december2022january2023 - 29

FROM THE TRENCHES
Your Firm and Your
By Randy Johnston
FINALLY, ANOTHER TAX extension season has ended, and most deadlines
are behind us. It is now that many of us make the changes to
prepare for next year. In other columns, I have discussed strategic planning
or your needs, but for the moment, I'd like you to think tactically.
What issues have you and your team
dealt with or worked around in the last few
months that you can work on over the next
few weeks and months? What can you do
now to improve client and firm experience?
How can you adjust your firm's capacity?
WHAT ARE THE TOP ISSUES YOU
NEED TO ADDRESS?
While I hope you know how much I appreciate
you reading my columns, you must stop
for a moment and prepare to take notes.
While I know many of you are intelligent and
probably can remember most things, this
column will have an exercise that may take
a bit more proactivity from you than usual.
So whether you keep notes on paper or in
other platforms like OneNote, Evernote,
Google Keep, iPhone Notes, Excel, Word,
GoodNotes, Notability, or others, get ready
to use the place where you warehouse your
ideas.
First, please stop and write down the
top issues you are dealing with now and in
the past few months. I wasn't kidding! How
many are on your list? You didn't stop to
make a list? Take the time now to come up
with items in your firm, your life, your clients,
or anywhere else that needs your attention.
Then, before you stop making that list, take
one last look at the items for your firm, your
life, and your team. Did you get them all?
It is nice to have you back from making
your list. Second, take the time to sort these
in priority order. If you put the issues needing
attention on paper or in your head, that may
take more or less time, but if they are in any
electronic format, sort them out. I'll wait for
you to do that.
Are you done? Excellent! Now add
a few characteristics to each item. If you
made your list in Excel, you'd get a bit of
an advantage here because you'll add just
a few more columns. I believe it is best to
estimate 1) the amount of time needed,
2) how much it will cost, 3) others to have
involved, and 4) when you would like this
done. You may use these attributes to help
with 1) blocking the calendar to allocate the
time to complete items, 2) making sure you
have enough money, 3) delegating or collaborating,
and 4) setting timeframe goals.
I hope you have time to get everything done
before the holidays. But there is no time like
the present to get things done.
WHAT IDEAS CAN YOU GIVE ME?
You know that I always like to have you start
with a strategic and technology plan, but
that's not the goal of this article. Further,
this may not be the time to select a new
technology tool. Instead, it is time to identify
what you can do NOW to improve things.
We must buy time to solve other issues by
eliminating the time wasters and working
on the highest priority items first.
Your list is way more important than my
list or any other bright light idea to follow.
However, I wanted to provide a list of items
that are concerning or on other firms' to-do
lists. Of course, other people's priorities
are not your priorities, and their solutions
may not be your solution, but what others
consider an issue may be an idea for you
to consider.
What are common issues and the best
of class solutions for firms now?
■ People recruitment (lack of capacity) - if
you can't find resources locally, you can
get short-term labor with services from
AdvanceTrack, BooXkeeping, TOA Global,
Taxfyle or Xpitax
■ Ease of client document exchange - if you
can't quickly get the supporting documents
you need for projects from your PBC
(prepared by client) list from your clients,
consider tools like Liscio, SmartVault,
Suralink, or e-Courier
■ Quote to cash (collection or proposals to
engagement to a completed project to
billed work to money in the bank) - many
firms are struggling with this entire cycle.
While work has been plentiful, the steps
to get this done easily have been too
painful. Look at what is causing the issue
in your firm and try to address it. It may
take a holistic view to solve correctly, but
perhaps a few band-aids, for now, will
overcome most of the issues. While you
can apply many solutions in this process
if the problem is with engagement letters,
try Knuula
■ For workflow or project management, try
Clarity Practice Management, CCH Axcess
Workflow, Doc-It Suite Cloud, TPS Cloud
Axis, or Jetpack Workflow
■ Too much keying of data, try Dext, Hubdoc,
or Sage Autoentry
■ Too much time in trial balance to tax or
client accounting to tax, try Tallyfor
■ For getting paid, try CPACharge, or
QuickFee
■ For paying bills, try Corpay One
■ For technical support issues, try Ace Cloud
Hosting, CETROM, Right Networks, or
Network Management Group, Inc. If you
already use one of these companies and
they ARE the problem, please email or
phone me directly.
■ For learning/CPE needs, try The Technology
Lab, The Grove, K2 Enterprises or CPEToday
■ CAS and payroll software, try AccountantsWorld
by IRIS
■ For accounting software for your
clients, try tools like Accounting Power,
AccountingSuite, Acumatica, NetSuite,
QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, Spire
Systems, Xero, or Zoho
These issues and these solutions may
be reasonable short-term AND long-term
solutions. While The Technology Lab
Podcast can give you a tactical view of
product solutions, co-host Brian Tankersley
and I have many strategic discussions and
thoughtfully advance individual solutions
for your technology stack. Please listen in
to hear our latest takes on solutions of all
kinds. Just as important, if you want to hear
about a solution or have a problem area you
would like us to address, please email that
idea to me directly. I continue to learn about
new products and solutions from readers
like you every day.
SO, WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Take one final look at the list that you have
now developed. While it may seem overwhelming,
remember to focus on first things
first. In previous columns, I have mentioned
the value of Zig Ziglar's Wheel of Life (Health,
Career, Love, Spirituality, Family, Money, Fun,
and Friends). Don't let your list focus too
much on work! While many people speak
about work/life balance, you'll find you are
much more content if you have a to-do list
that includes something important in each
of these areas. My partner of 30 years had
many catchphrases that he liked to use, like
" happy wife, happy life. " COVID-19 made me
more aware than ever of the importance of
health and family. It also made me value fun
and friends more than ever before.
It may be time to go back to that list
one more time and add an extra column
that includes the Wheel of Life attributes.
OR you could create a separate list now
with your top goals in each area. Focus on
what is important to you, and make sure
you take time to block the calendar to focus
on your top priorities in each Wheel of Life
item. You probably realized long ago that
the only person you can really control is
you. While you can influence others, only
you can control yourself (and I'm sure at
times you wonder if you are getting that
done well). I'd encourage you not to be too
self-centered or " me first " because I believe
you'll get the most satisfaction if you help
others. For many practitioners, that's why
we are in public practice. We wanted to help
others with our accounting skills.
With this and every column, I intend to
help you stop and think about what is best
for you, your firm, and your life. So, what
choices can you make today to make for a
better tomorrow? ■
DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
29
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december2022january2023

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