B2B media luminary shares some tips.
Via http://www.aicpalearning.org, Hank Berkowitz writes:
When it comes to B2B e-newsletters for financial professionals, no discussion would be complete without checking in with Rick Telberg, President of Bay Street Group Research in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Arguably the most widely-read journalist and analyst covering the accounting profession, Telberg is the co-author of a new research report: Beyond the Click: Maximizing Advertising ROI in B2B E-Newsletters.
Request a FREE copy of the executive summary of the report, here.
CPA Marketing Insider (CMI): Rick, it sounds like you’re not a big fan of using clicks to measure the success or failure of online ad campaigns, especially in e-newsletters.
Rick Telberg: Correct. I’m just not seeing much of a correlation between advertisers who are continually renewing their campaigns in their favorite media properties and the clicks they’re getting from those campaigns. Several media partners I’ve talked with note that some of their longest-standing clients fall into the middle and even lower tiers in terms of raw click-through rates they’re seeing.
CMI: With marketing departments and ad agencies stretched so thin these days, can media partners really expect their advertisers to develop creative specifically for their own publications and Web properties?
Telberg: I’d flip that around. READ MORE →
A call to arms for accountants.
James Reeves writes: “Some politicians and economists, generally Republicans and including McCain advisor Jack Kemp, will tell you we can grow our way out of the deficit problem. And I’ve personally felt pretty closely aligned with these so-called supply-siders over the years. But I’m aligned with CPAs too. And when the Comptroller General of the United States, with all he knows from 10 years on the job, tells us that growing our way out is impossible, and if we don’t act it could bankrupt America, I’m not going to doubt him.”
So what can we do?
It’s also the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
And you thought taxes were bad?
There’s more to appreciate in life than just the best Tax Season season ever.
Debbie Lessin, CPA (bio)
D. J. Lessin & Associates, Inc.
Chicago, IL
I learned many years ago to manage my time and client load, stick to deadlines and know when to cut it off. I left the office at 5:00 PM last night with all the returns picked up and all extension checks in the office, including the one sent to the wrong suite in the building (I moved from there over 12 years ago), that I figured that we’d never see and I’d have to cover. All that’s left for this morning is to do the 4/15 extension ritual. I am writing from home when I am usually in the office already. I know I am done. READ MORE →
Will the subprime mess cost auditors as much as the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1980′s?
Too early to tell. But the S&L debacle cost auditors close to $1 billion in settlements and sped the contraction of the Big Eight into today’s Final Four.
In the first quarter of this year, PwC settled three lawuits — Metropolitan Mortgage and SmarTalk Teleservices, each for about $30 million, and Crocus venture capital, for $6.1 million, according to Public Accounting Report.
But those settlements don’t come close to any of the record payouts.
Here are the top 10 CPA firm lawsuit settlements of all time, according to PAR:
1. $456 million: KPMG — Tax shelter clients. August 2005.
2. $400 million: E&Y — Savings and loan failures. November 1992.
3. $335 million: E&Y — Cendant. December 1999.
4. $312 milllion: Deloitte — Savings and loan failures. March 1994.
5. $298.5 million: E&Y — Cendant. December 2007.
6. $250 million: Deloitte — Fortress Re. September 2005.
7. $225 million: PwC –Tyco. July 2007.
8. $217 million: Andersen — Baptist Fund of Arizona. March 2002.
9. $210 million: Deloitte — Adelphia. November 2006.
10. $186.5 million: KPMG — Savings and loan failures. August 1994.
CPA AGENDA: Critical Issues and Solutions for the Profession.
Loretta Doon (pictured), chief executive of the California CPA society (the nation’s biggest state society, by the way), is pushing hard for interstate mobility. But first California CPAs must bring their state regulations into line with the national 150-hour educational standard.
Here’s our Q&A with Doon for the CPA Agenda:
QUESTION: What’s the most important issue impacting your organization in particular, or your members in general?
DOON: Mobility. Achieving national uniformity on mobility is critical. It is necessary for consumers, businesses and CPAs in the United States to remain 
competitive in the global marketplace. In today’s economy, it is imperative that consumers and businesses be able to adjust strategies quickly by relying on CPAs to provide expert advice regarding tax laws and accounting issues around the world. READ MORE →
What did you learn this year?
Join the discussion; see what CPAs say.
by Rick Telberg/At Large
Congratulations! You survived another busy season.
It wasn’t always easy. There were last-minute changes to the AMT and client pressure for those economic stimulus rebate checks; plus, there were the usual software glitches, staff shortages, sudden departures and naive or ill-prepared clients. And don’t forget the usual personal and emotional crises of the season-spouses and kids who go too long without quality time, frayed nerves with partners and staff and your own health and welfare.
But all in all, most accountants are reporting a comparably better season than last year. We’ll get to the details in a column coming up as soon as we can crunch some season-ending data. So don’t forget to add your input to our ongoing busy season benchmarking project, here. You’ll be joining thousands of accountants who have participated over the last four years. READ MORE →
