client service opportunities

ed kless: accounting must innovate beyond technology | accounting influencers

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in an era when traditional models fail, accountants should rethink relevance, client experience, and the power of language.

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accounting influencers
with rob brown

accounting visionary ed kless challenges the profession to move beyond the traditional billable hour and embrace a proactive, subscription-based model. in this episode of accounting influencers, kless, known for his strong stance on abolishing hourly billing, offers actionable insights into how accountants can redefine their services and stay relevant in an evolving landscape.

kless wastes no time challenging one of the industry’s longest-standing practices: billing by the hour. “it’s an absolutely dead model, and it’s a problem not only for accountants but also for their customers,” he argues. by emphasizing efficiency over effectiveness, kless says hourly billing creates a barrier to innovation and true client satisfaction. “think about it—if you had a brain tumor, would you want an efficient surgeon or an effective one?” he asks, underscoring the need for quality service over rigid time-tracking.

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tom wheelwright: if it’s not fun, rethink client service | accounting influencers

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“good accountants focus on tasks, but great ones focus on outcomes.”

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accounting influencers
with rob brown

wealthability founder and veteran cpa tom wheelwright dives into the essential strategies for client-centric service and relationship-building in accounting. hosted by rob brown, this episode explores how accountants can elevate their client relationships, optimize billing practices, and bring joy back into their work.

in an industry where billing by the hour is typical, wheelwright advocates for a shift to flat, value-based pricing. this, he explains, allows accountants to focus on delivering value without clients worrying about the ticking clock.”when clients know upfront what they’ll pay, it removes financial surprises and puts the focus on service, not cost,” wheelwright says. “our clients need to know we’re there to solve their challenges without worrying about extra charges.”

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john higgins: leveraging chatgpt for advisory | gear up for growth

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“clients want value, and now, with these tools, you can give them more value.”
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gear up for growth
with jean caragher
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

“ai and chatgpt-type tools can become your advisory services assistant,” says john higgins, founder and ceo of higgins advisory. “it can help cpas communicate better as an advisor and help identify the things cpas should focus on for the type of client they’re advising.” 

gear up for growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today’s competitive landscape. more gear up for growth every friday here.|  more capstone conversations with jean caragher every monday | more jean caragher here | get her best-selling handbook, the 90-day marketing plan for cpa firms, here | more 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 videos and podcasts here

higgins was a guest on gear up for growth, hosted by jean caragher, president of capstone marketing, and powered by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. higgins shares specific examples of how chatgpt can help cpas become more efficient by providing quick research assistance, summarizing complex information for client presentations, and creating tools like excel templates for common tasks. how does efficiency impact a firm’s pricing model? 

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mitch reno: client experience advantage goes to small firms | gear up for growth

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“we have to…build something so special that people don’t want an alternative.”

gear up for growth
with jean caragher
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

for cpa firms to stand out, they must deliver an exceptional client experience—so unique that clients won’t want an alternative, mitch reno, director of client experience at rehmann, tells jean caragher in this episode of gear up for growth.
gear up for growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today’s competitive landscape. more gear up for growth every friday here.|  more capstone conversations with jean caragher every monday | more jean caragher here | get her best-selling handbook, the 90-day marketing plan for cpa firms, here | more 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 videos and podcasts here
“what any managing partner listening or any marketing leader or growth leader within an organization needs to be hearing is let’s look at what we do well,” says reno. “let’s look at where there’s an opportunity for us to do something better. and let’s do that better and differently than the rest of our peers that we compete against.” 

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don’t let clients outgrow you

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two men having coffee; one has an open laptop

it might not be too late to keep something going.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: i just suddenly lost my biggest client. they said they outgrew me. what could i have done to keep them?

more: what to do when a partner becomes disabled | do as little as possible | don’t blame the client for your location | who to hire when it’s time to grow | the top tip for reviewing tax returns | you can’t win with lowballing | yes, you have to share work papers | should you merge? here’s how to chart your path | hold staff accountable if you want them to listen to you | how to raise your rates | higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better
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response: maybe nothing. and at this point it may not matter, but there are some things you can do to maybe get them back in the future and stop it from happening with another client.

losing any client is not pleasant, and losing a large client hurts. and when it is sudden it hurts even more.
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survey shows big opportunities in small business

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two seated women talking

business owners name three top challenges.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

small, private businesses are the bedrock of the american economy.

  • there are more than 33 million of them in the country.
  • they constitute 99.9 percent of american businesses.
  • they employ over 60 million people.

more: salary guides for accountants vary widely: whom do you believe? | are you earning what you deserve? | the slow, painful death of the 150-hour rule | partner comp earnings gap: what’s the right spread? | main street accountants see turbulence ahead for small business | partners: your middle managers are getting squeezed | the joys of firing bad clients | gear up for growth | how future-proof is the accounting profession? | accounting influencers | in-person conferences still essential | accounting arc | risky business: the art and science of startup company valuation | innovation through wellness: you can’t grow without a “well” firm
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  • they account for over 62 percent of net jobs created since 1995.
  • they generate a third of export value.
  • they are a bountiful source of innovation.

they also make up the majority of the clientele of cpa firms, most of which are themselves small, private businesses. but a small, private business isn’t just another client. each is a bundle of opportunity. they all need more than tax preparation. they need advice. they need planning. they need governance. they need experience. sometimes they even need a little family therapy.

