Consulting

AICPA Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee chairman Lyle Benson of L.K. Benson & Co. talks about why the market for financial planning services is growing at CPA firms, in an interview with Accounting Today editor-in-chief Dan Hood.

The practice of tracking time in accounting firms—and the role that time plays in pricing services and making billing decisions—has been the subject of endless discussion.

The evolution of technology has changed the way businesses operate. While this reality has at times led to a more competitive work environment for accountants, it also provides an opportunity for accountants to enhance their role as a trusted advisor and focus on helping their clients grow their business.

Once busy season begins, you’ll have precious little time to consider whether your accounting firm has made the right moves to build client relationships and grow in 2015.

I really used to hate QuickBooks, but not anymore.

The interest in sustainability reporting creates an opportunity for accountants

As a follow-up to last week’s column, here are some value-added benefits to consider when performing obligatory services such as an audit or tax return, or any work for a client.

KPMG’s investment arm, KPMG Capital, has begun making some of its first investments in data analytics companies, with the first funding made public in the Los Angeles-based company Bottlenose, which specializes in real-time trend intelligence.

When I was starting out I read a number of books by master salesman Elmer Wheeler, who said, among many other things, “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.” This left me with thoughts of always telling clients, or whoever I interacted with, about the value and benefits of dealing with me while de-emphasizing the cost.

If you intended to start a new health regimen after the first of the year, you would start planning for the change, right? Maybe you’d research gym memberships or look into the cost of joining a programmed diet. Perhaps you’d start reading motivational articles to psych yourself up for the new commitment. At a minimum, you’d stock your pantry with healthy food choices or begin making a list for the grocery store.

Nearly four out of five CPAs in public accounting believe they will play a key role in preparing their clients for complex challenges in the decade ahead but realize they must understand and embrace emerging innovations, according to a new study commissioned by CPA.com, the technology and business arm of the American Institute of CPAs

For some accountants, tax and audit services are attractive for the recurring revenue streams and steady client base they provide.

Accountants will increasingly need to help the organizations they work with manage their financial risks, according to panelists at an event sponsored by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants.

Sustainability, eco-friendly business models, and the continuing integration of environmental matters into business operations is a hot topic of conversation and debate in business media.

In honor of the upcoming Small Business Saturday, payroll service provider Paychex, Inc. and its www.BuildMyBiz.com partners are recommending five tools that will help advance the long-term success of small businesses.

Accountants who have union clients sometimes receive nervous phone calls from their presidents about a letter they received from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Last week I wrote about wanting to always be the “other guy’s accountant.” I received a number of calls and emails asking how I do it so here is a follow-up.

Have you ever wondered why your accounting firm lost out on a recent engagement? Do you get frustrated when clients show little interest in utilizing the firm’s additional services that are offered?

These five quotes were pulled directly from a random selection of CPA firm websites (if you go to your website, I bet something like this is on there too):

I once worked for someone who told me he lost clients that went into a partnership with the partner’s accountant. He said he then started working hard to be “the other guy’s accountant!” Me too!