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Let's look at two everyday situations.

EDWARD JONES TOPS IN BROKER SATISFACTION

In July, Christie’s auction house in New York auctioned off the collection from the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum, which closed in 2009. Everything was sold: Roy’s first guitar, his sunglasses, and his sterling silver money clip and belt buckle were put up for sale to the public. The highlight of the catalog was Roy’s horse, Trigger, who had been stuffed in his classic rearing position.

While flexibility at work and work/life balance remain important for young staff in CPA firms, advancement opportunities and compensation rank higher on a list of what they want out of their job. They also want their partners to communicate better about what success means.

Every time I talk to a partner at a CPA firm for the first time, I hear the same comments: “We don’t get new clients from our Web site. They all come through referrals from other satisfied clients. Our business growth is mainly word-of-mouth.”

Alabama

GRIDLOCK

Taxes are, unfortunately, a fact of life. There’s taxes for this and taxes on that. Your clients who derive revenue from sales probably have it worse than most.

It's the classic good news/bad news scenario. On the one hand, banks - many groaning under the weight of sketchy loan portfolios, besieged by aggressive regulators and a blizzard of new federal regulations - need all the help they can get from outside experts like CPAs to remain in business.

IMGCAP(1)] You’ve suggested that your clients meet with you to discuss last minute tax planning strategies and to plan ahead for the coming year, but have you taken your own advice and thought about what next year will look like for you in terms of business development and marketing?