how to determine your ideal client

businesswoman working on laptopplus 4 sample personas.

by sandi leyva

in 2011, there were 28.2 million businesses in the united states. almost all of these businesses are small businesses, and more than 75 percent of them are solopreneurs. more than half a million new businesses are born each year.

more small firm growth strategies: build your revenue plan in reverse | 3 steps to using social media to increase your search rankings | six concrete ways to help business clients reach their full potential | why businesses offer subscriptions | your time has no inherent value | four tools for a millionaire mindset | reconnect with your why | use payroll to grow client retention | 3 ways to work less and earn more | what to do when a client doesn’t pay
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the great thing about being in the accounting industry is that every single one of these businesses needs one or more accountants to help them keep their books. what’s even more recession-proof is the requirement that all business owners must file all sorts of taxes and reports each year, requiring by law the type of recordkeeping that accountants are great at.
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build your revenue plan in reverse

young woman working at deskcalculate exactly how many clients you need.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

when i started my business, one of the first things i did was teach a quickbooks class at the local adult education center. i was paid a lousy $20 per hour to teach a six-hour class of up to 12 entrepreneurs how to set up a chart of accounts, create invoices and enter bills. after the first class, some of the entrepreneurs came up to me and said, “this is good, but i don’t want to do it. do you want to do my quickbooks for me?” and i started getting clients.

more small firm growth strategies: 3 steps to using social media to increase your search rankings | clients need advisory services more than they know | marketing vs. sales and how to plunge in
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the thing about how i started my business was that it was completely reactive; i was at the mercy of who approached me. i wasn’t actively selling. the result was that my business grew incrementally and slowly. i truly didn’t know where i was going, and i didn’t have a plan.
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3 steps to using social media to increase your search rankings

portrait of senior businessman in office using tabletplus sample posts.

by sandi leyva

there are two main reasons to be active in social media.

more small firm growth strategies: clients need advisory services more than they know | 5 fast, easy ways to turn annual clients into year-round clients | how to teach financial literacy | how to keep current | best practices for growth: network, specialize, share | 10 easy tips to boost your business cash flow | 2 ways to serve clients better | how to manage client expectations | trashing the spreadsheet: best practices in modern expense management | 3 ways to implement value pricing | building reputation to build your business | need more business? focus on referrals
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

one is to build your reputation as a professional so that your business is visible to prospects who need your services. the other main reason, which is often overlooked, is to increase your website’s search rankings. let’s explore this second reason.
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5 fast, easy ways to turn annual clients into year-round clients

woman in white office meeting with manimagine how catching their books up in november will make march feel.
converting your current clients into higher-paying services is much more cost-effective than marketing for and onboarding new clients.

more small firm growth strategies: six concrete ways to help business clients reach their full potential | 10 tips for more energy this tax season | welcome to the subscription economy | ed kless: what is strategic pricing? | marketing vs. sales and how to plunge in | 5 steps to get clients to say ‘yes’ to cloud applications
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

here are five ideas on how to create a successful conversation with your clients without feeling like you’re bugging them.
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surviving busy season: 10 tips for more energy

businessman listening to music in officefeel free to keep them going year round, of course.

by sandi leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

is keeping a high energy level a challenge for you?

more small firm growth strategies: how to teach financial literacy | why businesses offer subscriptions | your time has no inherent value | four tools for a millionaire mindset | reconnect with your why | 3 ways to work less and earn more | how to find hidden money for your clients | how small firms can use value pricing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

here are a few tips to revitalize your personal energy. some of these are very simple, so simple you may think they won’t do anything for you.
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five emerging trends for today’s savvy accountant

what are your new year’s resolutions?

by sandi leyva

as accountants, our daily work is full of to-the-penny details that keep us focused on transactions, charts, data, and numbers all day long.  we have to be good at the details to be in our industry.  but we also need to be able to move from the trees to the forest and see the big picture. 

more:  why offering packages can catapult your revenue  |  four tools for a millionaire mindset  |  pssst, want out of compliance?    |  when to turn over client data files  |   5 quick steps to getting organized

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

it’s such an exciting time to be an accountant.  not only are they making cool movies about us, we are seeing so many exciting and productive changes that we can benefit from.  here are some sweeping trends and how to measure how your firm stacks up.  read more →

10 quick and easy tips for a better busy season

man working on a caryou may want to keep some of these going year round.
another busy season is upon us. are you feeling excited, anxious or dread?

