when the inmates are running the asylum

crazy doesn’t get better by adding more crazy.

by dom cingoranelli

“we can’t really enforce this because we don’t want to risk having him (or her) quit.”

i can’t tell you how many times we hear something to this effect when we talk with cpas. we hear this at small firms and we hear it at large firms. we hear it from partners, from directors, and from managers. it doesn’t matter what size firm they’re in, nor does it matter what level or position they hold.

it’s always the same line. it reminds me of the old adage, “the inmates are running the asylum.” and, it raises the question of who actually is running the firm. who’s in charge?

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five factors for measuring a partner’s value

word "goal" made up of four jigsaw puzzle piecesif there aren’t goals, what do you measure?

by august j. aquila
what makes a great partnership

in an accounting firm, profitability is generally the result of the firm’s combined talents, business management skills, internal systems and value proposition to its core clients.

more on great partnerships: how and why to achieve partner unity  | how you can get partners to change | why expectations must be defined | are you driving your best partners crazy? | 7 warning signs for your firm | the checks and balances your firm needs | don’t weed out the roses | back to basics: 25 ways to grow your practice | 3 ways to halt a poor leader | 8 questions that staff ask in a merger | 8 financial ducks to line up now
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therefore, many factors must be considered when determining the value of a partner to the firm, for example:
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new research: cpa firms hiring more, paying less

cpatrendlines jobs report tiltoverall headcounts expand as average wages decline.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the accounting profession is on a roll, at least where employment is concerned. record highs are being set for all sectors except bookkeeping, which tied may’s mark, and tax preparation, which has fallen for two months.

meanwhile, women continue to make strong gains, with year-over-year increases ranging from 6.8 to a staggering 23.8 percent. and payroll continues the same path it’s been on for months: more employees, who work longer and make less.

the rise in demand for labor while prices decline would seem to defy the laws of supply and demand.

one or more of several factors may be at play. labor supply may be suddenly expanding as new workers enter the market from the sidelines. or, cpa firms may be throttling wages in order to increase partner incomes, a key factor in potentially lubricating the m&a frenzy as partners age out. or, it could mean firms are replacing high-wage workers with new technologies and pushing more work down the pyramid, raising partner-to-staff leverage — a trend detected in other research studies. in any case, it’s a phenomonon 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 is investigating.

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 highlights:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax and cpa segments of the industry
  • average hourly wages for key segments
  • typical hours worked per week
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce

professional and business services remain one of the bright spots in u.s. employment, which rose by 161,000 in october. the sector rose 43,000 during the month and has added 542,000 jobs over the course of the year. unemployment overall was little changed at 4.9 percent.

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the two most common management styles

senior businessman with his team at officedo cpa firms need management or leadership?

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

let’s start out with a straightforward question. what is the difference between management and leadership?

more on performance management: 8 ways to manage clients | the limitations of rainmakers | firms only grow when partners play their roles | the four basic parts of cpa firm partner agreements | younger partners see succession differently | how to compensate your managing partner | the job of managing partner: empowered or emasculated? | how the best managing partners turn ideas into reality
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from one point of view, leadership is far different than management.
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8 ways to manage clients

two men shaking hands across a tablethis is job 1 for the practice owner.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

whether you simply desire to improve your firm’s operations or identify and implement a new long-term strategy, you need to be clear about the role that the owners, partners or shareholders should be playing in your firm.

more on performance management: the limitations of rainmakers | different roles for different partners | how big ‘books’ hurt firms | developing a three-year vision [video] | more merger questions than you imagined | mps: how to elect them … and fire them | partners as role models: the good, bad & ugly | managing the managing partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

to be sure, the roles and responsibilities of a cpa firm owner or owners will vary from firm to firm, based on that firm’s needs and circumstances, and you need to adapt any recommendations to fit your firm’s situation.
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the limitations of rainmakers

young man under rain-covered umbrellawhy marketing has to permeate the firm and the process.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

for most firms, new business comes in through referral. therefore, the bigger a partner’s client base, the more likely that partner will bring in new business – which simply means that the more clients a partner knows, the more referrals that partner is likely to receive (not in percentage, but in raw numbers).

