Ten Tips for a Better Busy Season

woman holding eyeglasses and looking at laptop screen

Some of these you may want to keep year round.

By Sandi Leyva
The Complete Guide to Marketing for Tax & Accounting Firms

Another busy season is upon us. Are you feeling excited, anxious or dread?

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It’s probably a mix, but hopefully there’s more excitement than any other emotion because you will be helping so many more people during busy season than any other time of the year. Here are 10 easy-to-implement ideas to help your busy time go smoother than ever.

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Jeremy Dubow: Raising the Bar for Talent | Big 4 Transparency

Why equity is the new standard for talent retention.

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Big 4 Transparency
By Dominic Piscopo, CPA
For CPA Trendlines

Jeremy Dubow, CEO and co-founder of Chicago-based, private-equity-backed Prosperity Partners, explains how entrepreneurship in accounting has shifted from demand-driven to capacity-constrained, and why transparent equity programs are becoming the new standard for talent retention.

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Dubow joins Dominic Piscopo on Big 4 Transparency to discuss how accounting-firm entrepreneurship and the operating model required to scale have changed since he co-founded NDH in 2003. NDH later sold to private equity and rebranded as Prosperity Partners, which Dubow described as a case study in how firms are adapting to labor constraints, expanding client complexity, and rising expectations around technology and talent strategy.

Quotables
“The demand for accounting services is greater than it ever has been. The challenge is providing the service at a high level in a labor-constrained environment.”
“AI in and of itself is not right now the solution to solve all our problems. Using automation and offshoring gives us the operational leverage to create that capacity.”
“I recognize that my people are being attempted to be poached every single day of the year.”
“Why have a stock price if you don’t disclose what it is?”
“‘’If I worked that 80-hour week, you should too.’ Well, guess what? That doesn’t work anymore.”

Dubow argues the profession has shifted from a demand constraint to a capacity constraint. Client needs continue to expand, but firms increasingly struggle to staff and deliver services proactively at scale.

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Five Ways to Make Your Services an Investment, Not an Expense

Businessman holding idea light bulb; dollars passing through grow larger

Put your problem-solving skills to use.

By Sandi Leyva
The Complete Guide to Marketing for Tax & Accounting Firms

Every business needs to do some level of bookkeeping for a couple of reasons:

  1. Various government agencies require reporting and payments based on the company’s results.
  2. The owner needs a certain amount of information to manage their business and keep it profitable.

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Many business owners hire us grudgingly for compliance work because they have to. And they consider what they pay us as an overhead expense that is a required cost.

But what if we could turn that perception around?
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Focus on Value First

Hand moving triangle along beam to indicate balance between price and value

Don’t discuss fees as soon as a potential client calls.

By Sandi Leyva
The Accountant’s Accelerator

How do you talk to a prospect or client about your fee?

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Some of the answers I have heard are:

  • “It depends.”
  • “Tell them and get off the phone as fast as possible.”
  • “I don’t know.”
  • “What is your budget?”

Most accountants spill the beans about their rates way too early in a conversation with a future client. So when should you talk rates?

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