How to remain on track despite setbacks and detours.
by Nick Keseric
Is there a change? Is the economy showing some slight signs of getting a little bit better and stronger? Is it the beginning of a new year that brings new hopes?
I actually believe that some of those frowns that people have been wearing for years are beginning to be turned upside down a little more these days. Do I dare say it, but are we becoming more positive? READ MORE →
‘Tis the season for new promises and plans.
We’ve been asking finance and accounting accounting professionals about what 2013 may hold, and you’ve been answering. To get all the details, click here to join the survey and get the results.
Meanwhile, here are a few sample New Year’s resolutions from colleagues and peers. Some may sound all too familiar from resolutions made in 2012. Personally, I’m still working on the lose-15-pounds resolution from 2012, and, er, 2011, 2010, 2009… Oh well.
— Rick Telberg
President / CEO
New Year’s resolutions from finance and accounting professionals:
And why you need to be more demanding of your IT vendors.
With technology constantly changing the rules of the game, it’s almost impossible to keep up. Let alone to stay a step ahead. But here, from the analysts at SMB Group, are a few trends to watch with your small-business and mid-size-business clients and stakeholders. Some also apply to accounting firms. Many of these trends will need more investment and evangelism from vendors for CPAs and their clients to obtain maximum benefits.
— Rick Telberg
President / CEO
1. Be prepared for the most progessive-thinking clients to sprint ahead of their peers. And watch out for the accounting firms that are doing the same.
Last year we identified a distinct correlation between investments in technology and business performance. Progressive companies and firms are more growth driven, invest more in technology and use technology for competitive advantage. They are also much more likely to anticipate revenue gains than peers whose tech investments are flat or declining—and the gap is widening. READ MORE →
Are you leading, or merely managing or administering?
by Marc Rosenberg, CPA
Author of “CPA Firm Management and Governance”
When attending conferences, we love “aha” moments. Those are moments when a speaker says something so profound that it causes a sudden understanding of a major issue and captures our imagination. We can’t wait to get back to the office, share it with our partners and start implementing the idea.
More on CPA Firm Management and Leadership: Leadership Is Overrated: It’s Good Management that Makes Successful Firms • 40 Great Ways to Improve Firm Profitability • Four Management Metrics that Fool Even the Best-Run Firms • 19 Ways to Improve Accounting Firm Profitability • De-Bunking the Myth about Niche Marketing for Tax and Accounting Firms • Practice Development Is No Longer an Optional Activity • 10 Good Ways the Achieve Partner Accountability • Pick Your Partners Right to Begin With • The First Nine Questions Your Partner Team Needs to Embrace for Optimal Profitability • Profitability and The Value of Strategic Thinking • The Five Essential Building Blocks for Creating a Strong Accounting Firm • The Seven Signs of Great Leadership in a CPA Firm • Compensation Issues for the New Managing Partner •
I had an “aha” moment not so long ago. The speaker was Bob Bunting, long time managing partner of regional firm Moss Adams, a leader in our profession par excellence. He delivered a very simple but powerful statement that described a value system at Moss Adams:
My take on this is: READ MORE →