today's features

three ways to thrive with limited capacity

smiling man working at laptop in office with glass walls

turn the staffing shortage into a new opportunity.

by frank stiteley
the relentless cpa

charles dickens had to be writing about the accounting profession when he wrote, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

clients are plentiful. i met a new client coming out of the restroom at our office complex. we get four to five inquiries a day – out of tax season. during tax season, we turned down four out of five prospective clients.

more on staffing: tax and accounting jobs and salaries show strength | olympics of outsourcing and offshoring for accountants | new study: strong and steady growth for accountant jobs and salaries | can’t recruit? retain! | is tech causing both cpa shortage and low salaries? | staffing tops list of woes at cpa firms | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board | employee retention is easier than attraction | let interns fix the staffing shortage? | disruptors: talent crisis? what talent crisis? | firms culling clients as staffing woes persist
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staff are not plentiful – at least not good ones. i’m getting two or three resumes a day, but they’re the warm body sort most of us learned the hard way not to hire during the pandemic. you’ve seen these resumes too. they are people with six employers in eight years. you are certain to be number seven in nine years. they claim eight years of experience, but you can see from their job history that it’s really two years of experience repeated four times. and – they want $100k for those two years of real experience.

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eight questions for personal preparation

before you can succeed in business, get your house in order.

by martin bissett
winning your first client

you know the identity of your first client, and if you buy into you, then there’s a good chance of potential clients being prepared to do so, too.

more: perception, even your own, is reality | eight questions that target personal accountability | are you projecting confidence? | does client perception match your firm’s reality? | firm not thriving? five fixes | five questions for grading prospects | health, wealth, stealth: challenges on the path to partnership | don’t let recurring fees kill your practice | rate your personal purpose | five ways to make selling easier
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

this is what we must remember about the purchasing of professional services such as accounting. if your prospective client is a grade a or b style opportunity for your firm, then they are not buying the services you provide per se. the services are the vehicles of delivery; the means to the end.

the client is buying the relationship, and they are asking themselves:
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microsoft patents an encryption system to block visual hacking


has microsoft created the ultimate public anti-hack? 

by rick richardson
technology this week

your computer or tablet screen can easily be visually hacked in public, which allows someone to steal private information. plastic screen coverings are one technique to stop this from happening, as they make it harder for someone to view the document unless they are directly in front of it. microsoft might develop a technology that encrypts text graphically as you read it.

more: recently discovered antibiotic spares ’good’ bacteria | 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 | microsoft moves further into nuclear development with new director | tack one launches new location tracker for children and seniors

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

 

a recent microsoft patent describes a system that encrypts a document so that only the reader can decipher it. the approach encrypts the document by changing the letters in the text section of the original document. the document is then shown in a private mode using an alpha-blended version that combines the encoded and original copies of the text. next, the system uses eye tracking to show the user the decoded portion of the document at their fixation point and the encoded version at the periphery of their field of vision.
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steve yoss: advanced techniques in powerpoint for financial presentations | quick tech talk

save time and reduce errors by linking data across applications.

quick tech talk
with steve yoss
cpe today

did you know that you can link data from excel into powerpoint, word, and other microsoft office applications?

more steve yoss
more tech
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you can prepare your financial information, balance sheet, income statement, or whatever else inside excel. you could then paste it directly into your next powerpoint presentation, word document, or anything else. but the trick is not to paste and leave it there but to paste and link it.

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the top tip for reviewing tax returns

what would you say?

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

question: i know you have a lot of advice on how to review tax returns. what’s your single best tip?

more: you have to start somewhere | two options for collecting past due fees | when board service gets tricky | 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 | uncooperative partner might not be the problem
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

response: i had never thought about this until this question was asked.
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can a service center model solve audit staffing shortages?

providing superior client service eliminates the perception of audit as a commodity.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

most firms have abysmal project management, which makes it nearly impossible to see if there’s any room to take on extra work. plus, piling all the work into busy season means your people already work far beyond 40 hours a week. and, if you’re relying on timesheets as a measure of capacity, you may not be capturing the time your staff eats because the work is taking more than 40 or even 60 hours in a week to complete.

more: don’t take on audits in an industry you don’t understand | 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 | is audit in crisis because of definitions?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

during the 2020-21 covid-19 pandemic, some audit firms had to lay people off, or reduce work hours as projects got canceled or curtailed. but the long-term trend for years has been a shortfall in talent that will only get worse. burnout from overwork is the number one cause of employee turnover.

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analyze your firm to keep it current

six people seated at table for a business meeting, with another six people visible on videoconference screen

does everyone have the same vision?

by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services

i have discussed some of the issues behind developing an effective website. if your partners can’t agree on the overall points of the website, it merely means that there are different visions for the firm within the firm. the best way to overcome this obstacle is to conduct a self-analysis.

more: what makes a great website? | losing can help you win more | eight areas to cover for personal goals | service quality: the key to client retention | how life cycle changes your marketing | clients buy solutions, not features | make sure you know what you will get from your marketing | three pillars support a successful accounting firm | clients have six reasons for needing you | six ways to market your technology consulting practice | sixteen marketing activities to try | the four steps of your personal marketing process
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

you can use the following questions at a firm retreat. hand out the questions to the retreat participants prior to the meeting. ask the retreat participants to write out the answer to each question. then have open discussions about the questions and their answers, and try to come to some agreement. here are the questions:
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tax and accounting jobs and salaries show strength

line chart
overall accounting profession employment hits a glitch.

