stop clients from performing “favors”

“oh, you shouldn’t have.” (you really, really shouldn’t have.)

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

we all have clients who bring in tax documents in laminated three-ring binders. they smile big toothy grins and tell us how they’re our most organized client. there’s no reason for us to organize the documents, as they’ve already done us this huge favor. of course, there will be no reason for us to remove anything from the binder and everything should be left in the binder just as it is.

more: who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you | it’s ok to say no to clients (even the large ones) | you train your clients, whether you mean to or not | business owners face one of three exits | how small firms can win the talent wars | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we call these people binder boys. they have no clue that organized for them is not organized for tax return preparation. preparing a return from documents in a binder takes twice as long, at least, as preparing returns from a well-organized pdf file.

we also have the people who use five pounds of staples to organize 20 pages. they don’t want any loose documents falling out of the file.
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how to fight feeling overwhelmed

overwhelmed businessman covered in sticky notes

five ways to turn a tough day into a great one.

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

the exact solution to managing your “overwhelm” level will depend on what the source of your overwhelm is. you can also be suffering from more than one source of overwhelm.

more: the art of prompt engineering for accountants | grow your revenue with three marketing strategies | what can chatgpt do for accounting professionals? | generative ai: should you avoid it or adopt it? | want better clients? here’s how | four ways small firms can beat large ones
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

here are five tips to help you manage the most common sources of overwhelm.

1. find support.

is your overwhelm related to your packed schedule?
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bundle tax services with financial planning

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

two sample engagement proposals.

by ed mendlowitz
how to build a stronger tax practice

following are two sample engagement proposals for tax return preparation bundled with additional financial planning and business planning services.

more on marketing: when clients haven’t filed taxes for years | seven keys to a complete succession plan | the tax effects of buying or selling a business | elder care: not sexy, but vital | how to guide clients through divorce | help clients manage their investments
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

letter 1:

dear _________________:

it was good meeting with you last week. ed and i are excited to be working with you and look forward to a long and satisfying professional relationship.
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who needs fall tax planning? clients … and you

avoid balance-due whining sessions and earn additional revenue.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

you’ve surely had this conversation a million times during multiple tax seasons, most often in april. you give a client a tax return with a $20,000 balance due.

client: i didn’t expect to owe that much.
you: how much did you expect to owe?
client: about $5,000.

more: it’s ok to say no to clients (even the large ones) | control your time: avoid ambush meetings and callstrain your clients before they train you | don’t let clients dictate tax workflow | how small firms can win the talent wars | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

here’s where my conversations may differ from yours a bit.

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it’s okay to say no to clients (even the large ones)

working with “smaller” clients can often be more rewarding – and profitable – than “big” clients.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

there’s a reason you aren’t actively training clients to allow you to work efficiently. you’re afraid that you’ll lose clients.

i guarantee that you will.

more: control your time: avoid ambush meetings and calls | get clients to bring tax docs early … yes, earlywhy time tracking still matters | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity | six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

clients have trained you to be inefficient. they’ll resist retraining. some of them will leave and infect someone else’s practice.

the reason you fear losing clients is that you fear you can’t replace them.

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why business email is doomed

malware, ransomware, phishing and other hacker tools will make email obsolete.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

last year, the ceo of slack predicted the demise of business email in five years. i think he’s wrong. i think business email maybe has another two years. there are two obvious reasons why email has a foot in the technological grave.

more: control your time: avoid ambush meetings and phone calls | get clients to bring tax docs early…yes, early | you train your clients, whether you mean to or not | train your clients before they train you | why time tracking still matters | business owners face one of three exits | don’t let clients dictate tax workflow | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity | how small firms can win the talent wars | easy ways to avoid ‘done but’ tax returns | six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

first, spam killed the efficiency of email. how much time do you spend each day deleting spam? you can train your spam blocker, but professional spammers get through using variable email addresses and agreements with internet routing companies.
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the tax effects of buying or selling a business

fifteen points to consider.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

clients who are deciding whether to buy or sell a business are just at the beginning of the process. there’s also determining the proper price, helping in the due diligence process, and structuring the price financially in terms of cash flow and tax considerations.

more on marketing: how to offer conflict resolution | second opinions: an old service under a new label | help clients with employment compensation | help clients with basic budgeting | questions for after tax season | 28 data points for a financial planning discussion | four additional services to suggest
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

this area involves a lot of tax and financial issues.
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stop non-tax season service requests

“i know you’re busy, but …” by frank stitely the relentless cpa a well-known practice management expert, whom i greatly respect, advises cpas never to tell clients that you don’t…