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

it’s probably a mix, but hopefully there’s more excitement than any other emotion since you will be helping so many more people during busy season than any other time of the year. here are 10 easy-to-implement ideas to help your busy time go smoother than ever.

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four tools for a millionaire mindset     

choosing just one could make a big difference.

by sandi leyva
as a business owner, i need tools to help me stay in a mindset that will help me serve more people and be more successful in my business.
here are four that have helped me play bigger throughout the years.

why offering packages can catapult your revenue

eight ways bundled services help you and the client.

by sandi leyva

more accountants and bookkeepers are moving from hourly billing to fixed fee and package offerings.

more on small-firm growth strategies: share data 5 easy ways| 7 ways to generate leads | blow your own horn already! | take the focus off price | 5 solutions when clients balk at price |want more clients? take these 5 steps | 5 skills to grow your practice | how a spreadsheet can help stop leaks | 5 cures for the summertime blues

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

but, just what does an accounting package look like? and what are the benefits of offering packages?  here are some answers.

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pssst, want out of compliance?

head down with phone 590wbecoming a ‘trusted advisor.’

by sandi leyva

here’s a question: what portion of your revenues are derived from compliance work – e.g., tax preparation and irs representation; bookkeeping; quickbooks setup, cleanup and training; payroll; and audit work – versus value-added work, e.g., revenue improvement, business consulting, profit margin analysis and workflow improvement projects?

more on small-firm growth strategies: share data 5 easy ways | 7 ways to generate leads | blow your own horn already! | take the focus off price | 5 solutions when clients balk at price | want more clients? take these 5 steps | 5 skills to grow your practice | how a spreadsheet can help stop leaks | 5 cures for the summertime blues

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

if you answered 100 percent compliance work and no value-added services, you’re not alone. there’s a lot of lip service about moving from compliance services to becoming a “trusted advisor.” there’s an equal amount of confusion in how to get started.
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when to turn over client data files

hands of two men playing tug-of-warnot everyone agrees about how to handle this.

by sandi leyva and michelle long

how do you feel about turning over a quickbooks data file when a client leaves?

more small firm growth strategies: how to fire a client | what to do when a client doesn’t pay | how to handle price sensitivity | how to find hidden money for your clients | how small firms can use value pricing | 3 killer lead generation channels

we asked this in a video conference and limited it to three answers:
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5 quick steps to getting organized

man staring at computer screen in shockclients and stakeholders benefit, and so do you.

by sandi leyva

do you ever get any of the following questions from clients or co-workers?

more on small-firm growth strategies: 7 ways to generate leads | 6 metrics of marketing | want better clients? 5 ways to hook them | stop thinking small | make your services an investment, not an expense | do you want to do compliance your whole career? | 5 ways to get more referrals | 3 ways to get to ‘yes’ with prospects | 5 cures for the summertime blues | 11 ways to add value for clients

  • i can’t find your email.
  • i accidentally deleted what you just sent me.
  • my computer crashed and i lost everything. (and i want you to take up your precious time to help me recreate everything you’ve ever sent me.)
  • i lost my tax return and i need it in the next five seconds.

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7 ways to generate leads

woman and man in videoconferenceforget what worked 20 years ago.

by sandi leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

the big change in lead generation for accountants is that there are many more methods out there today to get clients’ attention. the problem — or the opportunity! – is most accountants are still only using the old methods.

more on small-firm growth strategies: want better clients? 5 ways to hook them | 5 ways tech makes your work easier | want more clients? take these 5 steps | 3 tips for following up with prospects | 5 ways a deadline can help close a deal | if you don’t develop your business, who will? | draw new clients in like a magnet

when accountants think about lead generation, methods like telemarketing and direct mail might instantly come to mind. (you might also have a really negative connotation of these methods, but if you do, hang with me for a minute.) it used to be that in telemarketing, if you made a certain number of calls, you could get one appointment, and for every certain number of appointments you set, you could get one new client.
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