CPA firm practice management news and resources

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April 27, 2015

Q&A: What you need to ask clients before setting a price

Billing by the hour isn’t the only way to charge clients. But to implement a different approach, you’re going to need to ask these questions first.

April 21, 2015

Doughtie to become first female CEO of KPMG in U.S.

KPMG in the United States has elected Lynne Doughtie, CPA, as its next chairman and CEO, adding to the growing ranks of women in prominent leadership positions in the accounting profession.

April 16, 2015

CPAs select security as top technology priority

A steady stream of high-profile cybercrimes involving corporate and customer data has captured the attention of North American accounting professionals, who ranked IT security as their top technology priority.

April 13, 2015

Models of success?

An accounting firm experiment hypothesizes that “there will be multiple successful business models for accounting firms of the future.” Explore the experiment’s results and different visions for public accounting’s future—and examples of that future already becoming reality.

April 13, 2015

Working to close the skills gap

Many organizations are having difficulty finding skilled talent. This infographic explores the methods employers are using to attract top candidates and innovate their talent searches.

April 13, 2015

You made partner: Now what?

Becoming a partner requires a shift in mindset from employee to business owner. Young partners share what they’ve learned about being leaders, setting goals, developing others, and adjusting to new roles.

April 13, 2015

The importance of tax quality control

Quality control (QC) is of utmost importance when delivering professional services, including tax planning and compliance services.

March 18, 2015

Q&A: How can firms implement value pricing?

Value-pricing advocate Ron Baker recommends that firms use price-led costing and nominate a value council to set prices.

March 16, 2015

Accountants get high marks from small business leaders

Small business leaders ranked accountants at the top of the list of the most important professionals who serve their businesses, a new survey shows.

March 1, 2015

Other people’s money

Seemingly disparate services such as investment advisory, bill-paying, and estate planning all have a common denominator: the CPA’s involvement with other people’s money.

March 1, 2015

Finding growth in FVS

Forensic accounting and business valuation practitioners have unique business development challenges. A recent survey helps shed light on where they can expect to find future growth. Plus: Download “This just in: Forensic and valuation services expected to keep growing,” an infographic highlighting key findings from The 2014 AICPA Survey on International Trends in Forensic and Valuation Services.

March 1, 2015

Accounting firms moving slowly toward cloud

CPA firms have their eyes on the cloud, but most of their accounting software remains loaded on their own computers and servers. A new section of the 2014 AICPA PCPS Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Survey uncovers the who, what, how, and why of information technology decisions in public accounting.

March 1, 2015

Cash balance plans for professional practices

Understand the rules for this leading form of retirement benefit.

March 1, 2015

How small businesses can keep data secure

Lisa Traina, CPA/CITP, CGMA, president and owner of information technology security firm Traina & Associates, suggests ways for organizations with limited IT budgets to keep their data secure.

February 10, 2015

Q&A: Should you dump the billable hour?

A growing number of industry pricing experts are urging CPA firms to jettison the venerable billable hour and replace it with value pricing. In this Q&A session, value-pricing champion Ron Baker provides an in-depth look at the benefits of making the switch.

February 9, 2015

Deloitte’s Engelbert to be first female U.S. CEO of a Big Four firm

Cathy Engelbert, CPA, has been elected CEO of Deloitte LLP, the firm announced today. When Engelbert begins her role in March, she will be the first woman CEO of a Big Four firm in the U.S.

February 1, 2015

Expanding your app-titude

A monthly look at mobile apps that can make the CPA’s job and life better. This month: SlideShark makes PowerPoint on iPads less painful … Online storage/synchronization: Dropbox, et al.

February 1, 2015

All CPAs should be concerned about going concern

Approximately 30% of claims brought against CPAs in the AICPA Professional Liability Insurance Program are made by third parties. Moreover, nearly 60% of the program’s 2013 financial statement services claims related to the failure to detect a misstatement or a disclosure error, especially going-concern disclosures.

January 1, 2015

Achieve elite status

Mark Divine shares lessons and insights from his distinctive viewpoint as a businessman, trainer, and former commander on SEAL Team One.

January 1, 2015

2014 MAP survey: Firms tech it up a notch

U.S. public accounting firms are making greater use of technologies including cloud-based software and video conferencing, according to the 2014 Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Survey from the AICPA Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) and the Texas Society of CPAs (TSCPA). The biennial study also unveils trends in fees, billing rates, compensation, and types of services and benefits offered.