EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VERY FEW CPAs ARE EXTROVERTED, “people” persons. But to be a successful CPA today you have to go out and sell yourself and your business to clients and prospective clients. YOU CANT BECOME extroverted overnight. But by following some tips, little by little you can overcome shyness about
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Firm practice management
Products and services.
The Goods Organize Information in a Flexible Database C PAs handy with spreadsheets often use them to perform double duty as databases. However, while a spreadsheet can run some database functions, it cannot successfully tackle major, complex database jobs. The askSam database, which resembles a word processor, is good news
Keeping up to Speed
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TWO CPAs HAVE INTRODUCED advanced technology, high standards and professional activism to their six-person firm in order to expand the horizons of the firm and their clients. THE PARTNERS OF Pielech & Pielech upgrade their technology regularly, make sure staff members know how to use it and encourage
Best Practices for CPA Firms
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE AICPA HAS COMPLETED TWO projects to identify “best practices” for accounting consultations and auditor communications with boards of directors and audit committees. These practices are intended to help CPA firms evaluate and enhance their policies and procedures in these critical areas. IN FIRMS THAT FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES,
A small-town CPA
Setting a tone—literally and figuratively—for a practice. An Old-Fashioned Web Site By RICHARD J. KORETO I ts just a small firm in a small town by a bayou in Louisianas cotton country. In its 25 years the firm had not offered high-tech services; it was mostly tax with some
Many CPAs
Age-old questions answered with the technology of the future. The $19.95 Engagement By Richard J. Koreto T imothy C. Stewart has given consulting a new twist by signing up clients he may never speak with. Small business owners can visit his Internet site and, for a one-time fee of
Writing in Plain English
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOLLOW FIVE IMPORTANT writing principles and your clients will understand better what you do and why it benefits them. USE MANY VERBS. They give your language life. Use the active voice—the passive voice will rob your writing of its energy—and simplify your sentences by breaking them up into
If You Build It, Will They Come?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IF YOU WANT TO CREATE a Web site for your firm, you have to offer something to attract visitors. ARTICLES, TAX TIPS AND checklists—changed frequently—give potential clients a reason to keep coming back. USE PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. There are easy, inexpensive ways to find and upload these to
A video to promote
Ten tips for producing a video about your firm. Marketing Clinic By Lyne P. Manescalchi A ccounting firms across the nation are developing new marketing strategies to differentiate their firms from the rest. For example, most CPA firms are racing to set up their own Web sites to market
Monitoring A Small Firm
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SMALL FIRMS MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY complying with American Institute of CPAs practice monitoring requirements because in some very small firms an individual may have to review his or her own performance. STATEMENT ON QUALITY CONTROL Standards no. 3, Monitoring a CPA Firm’s Accounting and Auditing Practice , which
Handling the Small Public Audit Client
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE SMALL PUBLICLY TRADED corporate audit market offers a substantial marketing opportunity for smaller accounting firms. A SURVEY SHOWS SUCH COMPANIES appear to be generally satisfied with their small firm auditors but don’t know about or take full advantage of all the services their firms offer. THERE ARE
Letter from the State Board: What Should You Do Next?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STATE BOARDS OF ACCOUNTANCY are responsible for investigating complaints from the public regarding CPA performance and behavior. STATE BOARDS CAN REQUIRE practitioners to take specific CPE courses to correct an apparent deficiency, to cease and desist certain behaviors and to submit to some form of practice monitoring. They
Choosing the right sponsorships
Make your corporate sponsorship work for you. Marketing Clinic By J. Carter Thomas J. CARTER THOMAS is president of Market Development Resources, a Dallas marketing consulting and services firm. W ith $4,000 to contribute, would you rather your firm be the main sponsor of a health agency’s gala
The Importance of Customer Focus
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOCUSING ON CLIENT NEEDS begins with creating a client service plan to use with each client at least once a year. The client service plan helps you learn not only what each client needs but also what it thinks your firms strengths are and how those strengths are
Microsoft
Microsoft Conference to Provide Consulting Help S taff members who are their firms experts on technology and consulting are not invited to Microsofts June conference, but the nonexperts are. The Partners Conference, presented in cooperation with the American Institute of CPAs, is designed to help senior partners figure out the
Where to Find Help Online
A guide to Internet resources for CPAs. Where to Find Help Online By John J. Gill John J. Gill , CPA, CMA, is a sole practitioner in Newport News, Virginia, specializing in tax and information technology consulting. A member of the
Marketing Close to Home
Who you know matters when getting out the word about a new practice. Marketing Close to Home By Anita Dennis, a Journal contributing editor. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WHEN STARTING A NEW FIRM, many practitioners make the mistake of trying to be all things to all people. Angela Williams, a
Hiring Pros
Hiring pros to help you win new clients. Marketing Clinic By Colette Nassutti Colette Nassutti is a consultant to accounting, law and other professional services organizations. She is the author of Turning Sales Over to the Pros: Fourteen CPA Firms Share Their Experiences , which was issued by
An Online Image Campaign
A CPA looked beyond the numbers for a great opportunity. An Online Image Campaign T he Web site of Schwartz Cohen & Co. in Phoenix contains articles by its partners and a description of the firms business valuation services. It provides links useful for accountants, such as Internal Revenue Service
Developing the right brochure
Developing the right brochure for your firm Marketing Clinic By John C. Thomas JOHN C. THOMAS is the president of Market Development Resources, a Dallas marketing consulting and services firm. C PAs often spend thousands of dollars and several months developing brochures that prospective clients glance at and
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How to find the right CAS clients
The key to success with CAS is selecting the best clients. Tools like ideal client profiles (ICPs), buyer personas, and even artificial intelligence can help identify the businesses that best fit each CAS practice.
From The Tax Adviser
March 31, 2026
Current developments in taxation of individuals: Part 1
March 31, 2026
Current Developments in Taxation of Individuals: Part 1
March 6, 2026
