how savvy cpas use benchmarking to make smarter business decisions

composite image of hand writing with marker

drilling into firm technology and operations provides a roadmap for strategic success

by rick telberg

every day in the united states, more than half of all accounting firm owners are thinking about a merger, an acquisition or both. m&a is now as routine to the day-to-day operations of running a tax and accounting practice as turning on the lights in the morning and taking out the garbage at night.

fortunately, the new accounting firm operations and technology survey by the research team of randy johnston and leslie garrett provides a one-of-a-kind roadmap for growth-minded professionals seeking the hard-boiled data essential to making smarter strategic decisions. with thousands of key metrics for firms of every size, you can compare your firm against similar firms. better yet: you can compare where your firm is today to where you want it to be tomorrow.

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forget value billing. focus on value building

bhansali

finding new profits in client accounting services.

by chandra bhansali
ceo, accountantsworld

we have all heard a lot of buzz about value billing. it sounds like a great concept to boost a firm’s bottom line, but have you tried it. chances are you haven’t.

why not? because although it is a great theoretical concept, it’s too complex to implement.  and there are various reasons why it is hard to implement in accounting practices.

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marketing must generate leads

bonus: 32 methods you can use to get a response.

by rob nixon

the overall (and desired) objective of marketing functions in an accounting firm is to generate leads. lots of leads. the more marketing you do, the more leads you get, the more choices you have!

more on strategy: growing your client database | how to dominate the internet | marketing objectives determine marketing amount | what products should you create? | keep a watchful eye on clients | rewards go far beyond money | people still needed, but in different ways | don’t let technology make you dumber | are your goals big enough? | finding new opportunity in compliance services | how offshoring is shaking up accounting
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

there are two types of marketing people – brand-oriented or direct response.
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how to teach financial literacy

woman watching what man is doing on laptop in officehelp your clients and maybe learn about your business as well.

by sandi leyva and michelle long

here is how to make more from working less: offering financial literacy and financial services to your clients. they need this so much.

more small firm growth strategies: why businesses offer subscriptions | welcome to the subscription economy | ed kless: what is strategic pricing? | marketing vs. sales and how to plunge in | 5 steps to get clients to say ‘yes’ to cloud applications  | when you should answer questions for free | when to turn over client data files | the dreaded ‘quick question’
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we’re going to talk about two ways to avoid so we don’t turn off our clients about this. it’s easy to turn off our clients and easy for our clients to get blocked. so we’re going to talk about turning off some blocks.
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tax & accounting industry shows signs of slowdown

join the survey. get the results.

cpa firms, payroll among brighter spots.

who’s hiring, who’s not?
join the survey. get the reasons.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

accounting employment in most sectors is on the upswing, but the hikes that sometimes reached into the double digits in 2016 appear to be leveling off, even after adjusting for busy season differences, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis.

more on jobs: analysis: global tax talent shortage mounting into ‘perfect storm’ | accountants without borders: tight talent pool drives salary increases nationwide | new staffing strategies for the next-generation accounting firm

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

gains over 5 percent were seen only in the number of women working in payroll services.

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 highlights:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax and cpa segments of the industry.
  • average hourly wages for key segments
  • typical hours worked per week
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce

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survey results: security and id theft emerge as top tax season worry

even as irs sees declines.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey is turning up a disturbing finding, one that looks like it’s only going to get worse.  join the survey. get the answers

late and unprepared clients scored high, indicated by 41.6 percent of respondents. staffing issues, at 34 percent, was right up there, too. but the most common concern was security, privacy, and identity theft, checked off by 46.2 percent.

more on busy season: tax refunds up slightly   |   irs budget: penny-wise, pound-foolish   |   irs taxpayer advocate questions preparation of tax preparers   |   future state or future shock? irs watchdog warns of dubious irs plans   |

join the survey. get the results
join the survey. get the results.

tax season productivity hacks   |   tax filings data looking less squirrely   |   letting staff go after tax season   |  how to sell bundled tax services   |   survey results: who’s afraid of busy season 2017?   |   a little tax humor   |   tax return filings still lag, but pros hold 57% of market   |   checklist: 46 avoidable tax-filing errors – if clients only knew   |   survey results: practitioners bullish on busy season 2017   |   free instant download: sample fee schedule for 1040s   |   tax filings down, but irs blames the calendar   |   busy season 2017 gets off to strong start   |  2017 fee survey: price for non-itemized 1040s advances 6% to $176    |   the annual tax meeting is dead. clients killed it.   |   mandatory saturdays stir controversy 

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

it isn’t often that one category of concern reaches the mid-40s. in 2016, “clients late or unprepared” is the only one that’s consistently up there, ranging from a low of 47.3 in 2016 to 59.3 percent in 2010. but generally, the numbers for that category have been improving.

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why job descriptions matter

portrait of businessman standing outdoors on stairsincludes criteria for promotion to the next level.

by marc rosenberg
on staffing

let’s address the four most common positions at a cpa firm: staff, senior, manager and partner.

more on staffing: generational differences: truth and fiction | the how and why of upward surveys | don’t underestimate communication with staff | why firms can’t afford not to develop women partners | 8 recruiting strategies: how many are you using? | 6 keys to advancement programs | guidelines for flexible work policies | staff need meaningful recognition | survey: 97% of leading firms now offer flexible work arrangements
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

there is no such thing as a standard job description for these four positions. each firm must define them in ways that make sense for its specific situation. if ever there were job descriptions that should have flexibility built into them, most certainly they would be cpa firm positions because the expectations vary as much by the type of assignments they are given as by their title.
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cpa firms post 5% growth rate

tax and accounting industry hits 1 million workers, capping more than 25 years of sometimes volatile expansion. shown: workforce in thousands, monthly, 1990-2016.

tax & accounting hiring trends for 2017:
join the survey, get the results 

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

it’s still a great time to be an accountant, according to new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research. but watch the long-term trends carefully. all the gains are not always what they seem at first.

more on staffing: the 16 biggest #fails in delegation |  survey results: effective stay interviews for cpa firms |  survey: work-life balance: according to whom? |  new survey results: two ways your strategic plan can reduce turnover  |  managing partners’ favorite staffing strategies  |  new research: cpa firms hiring more, paying less  |  jobs report: hiring up. wages down.  |  the 12 reasons your staff hates your firm

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

year over year, cpa firm staffs are growing by 4.7 percent while payroll overall is increasing at a 4.6 percent rate. the number of tax preparation employees is falling, however, 12.5 percent for the latest month,  but up 3.2 percent for the year. women are making some large year-over-year gains as well – 4.8 percent at cpa firms and 12 percent at payroll services.

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