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October 2009 |  Article

Fiftyseven percent of accountants in a recent survey said they plan to stay with their current employer once the economy improves. But almost onequarter (23) plan to look for a new job. The survey, by Ajilon Finance, also found that less than 2 of accounting jobs nationwide have been cut during the recession.

October 2009 |  BY ALEXANDRA DEFELICE |  Article

On the day Barry Melancon passed the CPA exam, two partners in the small Louisiana firm where he worked did something that paved the path to his role as president and CEO of the AICPA. First, the managing partner told him he needed to make a personal contribution to the state society’s political action committee because government actions can have a significant effect on the accounting profession.

August 2009 |  BY SANDRA S. BENSON |  Article

If you find yourself out of a job in this downturn, keep in mind that restrictive covenants may limit your next move. If you are a party to such an agreement, you could face a costly lawsuit if you go to work for a competing company or firm or start your own—even if you are terminated without cause.

April 2009 |  BY Joel Sinkin, Terrence Putney |  Article

Retirement, health issues for an owner, the desire to grow—all of these are reasons firms engage in mergers or acquisitions. Most firms decide to merge or acquire only after considerable analysis of financial and professional outcomes. Last month we gave general advice for ensuring a merger or acquisition goes smoothly.

March 2009 |  BY DOMINIC CINGORANELLI |  Article

The pending retirement of the baby boomer generation and the unrelenting challenge of finding and keeping talented staff can have grave consequences for firms that fail to develop a succession strategy. With the AICPA’s 2008 PCPS Succession Survey showing that only 35 of multiowner firms had a written succession plan, now is the time to examine the state of your firm’s succession strategy.

February 2009 |  BY Elizabeth Pagano, Barbara Pagano |  Article

Some people do solo retreats for personal development. Others provide volunteer services. One CPA firm partner took his two adopted children back to their homelands—Korea and Vietnam—where his 21yearold son was reunited with his birth mother, brother and sister after 14 years, and discovered he had six nieces and nephews.

February 2009 |  BY Elizabeth Pagano, Barbara Pagano |  Article

Here is a sample sabbatical policy based on actual policies used by firms 1. Eligibility. All partners with five years of service will be eligible to take a sabbatical every five years. All managing associates with seven years of service will be eligible to take a sabbatical every seven years.

December 2008 |  Article

The war for talent continues, and it's up to each small firm to create opportunities to find talented employees who will appreciate a small firm environment and prosper in it. It's often difficult for small firms to find the resources necessary to fuel a recruiting system that will fit their needs.

December 2008 |  BY Kim Nilsen |  Article

For those charged with educating the next generation of accountants, the expected shift from U.S. GAAP to IFRS stirs up a host of potentially thorny issues. Professors and college administrators are dealing with questions about the timing of the curriculum expansion and the resources needed to handle IFRS.

November 2008 |  BY Ronald J. Baker |  Article

To a large extent, your company is being managed right now by a small coterie of longdeparted theorists and practitioners who invented the rules and conventions of “modern” management back in the early years of the 20th century. Management is out of date. Like the combustion engine, it’s a technology that has largely stopped evolving, and that’s not good.