here’s what you’re looking for: sandi smith leyva

shift some of the heavy lifting to your lighter months.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

for some of you, summer can be a slow time in your business. if you do taxes, all the action is during busy season and in september if you have a lot of extensions. if you’re a bookkeeper, your busiest month is january. and if you do software consulting or training, it slows down in july and august.

more on small-firm growth strategies: design your business around your strengths | two daily rituals: focus and measure | 5 cool ways to streamline data sharing | how to calculate your ‘opportunity number’ | 9 ways accountants throw away profits | 7 ways to get new revenue from old clients | 9 ways to increase sales through ‘power networking’ | 3 ways to test your revenue forecast | how to work the same hours and make more money | if you’re a ‘best-kept secret’ cut it out!

if you have a good relationship with your clients, you might be able to move some of your busy season work to off season. and if you have clients who are ready to take advantage of new technologies, there are lots of opportunities in the cloud. here are five quick ideas to stir up some revenue in the slower summer months. read more →

the 24 strengths all humans have – and how to make your top strengths work for you.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

most of us have an idea about what our character strengths are.

more on small-firm growth strategies: 5 cool ways to streamline data sharing | how to calculate your ‘opportunity number’ | 3 tips for following up with prospects | if you don’t develop your business, who will? | draw new clients in like a magnet | 3 ways to test your revenue forecast | how to work the same hours and make more money | if you’re a ‘best-kept secret’ cut it out! | 5 ways to turn a tough day into a great one | four ways to stop leaving money on the table

a few years back, a scientist named christopher peterson developed a global list of 24 strengths that all humans have.

these break down into the following six major categories: read more →

bonus checklists: 6 sample questions and 10 sample metrics.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

there’s something special about the word ritual. it sounds sacred, like you wouldn’t dare break it.

more on small-firm growth strategies: 5 cool ways to streamline data sharing | how to calculate your ‘opportunity number’ | 9 ways accountants throw away profits | 5 ways a deadline can help close a deal | 7 ways to get new revenue from old clients | 3 ways to test your revenue forecast | how to work the same hours and make more money | if you’re a ‘best-kept secret’ cut it out!

it sounds a little mysterious, as if there’s a component you can’t quite control. and it sounds colorful, like something full of character that you would never get bored of.

read more →

clients and stakeholders benefit, and so do you.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

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

• 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.

more on small-firm growth strategies: 9 ways accountants throw away profits | 5 ways a deadline can help close a deal | 7 ways to get new revenue from old clients | 5 things you know that clients don’t | 3 ways to test your revenue forecast | how to work the same hours and make more money | take advantage of 4 key marketing strategies | four ways to stop leaving money on the table

these requests can get downright annoying. and they can be expensive, too. knowledge workers spend anywhere from 15 to 35 percent of their time searching for information. executives waste six weeks per year searching for lost documents. read more →

bonus checklist: 6 steps to get you there.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

every week, do you get wonderful, exciting calls from new clients who want to use your services? you might want to talk with every one of them to get the sale. the problem is, if you do, you’re likely to go bankrupt. let me explain.

more on small-firm growth strategies: 3 tips for following up with prospects | 9 ways accountants throw away profits | 5 ways a deadline can help close a deal | 7 ways to get new revenue from old clients | 9 ways to increase sales through ‘power networking’ | 3 ways to test your revenue forecast | 8 must-haves for a prospect kit | how to work the same hours and make more money | if you’re a ‘best-kept secret’ cut it out! | take advantage of 4 key marketing strategies  | four ways to stop leaving money on the table

each of us has 24 hours in one day. most of us have annual revenue goals. a few of us have monthly, weekly, daily or even hourly revenue goals. hopefully you know what your revenue goal is. (if not, you should!) if you don’t pull in that level of revenue for the week or month, then you’ve missed your plan.

let’s say you want to generate $1 million in sales for the year. on average, you need to pull in $20,000 a week. that’s $4,000 a day.

read more →

checklist, plus how to fix your billing habits to compensate.

by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator

a critical measure for accountants – whether they bill either by the hour or a fixed price – is the amount they bill clients each month. as anxious as many accountants are to raise their revenues, their daily activity often sabotages that goal with the same common billing mistakes.

more on small-firm growth strategies: 5 ways a deadline can help close a deal | if you don’t develop your business, who will? | 7 ways to get new revenue from old clients | draw new clients in like a magnet | 11 ways to add value for clients | 5 things you know that clients don’t | 3 ways to test your revenue forecast | how to work the same hours and make more money | if you’re a ‘best-kept secret’ cut it out!

here’s a checklist so you can compare your behavior with the list. i’ll give some tips on how to break the bad habit, and the rest will be up to you.

read more →