when board service gets tricky

businesspeople having a meeting over coffee sitting together at a table discussing a document, young man and two middle-aged women present

keep the totality of the relationships in mind.

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

question: i am on the board of directors and am treasurer of a not-for-profit organization. one of the board members is an officer of a commercial bank where we have our accounts.

more: yes, you have to share work papers | hiring experience vs. training inexperience | a friendly chat or a billable discussion? | when selling a firm to staffers is tricky | courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | nine tips for a healthier tax season | fifteen strategies for first-time supervisors | measure knowledge gaps (then close them) | should you offer financial services? | ready to retire? selling your practice is no strategy | 20 things you need for a business valuation
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the organization wants to get a one-year cd with some excess funds they have. it turns out that the interest rate is less than half of what we could get from a local savings bank. i suggested that we open the cd in the savings bank and the bank officer got very agitated and threatened to cut off the bank’s support of the organization if we did not keep the funds in his bank.
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three ways to follow up with prospects

young businessman on phone with colorful world map background

this is the key to 98 percent of your sales.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

it seems there are hundreds of questions swirling around how to follow up with prospects.

more: are you throwing away profits? | want to close a deal? set a deadline | five business development mistakes to avoid | how to leverage chatgpt during this crazy tax season | eight steps to getting started with ai: a guide for tax professionals | you don’t have a time problem | three money leaks and how to plug them | eleven ways to serve clients even better | eight ways to build busy-season stamina | make your prospect kit stand out | six ways to beat the competition | grow your revenue with three marketing strategies | what can chatgpt do for accounting professionals?
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the raw truth is that very few people follow up at all. on average, only 2 percent of people buy on the first contact with a vendor.

so if you’re not following up, you’re walking away from 98 percent of your sales.
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jody grunden: subscription pricing is a game changer

get rid of the noise of hourly billing and create value.

this video is a preview. the complete video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members. the podcast version becomes available in a few days everywhere you get your podcasts.

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the disruptors
part 1 of a two-part episode.
with liz farr

for over a decade, jody grunden, cpa, has been doing things that many firms are just now discovering. summit virtual cfo (now part of anders) offers weekly subscription-based pricing as a fully remote firm, and their main offering is virtual cfo services or, in today’s parlance, cas 2.0 services. he’s also the one you might spot at accounting conferences in his signature tommy bahama shirts instead of a suit and tie, not quite what you might expect from the leader of a $10 million firm.

jody grunden, coming in part 2, june 27: be different. make more money
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grunden, the partner and co-founder of summit virtual cfo, got his start as a thought leader and virtual cfo (as well as his signature wardrobe) when he was invited to speak at a conference in new orleans. at the conference, he used an easel and pad of paper to walk a roomful of successful creative agency owners through the way they made money and how their decisions impacted the bottom line. he is the author of the best-selling building the virtual cfo firm in the cloud.

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yes, you have to share work papers

“we all get stuck like this.”

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

question: a longtime business client who owed me a large balance for unpaid fees sent a letter dropping me. he then wrote me a letter requesting me to send “his” papers to his new accountant.

more: hiring experience vs. training inexperience | eleven ways new staffers can help bring in business | busy season is over, so it’s time for some resolutions | want to merge? six steps to take | how to start providing family office services | every accounting firm needs quality control | no one listens to you? change how you talk | 47 types of business valuation to provide | thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice
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can i insist on being paid first or do i have to send the papers? i made some notes on a worksheet adjusting his numbers that went on the tax return. do i have to send this also and if so, do i have to write these up in proper journal entry form?
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are you throwing away profits?

$50 bills in a wastebasket

nine things to stop doing today.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

a critical measure for accountants – whether they bill either by the hour or a fixed price – is the amount they bill clients each month. as anxious as many accountants are to raise their revenues, their daily activity often sabotages that goal with the same common billing mistakes.

more: want to close a deal? set a deadline | how mindset affects your marketing | how to use chatgpt to create images | how to leverage chatgpt during this crazy tax season | got fomo when it comes to ai and chatgpt? you should: here’s what you’re missing | eight steps to getting started with ai: a guide for tax professionals | how to weather any economic storm | leverage your strengths to beat stress | you don’t have a time problem | are you crossing off your business bucket list? | three money leaks and how to plug them
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here’s a checklist so you can compare your behavior with the list. i’ll give some tips on how to break the bad habit, and the rest will be up to you.

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accounting arc: busting the big 4 myth

the realities and opportunities beyond big 4 firms.

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accounting arc 
with donny shimamoto, liz mason, and byron patrick
center for accounting transformation

the latest episode of accounting arc, “busting the big 4 myth,” offers various perspectives on careers in accounting. 

more: harper & co. cpas: the perspective of a non-accountant is imperativemenlo innovations: improve office culture by overhauling internal reviews | dustin wheeler: for serious cas success, hire tech teams | chase birky: overcoming paralysis by analysis |

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hosts donny shimamoto, cpa, citp, cgma; byron patrick, cpa, citp, cgma; and liz mason, cpa, share their unique experiences, challenging the notion that success in accounting is synonymous with working for one of the big four firms. 

