Practice Management
Pull Your Projects out of the Black Hole
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over…” ~ Steve Maraboli Do you ever feel like your projects have fallen into a black hole? You might be delegating them to a particular person, or putting a return “in the drawer”, or empowering a team…
Read MoreCommunicating During COVID-19
As I write this from my own quarantine, I can confidently say we are in uncharted waters. Suddenly we are all trying to figure out how to work remotely, what it means to be flexible and just what needs to be communicated and to whom. As accounting and business advisory professionals, your skills – and…
Read MoreJust Say No to These Website Faux Pas
It’s 2020 and a website is no longer a novelty; it’s a necessary tool for any serious business. Making that website attractive and easy to navigate is a must, and luckily, website design has evolved to the point that the task can be accomplished without too much difficulty. Too many people see design as “making…
Read MoreAvoiding Failure to Launch: How to Successfully Implement Change at Your Firm
Feel the Pain The first step to successfully launching a game-changing initiative is to truly feel the pain. The pain of staying the same must begin to outweigh the pain of change, or you may end up with a lack of motivation for change. Change is difficult; it requires effort and the ability to work…
Read MoreTransforming into the Firm of Tomorrow
There’s a lot being written and talked about on firm transformation and innovation today. You can’t go a few minutes on social media without being inundated with content. There are daily articles from the industry’s top publications. Every conference has multiple speakers on the topic. Suffice it to say, the hype is strong. And while…
Read More3 Signs a Compliance Mentality Is Endangering Your CPA Firm’s Future
In today’s tough competitive climate, CPA firms must evolve beyond a compliance mentality. With automation and intense competition pushing old-school audit and tax shops to the verge of extinction, only the fittest CPA firms will survive. How do you know if your firm is on the endangered species list? Here are a few warning…
Read MoreElevate Your Client Service through Project Management
As I travel the country working with the best of the best CPA firms to help them improve their processes, people development and ultimately profitability, I’m often reminded that one of the toughest positions inside CPA firms today is the mid-level. Every firm is a little different in what they call their mid-level, whether it…
Read MoreDoing the Right Work
We are seeing a transition right now. More and more firms are finally making the switch from the long-time, baby boomer managing partner to a younger, less experienced managing partner. It is a very difficult time for both of the people involved, and the firm, in general. The outgoing MP struggles with relevancy and a…
Read MorePreparing Your Firm for an Upstream Merger or Sale
With all of the merger activity in the accounting profession today, there is a good chance your firm has been approached to consider an upstream merger or sale. Perhaps you are seeking that as a way to address strategic needs your firm has such as the pressure to provide succession for soon-to-retire partners. Keep in…
Read MoreDefine and Protect Your “Business Model Deal-Breakers”
We are spending a lot of time these days driving change to the current public accounting business model, including pushing for not-to-exceed pricing, unlimited paid time off and uber-flexibility, and turning over the reins to younger leaders earlier. And that’s just a tiny sampling of the changes we believe firms can – and should —…
Read More