Rosenberg Associates Blog
Marc Rosenberg, CPAAn April post on this subject generated many excellent questions. Today we’re following up with additional insights we’ve gleaned since then in response to these queries. Initially, a reader asked how to benchmark IT expenses. We referenced two main sources: Roman Kepczyk, the #1 IT consultant to CPA firms in the country, who cited $6,500-$8,500…
I’ve been using the following two quotes to start my strategic planning retreats with CPA firms for over 20 years. They are thought-provoking statements that get retreat participants in the proper mindset to proceed. “When you grow up, you are told that the world is the way it is and to try to live inside…
CPA firm partners are by and large a straight-shooting bunch. They don’t intentionally set out to deceive themselves – or firm management. But common answers to questions posed to CPA firm partners frequently reflect the way things should be, not the way they really are. Here are some examples: What are you doing to bring…
Kristen Rampe, CPA“We are in client service, but the written communication is a disaster” wrote a manager in need of help for her team. Requests for business writing help and workshops for CPA firms are at an all-time high.
Interestingly, of the requests I’ve received in the last few months, 75% were for help with someone else’s writing issues. To help you on your quest for quality communications, here are some of the most common mistakes, and how you can help your colleagues make a better impression.
Firms over-emphasize the importance of ownership percentage. We have repeatedly stated this opinion in our blogs and monographs. Taken to extremes, ownership percentage can be used to drive all of the “big 4” partner issues: partner income allocation, partner buy-in, partner buyout and voting. At many firms, ownership percentage may not be the sole driver…
In more than 20 years of consulting, I’ve observed hundreds of firms in the throes of partner conflict. In fact, when an MP I’m interviewing says, “Excuse me for a moment while I close the door,” I know I’m about to hear the “good stuff” – the real reason for the call – a partner…
The CPA industry’s most active consultants formed The New Horizons Group 15 years ago to share ideas and experiences. The following nuggets from a recent meeting are intended to help managing partners address issues facing their firms. Mergers. Tips for merging two sizable firms together: (1) You really need a process; make sure each meeting…
Whenever a firm changes a major system that impacts the partners, maintaining fairness to those negatively impacted by the change can be a challenge. Here’s an example. When a firm whose partners previously paid their buy-ins to other partners decides to have new partners pay buy-ins to the firm going forward, there’s bound to be…
It’s no secret that teams who enjoy working together are more cohesive and productive. Break out of the CPA / accountant stereotype and be sure to have enough fun in the office to balance out the daily grind. Here are four ways to accomplish this, or spur on your own creativity for having fun at your office.
Here are two opposing perspectives on the mandatory retirement question. Anti-mandatory retirement. A group of partners in their late 50s and 60s, still vibrant and sharp, run a small firm. They make good money, have great clients and love what they do. Assuming they continue to enjoy good health and have no idea what they…
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