Monthly Archives: July 2011

Winning Firms Know the Secrets of Keeping Good Accountants

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Work/life balance proves essential to recruiting, retaining staff.

by Rick Telberg

If that CPA working next to you appears stressed out by the job, take a long, hard look because you may not see him or her again in the future.

While CPAs in all walks of the profession are strained and face tough workloads, those feeling the greatest stress and workplace demands are more likely to be seriously in the market for another job. At any given moment, according to my studies, about one on three CPAs would consider changing jobs, even it meant a pay cut, in exchange for better working conditions. Among the most stressed-out CPAs, the ratio of job seekers jumps to about half.

So it’s imperative for managers of CPAs to offer state-of-the-art workplaces if they want to retain hard-to-find staff. READ MORE →

How Long Do You Keep a Client?

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Warning: Your clients’ answers may differ. By Jean Caragher and Rick Telberg SevenKeys CPA New studies conducted by The Bay Street Group and the Capstone Marketing Group illuminate several very significant gaps between the opinions of clients and their CPAs. … Continued

The Battle for the Center Gets Heated

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Mid-Sized Accounting Firms Step Up Competition for the Heart of the Market.

Source: CPA Trendlines

by Rick Telberg

No one is fighting harder for every new client and every new dollar than the accounting firms in the middle of the market, according to new CPA Trendlines research.

Nationwide, an astonishing 86% of mid-sized firms (those with five to 15 partners or about 51 to 100 employees) have been stepping up their marketing efforts, according to the new study.

To be sure, firms of all sizes are increasing their marketing activities  — from solosists (about 47%), to 2-to-10-person offices (55%), through 11-to-50-person offices (73%), and the more-than-100-persons offices (77%). But it’s in the 51-to-100-person category that the battle seems most heated these days.

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