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Most firms agree on the importance of documenting a strategic plan, but few have plans that are easily communicated and integrated with technology, human resources, succession, training/learning and other plans. Having a plan for its own sake is not the goal. Accountability and execution differentiate great firms from those that are just maintaining the status quo. Not every firm wants to grow, but growth is indeed the lifeblood of a firm.While strategic planning is about the big picture, overall planning requires much more depth. Focus and ongoing improvement are critical to a firm's success. Partners are often the problem - as well as the key - to success. If partners don't buy in to the firm's vision and make a commitment to be held accountable, its leadership as a whole will be easily frustrated and ignore the planning process.

Some 30 years ago, Peter Drucker proposed that the purpose of a business (or accounting firm) is to create clients. Today, it's more important to do more than just create clients: We need to create the right types of clients for our practices.To accomplish this, most firms will have to dramatically change their management systems and business model for running the firm.

CPA FIRM OFFERS EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANSan Francisco - Accounting firm Burr Pilger & Mayer has introduced an employee stock ownership plan that it is offering to all of its 325 employees.

Software & HardwareSNAP TO IT!

COLORADONetSuite Inc. has opened a new sales and services facility in Centennial at 8000 S. Chester Street, Suite 100. Marc Huffman will serve as general manager.

SEPTEMBER22-23: National Governmental Accounting & Auditing Update, American Institute of CPAs. Hyatt Regency Tech Center, Denver. Contact: www.cpa2biz.com or (888) 777-7077.

CALIFORNIA

The late “Gonzo” journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, used to describe a series of unfortunate events cascading down upon a particular individual as being "slammed with a million-pound “s..t hammer.”

The Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Appeals has improved its handling of collection due process cases, but there are still instances where taxpayers were not provided with their right to a hearing, according to a new report.

Unscrupulous headhunters have been calling accounting firms pretending to be representatives of the American Institute of CPAs in order to steal lists of employees, warned the AICPA.