Consulting

Why I Became a Consultant

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By Ed Mendlowitz The CPA Trendlines Practice Doctor While I was working full-time early in my accounting career, I was also picking up clients that I did on the side, also known as moonlighting. One of the clients was a … Continued

6 Ways to Move Beyond Compliance Services

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Dollar Concept, Financial Adviser Or Finance AdvisoryBecoming a ‘trusted advisor.’

By Sandi Smith Leyva
The Accountant’s Accelerator

Here’s a question: What portion of your revenues are derived from compliance work – e.g., tax preparation and IRS representation; bookkeeping; QuickBooks setup, cleanup and training; payroll; and audit work – versus value-added work, e.g., revenue improvement, business consulting, profit margin analysis and workflow improvement projects?

If you answered 100 percent compliance work and no value-added services, you’re not alone.  There’s a lot of lip service about moving from compliance services to becoming a “trusted advisor.” There’s an equal amount of confusion in how to get started.

Here are a few tips to help those of you who want to move in that direction. READ MORE →

Six Money-Making Strategies to Take You Beyond QuickBooks

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How to give clients real solutions, options and opportunities they’ll love.

By Sandi Smith Leyva, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

Many accountants are QuickBooks ProAdvisors who offer QuickBooks consulting to their clients; you may be one of them.

More at CPA Trendlines for soloists and small firms: Proactive Ways to Get More Referrals   |  The Three Biggest Money Leaks in Your Practice   |  New Client Opportunities with Mobile Apps   |  Six Questions to Launch Your Summer Strategy Sessions   |  What Most Accountants Miss in the Five Simple Steps to Get More Clients   |  10 Ways to Add a “Money Maker” Hour to Your Day   |  11 Sources of Wealth We Can Celebrate   |  Nine Value-Adds to Command a Higher Fee   |  How to Design Your Business Around Your Strengths

Here are the opportunities I see to expand your client services in the area of QuickBooks consulting, or for that matter, any accounting software consulting. READ MORE →

New Math for Accountants: 3×3=10

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How some CPAs are leveraging principles and metrics as trusted business advisors.

By Edi Osborne
MentorPlus

There’s a new formula for the business acumen needed to improve the overall performance of an organization: 3 X 3 = “10” in business performance. Are you an accountant who “gets” this new math?

More from CPA Trendlines on business advisory services: Give Business Clients Something to Talk About [VIDEO]   |   The Accounting Profession Promise that Could Change Everything   |  Score Your Firm on Eight Critical Success Factors   |  The Cloud Won’t Make You into a Superhero   |  The Client-Centric Firm of the Future [VIDEO]   |  The Big Mistake CPAs Make in Client Service   |

Business owners are looking for an accountant who understands that for a business to be a “10,” they have to have the 3 X 3 fundamentals down pat. Business owner expectations are on the rise, and client satisfaction may take a hit as these minimum expectations become the status quo.

To win in any game you have to know three things: READ MORE →