hourly earnings fluctuate.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

despite a slowing increase in employment for the u.s. economy in general, the nation’s tax and accounting sector is improving on most fronts, marking more than four years of solid year-over-year gains.

more: new study: strong and steady growth for accountant jobs and salaries | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board | payroll leads job gains in tax & accounting sector
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to be sure, tax and accounting employment nudged slightly down in july, according to the latest data available to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research. but it remains ahead of last year’s figures. and record highs are popping in key hiring segments, including staff, cpa firms and payroll services. is talk of staffing shortages overblown, or would growth be even stronger if more qualified candidates were available? read more →

what relevance means for staffing in accounting

five young business people at work in an office setting.

seventeen ways to improve.

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

the business graveyard is littered with major organizations that missed the boat by failing to see cataclysmic game changers happening right before their eyes.

  • ice companies failed to get into refrigeration because they saw themselves in the ice business.
  • railroads missed out on autos and aerospace because they didn’t see themselves in the transportation business.
  • a ceo of digital equipment corporation said he couldn’t imagine why people would want a computer in their own house.
  • it took the wright brothers five years to get the u.s. government to even talk to them about their invention.

more: how accounting staffing has changed
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in all fairness it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate and accept massive changes like these.
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implement these two daily rituals

calm balanced businessman sitting outdoors on bench in yoga lotus pose meditating, with office building and blue sky in background

bonus: lists to help you focus and measure.

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

there’s something special about the word ritual. it sounds sacred, like you wouldn’t dare break it.

it sounds a little mysterious, as if there’s a component you can’t quite control. and it sounds colorful, like something full of character that you would never get bored of.

more: three ways to follow up with prospects | are you throwing away profits? | three steps to becoming a millionaire | how to use chatgpt to create images | create a bad website in ten easy steps | leverage your strengths to beat stress | are you crossing off your business bucket list? | ten ways to make your business irresistible | five ways to target the low-hanging fruit | are your revenue projections realistic?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

we don’t think about rituals much when it comes to business, but i think we should. what rituals could you create in your business that will rev up your revenues? here are two ideas to get your engines started.
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bissett bullet: a.c.c.o.u.n.t.s.

today’s bissett bullet: “a pipeline is essentially a list of people we would like to bring value to, but how can we use it to forecast new business?”

by martin bissett

how can you tell which of your potential clients are really looking to work with you and which are wasting your time?

introducing the a.c.c.o.u.n.t.s system. grading your prospects using a binary scoring choice – 0 for no, 10 for yes – to each of the following criteria will help you to determine who will want to work with you and who may just be comparing prices.

answer – can we solve their problems?
10 = yes, 0 = no

cash – can they afford us?
10 = yes, 0 = no

convince – do we need to convince anyone else in the business?
10 = yes, 0 = no

objections – are there any major objections unresolved?
10 = yes, 0 = no

undertake – is this work we actually want?
10 = yes, 0 = no

necessity – do they feel the need/urgency for change?
10 = yes, 0 = no

timing – is the next meeting date in the diary?
10 = yes, 0 = no

signatory – does your proposal need someone else to sign it off?
10 = yes, 0 = no

the higher your score, the more likely you will win the work. got 6 yeses? there’s a 60 percent chance you will win the work. now, what do you need to do to change the 0s to 10s?

today’s to-do:

start to grade your pipeline against the a.c.c.o.u.n.t.s. system to help you prioritize your efforts and forecast new business in any given week or month.

see more bissett bullets here

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tax law is driving practice development

bar chart

virtual communication, hybrid work environments still pose challenges.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

new laws and regulations now rank as the primary management challenge at accounting practices around the world, according to a report from caseware.

more: olympics of outsourcing and offshoring for accountants | new study: strong and steady growth for accountant jobs and salaries | turnover timebomb: 4 of 5 senior managers at risk | are client services a fourth-rate priority? | revenues rising as pricing models evolve | 150 credit hours: helping or hindering? | can’t recruit? retain! | the accountant as a strategic business partner | report: efficiency still the top priority for accounting firms | is tech causing both cpa shortage and low salaries? | audit firms nervous about new tech | staffing tops list of woes at cpa firms | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | beware the work-life/workload doom spiral
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

and though the difficulty, and even impossibility, of meeting all legal requirements is a massive challenge, meeting that challenge is a driver of rapid change in the industry. this is evidenced by the second-most serious challenge, adopting new technologies – technologies directly or indirectly aimed at meeting legal requirements.
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how we solve the accounting talent pipeline problem | accounting influencers

“it’s not just debits and credits.”

 

accounting influencers
with rob brown

look into potential solutions for the alarming talent shortage with sue coffey, ceo of public accounting at the aicpa, and lexy kessler, partner at aprio and chair of the aicpa’s national pipeline advisory group, in this episode of accounting influencers, hosted by rob brown.

more accounting influencers with rob brown here

coffey and kessler discuss the overwhelming evidence pointing to a significant talent pipeline issue in accounting, including declining enrolment in accounting programs, fewer students pursuing the cpa credential, and challenges in retaining young professionals in their first five years of employment. but can the profession overcome this challenge?

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