How The Structure of an Accounting Firm Changes through the Years

When to re-organize your firm’s management structure.

by Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Management & Governance

Firms may operate for years without much structure, enjoying happiness and profitability. Then, seemingly overnight, the firm “hits the wall.” Growth slows or stops. Staff turn over. Systems become inefficient. Profits stagnate. For many firms, the “wall” is at the $6 million to $8 million annual revenue mark, while others don’t experience the slowdown until revenues approach $10 million.

Roberto Goizueta, CEO of Coca Cola in the ‘80s and ‘90s, described this perfectly: “Challenging the status quo when you have been successful is difficult. If you think you will be successful running your business in the next 10 years the way you did the last 10 years, you’re out of your mind. To succeed, we have to disturb the present.”

The cure for this malady is to get organized.

In this report:

  • Five reasons no two firms are exactly alike.
  • Nine keys to strong CPA firm organizational structures.
  • How CPA firm governance structures change as firms grow larger.
  • Sample CPA firm org charts for three sizes of firm.
  • The 13 forces of departmentalization. READ MORE →