today's features

partners: your middle managers are getting squeezed

staff just don’t feel comfortable asking for things that help their mental and physical well-being.

client pressure: 84 percent can work from home at least sometimes. however, only 44 percent say the firm has their back with difficult clients.

by seth fineberg
accountants forward

crabtree

this may seem mysterious, but when it comes to ensuring job satisfaction and retaining staff, firm leaders should pay closer attention to middle management/mid-career staff and their connection to employees and the work itself, according to a survey conducted by tri-merit group co-founder randy crabtree, hb publishing & marketing company founder hank berkowitz, and myself at accountants forward.

more staffing here | more surveys and research here | more seth fineberg here

“everything about putting your people first leads to increasing the satisfaction of those who work in the profession,” says crabtree. “things like firms having your back, supporting their growth or getting to know who the people you work with are matters greatly.” he added, “when you have a good variety of work to do and find you enjoy that work, you won’t mind working the extra hours at times either.”

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irs still unsure how to measure audit rate

data table

differing definitions are only part of the problem.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the inflation reduction act endowed the irs with almost $80 billion to improve customer service and beef up enforcement. congress later reduced the amount to $57.8 billion, with $24 billion earmarked for enforcement.

in no time at all, there was misinformation bouncing around social media and conservative podcasts, claiming that the ira would result in more audits of middle-class taxpayers.

more: art werner: estate planning strategies | quick tax tip | art werner: post-mortem estate planning | quick tax tip | pause to praise the tax pro volunteers | irs vs. fraudsters | imagine! the national tax advocate does | art werner: maximizing fringe benefits | is the irs mismeasuring phone service? | irs makes big progress but … | business booming, but not as much as last year | busy season barometer offers clues for better business | tax practitioners say happy days are here … again | the irs is coming! get your clients into compliance
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the enforcement resources had no such designation. to allay fears, in 2022 the secretary of the treasury directed the irs commissioner not to use any of the additional resources to increase the audit rate of small businesses or households earning below $400,000.
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when to increase scope and when to let it go

the most crucial aspect of scope is for everyone to know precisely what falls within the lines of the scoped services and what does not.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

there’s a time to increase scope and a time to let it slide. let’s explore these two options.

it’s professional responsibility to inform a client when a request is out of scope. in this instance, you have two options: either make it a separate engagement or include it in the existing service package. it’s important to have everyone on the same page about what is within scope and what falls outside of it.

more  jody padar | pricing | the radical cpa | from success to significance: the radical cpa guide | radical pricing

it would be best if you always built into your pricing agreements a 20 percent buffer to protect you against pricing mistakes. this doesn’t mean you should do work outside the scope for free, but if a client asks for a service not included, you could decide to let it go if the amount is immaterial.

however, if the value is greater or you need to investigate further, be clear with your team and the client.

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leadership for the future: stakeholders, sustainability, and strategic vision | accounting arc

leadership beyond control means empowering others to succeed and, of course, eating last.

click here to load your apple podcast app. subscribe anywhere: applegoogle/youtubespotifyiheartdeezer, amazon music, audibleplayer fmaudacy, rss.


accounting arc
with byron patrick and donny shimamoto.
center for accounting transformation

the latest episode of accounting arc offers a candid discussion on leadership with byron patrick, ceo and founder of verifyiq, and vice president of client success at the b3 method institute.

more accounting arc: in-person conferences still essential | non-accountants in accounting: a game-changer for the professionrubik yeriazarian: smaller firms offer big opportunities for rapid skill development in forensic accounting | accounting arc | ai will steal your job. and that’s a good thing | accounting arc | the right kind of lazy: innovative approaches to streamlining workflows | accounting arc

alongside host donny shimamoto, founder of intraprisetechknowlogies and the center for accounting transformation, patrick challenges traditional notions of leading a company.  read more →

attract clients, don’t sell to them

woman points to laptop to explain something to a female client

make your expertise a magnet.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

it’s about time to realize that value is not about time.

more: how to attract clients | four reasons accountants struggle with selling | perception, even your own, is reality | stop waiting for business to come to you | four key questions about leadership | showing leadership through customer service | the real math behind the sales pipeline | keep business development going during busy season | walk the commitment walk | two steps toward mastering selling | thirteen ways to show commitment | clients can’t grow without you | seven mistakes in winning new fees
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

when i look back on the research that has been conducted by various groups as to the biggest obstacles accounting firms cite to growing their practice,

  • 50 percent said creating opportunities,
  • 25 percent said knowing how to close deals
  • and the remainder said having self-confidence in presenting and then being able to positively differentiate from their competition.

let’s not sell, let’s attract.
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new tech turns bombed-out rubble into blocks for new homes

photo courtesy of https://www.crisisconstruction.com/

 

more affordable housing could be on the horizon. 

by rick richardson
technology this week

russia attacked ukraine 30 months ago, and during that time, hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed. soon, a new machine will start creating lego-like building blocks for new dwellings out of some of that debris.

more technology this week: discovery in california could power 375 million electric vehicles | lexar ssd expands storage for pro-level video | new pacemaker powered by light, no batteries | is nasa about to make air travel cheaper? | your brain can store 10 times more than anyone thought | microsoft discovers a security flaw impacting android apps | ai-engineered enzyme could be solution to plastic pollution | ai named the highest-paying in-demand tech skill for 2024 | lenovo readies new thinkbook laptop with a transparent display
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

according to nic matich – a cofounder of mobile crisis construction, an australian charity that created the equipment – “the idea is to recycle and use what’s there.” glass, garbage and old walls are ground into a fine mixture in a mill and combined with water, clay and cement in small amounts. after that, the device compacts everything into a block. after a few days of curing, the blocks are ready to be used to construct walls.

