Rita Keller, an award-winning and widely respected voice to CPA firm management, is uniquely positioned to help CPAs and their teams face rapid and significant change.
“One common thing about great achievers is that they keep asking useful questions every day. They ask questions like; “What do I want and what do I need to do to get it?” ― Israelmore Ayivor
Over the years, I have had the following conversation with many firm administrators, marketing directors, HR directors, IT directors and others working in an accounting firm.
Rita: “Are you going to attend (fill-in the blank) conference this year?”
Team member: “No, I won’t be able to go. It is too expensive and my partners would never approve it.”
Rita: “Did you actually ask them?”
Team member: “Well, no. But I know they would never allow it.”
Please don’t assume. Prepare your case and then present it to the managing partner. Explain the benefits for you and the firm. Networking with people in your position at other firms and attending presentations by well-known CPA profession leaders has a pay-back much bigger than the expenses incurred.
Don’t delay – just ask!
The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.
“Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.” – Kyle Chandler
I have talked to many CPAs about truly organizing and adding Client Accounting Services to their menu of services. Many firms are experiencing great success. It is important for you to understand the digital part of the equation.
CPA.com is offering a helpful workshop – Digital Client Advisory Services Roadmap Workshop – on January 23-24, 2019 in Burlingame, CA. Here a link to more information.
There is a $300 discount that expires on December 23.
Who should attend:
Client accounting service practice leaders
Key staff
Partners in small, midsize and large CPA firms
Accounting firm business development and marketing professionals
I hope you explore this opportunity.
The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity.
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
I know many of you are not within driving distance – but I also know that Indiana has many great CPA firms and the Indiana Chapter of CPAFMA has a great membership.
So, mark your calendar for Friday, November 16th. I will be speaking at the Indiana Chapter meeting. It is a morning presentation so you can have all afternoon to drive back home (or to the office).
My topic is “Surviving Change in the CPA Profession.” It is an exciting time to be a CPA or working in a CPA firm, but how is your firm preparing future? It is not a time for a “wait and see” attitude.
Follow this link to download a document that gives you all the information about the meeting and how to register.
The very first CPAFMA I ever attended over 30 years ago was in Indianapolis. The Indiana Chapter is near and dear to me.
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
“I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things.” – Walt Disney
Interesting post by Bill Carlino of Transition Advisors last week about the value of the numerous conferences that are held each year targeted to those work in or with the CPA profession.
Already, and it is just mid-May, I have observed (via Twitter) numerous conferences and meetings focused on educating CPAs on many of the same, recurring topics I have listened to for years and years. In addition to the re-run experience, it is very expensive to attend these conferences. While CPA firm administrators, new to the profession, obtain huge educational value from their national practice management conference, many partners refuse to spend the money to send them.
“A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries.” – Will Rogers
The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow. I love Churchill Downs. I have taken the behind the scenes tour with friends (the museum is awesome). I was also there during a CPAFMA conference event when a tornado hit. Roman Kepczyk and I saw it take the roof off a horse barn and then we headed for shelter! So exciting!
What would your name be if you were a racing horse?
Cheers to my friends in Louisville! Have a wonderful weekend.
Here’s my racing horse name – I kind of like Grande Rose!
You try to do the best with what you've got and ignore everything else. That's why horses get blinders in horse racing: You look at the horse next to you, and you lose a step.
I write about implementation often, it is one of my favorite, and sometimes frustrating, topics.
Summer conference season is upon us. You (a CPA firm leader), will go to a conference to gather new ideas and learn about current trends in the CPA profession. While at the conference, you begin to actually get excited about some of the ideas and begin to visualize how the ideas could work in your firm.
You gather more ideas, make numerous notes, meet some very interesting people and begin to really get a sense of renewal, optimism, and think: “We can do this at our firm!”
What happens when you return to your office? Many leaders immediately get BUSY with the day-to-day fire-fighting and soon the notes you took and the excitement you felt begin to fade. You think to yourself, “I’ll bring it up at our next partner/management meeting.”
Don’t allow yourself to become demotivated. Try some of these practical steps….. Wait! Don’t “try.” DO THESE THINGS:
Summarize your notes, identify the best and most critical ideas that your firm could use.
Meet with the key management leaders and explain the ideas verbally to them.
Send the summary to every parter and other internal management leaders and specifically ask them to read the summary. Let them know you will be talking to them individually about the points.
Give them one week and then begin making brief visits to each partner.
Share your excitement and stress the points that you believe are critical to the firm.
After this is done, ask that the points be put on the next partner meeting agenda and push for at least one or two to be approved.
Make an Action Plan (specific steps) that needs to happen and assign the steps to specific individuals.
Then take action! You can’t do it alone, enlist others to help you.
Have you got a problem? Do what you can where you are with what you've got.
You all have it but you might not love it. Yes, I am talking about professional liability insurance.
Many of you (my readers) are members of the CPA Firm Management Association and have met Stephen Vono of NAPLIA. He is the sponsor of the special night out event at the FMA annual National Practice Management Conference. Stephen was responsible for making applying for professional liability insurance easy for me and many others in the CPA profession.
Here’s some great information from Stephen and NAPLIA that was sent to the attendees of the conference in June this year. I think you can all benefit from this information.
NAPLIA’s Cyber and Data Security ebook was a popular takeaway from the conference. If you missed it, you can download a copy here or please send me a note and I’ll be glad to mail you a hard copy. It is intended to give you guidance when preparing to safeguard your firm against the exposure to loss of client information. I hope you find it useful.
I am sending out resources in response to the many questions I received on insurance programs that NAPLIA provides.
A Mobile Device Usage policy can help your firm manage and mitigate exposure to client data loss. In response to Matthew Harvey’s mention of a Mobile Device Usage Policy in his presentation“Minding the Candy Store”last Thursday, I am providing a sample of such a policy here
In keeping with the information security and cyber liability theme, I am offering other cyber liability risk management policies and best practices. Samples for your firm to use can be found below.
In addition, many questions were asked about Information Security and Cyber Liability Insurance. Please take a look at our website for additional information or call me at 508-656-1330 to get the conversation started on the important topic of minimizing your firm’s exposure to litigation around client information loss.
Please consider NAPLIA for your firm’s professional liability insurance and risk management needs!
How do you become a digital CPA? It would take a while to explain all the facets. You and your firm need to get there because there is so much opportunity with client accounting services.
Watch and listen to this short video about one firm’s journey and how they learned by attending the AICPA DigitalCPA conference.
I'm not trying to be new school and I'm not old school - I'm classic. There's a lot of new cars and there's a lot of old cars, but I'm just classic in doing what I do.
You all have it but you might not love it. Yes, I am talking about professional liability insurance.