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accounting needs a ‘rethink’ not a ‘rebrand’

two women talking while seated at a table

your value is in the knowledge you have and the relationships and trust you’ve built.

by seth fineberg
at large

the field of accounting, and being an accountant, is challenged on many sides – none more so than the very act of being an accountant. in short, given the demand for new services and the growth in automation for nearly all “tasks,” what does accounting or being an accountant mean anymore?

more: big change comes with deep reflection | three ways to raise the bar for your business | randy crabtree: stress management for overworked accountants | tax chat: eric green reveals the tax rep guide to tax season  | it’s time to do the uncomfortable  | three ways to improve next tax season  | meet basis, the new ai bookkeeper on the block | is this when accountants start taking freshbooks seriously?
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let’s be clear: accounting’s literal and metaphorical face is, and needs to be, changing if it is to grow and thrive. this, however, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. but, as we well know, change is not easy or quick. what should encourage accounting professionals is that at this very moment in time, they have the ability to have a say in what accounting, and being an accountant, actually is and could be.
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brannon poe: grow your business by preparing to let it go

the two big metrics and 12 more takeaways.

this video is a preview. the complete video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members. the podcast version is available everywhere you get your podcasts.

subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: applegooglespotifyiheartdeezer, amazon music and audibleplayer fmaudacygaana (india), and boomplay (africa).

the disruptors
with liz farr

after helping people buy and sell accounting firms for years, brannon poe realized he was sitting on a treasure trove of valuable information that could help firm owners who were “motivated to change their practices for the better.” he’s leveraged those insights into a coaching program for accountants (accounting practice academy) and several books. his latest book, prepare your cpa firm for sale, describes the process of transforming a firm into one that buyers willingly pay top dollar for.

more podcasts and videos: dawn brolin says grow your firm by shrinking itjason blumer & julie shipp: move leaders out of client service | james graham: drop the billable hour and you’ll bill morekaren reyburn: fix your marketing and fix your business | giles pearson: fix the staffing crisis by swapping experience for education | jina etienne: practice fearless inclusionbill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid worksandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow |

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

poe recommends that firm owners start planning for an eventual sale well before they’re ready to leave. “i think the biggest mistake that i see often is they don’t do any planning,” poe says. starting the planning process three to five years ahead gives firm owners time to change things, including getting alignment on the timetable and price with other partners, which may be a tricky issue.

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geni whitehouse: conquer client communication chaos

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with seth fineberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

geni whitehouse, cpa.citp, the “countess of communication” for brotemarkle, davis & co., llp (bdco), says you must meet your clients where they are and understand their personalities to better communicate with them.

doing so, she says, will provide the ultimate value for your clients.

more whitehouse: geni whitehouse: unlock your accountant super powers

in this episode of tax chat, whitehouse discusses strategies for improving client communication and efficiency in tax preparation, emphasizing the importance of productivity tools, workflows, and shared files. whitehouse highlights the need to tailor communication methods to meet client preferences and leverage new tools and technologies to provide interactive and insightful financial information. she also explores the crucial role of communication in tax consulting and accounting, emphasizing the need for empathy, understanding, and adaptability in addressing clients’ needs.

6 more takeaways:

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hiring experience vs. training inexperience

young woman in job interview

invest your mentoring time where it matters most.

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

question: we were looking for an additional experienced person since september and hired someone with five years experience in mid-november, but she said she couldn’t start until january. she said she had work she had to finish up.

more: eleven ways new staffers can help bring in business | 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
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

two days before christmas she called to tell me her firm made her a “better” offer and she decided to stay there. it meant we had to enter busy season short a person. this seems to happen a lot. what do you suggest?
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eleven ways new staffers can help bring in business

confident businesswoman handing man a business card in networking session

look for additional service areas as well.

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

question: as a young staff accountant, how can i bring in new business and clients?

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

 

response: you shouldn’t be as concerned about bringing in business as you should be about planting seeds to be able to bring in business in the future.

eleven points worth considering:
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disruptors: dawn brolin says grow your firm by shrinking it

make life at work better for yourself, your team, and your clients.

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

dawn brolin, cpa, cfe, intentionally shrank her firm, powerful accounting, from 11 to three team members, the opposite of the way most firms grow. she also drastically cut her client list, while nearly tripling her fees from a select group of just 19 clients.

i decided i wanted to change my life,” brolin says. “i want to change my staff’s life. and i want to change the way my clients work with me where they weren’t worried about getting a bill because they called me and asked me a question.”  

more podcasts and videos: jason blumer & julie shipp: move leaders out of client service | james graham: drop the billable hour and you’ll bill morekaren reyburn: fix your marketing and fix your business | giles pearson: fix the staffing crisis by swapping experience for education | jina etienne: practice fearless inclusionbill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid worksandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow |

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

part of that change in dawn’s life was her passion for coaching college softball, where she serves as the team’s designated motivator. because softball season overlaps with tax season, she leaves the office at 2 pm, five days a week. no one in her firm works more than 35 hours a week.  

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disruptors: nicole davis & jw davis show how to create your own pipeline

change your business model, change your life.

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the disruptors
with liz farr

what would an accounting firm look like if you had never worked in public accounting? because nicole davis, cpa, and jw davis, a registered investment advisor, didn’t follow the traditional path to firm ownership. they reimagined what a firm could look like, starting from a blank canvas instead of the regimented, structured, paint-by-numbers design of traditional accounting firms.

more podcasts and videos: dawn brolin: grow your firm by shrinking it |jason blumer & julie shipp: move leaders out of client service | james graham: drop the billable hour and you’ll bill morekaren reyburn: fix your marketing and fix your business | giles pearson: fix the staffing crisis by swapping experience for education | jina etienne: practice fearless inclusionbill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid worksandra wiley: staffing problem? check your culture | scott scarano: first, grow people. then firm growth can follow |

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

nicole is the founder and principal of butler-davis tax & accounting in the atlanta area, while jw is the ceo.

like many disruptor-led firms, jw explains that ”one of the really big things we focus on was work-life balance.” nicole adds, “if your culture is one of stress and long hours, then you really need to rethink your business model.”

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