more on performance management: different roles for different partners | dealing with a-d clients (you know who we mean) | how small ‘books’ hurt firms | why the partner agreement matters | merging for the wrong reasons | how to implement strategy, step by step | accountability requires clear expectations | how retirement issues affect succession planning | how partner ratings factor into equity
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

other drivers of referral success are long-standing service (seniority) and position in the firm (such being one of the named or senior partners). in these cases, there is an extended opportunity for referral simply because:
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cpa salaries projected to advance 3.7% in 2017

excerpt from new robert half salary guide
excerpt from new robert half salary guide

firms jockey for best recruits.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

cpa firms should be braced to pay more and further improve their workplace offering perks to attract top talent, according to staffing firm robert half international.

the already hot market for hiring is stoked to get even more heated with rhi predicting that starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals will increase by an average 3.7 percent in 2017. that’s the second highest level of pay hikes projected for all major professional employment sectors nationwide, trailing only the white-hot technology sector, where it sees average starting pays rising 3.8 percent.

the menlo park, calif., firm warns that “competition for top talent can be fierce,” and notes that many firms are already increasing salaries and bonuses to be tops in their local market areas or business niches. “with skilled professionals in high demand and short supply, more employers are willing to negotiate compensation with potential hires,” said paul mcdonald, senior executive director at rhi.

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women, tax prep see workforce growth

cpatrendlines jobs report tiltsorry, payroll. life remains tough for you folks.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the tax preparation sector of the industry is adding employees. hmm, why could that be?

payroll continues its swings, with numbers and hours up while earnings are down. women continue to see gains both overall and in cpa firms, while their numbers in payroll increased by double digits.

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

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 highlights:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax and cpa segments of the industry
  • average hourly wages for key segments
  • typical hours worked per week, and
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce

read more →

firms only grow when partners play their roles

money tree growing in the middle of green meadowhow often are you seeing your clients?

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

whether you simply desire to improve your firm’s operations, or identify and implement a new long-term strategy, you need to be clear about the role that the owner(s), partners or shareholders should be playing in your firm.

more on performance management: how big ‘books’ hurt firms | how small ‘books’ hurt firms | why the partner agreement matters | merging for the wrong reasons | accountability includes partners | 7 succession questions to ignore for now | develop your employees or suffer the consequences
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the roles and responsibilities we’ve suggested are based on the best practices we’ve had the opportunity to observe and be involved with in our work with cpa firms throughout north america.
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how big ‘books’ hurt firms

young businessman with forehead resting on handsthe invisible hazards of book of business.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

as we stated in our last column, balancing “book of business” is one of the largest stumbling blocks for cpa firms.

more on performance management: how small ‘books’ hurt firms | the four basic parts of cpa firm partner agreements | younger partners see succession differently | how to compensate your managing partner | the job of managing partner: empowered or emasculated? | how the best managing partners turn ideas into reality | make accountability a process | accountability requires clear expectations | base retirement on today’s operations | how involved should retired owners be? | how to find a partner’s replacement
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

it is difficult to resolve because it is symptomatic, for most firms, of some real trouble brewing.
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how small ‘books’ hurt firms

businessman sitting at desk, looking forward and smilingleverage, capacity and overservice are just some of the issues.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

balancing “book of business” is one of the largest stumbling blocks for cpa firms. it is difficult to resolve because it is symptomatic, for most firms, of some real trouble brewing.

more on performance management: the four basic parts of cpa firm partner agreements | developing a three-year vision [video] | mps: how to elect them … and fire them | managing the managing partner | accountability is for everyone | firms say what would change retirement pay | how retirement issues affect succession planning | develop your employees or suffer the consequences | job 1 for the practice owner: client management
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

optimal book size

the optimum condition for firms to flourish is for books of business to be balanced throughout the firm. from the largest book to the smallest, the percentage gap between them should be fairly small (about 20-25 percent or less than a couple hundred thousand in fees).
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when partners leave: what to do today, to be prepared for tomorrow

man taking medication from caretakerset policies now based on business, not emotion.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

let’s review departure/termination policies.

more on performance management: the four basic parts of cpa firm partner agreements | developing a three-year vision [video] | mps: how to elect them … and fire them | firms say what would change retirement pay | action plans for transitioning partners | how retirement issues affect succession planning
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

these may include:
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