How to change your thinking to prevail over the toughest of circumstances Perseverance is a skill that anyone can learn to not only survive, but thrive through life’s curves. When adversity strikes, it’s not what happens to you but how you respond to what happens to you that has the greatest impact on your life. More for soloists and small firms: How to Win New Clients with a Freebie Strategy • The Success Secrets Women Already Know • Why You’re Missing Out on 98% of Your New Business Potential • The Missing Ingredient in Your Marketing That Will Make All the Difference • 3 Steps to Start Running on Millionaire Time • On the Road to a Stress-Free Life: Identify Your [...]
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New revenue may be closer than you think. By Sandi Smith CPA Accountant’s Accelerator It’s far less expensive to keep your existing clients happy than it is to find new clients, especially since the trust factor between people is at an all-time low. So you might want to think about re-directing a portion of your marketing attention on your existing client base instead of networking for new clients. I’ve met a lot of business owners who have trouble getting their employees to sell while they’re on site, and I’ve also heard from some customers who’ve remarked that their vendors don’t stay in touch with them. So here are some tips to mine the pot of gold that lies right before [...]
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Small business survey serves up clues for accountants. “Passion to be an entrepreneur” is the top reason for wanting to start a business for nearly half (48.5 percent) of aspiring business owners.
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Change Your Thinking. Change Your Results. by Gale Crosley Crosley & Co. Sometimes it’s not what we’re thinking, but how we’re thinking that keeps us from the success we deserve. In this case I’m referring to the limits we impose on ourselves, which I call thought borders. While not necessarily geographical, they constrain our forward movement much as the absence of a passport prevents us from entering another country. More Gale Crosley at CPA Trendlines for PRO Members: How Firms Unleash the Power of Diamonds, Cash Cows and Fat Cats How Smart Firms Use Market Research Got Leads? Get Real. Learn How to Qualify Big Opportunities It’s a New Generation in Lead Generation At the Best Firms, Growth is No Accident [...]
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Hint: The secret weapon is communications skills. by Bruce Bailey Guild Accountants While the victor in war is he who wins the last battle, every battle and every outcome is significant (even the battles you lose – we often learn more from our losses than our wins!). About three years ago we looked at our war for clients by assessing: the nature of our troops, their skills and training, the battlefields on which we would operate and the armaments we would carry.
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Fight for the client, and win! Enrolled agent Thomas Blair has built a thriving practice and solid reputation as a taxpayer’s advocate in IRS cases. Here are a few of Blair’s stories, in his own words:
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And are they ever coming back? A seismic shift is shaking the accounting profession: an acute and worsening shortage of clients. A sluggish economy has knocked a lot of traditional clients — individuals and business alike — to the wayside. But long-term, demographers suggest that the same trends that are creating talent shortages and succession crises within accounting forms could depress the number of potential new clients entering the market. In “The New War for Clients,” CPA Trendlines examines the issues and the solutions. It’s Official: The War for Clients Has Begun The War for Clients: August Aquila’s Top Three Strategies Rick Solomon: Most Firms ‘Asleep at the Wheel’ At Sobel CPAs, Events and Alliances Lead the List of Strategies [...]
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Rosters shrink 1%. So, when’s the rebound? The revenue decline is the second in a row for the profession’s largest firms, prompting Accounting Today managing editor Daniel Hood to liken the conditions to a “deep freeze.”
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Strong niche for CPA firms getting stronger. Law firm marketing consultant Larry Bodine reports new results from a BTI market research study that shows the four top areas where lawyers “can earn top dollar from corporate clients with litigation.” And if lawyers can cash in, so can the CPAs who advise them. Here are the top four growth areas:
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And, is that the right question? The top challenge for firms is getting new clients, according to a new survey of Sage Accountants Network members. Next most frequently mentioned were tax law complexity and changes, followed by time management, keeping up with technology, and the effect of new regulations and standards.
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Lessons from a seasoned firm with steady vision. by Gale Crosley CPA firm growth consultant Crosley + Co. Seiler LLP, based in Redwood City, Calif., had always served high net worth individuals and privately held companies, especially those in real estate-oriented, multi-generational family enterprises. But when the California real estate bubble started to burst in the late 1980’s, Seiler refused to sit on the sidelines and let the market take its course. Instead, the firm got proactive, using its favorable geographic location to go after Silicon Valley high-tech clients. Although its niche industry expanded beyond real estate into technology, Seiler continued to target high-value clients and to position its services accordingly. That consistency was key to succeeding in a new [...]
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Marc Rosenberg, author of The Rosenberg MAP Survey, says too many CPA firms fail to heed their own advice to clients: They don’t run their firms like a business.
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M&A is the only succession strategy left for many older firms and partners. For latecomers to exit strategy, merging out is the default option, according to David Bergstein, CPA.CITP, director, of strategic relationships at CCH. Here he talks about that and more: leadership development and revenue growth.
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And the seas are kind of rough. Gary Shamis, managing partner of SS&G Financial Services and one of the producers of Winning Is Everything, reflects on the key take-aways. More CPA Trendlines coverage here.
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Tax work becoming commoditized. Don Potratz, ADP senior director of accounting marketing, explains at the 10th annual Winning Is Everything conference, why CPA firms need to expand into diversified, high-value services. More CPA Trendlines coverage here.
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