September 2009 Best Practices Tips

September 2009 Best Practices Tips

Every month we select some of the best ideas for practice improvement from the accounting literature. Here are the selections for September 2009. For the archive, click here.

BEST PRACTICE LINK TO ARTICLE RESOURCE IN CPA LEADERSHIP REPORT DATE OF ARTICLE
Management/People/Culture

CPA firm management mistakes:

  • Viewing the CEO function as monitoring and reporting rather than creating accountability for achieving strategic goals.
  • Dumping work rather than delegating.
Management Failure in CPA Firms September 2009
People should not be designated as either leaders or followers--one person can be a leader in one situation and a follower in another. Management Failure in CPA Firms September 2009
Administration and Technology

Cut technology costs by:

  • Renegotiate service contracts
  • Eliminate unnecessary licenses
  • Evaluate services v. servers
  • Promote remote Access and Connectivity
Using Technology to Cut Costs September 2009
Succession/M&A

Obstacles to succession:

  • Believe "no one does it better than me".
  • Like being able to control everything that goes on in a small firm.
  • Like to make quick decisions without consulting others.
  • Be the key rainmaker in the firm.
  • Think the successor will learn by watching, not by doing.
Succession Planning Obstacles September 2009