CPA Practice Advisor - 4

FROM THE EDITOR

The Land of the Free
WE LIVE IN a time of instant gratification. Make a wish, click the magic keyboard a few
times, and presto! The item you want will be delivered to your office or your doorstep.
You might have to wait an hour or two, or even a day or two, but you have the peace of
mind that your delivery is making its way to you, so you can go about the rest of your day.
Not only are we surrounded by
opportunities to fulfill our wishes
quickly, often our requests are
accompanied by free shipping,
added bonuses, two-for-one offers,
and more lures to keep us adding
to our carts, selecting additional
items. Our world is a paradise for
shoppers.
We have become numbed to
the value of the items we purchase.
Who hasn't had the experience of
seeing an item for sale for one price
and then checking online to see if
you can find it for less, or find an
accompanying bonus offer along
with the item? I find myself feeling
guilty when I enter a store, price
an item on the aisle, and then pull
out my phone and order the very
same item online for less. I'd like to
keep the shopkeepers in business,
but how much more am I willing
to pay to have that item right now
as opposed to having it delivered
tomorrow morning for a lower
price?

CPA

Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm

How does this experience apply
to the services we offer? When your
client has a question late at night
and sends you a text, is there an
expectation that you'll answer
immediately? And at no charge?
When you present your client with
quarterly or year-end financial
statements or a completed tax
return, does the client expect you
to offer a discounted price or free
advice on other areas of concern?
If you are finding yourself struggling with issues about where to
draw the line, how to price for the
additional services you provide, when
to tell clients you'll have to schedule
time in the future to answer their
questions, you're definitely not alone.
Many of your colleagues face the
same dilemma. And remember, we're
never going to go backwards. The
desire for instant gratification and
bargain deals is only going to spread
as technology continues to become
faster and the ability to produce and
deliver becomes more streamlined.

NSA

And so here are some tips that
might help you face the future of
providing services to your clients in
this new world:
■ Set your own boundaries. If you
don't want to reply to messages at
certain times, provide that information in an automatic response
message that goes into effect when
you are no longer working. Put your
hours on your website. Add them to
your email signature if necessary.
Or simply be prepared to respond
briefly to client requests with a time
when you will get back to them. And
most importantly, let your clients
know in advance when and how to
best reach you.
■ Know what you're worth. Your
skills have value. Just because
accounting and taxes come easily to
you, that doesn't mean the services
aren't worth charging for. Don't be
afraid to ask your clients to pay you,
and if they expect you to take care
of them for free, it's time to rethink
your business model.

Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm

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VOLUME 29, NUMBER 10
Publisher: Barry Strobel
Editor-in-Chief: Gail Perry, CPA
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Contributors: Ken Berry, JD
Doug Sleeter
Jim Boomer, CPA.CITP
Kristy Short
Randy Johnston
Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA.CITP
Paul McDonald
Amy Vetter, CPA.CITP, CGMA
Becky Livingston
Brian Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA
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John Higgins, CPA
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Jim Boomer, CPA.CITP, CGMA, MBA
Bob Cedergren, CPA.CITP, CGMA, CISA
Randy Johnston, MCS
Greg LaFollette, CPA.CITP, CGMA
Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA
Doug Sleeter
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NOVEMBER 2019 ■

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GAIL PERRY, CPA

Editor-in-Chief
gail.perry@cpapracticeadvisor.com
@gperrycpa

■ Determine what you will charge.
Do you want to give away some
services for free? If clients pay
you for tax return prep, will you
also help them with retirement
planning or investment advice? Or
do you plan to charge separately for
that service? If your advising and
planning services are going to be
separate service lines, determine
in advance how you will price those
services and list them as separate
services on your website.
Remember that you are in
charge of your own accounting
practice, and you're entitled to some
instant gratification yourself: free
time when you want it and a fair
price for your services. ■
- Gail Perry, Editor-in-Chief

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