style.
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how i became a published author

businessman writing on paperit starts with clients. of course.

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

i reached a stage in my career when i thought it was important to write articles. i wrote quite a few and sent them to editors, only to have them rejected. the nice ones wrote back rejections. the not-so-nice never bothered to respond at all.

more: don’t pass up opportunities | when to say no to pro bono work | i used to hate quickbooks | things change | how to be ’the other guy’s accountant’ | why we ‘kill’ to get partnership returns out quickly | becoming an expert in irs collections | high cpa fees should be a client’s goal | how hidden bias taints results
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i even had articles typed multiple times to send “originals” to various publications at the same time to no avail. at some point, i gave up but decided to write tax letters to clients.
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don’t pass up opportunities

businesswoman working on laptop giving thumbs up signare you ready to say yes?

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

i certainly have been fortunate in my career to become involved in a wide range of activities including interesting clients, great staff and partners, appearing on television, writing articles and books and presenting speeches. people always ask me what i did to get started. my answer is simple: “i never passed up an opportunity that came my way.”

more: when to say no to pro bono work | large clients we landed from quickbooks consulting | 26 value-added benefits clients need to know | how an out-of-work tax preparer ‘saved’ our lives | i always want to be ’the other guy’s accountant’
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i have seen many accountants and others pass by – literally kicking aside – opportunities immediately in their path, and then they wonder when they will get their “big break.” what a shame for them.
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when to say no to pro bono work

young businesswoman putting hand out in "stop" gesture while sipping coffeesome people can afford to pay for your efforts – and should.

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

i just finished reading john grisham’s novel “gray mountain,” about a young attorney working in a legal aid clinic. at one point she is asked to prepare a will for a woman with property worth about $200,000. this reminded me of some pro bono work i have been asked to do for people who could clearly afford it, and that caused resentment by me.

more: large clients we landed from quickbooks consulting | why we train on excel, word and adobe | stop pricing by the hour | getting by giving back | some mistakes i made | growing with a client | getting a referral from an adversary | start with the cash | why a break-even analysis matters
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i have done my share of real pro bono work and was glad to do it. it left me satisfied that i was able to help someone. but for those who could afford it, i felt like a sap.
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