THE RADICAL CPA

It’s all about risk.

By Jody Padar
Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA

Scoping is a time commitment, so know that the client is worth the commitment and they have the revenue to back it. Start by setting a minimum price point you will charge for the assessment process. If the client falls below your threshold price point, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to scope them, it just means the process will be less complex and can probably be done within an hour.

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For smaller clients, it helps the process if they arrive at the assessment with all the necessary information. You can look at their QuickBooks data and tax returns to get a strong sense of what they need and how long it will take to deliver. Scoping a small, straightforward client will become second nature with time. But be careful about being too casual when scoping smaller clients. If you miscalculate, you are still opening your firm up to risk.

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Make this a formal process.

By Jody Padar
Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA

A client assessment is an onsite or virtual session where you observe the client’s accounting system on which you’ll be working. This is your opportunity to see how they run their business: their software, their processes and who does what. This is when tasks and responsibilities are clarified and assigned. Both the client and your firm need to understand their responsibilities in this new partnership.

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This assessment also allows you to fully understand the client’s service needs. It is a real-world assessment of services, budget and the work required to provide deliverables. It will also allow you to understand what it will take to onboard them. Again, this assessment goes both ways. It’s worth assuming you have competition, so take advantage of this time to impress the client with some consultative advice demonstrating the value you bring to the table – this is especially true if you are charging for the assessment.

One of the key benefits is the ability to limit your risk and as you:

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Plus three more basic steps. 

By Jody Padar
Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA

How often have you heard the old saying about having two ears and one mouth because listening is twice as important as talking? Hopefully, often, because it is as true as anything I’ve ever heard. Scoping is all about listening, so when you make a presentation, you’ll know what you’re talking about, and the client will know you know.

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Here are four basic steps you can follow to make sure you and the client are in alignment when the time comes to start a new project or present to a potential new client:

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This is your map to success.

By Jody Padar
Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA

There are two basic ways to drive from Door County, Wisconsin, to New Orleans to attend Mardi Gras in February. The first is to chart a course using a map or GPS app. It will tell you the route to take, where to stop along the way and how long it will take to make the drive. The second way is to start the car, back out of the driveway and head south, hoping you’ll bump into New Orleans along the way.

Which do you think gives you the better opportunity to arrive in New Orleans in time for the festivities?

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Scope is a lot like creating a project map showing what you want to accomplish, who’s going to do what, how you’re going to do it, what you’ll need along the way and how long it will take to get there. It includes all the specific details of what you’ll deliver to the client, including, for example, tax returns, quarterly planning, bookkeeping and cash flow management.

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What are employees working toward? They need to know.

By Jody Padar
Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA

Key performance indicators separate the signals from the noise. Throwing timesheets into the trash is your opportunity to focus all your attention on what is most important to your firm’s continued success.

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Good KPIs are quantifiable measurements agreed to beforehand. They must be important to the organization as a whole and specific. Here are a few examples you might consider adopting:
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