Consulting

With the latest tax deadline behind them and the individual tax season ahead, accountants this time of year often realize that they are on a treadmill of never-ending deadlines with only brief periods of relief.

Time to exhale, sit back and think ahead to what you want 2018 to look like at your accounting firm.

CPAs know it is imperative to refer clients to third party consultants for various issues that require deep specialization in an area of tax. In many ways, these specialty tax firms act as an extension of your team and require coordination to deliver results that often have a material impact on a tax return.

A few months ago I suggested that becoming an expert generalist as a niche was a possible career track for someone in a larger firm. I received a lot of feedback that caused me to rethink the column, and I have.

A month ago I wrote that I “gave away consulting and coaching” services. However, that is not the whole story and because of the calls I got, here is some more of what I did and do.

Grant Thornton CEO Mike McGuire is moving his firm to become a more streamlined organization better able to respond to technological change than the Big Four, similar to the way Tesla has challenged the Big Three automakers.

More firms are exploring advisory services, but they require some important adjustments, experts say.

Besides clients and partners, my primary interactions are with other accountants who call me with their practice management questions.

The Big Four accounting firms are moving more into the legal services market, competing with law firms on their traditional turf, according to a new report.

Actually I do not sell coaching, mentoring or consulting services to clients—I sell solutions to problems.