Consulting

Late last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules to facilitate smaller companies’ access to capital and provide investors with more investment choices.

I once had a client who felt he was getting ripped off by his salespeople padding their expenses. I found this out by walking into his office and finding his desk and credenza overloaded with files halfway up to the ceiling.

Accountants considering adding or expanding valuation services in their practice may wonder about the demand for valuation services and what kind of clients can benefit from a valuation or calculation engagement.

Small and midsize accounting practices are generally optimistic about growth this year, particularly in the area of advisory and tax services, according to a new global survey.

We all have our own styles. Many have different styles for different things. Over the years I’ve developed an individual style for negotiating on behalf of clients that I have been very successful with, which I am sharing with you now.

Companies often turn to their accountants when they need to cut expenses, and a good place to start is with the travel budget.

Brands and corporate logos, from Coca-Cola and IBM to sports franchises, must periodically go through brand refreshes and upgrades to stay relevant.

The CPA Consultants’ Alliance has approved a slate of new officers following CPACA’s annual meeting in Tampa, Fla., and issued a new report on the most pressing issues for 2015 for CPA consultants.

As CPAs, we usually live in a world of absolutes.

The determination of fair value of machinery and equipment assets for financial reporting purposes should include the consideration of three forms of depreciation: physical, economic and functional.

As more regulations continue to come into effect for employers under the Affordable Care Act, some with financial penalties, many employers report they are not prepared to deal with the slate of changes.

The American Institute of CPAs has opened a new Web site that showcases the value that CPAs can provide to small business clients.

I certainly have been fortunate in my career to become involved in a wide range of activities including interesting clients, great staff and partners, appearing on television, writing articles and books and presenting speeches.  People always ask me what I did to get started. My answer is simple: “I never passed up an opportunity that came my way.”

Reznick Capital Markets Securities has officially changed its name to CohnReznick Capital Markets Securities and is now an affiliated company of the accounting, tax and advisory firm CohnReznick.

A common mistake among retailers is selling based on price rather than on value, a retail industry consultant wrote recently. When retailers focus on price, it results in customers “cherry-picking the best item while avoiding the profit-filled add-ons,” said The Retail Doctor founder Bob Phibbs. “It’s like they go to the bargain matinee but never visit the concession stand.”

It’s often a challenge to get clients to open up when they come in for their annual appointment during busy season. Maureen Schwartz, executive director of the global public accounting firm association BKR International, offers these 10 conversation starters to ask your clients.

I just finished reading John Grisham’s novel Gray Mountain, about a young attorney working in a legal aid clinic. At one point she is asked to prepare a will for a woman with property worth about $200,000. This reminded me of some pro bono work I have been asked to do for people who could clearly afford it, and that caused resentment by me.

Key challenges facing small- and medium-sized practices in the accounting industry worldwide have been identified as attracting new clients and complying with regulations and standards, according to a new survey by the International Federation of Accountants.

Accountants who offer business valuation services can bring in new business for their practices, although perhaps not as frequently as they would get from more familiar bread-and-butter services.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about QuickBooks and how we became the largest QB consultants in New Jersey along with receiving a few clients with very substantial fees. I’ve gotten some calls asking about them and what we did, so here is a description of three of them.