ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

ax season is not the time to make big changes in computer systems. So when you’re a CPA who specializes in IT, the weeks between January 1 and April 15 are the slowest of the year.

Slow is hardly the word for CPA/CITP Roman Kepczyk, though. He spent tax season 2006 in a 13-week training program leading up to the Ironman Triathlon, held April 9 in Tempe, Ariz.

As his fellow CPAs put the finishing touches on clients’ tax returns, Kepczyk started the day at 7:00 a.m. with a 2.4-mile swim, spent the next six hours on a 112-mile bike ride and wound down into evening with a 26.2-mile marathon.

Kepczyk says entering the Ironman has been on his list of life goals since college, but it suddenly seemed attainable when the competition came to Arizona, giving him the opportunity to train close to home. Just as in business—where he’s president of accounting technology consultancy InfoTech Partners North America Inc.—he credits good backup and leading-edge technology with helping improve his performance and keep him in the game. His Garmin Forerunner GPS wristwatch monitored his heart rate, pace and distance, and physical therapy helped him overcome a hurt shoulder and two muscle pulls during training. Also important in both work and sports is a willingness to try new and better ways of doing things. “In January, I actually relearned to swim with a new technique called full immersion swimming,” he says. “That made me significantly more efficient and let me swim longer and stronger with much less energy.”

While Kepczyk wasn’t the first guy across the finish line, he’s proud of his final time of 13 hours, 32 minutes and 51 seconds. Next year, though, he’s likely to take it easy…and just run a marathon.

—Cheryl Rosen

TOP TEN

1 | Your firm’s specialties—for instance, corporate, individual, partnerships, taxes, bankruptcy, audits or estates.

2 | Your contact information on every page, including headquarters as well as any offices located in other cities, states or countries.

3 | States where you are licensed, in case a client has multiple offices or residences—inside, as well as outside, the United States.

4 | The types of clients on which you concentrate.

5 | Profiles of your firm’s members and languages in which they are fluent.

6 | Affiliations or links your firm has—professional, local and national.

7 | Examples of how you’ve solved specific problems (no names).

8 | FAQs for clients’ questions and concerns.

9 | “Tickler system” to remind clients of tax and other financial deadlines.

10 | A Web page to give potential clients an opportunity to contact you directly online and a map of the location of your office(s).

Source: Margot W. Teleki, CopyWrite LLC, Chatham, N.J., m.teleki@copywritellc.com .

DATA POINT

41

Percentage of small business owners who said they are
not on track with saving for a comfortable retirement,
in an American Express Small Business Monitor survey in April.

SURVEY SAVVY

Eighty-four percent of financial forecasts were less than 95% accurate, according to the “Global Planning Survey” by Cartesis ( www.cartesis.com ) of 282 companies with revenues of more than $100 million in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany.

GOLDEN BUSINESS IDEA

I f you lack marketing, publicity and presenting skills or experience, here are some tips to help polish your image.

Give your firm name recognition by volunteering at a charitable event.

Any time you add a new service, sponsor a charitable event or promote a staff member, obtain free publicity by issuing a press release to your local newspapers.

Prepare presentations in advance. As soon as you know the date of your meeting or speaking engagement, note all preparation tasks in your business calendar. The more organized you appear, the more clients will perceive you as a professional to trust.

Determine the most appropriate format for your presentation based on the audience to whom you’re speaking, the time you’re allotted and your objective. For example, will you use audio/visual aids such as slides or PowerPoint software?

Source: Victoria Chorbajian, public speaking coach, Chorbajian Speaking Enterprises, Basking Ridge, N.J., www.VictoriaTheCoach.com , 2006.

SURVEY SAVVY

orty-eight percent of U.S. households with $1 million or more in investable assets planned to invest rather than spend their 2005 holiday bonuses. Of those surveyed, 16% received an average bonus of $49,600.

Less affluent households, with at least $250,000 to invest and/or $150,000 in income, said the same: 45% opted to invest. Average bonuses for 17% of them were $21,500.

Of those with less than $250,000 to invest and $150,000 or more in salary, 42% planned to invest their bonuses, which averaged $18,000 for 25% of this group.

Source: Phoenix Marketing International, www.phoenixmi.com .

Successful Practice Sales
By John R. Ezell, CPA, and Ken Berry
204 pages; softcover
Pro Horizons, Los Altos, Calif., 2005

n Successful Practice Sales: The Complete Guide to Buying, Selling or Merging Your Accounting, Consulting or Tax Practice, CPA John R. Ezell and consultant Ken Berry present guidance for accountants on both sides of the ownership equation. They sketch the process of analyzing whether to buy or sell a firm and assessing the pros and cons of a specific transaction. The book also provides a glossary, document samples and checklists for performing due diligence and for obtaining financing, and it lists the state societies. It’s big help in a small package.

—Michael Hayes

TOP TEN

1 | Send your resume in the exact format requested by the employer.

2 | Follow up with a thank-you letter or e-mail.

3 | Try various keywords and different job search engines to get as many results as possible.

4 | If you’re currently employed, post your resume on a job site that has privacy options.

5 | Spend enough time proofreading your resume and targeting the appropriate employers.

6 | Check your e-mail daily and return phone calls promptly.

7 | Use search agents offered on job Web sites.

8 | Print out job descriptions to keep a record of where you’ve applied.

9 | Stay organized, and know when to send follow-up queries.

10 | Keep a positive attitude: Your next submission could land you that dream job.

Source: Adapted from the e-book How to Find the Perfect Job…in 30 Days or Less! by Paul Fontaine, 2002.

FINANCIAL FUTURES

If you’re counting on a big inheritance to get you through your retirement, you might consider a backup plan. The median inheritance of Americans in 2004 was just $29,000 in today’s dollars, according to the Federal Reserve Board.

SURVEY SAVVY

Hoping to retire in your 50s?

Good luck! Most of us will not be so fortunate.

MetLife’s “Living Longer, Working Longer” survey, published in April, found that six out of 10 adults between the ages of 60 and 65 were either working or looking for a job. And so were 37% of those aged 66 to 70.

Not surprisingly, money was the top reason most of those in their early 60s stayed in the workforce, cited by 60%. But the 65+ group, with Social Security checks likely easing their financial burden, were working more for the sheer joy of it. Fully 72% said they worked to “stay active and engaged,” while 47% cited “the opportunity to do meaningful work.”

CONSUMER ALERT

here’s a new security scam in town. Voice phishing, or “vishing,” encourages victims to type their bank account or credit card numbers on their telephone keypads.

Here’s how it works: People receive an e-mail or voice mail saying someone is illegally using their credit card or bank account and urging them to call a certain phone number immediately to clear up the mess. Once they do, a recorded voice instructs them to type in the account number—while the scammers use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to detect their keystrokes.

So be smart. If you get any kind of message about a credit card, call the company directly, using the customer service number located on the back of the card.

—Laura Baron

BUSINESS TRENDS