As CPAs, we were trained to work with precision, accuracy, and strategy in everything we do. However, business development has not been part of our standard training; therefore, many accounting professionals not only struggle with business development tactics but also shy away from tracking and measuring the impact of their efforts. But here's the truth: Just as we track and measure other financial data, it is essential to measure business development efforts in order to improve. You can unlock significant growth in your firm by understanding which key performance indicators (KPIs) to track, how you manage your practice, how you acquire new clients, and how to increase your revenue.
Is It Time to Hire in Your Firm?
Timalyn Bowens, EA
After my second busy season as a solo practitioner, I made a terrible mistake within my firm. I hired my first employee. As a matter of fact, I hired someone who also had tax and accounting experience. You may be thinking, “What? Hiring is the solution if you were feeling overwhelmed.” That is true, if you are assuming that I had the proper systems in place. The mistake I made was hiring an employee before I was ready. The money was there and ready. The work was there and ready. It only took a few weeks to realize that I didn’t have a capacity issue. I had a systems and processes issue. I am not suggesting that you should work yourself to full capacity, absolutely not. I am suggesting that before you attempt to pass along a task to someone else or put in place automation that you have a written-out process.
