A COLLABORATIVE, BOUTIQUE
CONSULTING FIRM
Helping CPAs for over a decade, deepen, strengthen, and secure their most important client relationships.
We're Here For You!
Today’s CPA firm has more deadlines to deal with, an increasingly complex and evolving tax code, more demands, increased expectations from clients, staffing challenges, and the overall perception of the service (i.e., tax preparation) as a commodity, where price is the main consideration. The result is an increased demand on their time paired with a decreased perceived value (and hence, lower revenues) of their service. Add to this the rapid consolidation of accounting firms across the nation, fewer people pursuing the profession and the fact is that small to mid-size firms are struggling to compete. All of this has combined to make growing a practice profitably, let alone having the time to enjoy life, much more difficult. This current model prevents CPAs from having a significant impact on the lives of their clients, and does not allow them the time to devote to what’s most important in their own lives…family, faith, community, etc.
Lastly, to increase, or even just maintain current revenue, many CPA firms are adding more and more B and C type clients, diminishing the time they must devote to develop the relationships with their most accomplished clients. The result is more work, a minimal, if any increase in firm revenue and much less time to enjoy life.
A study by The Sleeter Group found that:
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76% of business owners think their CPAs are not proactive enough in helping them solve their problems.
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Over 70% of CPA clients are not even aware of exactly what their CPAs can do for them.
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72% of small businesses have changed their CPA or accounting firm at least in part because the firm only gave the reactive services instead of proactive advice.
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36% of those business owners were currently looking for a new CPA.
What is your Unique Value Proposition? What sets your firm apart from the thousands that are just a Google search away? If you look at most CPA web sites (and we have), they all say pretty much the same things:
“We have years of experience.”
“We do individual and corporate returns.”
“We pride ourselves on customer service.”
“We treat every relationship as unique.”
There is nothing terribly compelling about any of that. Our goal is to give you a story that your best clients will want to tell in the circles that you want it told. We position you to truly be that ‘one point of contact’ for WHATEVER situation or issue your clients have. You can now bring Ultra High Net Worth planning solutions to your affluent families and clients. You absolutely become your client’s Most Relevant Advisor! They don’t make a move without YOU!
Unique Value Proposition
Every CPA wants to bring value to their clients, but the constraints on their time and the limits to expertise in all areas (no one can be an expert in all things) prevents them from being able to deliver fully on that expectation. So, they are forced to refer out to ‘experts’ in areas that they don’t cover or are unfamiliar with. You may not realize it, but there is tremendous risk, with very little upside, to referring clients out to others. If the person the CPA refers out to does a great job, that person gets the credit and subsequent referrals. If that same person provides a bad idea or experience, the CPA gets blamed for the introduction. Best case is status quo…worst case is the CPA can lose a big client. The traditional referral relationship model, in our opinion, makes NO sense for the CPA.
The Traditional Approach…Referrals