growth strategies

fine-tuning the subscription fee model

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how cpa jamie lopiccolo’s subscription pricing models manage client expectations and the firm’s cash flow.
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with steven sacks
the new fundamentals: thriving in disruption

james (jamie) n. lopiccolo, cpa, cgma
lopiccolo

jamie lopiccolo, the managing member of a small midwest firm, has been employing a subscription-based model for more than four years to invoice clients for services rendered. in addition to positioning the cpa as the client’s partner for success, it also encourages those who employ the system to provide maximum value in each client interaction, rather than focusing on getting as much money or billable hours as possible. catch another conversation with lopiccolo here: sell service, not hours.

more: blake oliver: why tax work yearns to be free| private equity explodes in u.k. | brannon poe: the status quo must go  |  accounting nerds, unlock your super powers  | private equity vs. the cpa firm partnership the fintech flood: accounting will never be the same  |  think small to think big with matt wilkinson | your sales tax headaches are only just beginning | when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt  |  can geraldine carter save accountants from themselves? |  re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson |  turning client service into new revenue

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the approach is to both manage expectations by the client and ensure a normalized cash flow for the firm. additional benefits include a more strategic approach to dealing with new clients because they are getting the full picture of their business’s needs.

more takeaways:

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which kpis do you need?

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mature businessman holding an electronic tablet inside an office buildingconsider how the data will be used.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

key performance indicators (kpis) are shortcuts and tools to give managers a quick grasp of essential activities enabling greater control. whether a manager runs a business, not-for-profit, governmental unit, department or a small group, kpis can help the manager be more effective, achieve goals and better serve customers, stakeholders or others relying on the organization.

more on advisory: when an audit is a great thing | how to read a financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs | which kpis do you need? | the seven-minute financikal statement
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managers need to develop the kpis that will help them the most. this development should be based on what they are doing now (with some tweaking) so they get four or five numbers daily that will not take more than three minutes to absorb, assess and activate changes, if necessary. transparency and sharing the kpis will also draw team members into the process.
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five post-tax season growth ideas

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pull out your notes from client meetings.

by sarah johnson dobek
inovautus consulting

we believe you should be marketing your services during tax season because it’s the very best time to grow your business. we also realize that many professionals experience a lull in their business development and marketing activities simply because seasons overlap.

more: six tips for winning more proposals | four ways to propel new cpas into growing your firm | four ways to help young rainmakers build their skills | seven reasons your growth plans are stalled | take the pressure of ‘selling’ out of ‘cross-selling’
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spring taxes are followed by conference season, which leads into summer vacation – and next thing you know, kids are going back to school and the fall deadline is whispering your name. we want to see you grow in every season so we’ve compiled five ideas to keep your growth momentum going.
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77 thoughts about client needs

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take action today.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

this list is a guide to jog additional thought about a client’s business. i have done all of these, and, at some point, i started making a list to help me remember. i also used it to help staff choose a few items each time they performed services for a client as a value-added benefit to the client.

more on advisory: when an audit is a great thing | how to read a financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs | which kpis do you need? | the seven-minute financikal statement
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the listing can also be used a guide for a separate engagement. either way, the emphasis should be to provide information to the client about their business that the client does not already consider, focus in on or know about.
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audit reports without doing the work?

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step away.

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

q: i have a friend who runs a small cpa firm. he has a client who owns some motels across the u.s. who sold them to a large company.

more: why partner retreats are worth the cost | why checklists? | ask these 10 questions before adding financial services | selling your practice is not a retirement strategy | thirteen things to know before selling your practice | 10 reasons clients don’t pay
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their auditor, a big 4 firm, would like to review his prior year audit papers and he has asked me to review his work papers beforehand and make sure that they are in good shape for the big 4 firm. as he is a small practice, his work papers are likely to be not as sophisticated as the big 4 is used to seeing.
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your tax season success plan starts here, now

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hayden

now that everyone has (hopefully) had time to recover, there are four important steps to take to help next tax season go as smooth as possible

by christopher hayden
managing partner, hayden nelson & yoder

christopher hayden, cpa, cma, cgma is the managing partner of hayden nelson & yoder, a cpa firm based in pennsylvania, at hnycpas.com.

to avoid sugar-coating it, tax season is stressful. long work hours, back-and-forth with clients and mountains of documents can keep accounting professionals in the office for 20 or more additional hours each week. and this tax season felt extra-stressful with all the tax law changes, not to mention explaining to clients who had huge capital gains why they owed taxes.

but once the busy tax season is over, it’s time to review processes and take action to help the remainder of the year go smoothly.

more: civility goes a long way | don’t overlook office relationships | how to deliver authentic value | why deadlines get missed | five reasons you’re not swot-ready | are you productive or just busy? | accounting is a profession, not an industry
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before that, allow a few weeks to:

  • rest
  • relax
  • recover

make sure to give team members a pat on the back, especially if it’s their first time going through the madness of tax season or they went above and beyond this year.

however, once everyone has recovered enough, it’s time to go through the following steps: read more →

meet the new bos

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woman using tablet in front of laptop and desktopbonus: a case study of how not to do things.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

accounting businesses have historically provided a range of “after-the-fact” compliance services including year-end accounting and tax return preparation. many firms also provide “write-up” services, which involve the recording of business transactions based on documents generated by the client, such as invoices, checks, deposit slips and documents provided by third parties, such as bank statements and payroll reports. write-up work is typically done once a month, after the fact.

more: why ai is not the enemy
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today, major innovations in technology are giving accountants the opportunity to expand their services and to provide much more comprehensive, timely and useful information to their clients.

one area of expansion is offering clients a complete back office support (bos) manager, which can include: read more →

why ai is not the enemy

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clients still need context.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

in 1994, in a small hotel meeting room in colorado springs, 50 accounting firms were up in arms when the presenter mentioned quickbooks. they shouted angry comments: “quickbooks is destroying my business.” “they want to take my clients.” “they are giving people a false sense of security with their commercials that say, ‘if you can write a check, you can do quickbooks.’”

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the presenter was nervous and asked me what he was to do. i said i use quickbooks for your company, and i have no idea what i am doing, and i could use an accountant to teach me.

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why clients struggle with growth

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woman's hand pressing words "ask an expert"they need you. do they know why?

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

please start understanding, valuing and respecting your own value in the marketplace with clients who could not reach their goals without you.

more: do you make your firm look good? | seven things that good advisors skip | internal communication can’t be overlooked | the seven levels of communication management | make firm culture work for you | sailing the seven c’s to partner
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businesses are in need – sometimes desperate need – of your technical expertise and caring approach.

take that to them instead because, speaking as one who is looked after well myself, we love it and we are prepared to pay a premium without ever asking for discounts.
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six ways to engage young managers, staff in firm growth

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number 6shareholders have a role, but less hands-on.

by sarah johnson dobek
inovautus consulting

growing your accounting firm takes a lot of time and effort and, because of this, developing the skills of staff and managers takes a backseat. while each shareholder should take responsibility to contribute to growing the firm, that doesn’t mean they need to do it all themselves.

more: four ways to help young rainmakers build their skills | are you solving your clients’ problems? | five ways to grow new service lines | don’t confuse marketing with biz dev
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engaging your managers and staff is beneficial for three reasons:

  • it teaches them growth is important to the firm and helps establish a culture around growth.
  • it empowers them to learn how to market and sell, which should be key for anyone who wants to progress in their career.
  • it allows you to execute on key problems without everything falling on a shareholder’s plate.

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thinking commercial real estate? think fast.

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warn clients: do the deal, get the cost seg study, and claim the bonus depreciation before it sunsets.

gonzalez: clients should act now, while the percentage of the allowed bonus depreciation is tipping in their favor.

by julio gonzalez
engineered tax services

julio gonzalez, founder and ceo of engineered tax services, has been named among the accounting today top 100 most influential people. gonzalez has been a pioneer in bringing specialized engineering tax studies to local cpa firms and mainstream america, which historically had only been available to fortune 500 through national accounting firms.  engineered tax services also owns the growth partnership, able: crm for accountants, and inside public accounting.

alas, the 100 percent bonus depreciation rule—the federal tax law under the tax cuts and jobs act (tcja) of 2017 that made it possible for taxpayers to write off a property’s reallocation in the year of acquisition—will begin to sunset at the end of this year.

more in tax practice: new small firm cost seg opportunities | what gig workers want | survey: big worries for u.s. and small business  |  working harder for every dollar  |  for a few: why busy season 2022 beats 2021 |  can the r&d tax credit be used to offset the amt?  |  21 reasons tax clients fire accountants  |  unhappy about tax season?  |  individual tax refunds up 13%  | shut down the tax charlatans   | eight quick, easy ways to fix irs filing   |  a tax season worse than 2021?  |  16 traits of the best tax clients  | irs under covid: heroes or goats?

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in its place in 2023, an 80 percent bonus depreciation will be allowed for properties acquired in 2023, scaling down to 60 percent in 2024 (for properties acquired in 2024), 40 percent in 2025 (for properties acquired in 2025), 20 percent in 2026 (for properties acquired in 2026), and then zero percent in 2027 and later years for properties acquired in 2027 and afterward.

it’s important to note for your clients in real estate that bonus depreciation is applied to a property based on the year it was purchased (although there are some exceptions to this rule). and taxpayers can only claim bonus depreciation retroactively within two tax years of the original placed-in-service date. read more →

when clients say ‘no’

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serious businesswoman holding up hand in stop signalfour ways to deal with their decision.

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

i found out many years ago that i cannot spend my clients’ money.

i used to feel that if they did not want to “buy” a service i felt they must have, it meant i did not clearly convey the value to them. i do not feel this way anymore because the value is relative and draws on many issues the client might have and that i am not privy to.

more: when good things happen | when an employee’s growth has gaps | my first trainee | the growing pains of a small firm | giving clients the best you’ve got | why map programs are essential | how to become a specialist | secrets in specialties | making sure the son got proper credit | yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting
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in my earlier days i used to do the work anyway, feeling a responsibility to the client. it took me quite a while to realize that the responsibility is the clients’ and if they did not want to spend their money for it, i should not spend part of my life doing it on a pro bono basis. there were also times i felt the work was so essential to the client that i did it expecting their recognition of the importance and willingness to pay me afterward. stupid! my bad!
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when good things happen

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be open to unexpected opportunities.

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

my friend al is a sole practitioner with seven staff members and a thriving audit practice, besides the typical tax and small business tax clients.

more: when an employee’s growth has gaps | my first trainee | the growing pains of a small firm | giving clients the best you’ve got | why map programs are essential | how to become a specialist | secrets in specialties | making sure the son got proper credit | yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | family trees of clients
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he is getting older, and while he has no plans to retire and is actively trying to grow his practice, he periodically meets with larger firms to see if there is an interest in acquiring his practice when that day comes. by doing this he stumbled on a fantastic business development formula.
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