These days many accountants feel as if they are working harder than ever just to stand still. And that feeling seems worse if they are looking to actively grow their practice. The pressures and stresses of modern life are partly a function of newer forms of communication. Thirty years ago clients either wrote letters
One of the topics that often comes up is the challenge of prioritising anything (non-billable) you might think you want to do when there is client work that could be done. Certainly, some of the accountants I work with tell me that they struggle to make time to prioritise developing, building and promoting their
Most of the accountants who approach me start by talking about their problems and what appears to be an immediate challenge. As the conversations progress I am typically able to help them consider the real issues that are causing the challenge that prompted their call. This is much the same as the way that
How to avoid giving away advice for free to prospective clients? I'm reminded of the old sex education message: Just say 'no'! As an accountant you are, I'm sure, well used to prospective clients seeking free advice. I think the most common reason accountants give themselves, when they give away advice for free to
Although many people have heard of this 'rule' very few accountants consciously think about how applying the rule could help them and their clients. The 80:20 rule is also known as the 'Pareto principle', the 'law of the vital few' and the 'principle of factor scarcity'. Simply stated, the 'rule' suggests that for many
Not all of my clients want to discuss profitability issues with me. So I don’t always know how profitable they are. If it doesn’t come up during our conversations then I assume they are happy enough with their current level of profitability. Or perhaps they are embarrassed because they are less profitable
This week I am sharing with you 15 of the key points I referenced during a recent conversation with an accountant who wanted to know what they should be doing in year 3 of their newish practice. Background The accountant had booked a one-off focused mentoring call, having started their practice just
It is rare for an accountant to tell me outright that they want to be more efficient. But this wish is often implied by other things they say. Often their concerns are focused on time management issues, a desire to overcome procrastination, a need for more and better systems or for another
This week leads us into the second half of the first month of this third decade in the 21st century. Wow! I would suggest that now is the time to identify and reflect on what worked and what didn't work for you in 2020 and what you want from 2021. This should
I know that title sounds like it's probably over the top. And, if you are familiar with my writing and advice you'll know I'm not prone to undue hype. On this occasion I have heard from more than once source that this is the best time management tip ever! And it's certainly
The biggest issue facing accountants in practice these days isn't the rise of robo-accountants, AI or cloud computing. The challenge that seems to hold many firms back is the same old chestnut it's always been. It's the difficulty in finding good people to join the firm. Almost every week I get approached by the
A while back I attempted to relate my advice for accountants to my hobby - magic (conjuring). I had a fanciful idea I would build a talk around the idea. I never did. But the analogies still work if you want to increase your profits. As I often point out, you need
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the game of chasing followers, likes, connections and social media klout. It may be fun to keep track of these metrics and to keep increasing them. But, in real life, they are not important by themselves. There is little point in simply pursuing these metrics.
Hard to believe that the last time I shared any time saving tips on this blog was back in 2009. I've taken the 3 tips I shared back then and added several more below, picking up on what accountants have told me, together with my own research and experiences: To stop wasting time deciding what
I once wrote a Handbook on using Linkedin for a larger company that has many such handbooks recording their processes and systems. It was a fascinating experience. In researching available Linkedin advice and tips I found very little that was aimed at or relevant to business owners. The same is true for accountancy firms that
I was surprised recently to see a firm of accountants being applauded for the fact that partners were given goals regarding client time. This is hardly newsworthy. Then I read more closely. The partners in this firm are measured in terms of three categories of time: chargeable time (as has long been the case
I recently blogged about the 5 things accountants can do to make more profits. Selling tax schemes was not on the list. Why not? Quite simply because the idea is vastly over rated, over hyped and mis-understood. (Typically by non-tax specialists). There are plenty of people who will tell you that you can generate
AccountingWeb recently ran a series of articles about accountants as business advisers. My contribution as Consultant Practice Editor approached the subject from an unusual angle. There is already plenty of material that seeks to persuade accountants that they need to become better business advisers, and how they could do this. My article was titled:
