OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

How to Build a Marketing Plan on an Excel Spreadsheet

7 key elements.

By Sandi Smith Leyva, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

It’s quite common for accounting firms (even the regionals) to have no marketing plan in place. The marketing plan might very well be, “get as many referrals as we can.” Or it might be a number for each partner (which is not a marketing plan). Or it might be, “if it’s not busy season, I’ll go to my Business Networking International group.” None of these are plans. They are individual marketing tasks and components.

Posted on January 11, 2014

Sandi Smith Leyva

About the Author

Sandi Smith Leyva, CPA.CITP, helps small business owners get more clients, boost their revenues, and achieve their dreams using painless, low-cost marketing strategies.

She's the author of
The Complete Guide to Marketing for Tax & Accounting Firms,
published by CPA Trendlines, which she discusses here:

Read more from Sandi Smith Leyva

At Accountant's Accelerator, Leyva provides CPE webinars and self-study training for CPAs, EAs, tax professionals and accounting professionals who want to learn more to help them grow their practices, earn more, work less, and serve their clients better.

Her business experience includes management time at two Fortune 500 companies as well as making payroll every Friday as a small business owner. A seasoned speaker, she has presented her business programs to thousands of conference attendees. Sandi has earned an MBA as well as a master's in neuroscience.

Sandi has written four technology books and over 500 articles for clients such as Microsoft, Intuit, and the American Institute for CPAs, and her most recent book is Following Amelia: A Modern Day 'Round-the-World Flight.

In 1995, Sandi became the sixth American female and the 15th or so female to co-pilot a single-engine airplane worldwide. In 2009, Sandi co-founded the American Happiness Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization that helps people learn the tools they need to be happy on a long-term basis.

With quite an eclectic background, Sandi is truly a one-of-a-kind grow-your-biz, live-your-dreams coach. She transforms the latest proven scientific methods into millionaire mindsets to help her clients experience how their own hearts, minds, and spirits are their greatest source of personal power.

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