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ten client service issues for estate planning | listicle

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schedule an appointment now.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

as successful business people, cpa partners can have complex legacies to leave behind.

more listicles here

if you aren’t an estate planner (and why aren’t you?), you need to find one, ask the right questions and get adequate answers.

here are some of the issues clients should discuss, followed by “how do i do it?” read more →

are client services a fourth-rate priority?

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bar chart

there are a few barriers hindering expansion.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

when the thomson reuters 2024 state of tax professionals survey asked 500 professionals in tax and accounting firms what their top priorities were, client services came in fourth, behind efficiency/automation, talent retention/hiring, and pricing/revenue.

more: revenues rising as pricing models evolve | 150 credit hours: helping or hindering? | can’t recruit? retain! | the accountant as a strategic business partner | report: efficiency still the top priority for accounting firms | is tech causing both cpa shortage and low salaries? | audit firms nervous about new tech | what accountants can learn from t-ball | staffing tops list of woes at cpa firms | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | beware the work-life/workload doom spiral | why the dry pipeline? it’s about time
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note how the top three all might be included in a category called “getting your act together.” they basically deal with fine-tuning the accounting firm machine.

putting that machine to work aims at offering more or better client services and, the fifth priority, growing the practice.
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when board service gets tricky

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businesspeople having a meeting over coffee sitting together at a table discussing a document, young man and two middle-aged women present

keep the totality of the relationships in mind.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: i am on the board of directors and am treasurer of a not-for-profit organization. one of the board members is an officer of a commercial bank where we have our accounts.

more: yes, you have to share work papers | hiring experience vs. training inexperience | a friendly chat or a billable discussion? | when selling a firm to staffers is tricky | courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | nine tips for a healthier tax season | fifteen strategies for first-time supervisors | measure knowledge gaps (then close them) | should you offer financial services? | ready to retire? selling your practice is no strategy | 20 things you need for a business valuation
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

the organization wants to get a one-year cd with some excess funds they have. it turns out that the interest rate is less than half of what we could get from a local savings bank. i suggested that we open the cd in the savings bank and the bank officer got very agitated and threatened to cut off the bank’s support of the organization if we did not keep the funds in his bank.
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four ways to handle federal tax liens

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there’s more than one route to satisfying the irs collection division.

by eric l. green

irs tax liens can have a profound impact on an individual’s situation, affecting their ability to get loans, sell property or engage in business activities. as such, it is crucial for individuals to understand how irs tax liens work and the options available for getting rid of them.

more: the irs is coming! get your clients into compliance | tax chat: eric green reveals the tax rep guide to tax season
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in this article we discuss approaches and factors to consider when dealing with irs tax liens, offering insights and advice to help taxpayers navigate this process.

understanding irs tax liens

before discussing ways to remove tax liens, it is important to get a basic understanding of what they entail. a tax lien represents a right against a taxpayer’s assets, and is used by the irs to secure its interest in the taxpayer’s assets – both those owned at the time and those later acquired.
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why exceptional service matters

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server holding carafe of water points at menu item; two women seated at restaurant table

and why it has to come from everyone.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

this time, i have a question for you. but i’ll start with a story.

last sunday evening my wife and i went into a reasonably upscale restaurant and we had terrible service from everyone we interacted with.

more: courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | how to start providing family office services | every accounting firm needs quality control | no one listens to you? change how you talk | 47 types of business valuation to provide | thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice | uncooperative partner might not be the problem
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

when we were seated, the table wobbled and we asked if they could do something or move us to another table. ten minutes later someone showed up with a wad of napkins that made it worse. five minutes later they asked if we were okay, and put us at another table. ten minutes after that they took our order, but we asked for some drinks right away, which we only got after we complained to the manager.
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the irs is coming! get your clients into compliance

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10 million high-income taxpayers targeted.

by eric green

those of us in the know have been saying for a while now that the irs is sending a “wave” of tax notices, and you need to prepare your clients for compliance and, ultimately, remittance and resolution. well, that day has finally come.

the irs is launching its long-awaited effort to crack down on high-income taxpayers who have failed to file tax returns.

more in tax: eight steps to getting started with ai: a guide for tax professionals | what’s your value to your tax clients? | are you excited about tax season? | what the corporate transparency act means for accountants | train now before it costs you down the road | surge pricing: what works for uber could work for cpa firms | uncooperative partner might not be the problem | it’s time to fix the problem of qtips and llcs

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for practitioners, many taxpayers will be scrambling for help from tax professionals.  understanding how to handle these taxpayers when they come in will have a real impact on how painful the re-entry into the tax system is going to be.

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