prepare for the unexpected.
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers
potential deal breakers in a merger negotiation can crop up at any time – and unexpectedly. but here are 15 that seem to occur more often than others. in most cases, one firm wants something, the other firm doesn’t and the two can’t agree on how to resolve the conflict. be prepared. read more →
new study shows merger mania and consolidation force new imperatives for the year ahead.
it’s no secret that the u.s. accounting industry is consolidating. with m&a comes an era of larger regional firms with more staff and more specific advisory services and clients than the general public accounting practice model our fathers and grandfathers knew.
more on the managing partner: the 9 ways managing partners leverage technology for a competitive edge | the 3 traits shared by 150 top managing partners | how the best managing partners lead by example | what successful managing partners do | managing partners reveal 11 strategies for getting their firms to the top | 27 tough questions for evaluating the performance of a managing partner | essential advice for the new managing partner | eight new metrics to measure managing partner performance and potential
whether they want to conserve firm value for outgoing partners or grow for the next generation — or both — firm managing partners face difficult choices.
in a new study, members of bkr international reveal five important to-do items that need to take place within firms to support continued growth and excellent client service in the coming year and beyond. read more →
with 5 specifics on price and 5 on compensation.
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers
there can be an almost unlimited number of terms that both sides in a merger of accounting firms can haggle over. and sometimes they do.
more on cpa firm firm mergers: do cpa firm mergers really work? | 6 steps to handle staffing problems in a merger | 13 ways cpa firm mergers can go wrong | nuances and idiosyncrasies: the top 12 issues that complicate mergers | talking merger? the basic 7-item agenda for the first meeting | 10 special implementation issues in a merger of equals | in merger talks: 13 essential questions small firms must ask larger firms
but these days, only 15 really matter. get past these 15 and you’re on track to close a reasonable deal. still, be warned: the devil’s in the details. read more →
how to fine-tune your management dashboard for effectiveness, innovation and growth.
by august aquila
creating the effective partnership
don’t kid yourself – it’s a new world out there. accounting firms need to become more transparent. partners and employees need to truly understand the firm’s vision and value proposition. they need to see how their daily actions move the firm toward its goals. mission and vision can no longer be vague, fluffy statements that mean nothing to your clients, employees and partners, and prospects.
this new environment requires firms to actually implement their goals by looking at specific objectives and measures. performance and execution are the key operatives. the old measures, by themselves, won’t do the job anymore. they are still valuable, but new measures are needed today. firms no longer compete with the firm down the street in terms of mere marketing. they now complete in how they manage the practice, treat their employees, win employees’ hearts and minds and provide a true learning environment.
what would it be worth to you if you had a system which could measure your business development and management efforts? in short, measure how well you are implementing your firm’s strategy? read more →
evolving from running a practice to leading a business.
by sandi smith leyva
the accountant’s accelerator
technology has allowed just about everyone to start their own businesses. we can do something part time, full time or in between. we can start and stop our businesses. we can be successful at lots of different business models. and we can go through stages of our business.
if you want to grow exponentially, or even linearly, you’ll need to progress. and before you can do that, it makes sense to figure out where you are now. here are five stages of business so you can see where you are now and where you want to go. read more →
the four keys driving expansion at middletonraines.
editor’s note: in this first-person account, one of the profession’s most dynamic managing partners shares some of the methods behind his firm’s recent successes.
by wesley middleton, cpa
managing partner, middletonraines + zapata llp
as the managing partner of a firm of 37 people, i have felt protective of the strategies we are employing to be successful. i think that is the cpa in me. we will have almost doubled in year two of our firm over year one at the end of this calendar year. how have we done that? by not selling, marketing or managing like a cpa. read more →
and 4 ways to put them to good use.
by august j. aquila
creating the effective partnership
there may be some senior partners who want to spend their remaining years basking in the sun or playing golf. but, given the negative and low returns of the stock market the last few years, more senior partners will be concerned about their economic future and will want to stay involved in the profession. this can be a win-win situation for both parties or it can be a lose-lose.
senior partners have a wealth of knowledge that you don’t want to lose. for example, they possess: read more →
what to do when every client is in play. by bruce w. marcus independent studies, including those from 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间, show that a large percentage of accounting clients are dissatisfied with the levels of service from their accountants. good work … continued
so why should you think you’re a marketing expert, too? by bruce w. marcus someone once said that if you’re smart enough to be an accountant, you’re smart enough to do your own marketing. sure. and you’re probably smart enough … continued
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and the eight ways to give core values real business value.
by robert j. lees and august j. aquila
how to engage partners in the firm’s future
when we talk about having a compelling vision, we don’t just mean the simple, well-crafted statement you find in a lot of firms.
for a vision to be compelling, for it to persuade the partners that they want to play an active part in making it a reality, a vision must have four elements: read more →
seven simple skills every professional can develop. six powerful reasons practice groups, not lone rangers, win the long game. by bruce w. marcus building a culture of growth and aspiration (pardon the word “marketing”) is a process that requires four … continued
top firms know the nine tenets of a healthy, sustainable growth-minded culture. by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 the firms that want to grow and thrive must be turned into marketing machines – to have a culture that … continued