management

congratulations! your firm needs a human resources director

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now what?

that’s what a lot of successful firms are asking these days.

as more firms grow, merge and consolidate – and as hr and payroll rules and regs proliferate – it’s no small decision.

after studying hundreds of cpa firms and distilling their best practices, marc rosenberg, author of “cpa firm management and governance,” compiled this handy 15-item checklist of responsibilities and duties for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

more strategies for growing firms: 12 best practices for a cpa firm compensation committee   |   the 19-point marketing director job description   |   billable hours for partners: how much is too much?   |   charting the evolution of the firm administrator   |   checklist: how the best managing partners and firm admins work in concert   |   25 managing partners list best profitability ideas in 7 key areas   |   two cpa firm committees that need explaining: management and executive   |   ten-point job description for the firm administrator or coo   |

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12 best practices for a cpa firm compensation committee

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with more firms adopting a compensation committee system to sort out a partnership’s touchiest issues, marc rosenberg provides a 12-item checklist of best practices.

the list covers how to frame the committee’s mandate (“full reign”) to how its decisions should be treated (“no appeals. no approval needed.”). read more →

the managing partner’s secret weapon in change management

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august-aquila-headshot-large-copy-150x150
august aquila

by august aquila
 author of “leadership at its strongest”
and “how to engage partners in the firm’s future“

research shows that managing partners and marketing directors are still facing some major challenges when it comes to getting their firms to implement change. why?

here are four key issues firm leaders today face.

1. getting partners to buy in.
2. creating a firm vision that gets all partners on the same page.
3. helping develop a culture of accountability.
4. being asked to accomplish too many goals.

when the managing partner and the chief marketing officer work together they have a better chance of being successful in these areas. you may ask what do these four factors have to do with the marketing director? and i would answer – everything.

overcoming these four issues will make the firm more competitive, efficient and profitable. here’s how the best managing partners work with their marketing directors: read more →

the three biggest money leaks in your practice

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sandi smith leyva
sandi smith leyva

start with a clean spreadsheet.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

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 for soloists and small firms: new client opportunities with mobile apps  /  six questions to launch your strategy sessions  /  what most accountants miss in the five simple steps to get more clients  /  10 ways to add a “money maker” hour to your day  /  11 sources of wealth we can celebrate  /  nine value-adds to command a higher fee  /  how to design your business around your strengths  /  how to make it easy for clients to hire you   /  12 fast, low-cost tips for a stress-less practice  

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the 10 basic ways to boost profits at an accounting firm

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the new practice management discipline.

by august aquila
author of leadership at its strongest

no profits, no mission, as one of my partners is fond of saying.

while leadership, balanced life, outstanding client service and efficient processes are critical for success, they mean nothing if the firm is not sufficiently profitable to make investments for the future and compensate performers. i want to focus on ten ways to make your practice more profitable.

these ten areas form the basis of a practice operational review. read more →

when staffers don’t listen to you

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15-item checklist on effective staff management.

ed mendlowitz, cpa, abv, pfs
author of “implementing fee increases”

question: my staff doesn’t listen to me.  to be able to manage and control my business i need them to prepare a monthly schedule of what they plan on doing that month.  i further need to know each morning if they did what they were supposed to do the previous day, and whether there was anything not done, or anything extra that wasn’t planned on.  my problem is that they don’t give me the schedule and then don’t call or email me to tell me what they did. i really need to know this stuff and can’t figure out how to get them to do it.  what can you suggest? read more →

the client service team in action

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by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 while some firms have explored the idea of client service groups, and leading thinkers like patrick mckenna have been training firms in the concept for several years, few firms have developed the … continued

ten things every firm needs to make clear firm-wide

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the main categories of information for internal communications and management. by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 while the substance of information varies from firm to firm, there are 10 categories that cannot go unconsidered: