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The Hidden Factory in Accounting: Why Rework Is Quietly Eating Your Capacity
The question firm leaders often ask is simple: Where did the capacity go?
By William Englehaupt
Accounting firms rarely struggle because they lack plans, tools, or capable professionals. Most engagements begin with detailed project plans and clear milestones. Yet despite all of that structure, work still arrives late, review pressure spikes at the end, and teams feel chronically overextended.
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The answer usually isn’t visible on the plan. It sits in what many firms experience but rarely name—the hidden factory.
Thirteen Reasons Why Accounting Firms Merge
Check your motivation, then create your strategy.
By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide
Why do firms merge?
Whether you’re looking to acquire a smaller firm, merge upward into a larger one or join forces with an equal, answering this basic question honestly and objectively is key to laying the groundwork for a successful merger.
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In the chart below, the main reasons that firms seek mergers are listed. Some of these objectives will benefit all parties across the board, while others provide the greatest advantage to one or the other of the merger partners based on their unique situation.
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Quitting Is No Way to Manage Burnout | The Disruptors
Burnout Is Not a Personal Failure. It’s a Nervous System Signal
Sponsored by True Advisor: The Definitive Success Guide for Client Advisory Services by Hitendra Patil
The Disruptors
With Liz Farr
For CPA Trendlines
Young accountants still want to become leaders. They just don’t want to work the way many of today’s leaders do.
A 2026 KPMG intern survey cited by burnout coach Lynette Oss Connell finds 92% of interns aspire to reach the C-suite or another senior executive role. Yet the workplace behavior they most want eliminated is an “always-available” culture.
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For accounting firms worried about keeping their next generation of managers and partners, Oss Connell says younger professionals hear firms encouraging boundaries and work-life balance while watching managers and partners remain constantly connected, work long hours and push through stress.
Stop Mistaking Networking for Business Development | MOVE Like This
Sustainable growth comes from cultivating trust over time—not collecting contacts, memorizing sales scripts or forcing professionals into uncomfortable networking routines.
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MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines Research
In this episode of MOVE Like This, Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk sits down with Leah Yoneda, founder and CEO of Golden Ginkgo Group, to explore why so many talented accounting professionals struggle with business development and why the problem often has less to do with personality than with how firms define, teach, and reward growth.
Yoneda argues that firms frequently wait until professionals are on the doorstep of partnership before introducing business development, then expect them to master an entirely different skill set with little guidance or support.
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Rather than treating relationship building as a long-term professional competency, many firms reduce it to a one-time training session or a list of networking tactics. She believes this approach sets professionals up for unnecessary stress and overlooks the fact that meaningful business development takes years to develop.
A significant portion of the conversation focuses on introversion and the misconceptions surrounding it.
Beyond Tax: The Compliance Stack Modern Firms Need
The same services that deepen client relationships can create new risks unless firms establish clear procedures and accountability.
By Nellie Akalp
Nellie Akalp is the CEO of CorpNet.com, which handles business formation, tax registration and ongoing government compliance filings nationwide, selling many of those services through accountants and other professional advisers.
As accounting firms expand their client offerings to include services such as registered agent representation, business formations, and annual report filings, they encounter new compliance responsibilities along with opportunities to generate additional revenue.
Compliance no longer applies only to tax laws and professional standards. Firms offering a broader range of business services may need to address regulatory requirements, operational controls, risk management, data protection, and technology governance.
‘Growth can create problems as readily as it creates opportunities.’
This evolution creates a need for a compliance stack that allows a firm to grow without unnecessarily increasing its exposure.
A compliance stack is the collection of policies, controls, processes, documentation, technology, and external resources an organization uses to meet its compliance responsibilities. Together, these components provide the infrastructure needed to deliver additional services consistently and manage the risks those services introduce. Without that infrastructure, growth can create problems as readily as it creates opportunities. READ MORE →