do as little as possible

older businessman taking a coffee break

and still have happy clients.

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

question: i have many clients who always expect me to do extra work as part of our fixed-fee agreement. how can i get paid extra for work beyond the scope of our agreement?

more: want to merge? here are 23 things to request | i’m just starting out; why join an association? | i’m 76. should i slow down? how? | ask for what you’re worth | 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
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

response: this is a recurring theme, and one that has many answers. one approach: don’t take on the extra work.

here is another approach.
read more →

is your practice leaking money?

money coming out of sink faucet and going down drain

there’s a spreadsheet for that. three ways to recapture lost revenue.

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

there are dozens (and maybe hundreds) of ways your practice can leak money.

here are three ideas that are fairly simple to implement and may be some great goals for you to consider.

more: boost your value, boost your fees | three ways to make it easier for prospects to say yes | make your next busy season easier now | how to put your strengths to work for you | implement these two daily rituals | three ways to follow up with prospects | are you throwing away profits? | want to close a deal? set a deadline | how mindset affects your marketing | three steps to becoming a millionaire | five business development mistakes to avoid | twelve ways your business card can hurt you | 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
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

1. lost customer opportunities.

in just about every business i’ve worked with, there are opportunities within your current customer base that have not been harvested. when you offer multiple services or products, it may even be that some of your clients do not know everything you do.
read more →

want to merge? here are 23 things to request

this is your starting point.

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

question: what do you ask for when considering a merger?

more: i’m just starting out; why join an association? | don’t blame the client for your location | 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 | higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

response: this is a “you show me yours and i’ll show you mine.” you should have this information fairly well organized.

also, look at it critically and try to imagine what a prospective partner would say, and how you would react if this were someone else’s information that were being presented to you.
read more →

i’m just starting out; why join an association?

four businesspeople greeting each other

why would you not?

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

question: i do not belong to the njscpa and see no value in it. what are the benefits if i am a sole practitioner and just starting out?

more: don’t blame the client for your location | realign partners with monthly meetings | hourly billing doesn’t cover the value; now what? | you have to start somewhere | nine reasons not to specialize | 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)
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

response: i belong to the aicpa, njscpa and nysscpa, feel strongly about supporting these societies and believe it is a responsibility of professionals to do so.
read more →

the community of accountants is a superpower

eight excited office workers around conference table

leave your silos and explore an incredible breadth of options.

by liz farr

accounting, by its nature, is a solitary activity. but we don’t have to solve our firm’s problems alone. we don’t have to suffer alone.

join liz farr at the linkedin 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 group | more liz farr | follow liz farr on the disruptors wherever you get your podcasts: applegoogle/youtubespotifyiheartdeezer, amazon music, audibleplayer fmaudacy, rss.

all we need to do is reach out to others, listen, ask for guidance, and know we will be heard and supported.

read more →

don’t blame the client for your location

vehicles on both sides of a divided highway

charge for travel time and expenses at the risk of alienating clients.

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

question: my practice is in central new jersey and i have a client about 2-1/2 hours away in pennsylvania. the mileage and tolls cost us $200 each month. can i bill for this?

more: realign partners with monthly meetings | i’m 76. should i slow down? how? | ask for what you’re worth | 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
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: are you crazy? you will lose the client. you would be “penalizing” the client for you not being local to their business.

read more →

korby boswell: what managing partners need to hear | capstone conversations

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

[preview] the complete video episode, including commentary, analysis, notes, takeaways, additional background information, and transcript, is available first to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research pro members. | go pro here.

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

with jean caragher
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

more capstone conversations here

the essence of successful accounting firm marketing lies in effective project management, smart content marketing, and, above all, producing solid sales leads, according to korby boswell, adams brown senior marketing and growth manager.

more capstone conversations herefollow 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 every friday with gear up for growth here |

in this episode of capstone conversations with jean caragher, boswell delivers three pieces of advice for cpa firm managing partners.

read more →

main street accountants see turbulence ahead for small business

the avalara accountants confidence report points to difficulties.

via avalara

nearly 50 percent of accountants surveyed believe the outlook for over 80,000 small business clients they represent will turn sour over the next 1avalara (prnewsfoto/avalara, inc.)2 to 18 months, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 study conducted with avalara, the sales tax automation provider.

full report: download (pdf)

fielded during the 2024 tax season, the survey shows accounting professionals flashing warning signs around key business issues, leading with clients’ abilities to hire and retain employees, manage costs and price increases, and keep up with technology changes ushered in by artificial intelligence. read more →

best people practices for small firms with kristin murray & jennifer wilson | gear up for growth

kristin murray and jennifer wilson reveal strategies for growth, culture, and staff retention.

[preview] the complete video episode, including commentary, analysis, notes, takeaways, additional background information, and transcript,  is exclusively first available to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research pro members first. | go pro here.

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

gear up for growth
with jean caragher
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

“probably no surprise, the greatest challenge to growth in this industry is attracting and retaining talent,” says kristin murray, managing partner of weinstein spira. “without that, there is no growth, and given the landscape of our industry right now, that’s everybody’s biggest challenge. if it’s not, i’d be amazed.”

gear up for growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and efficient growth in today’s competitive landscape. more gear up for growth every friday here.more capstone conversations with jean caragher every monday | more jean caragher here | get her best-selling handbook, the 90-day marketing plan for cpa firms, here | more the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 broadcast channel

“kristin was the person in her firm who stuck her neck out and took the risk back when she was a tax partner leading the hr and culture initiatives for the firm,”  says jennifer wilson, partner and co-founder of convergence coaching.

murray and wilson reveal their strategies for firm growth, firm culture, and staff retention on gear up for growth, hosted by jean caragher, president of capstone marketing, and powered by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

read more →

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

 

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.
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.
read more →

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

 

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 →