practice development

25 ways to turn good firms into great firms

by

leader addresses co-workersprofitability and benchmarking are part of it, but not all of it.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

the 25 best practices below have been extracted from rosenberg’s work with great firms over a 20-year period. few firms do them all, but the elite firms do most of them.

more on retreats: partner buyout 101 | 27 tough questions every firm needs to address | 10 benchmarking missteps | 18 essential management questions to cover at a retreat | thinking of merging? discuss it at a retreat | retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

what grade would you give your firm on each of these?
read more →

30 smart marketing and growth questions

by

illustration of marketing strategy

drill down on what is working and what isn’t.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

it’s always a good time to ask the right questions of your marketing strategy is always. but most firms save the heavy lifting for their annual retreats.

before formally beginning the discussion part of the session, it’s always a good idea to begin by asking participants what they want to be sure to cover.

more on retreats: how marketing for cpa firms is different | how to take action after a retreat | 12 simple rules for a retreat | leave your retreat with a to do list | retreats are no place for clowns | retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

as issues are suggested, write them down on a flipchart.

read more →

21 painless ways to network, even for accountants

by

business colleagues eating meal together and discussing workgot the personality of an actuary? no problem.

so, many cpa firms have been launching soft skills training to help their professionals meet people, network better, and, hopefully, land more business.

trainer and facilitator arnold sanow, mba, csp, reminds us that dale carnegie once won a major sale by being a great conversationalist – without saying more than a few words.
read more →

keeping score in the accounting business [pro member exclusive]

by

learn how to read the scorecard.

keseric

by nick keseric

i have a good friend tucker who over the years has collected over 10,000 golf scorecards from all over the world.

people, even strangers, know of his quest and send stacks of scorecards to his mailbox each year from their travels.

and like a proud father, he’ll pull out his latest batch of cards to show with great pride.

more nick: six ways to stay positive in 2013  • seven steps to leverage the power of positivity in your firm, your career and your life   •  nine bridges to cross in business development for accounting firms   • if business development is a circus at your firm…   •  my attitude??? what’s wrong with my @#$%! attitude?   •  curious minds want to know: are you helping or selling?   •  the six-step roadmap for cpa change agents   •  20 biz dev ideas for your career and your firm   • 

however, if you show too much interest in his cards, he will kick it up a gear (lucky you) and start showing you a hole and begin to tell you what clubs he would hit on each hole according to the yardage of the hole. i always said tucker has too much time on his hands!

you know, a golf scorecard and an accounting marketing plan are very similar.

read more →

what to do when you lose your biggest client

by

and why aren’t more cpas asking the same question?

here at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间, ed mendlowitz answers some of the toughest questions practitioners can throw at him. he’s the right one to ask. after more than 40 years in the business – building his own practice, running the firm, and eventually selling it to a major regional firm, withumsmith+brown, where he remains a senior partner and consultant to professional services clients – he has the answers. we’re happy to have him at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. send your questions for ed here, or chime in with comments below.

meanwhile, browse more from ed here:  congratulations! you bought a tax practice. now what?  |  how accountants can keep the business when a client wants to sell theirs  |  10 reasons clients don’t pay, and what to do about it  |  13 reasons timesheets will never die  |  

— rick telberg
president / ceo

question: i have an established practice and just lost my largest client and need to get new business to make up for the loss. how do i go about getting additional clients?

answer: funny, cpas aren’t asking me about marketing. maybe it’s because 1) they are too busy working so aren’t thinking about marketing, 2) they really don’t like to sell; 3) they feel uncomfortable about asking existing clients for referrals and especially so if they feel they aren’t doing as good a job servicing the client as they should be; 4) they would like new business but don’t seem to want to go out of their way to get it unless it is a referral, or 5) they don’t know what “marketing” is.

read more →

linkedin leads in social media strategies

by

accountants shun facebook and twitter. linkedin has established itself as “the premier social networking site” for tax, accounting and finance professionals, according to a new study by a veteran of the cpa profession. and well over three in four professionals … continued

sam allred launches new sales training program

by

for new partners and senior managers. via upstream academy set to launch in june, the academy for business development will bear many of the signature characteristics of upstream academy’s other programs. “everything we do at upstream emphasizes timeless principles, proven … continued

top seven growth areas for cpas

by

and four questions to seize the “high-leverage” opportunities. after spending the last six months with cpas all across the u.s., maryland cpa association ceo tom hood has a thought or two  on where accountants can find new opportunities. in fact, … continued

take the passionate accountant quiz

by

can your clients tell if you are faking it? do you seek out opportunities to learn new things that will help your clients overcome their most difficult challenges? selling value-creation advisory services is truly a slam dunk with most modern … continued

four new cpa opportunities for the new economy

by

cpa mike ramos sees government policies moving the economy in a new direction. this will affect your clients’ business — and their business needs. your opportunity is to provide a service to address those changing needs. four promising areas to … continued

10 ways to how to make every contact count

by

without a solid system for networking, what good are good connections?

how can you gain the trust of your contacts so they’ll start connecting you to all the people in their network? the greatest networkers have a simple, practical system for making a lasting impression and building a strong foundation for future professional success. read more →

hiring your firm’s first salesperson

by

as a firm owner, you can’t risk putting a dent in your reputation with a poor salesperson. but how and where do you find a good salesperson? the answer is: start where you shop. start paying attention to the good … continued