leadership

outlook 2023: capacity strategies drive change

by

clients benefit, but so do small firms and next gen staff.

by jennifer wilson
the rosenberg map survey: national study of cpa firm statistics

unless there’s another round of vaccines, we’ll see more covid-19 disruption as colder weather forces more firm activities indoors. more consolidation will happen as more firm leaders feel pressure to move their problems to a larger firm and the mega firms feel more pressure to keep up with the joneses and absorb more.

more: outlook 2023: top five trends | outlook 2023: compensation gets creative | outlook 2023: the office is over | 2023 outlook: private equity comes for accounting firms
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

at some point, perhaps longer than 12 months from now, one or more of the super consolidators is going to falter, more than likely is some significant service failures as their lack of integration and acculturation drives turnover and a talent shortage beyond what they’re able to rescue. i hope this doesn’t happen, but it feels like some of these firms are facing a perfect storm of financial performance and growth expectations, high client demand, capacity issues and a less unified, disorganized leadership apparatus unable to respond to these challenges.
read more →

the 12 big questions for 2023

by

the questions aren’t new, but the answers should direct your strategy.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
the rosenberg map survey: national study of cpa firm statistics

as gale crosley, of crosley+consulting, notes in the 2022 rosenberg survey, we are in the midst of “an unusual year of high uncertainty, unpredictability and sapped energy among our profession’s leaders.”

more outlook 2023: the 12 winning traits of a great cpa firm | what accounting firm start-ups are doing right | workflow is a problem. so why aren’t firms buying solutions? | top five trends | compensation gets creative | cpa partners rejoice on surging fee growth | the office is over | the great resignation or a reshuffling? | accounting firms face down private equity |

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

gale crosley
crosley

the profession, once characterized as staid and stable, has been hit by a confluence of what crosley calls “major thunderbolts,” to wit:

  • disruptive technologies
  • shifting economic conditions
  • non-traditional competition
  • fast-moving regulation
  • extensive talent constraints
  • work-from-anywhere options
  • unexpected market demand
  • private equities investing in firms
  • baby boomer retirements

read more →

the 12 winning traits of a great cpa firm

by

they don’t get there by accident.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the 2022 karbon practice excellence report takes a good look at, well, practice excellency. it finds that excellency stands on four pillars:

  1. strategy
  2. efficiency
  3. management
  4. growth

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

the strength of those pillars – and thus the performance of a given accounting firm – is determined by 12 competencies:
read more →

the hazards of poor internal controls

by

businessman is analyzing through magnifying glass contract and prices

it doesn’t matter how great the system is.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

my last column addressed the importance of controls when trying to get a client. but it is also important to retain the client. a good system that is not monitored is a sure way to not only lose the client but be kept awake at night.

more: how to explain internal controls to clients | the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | five cash reports you can’t live without | when an audit is a great thing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

if you have been around long enough, you’ve experienced a theft at a business or not-for-profit organization. for nearly ever fraud i have seen, the slightest effort would have thwarted those frauds. nowadays the only frauds i encounter are new engagements, where i try to quantify what was taken.
read more →

what new leaders want in ownership

by

is your firm ready to pass the baton?

by terrence e. putney

buying into a firm as a new owner involves great opportunity, but also significant risk. it is reasonable for ownership candidates to evaluate the potential for professional and financial rewards before taking such a step. therefore, firms must be willing to honestly assess the potential risks and benefits for candidates as they seek to attract new partner-owners who can contribute meaningfully to the firm’s continued success.

more: what’s the why? | learn how to let go and let someone else step up | how to close the generation gap | how to encourage firm ownership | each generation must change
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

most of the firms we work with on succession planning start off with a strong preference to remain independent. they want to avoid having to sell or merge in order to address the need to pay off and replace retiring owners. the common reasons we hear cited are:
read more →

six ways to fix your firm agreement

by

schedule an annual review.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

earlier i discussed that engaging in what is considered conflict avoidance can undo the progress a firm has made. this can be because of complacency, frustration, intimidation or a host of other issues.

more: the great resignation or a reshuffling? | listen to learn | build the framework to a solution with five answers | try for success, not a win
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

some things are intuitively understood, but it’s those occasional sticky matters that tend to make situations unravel. establishing and keeping agreements helps to avoid confrontation: the one typically arising from someone promising to do something in a timely and complete manner and within a specified budget. even if the firm’s board casually agreed on a matter, something can go awry and threaten the direction of the firm.
read more →

pick your favorite clients

by

happy business professionals giving high five hand slapthen get more work from those clients.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

you cannot do everything all at once for everyone. this group exercise calls on your team to be an integral part of selecting the best clients to approach for back-office support services.