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alicia katz pollock: create a human-centric business | the disruptors

give your team the resources they need to do the work that makes them happy. plus eight key takeaways.

[preview] the complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members. | go pro here

click here to load your apple podcast app. subscribe anywhere: applegoogle/youtubespotifyiheartdeezer, amazon music, audibleplayer fmaudacy, rss.

the disruptors
with liz farr

“alicia katz pollock proves that you don’t need to begin with an accounting degree or formal bookkeeping training to be a hugely helpful resource for the quickbooks community.”

more podcasts and videos:  nancy mcclelland: be the one your clients ask first |alan whitman: stop accepting the status quo | sean duncan: discover your own genius | ingrid edstrom: true wealth is not financial | caleb jenkins: firm growth requires owners to shift roles | chris hervochon: be the leader you want to work for | ira rosenbloom: don’t merge for the moneyadam lean: get out of the accountant’s trap |

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

pollock started teaching computers and microsoft products and used quickbooks in her business. then, people started asking her to teach them quickbooks. she ran her quickbooks set-up and methodology past a few bookkeepers, who told her, “alicia, you have a knack for this.” so she dove in to learn as much as she could and is today one of the go-to experts for quickbooks.

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stop mixing up your v’s and losing your best people

when you take a value-based approach to your firm, you measure success in two ways.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

those firms that value the chargeable hour above all risk losing their best team members. the ones who want to think, innovate and come up with creative ideas that add value to the client and the firm will leave.

more: empower your team by dumping c and d clients | the new formula for an accounting business | don’t risk losing good employees for bad clients | four questions to make your firm more successful as a business | say adios to audit fee pressure | deliver more audit value by getting out of the conference room | six essential elements in audit planning | before the audit: more than just planning | five crucial attributes for successful audit leadership | put the ethics code to work for your clients and your firm
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

my associate corey told me about his experience and why he left his last firm. see if this sounds familiar:

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realign partners with monthly meetings

happy business professionals giving high five hand slap

everyone needs to be on the same page. here’s how.

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

question: there seems to be disagreement among our partners on important issues in running our practice and we never seem to have time to discuss it or work things out. we are a three-partner firm with 15 employees and no one is designated as managing partner.

more: i’m 76. should i slow down? how? | 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 | three ways to start an accounting practice | free consultation? not always | referral fee? forget it | how much is your tax practice worth? | merge in lower-priced work without losing out
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answer: a suggestion is to have monthly partner meetings out of the office and an annual retreat. both of these have been covered previously but i will add some new ideas here.
read more →

1 in 4 accounting professionals want more dei

two in three workplaces do no dei.

from the center for accounting transformation

about one-fourth of accounting professionals would like to increase their activity in dei programs, according to new research from the center for accounting transformation. however, only about 30 percent of accounting organizations implement dei initiatives.

findings reported during the webinar, “the dei journey of accounting professionals – a research study analysis.” see the webinar here.

use the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 code “cpatransform-50” for 50 percent off at the center for accounting transformation

featured panelists included:

  • jina etienne, cpa, cgma, cde; founder & principal consultant, etienne consulting
  • mary bennett, mba, cia, cec; ceo, mlbennett consulting llc
  • stephani mason, cpa, ph.d.; associate professor, school of accountancy & mis, depaul driehaus college of business & kellstadt graduate school of business
  • claire costin, cpa, ph.d.; assistant professor, university of portland

underscoring the importance of linking dei efforts to business strategies to secure executive support, costin said, “many executives self-identified as bystanders in the dei journey, indicating a need for greater engagement at the top levels of organizations.”

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ten great topics for your firm blog | listicle

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

creating engaging content for a cpa blog requires a mix of current tax news, evergreen accounting principles, practical advice and technology updates.

more listicles here

here are 10 topic ideas that can appeal to individuals and businesses, offering value through insight, guidance and the latest industry trends. read more →

how remote work is impacting accounting firms

remote worker at computer types on phone with dog nearby

question: can remote employees become partners?

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm staff: managing your #1 asset

remote work is undeniably changing how the cpa industry works. it’s been incredibly challenging for firms – from grappling with how to handle staff onboarding, training and mentoring to trying to maintain pre-pandemic client relationships and business development levels.

more: make work flexibility work for everyone | why staff leave cpa firms … and how to stop them | how to solve the big disconnect in talent management | what relevance means for staffing in accounting | how accounting staffing has changed
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

in light of the pandemic that began in 2020, rosenberg associates surveyed more than 130 firms in 2022 asking them a multitude of questions about what options they are offering their staff (remote, hybrid, in-person) and how remote work has impacted various aspects of their business, including business development, client relationships and staff development. our findings were enlightening in many ways and provided great insights. here are some of the results from that survey as they pertain to flexible work options and the effects on their staff:

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joe kovacs: why the digital brand experience is essential | capstone conversations

capstone conversations
informal and informative discussions with leading growth strategists from the nation’s most dynamic cpa firms.

stream, listen, download, and subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: applegoogle/youtubespotifyiheartdeezer, amazon music and audibleplayer fmaudacy, rss

capstone conversations
by jean caragher
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the greatest challenge in marketing cpa firms is understanding the role of technology and how different generations of clients and prospects want to engage, joe kovacs, marketing and biz dev director at councilor, buchanan & mitchell, tells jean caragher in this episode of capstone conversations.

follow jean caragher on 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 here. | get her best-selling handbook, the 90-day marketing plan for cpa firms, here | catch jean caragher’s other show, gear up for growth, on fridays here. | and browse all the shows in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 broadcast network here

“we need to stay current, not just in knowing the technology, but how consumers are using it and making decisions,” kovacs says. “especially since the pandemic, the digital brand experience has become essential. understanding that digital brand experience is essential. “it’s a never-ending challenge. it’s exciting but also a little terrifying sometimes.”

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