Decision Making in Risk Management by Bruce W. Marcus Author of Professional Services Marketing 3.0 Too often, we simply take risk for granted and go headlong into danger and chaos. It needn’t be so. Even in view of the elements … Continued
Build trust by giving prospects a small sample of value.
[For another view, see When NOT to Offer a Free Initial Consultation]
By Sandi Smith, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator
Today’s biggest marketing challenge for soloists and small firms is getting people’s attention, then getting their trust. One way to completely overcome the trust issue is to let prospects receive a small sample of value from you at no charge.
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Because the trust factor is at an all-time historical low, as a practitioner you need to do one or more of several things before clients will do business with you in most cases:
They are more influential than many accounting firms think. Join the study; get more answers.
by Rick Telberg
When companies go looking for a new audit or accounting firm, who within the client company decides which to pick? If you ask a corporate CPA, you’ll get one answer. If you ask a CPA, you’ll probably get another.
Want to wager on who’s right? We know where we’d put our money. READ MORE →
Start thinking about “the fun factor.”
by August J. Aquila
Aquila Global Advisers
No heir apparent – What does the small firm do? Unfortunately there is no silver bullet or magic solution to solve this problem.
More August Aquila on CPA Trendlines: Thinking Merger? Look Before You Leap | Four New Checklists for Succession Planning | Partner Accountability: Seven Signs Your Firm May Be in Trouble |
I do, however, have some solid suggestions that may help you work through the problem. And, if you start sooner than later, you will have a better chance of successfully passing the baton to someone else.
How do I know it’s time to sell or merge? There is perhaps one key indicator that it’s time for you to move on or do something else. I call it the “Fun Factor.”
1. Ask yourself these simple questions: READ MORE →
“E-mail no longer enhances our productivity. It sucks the life out of us.”
By Frank Stitely, CPA, CVA
Stitely and Karstetter
Your office manager calls you in a panic. “Fred Jones is on the phone, and he’s really angry. He said he dropped off his tax documents in late February. Now it’s early April and he still doesn’t have his returns.”
RELATED: How to Make an Extra $72,000 by Working Smarter
You tell her to take a message while you investigate. You look at your project management system, assuming you have one. You see that his return is on hold pending answers from Fred to the questions you sent him in mid-March. READ MORE →