Consulting

I have visited many reception areas of professional service firms, had close interaction with hundred and hundreds of accountants, and am constantly exchanging business cards. At these times, being a reporter, I am always observing. I also more often than I would expect notice something that bothers me.

CPA firm Cottrill Arbutina Professional Services has acquired an eight-person tax and audit group from S.R. Snodgrass, expanding its reach in Western Pennsylvania and its auto dealership client base.

The American Institute of CPAs' business subsidiary CPA2Biz has signed a deal with Google to offer Google AdWords as a way for accounting firms to market and promote their services via local paid search ads.

Rand & Associates has launched a program aimed at helping small businesses weather the financial crisis.

Reilly, Penner & Benton said it has merged with another Wisconsin accounting firm, Ragsdale, Spitz & Reuschlein.

Accounting firm I.A. Rozen & Associates is searching for the "The Last Baby Born in 2008" as a way to call attention to year-end tax deductions for families.

H.D. Vest Financial Services is offering remote check scanning and depositing services to its network of financial planning advisors.

ADP has beefed up its RUN payroll service for accountants who process payroll for their small business clients, adding new security and data entry features and more payment options.

Accounting firm J.H. Cohn has formed a Client Economic Recovery Team to advise financial institutions and public companies affected by the financial crisis.

Accounting firms plan to continue growing through client specialization, joining networks and other strategies, according to a new survey.

Accounting firm Eide Bailly has expanded by combining with three other practices: Gordon, Hughes & Banks; Keller, Young & Grover; and Magee, Rausch & Shelton.

“As the financial crisis on Wall Street unfolds with intense media coverage, we are losing sight of another crisis: more than a million families across the United States will face foreclosure in the next six months as the last of the subprime mortgages contracted in 2006 and early 2007 reset. Accelerating job losses and low wages aggravate the lives of tens of millions of families. In the rush to focus on Wall Street, these are the families whose lives must not be forgotten.”

The Internal Revenue Service has recently added a page to its Web site for the self-employed. I sure could’ve used that when I was a freelance writer, even though there was no Internet then.

In "The Graduate," A family friend utters one word, "Plastics," to Dustin Hoffman at his graduation party. Let’s fast forward some thirty–plus years later and understand that Benjamin Braddock, Dustin’s character, is now a Baby Boomer, and let’s make a healthy substitute for the word “plastic” and update that conversation to: “I just want to say one word to you ... just one word." says Mr. McGuire "Yes, sir."--Ben "Are you listening?"--Mr.McGuire "Yes, sir. I am."--Ben "Sugar-free."--Mr. McGuire Let me explain the reasoning for the change. In the exhibit area at the last annual conference of the Association for Accounting Marketing in San Diego, I stopped by a booth to talk to a representative of a business development company that has and continues to impress me. I had met the individual before, so we struck up an easy-going conversation of how the conference was going for each of us. As I left, he reached to give me a tin of mints with the company’s name printed on it. I refused it I told him the tin, unlike an offer of a piece of candy, was a great idea, as every time you take the tin out of your pocket for a mint, you are reminded about the company. He beamed as I spoke and explained that he came up with the idea of imprinted tins, and then convinced his CEO to approve the expenditure even though it cost considerably more than simply having out a bowl of sour balls. I suggested that his company’s next order should include tins of sugar-free mints, explaining that his company’s target was primarily the managing partners of firms (those that would approve using his company), and like me are probably Baby-Boomers, many of whom aren’t supposed to eat sugar as they are diabetic or pre-diabetic. If you want to see my theory in action, come to Atlantic City with me the next time I go. The busiest casinos are those that have a substantial sugar-free dessert section at their buffets and offer many sugar-free dessert choices at their restaurants, thereby appealing to and drawing those with the most disposable income and wealth, the same Baby Boomers. Column dedication: To GH.

With the credit markets tightening, a majority of the 688 CFOs and senior comptrollers surveyed by Grant Thornton see the cost of credit increasing for their companies, and the availability of credit decreasing.

McGladrey & Pullen's Jacksonville, Fla., office has been chosen to provide audit services for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.

Fees and partner income grew at CPA firms last year, but the declining economy is likely to take a toll this year, according to a new survey.

The issuance of the so-called Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department proves conclusively to me that many of the powers that be need to gain a better understanding of transparency. It isn’t what’s in the massive document that tells me this, but it is what is specifically left out of both the document and the press release announcing the report’s approval.

iPro One said it has acquired a minority ownership interest in Tegra Financial Partners, an affiliate of the Georgia accounting firm Habif, Arogeti & Wynne.

Harper, Van Scoik & Co. is merging with Carr, Riggs & Ingram, the fourth largest accounting firm in the Southeast, expanding the combined firms' services in the Tampa Bay area.