The American Institute of CPAs Alliance for CPA Firms, PCPS, and the Texas Society of CPAs have launched the 2006 National Management of an Accounting Practice Survey.
The bi-annual survey, started in 2002, is meant to provide local and regional CPA firms with comprehensive information for benchmarking management policies and financial results against other firms.
CPA firms should have already received an e-mail invitation to participate in the online survey, or can request an invitation at www.aicpa.org/pcps. The survey, which has been condensed to about an hour, must be completed by Sept. 1.
"The biggest advantage of the survey is that firms have a way of benchmarking against firms in their geographic area, their size range, and possibly in their service area," said PCPS executive committee chairman Rich Caturano, in a statement. "Firms can get an idea of whether they're on track financially." Caturano is also a partner with Boston-based Vitale, Caturano Inc.
TSCPA chief executive John Sharbaugh said that the survey's biggest beneficiaries are often small and midsized firms that otherwise might not have access to such information.
In the last National MAP Survey, conducted in 2004, 2,373 firms participated. More than 40 state societies, as well as the Association for Accounting Administration, support the survey, as well as sponsors Aon Insurance Services, the broker and administrator for the AICPA Insurance Programs, Robert Half Management Resources, and Paychex.
Independent market research firm IntelliSurvey administers the survey. Results will be made available in mid-October to all respondents, and are free to PCPS members and TSCPA respondents. Respondents who are not PCPS members can purchase their results at a discounted rate if they are an AICPA member. Non-respondents and the general public will be able to purchase the results in mid-November at an additional cost.
