CPA Trendlines

Today's Features

Use Timesheets for Productivity, Not Billing

Back office support calls for flat rates. Here’s why.

By Penny Breslin
It’s Not Just the Numbers

Let’s get to the big questions that confound professional service providers of all types in today’s tech environment:

How do I charge my client for these services?
How do I continue to get paid?
How do I charge hourly for processes that will be taking less and less time because of the application of technology?

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Fixed Pricing

Flat-rate billing is the logical choice for back office support (BOS) services. This fixed pricing is typically used for monthly recurring work. We can do this by knowing how long it takes to create any given transaction. There will be swings in time, but the idea is that the fixed monthly rate considers the busiest season or months for the business. That way, on less heavy months, you receive the same rate and it makes up for the times when the workload increases.
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PRO Member Exclusive

Who Are You More Committed to, Your Firm or Your Clients?

Sometimes silence is the best approach.

By Martin Bissett
Passport to Partnership

Ask yourself and answer these questions when considering the current and future “commitment” behaviors that you’ll employ.

MORE: Two Steps Toward Mastering Selling | Rate Your Personal Purpose | Five Ways to Make Selling Easier | Six Keys to Getting a Proposal Accepted | Tell the World Your Worth | Four Surprising Keys to Communication | Culture Can’t Be Ignored | Three Questions About Your Competence | 10 Can’t-Skip Steps for Business Development | Attract Clients, Don’t Chase Them
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1 – What is my first reaction to being asked to work outside of my normal hours?
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PRO Member Exclusive

Windows Is Now an App for PCs, Apple Products

The most widely used office software is now more convenient.

By Rick Richardson
Technology This Week

Microsoft has created a Windows App for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows and web browsers. The application effectively transforms the old Windows 365 app into a central location for accessing Microsoft Desktop Services, Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box and streaming a copy of Windows from a distant PC.

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Microsoft supports device redirection for peripherals such as webcams, storage devices and printers, as well as configurable display resolutions and scaling. These features are accessible through its Windows App. The preview version of the Windows App isn’t currently available for Android, though.

OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Will Unclogging the Accounting Pro Pipeline Kill Mobility?

Changing the 150-hour requirement could have unintended consequences.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The day-to-day of the CPA may be grueling at times, but one thing makes the day a little easier – the facility of mobility.

Not only can a CPA with a driver’s license in one state drive in other states, but in most cases, they can practice their profession in other states, too. If you’re licensed to practice in one state, you’re good to go in every other state except, coincidentally, the one you can’t drive to.

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Practice mobility is crucial in a business system that often as not transcends state borders, and it’s even more important as professionals work remotely, sitting in one state while practicing in another.
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PRO Member Exclusive

Measure Knowledge Gaps (Then Close Them)

Six questions to ask, plus a real-world example.

By Ed Mendlowitz
202 Questions and Answers: Managing an Accounting Practice

QUESTION: I suspect that my partner has “maxed out” and cannot grow further, which will retard our growth. What can I do or how can I deal with this?

MORE: 47 Types of Business Valuation to Provide | Referral Fee? Forget It | How Much Is Your Tax Practice Worth? | Merge in Lower-Priced Work without Losing Out
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RESPONSE: This is a frequent question, and sometimes it is the person asking it who has “maxed out.” But sometimes it is the partner or a key staff who wants to be made a partner.
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