more: top ten types of clients (and 24 more reader suggestions) | eight things to stop doing now | you don’t have to do everything | why ai is not the enemy
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

sit down with your team members and identify those clients you like working with now. get their experience of working with these clients. because your team’s collaboration is critical to success, getting their input is vital. the changes that occur will affect them as much as it will your clients.
read more →

seth fineberg: your classic business model won’t allow growth

by

the disruptors: billable hours – demeaning and demoralizing or useful measurement?

subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: apple, google, spotify, iheart, deezer, amazon music and audible, player fm, audacy, gaana (india), and boomplay (africa).

the disruptors
with liz farr for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

anyone who has been in the accounting profession–or legal profession–for any length of time knows how revered the billable hour is. however, plenty of firms are ditching the billable hour–a move that many professionals say is long overdue.

more:  hector garcia: success strategies of a quickbooks youtube superstar | 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  | disruptor: jason statts shakes up the status quo | think small to think big with matt wilkinson | when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt | can geraldine carter save accountants from themselves? | re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson

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

seth fineberg, a business journalist specializing in the accounting profession, says the billable hour can’t be a significant part of the business model of the future.

read more →

how to explain internal controls to clients

by

man writing in notebookthen you have to use them.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

what are internal controls? auditors widely use this term. it also appears multiple times in engagement letters for audits of businesses and not-for-profits, but i do not believe many outside of the accounting profession really know or understand what internal controls are. i will try to explain it here.

more: the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | rule #1: start with cash | the priorities were backward | how to read a financial statement | 77 thoughts about client needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

internal controls refer to an organization’s system of deterrence, oversight, checks and balances. an illustration is where someone in a business writes and mails the checks to pay a bill. if this same person then receives the bank statement and performs the reconciliation of that account, there would not be any control or oversight on that person and whether the payment was proper and not misdirected. they are checking their own work. this is how many frauds occur.
read more →

what’s the why?

by

how do you view the answers of others?

by gary adamson

the very human tendency to assume that others think as we do can lead to great misunderstanding. in truth, the things that drive individuals – what makes it all worth it – vary widely. discovering what makes each team member tick and what he or she most desires and values is an important step toward creating a cohesive partnership and bridging the gap, not just between generations but among all members of the firm.

more: three strategies to keep emerging leaders energized | marketing: not just for partners anymore | leadership growth is a two-way street | each generation must change
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

as firms wrestle with baby boomer succession, the differences in attitudes, thinking and motivators between current and future leaders can sometimes be great. more often than not those differences or gaps are major contributors to the absence of future leaders who are on deck and ready to step into the shoes of the retiring partners.
read more →

top ten types of clients (and 24 more reader suggestions)

by

two women in office shake handsbonus: how verticals and the gig economy can help you.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

taking on a client’s internal accounting work requires a level of comfort for both the business owner and the accounting firm. a client that has already provided you with access to sensitive financial data is easier to work with than a new business with no previous relationship. once you have done it well with current clients a few times, then you are ready to do this with prospects.

more: eight things to stop doing now | keep the accountants focused on accounting | which kind of team do you have? | you don’t have to do everything | what do you want advisory services to be? | meet the new bos | why ai is not the enemy

reader favorite: the 24 personalities of individual tax returns (and the clients behind them)
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

understand that to be able to effectively in-source your client’s internal accounting work to your accounting firm, you need on-demand access to your client’s information. it doesn’t work if you have to wait for someone to send you the information you need. understand that the processes you use today for write-up and compliance work will not transfer well to this level of client collaboration.
read more →

the great resignation or a reshuffling?

by

how many in-person days make sense for your firm… and who decides?

by steven e. sacks

the concept of “quiet quitting” is now mainstream thought. summer 2022 is over, and with it, for many companies and their workers, their remote work arrangements.

more: four accountability steps for firm success | how to build a standout team | five keys to becoming a high-performing firm | assessing your firm | the 4 traits of great cpa leaders | why leaders must ensure clarity | incremental vs. exceptional success
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

many recognizable companies have sought to get back to some normality. some want workers to return to the office full-time, some have asked for a two- to three-day in-office arrangement, and some have viewed remote work as successful and see no reason to change anything for the foreseeable future.

workers will not easily accept these changes.

read more →