Unquestionably, large mature accounting firms can have some distinct advantages.  As smaller firms can we overcome them and compete on the same level?

When I left the ‘Big 8′ (yes children, before it was the Big 4 it used to be the Big 8 back in the olden days) to practice with several other big firm refugees we were certain of the many opportunities that existed to invoke positive professional change, and do it better.  Like most teenagers, we knew it all – especially everything that was ‘wrong’.  We missed no opportunity to criticize.  And like most teenagers, we somehow missed all the things our former Big 8 employers had done that were ‘right’.  The naivete of youth.  And we were professionally youthful having only been recently emancipated.  Read more…

Our premise for this blog is that no matter how perfect the practice management model is in accounting, it can be improved by the collective minds, experience and efforts of the members of our profession.  No management model is perfect, and one that hasn’t changed substantially in more than 50 years, such as ours, certainly must have some room for improvement.

Change is always difficult if not traumatic.  It’s also inevitable if we want to improve our situation.  We freely admit that some of our theory is just that – theory.  Almost inevitably it flys in the face of what is traditionally accepted practice management philosophy.  To be validated it must first be falsified.  Read more…

Coming from the marketing side of our firm I spend some of my time browsing other firms sites to see what they are doing different, what information they have put on their sites, how they update them, etc. What is very interesting is that almost all of them have one thing in common, “They are different!” Different from the typical accounting firm. Read more…

One of my sincerest hopes for this blog is that it will provide a forum for a discussion of alternatives to traditional practice management philosophy and practices by service firms in the United States. One such debate compares the relative merits and shortcomings of the billable hour. We have written much about this subject. For whatever reason, likely cultural in nature, our Australian and British counterparts seem to be much more engaged and progressive. Read more…

We have two staff rooms in our offices in Reno. One on the accounting and assurance side of our house, and the other on the ‘Dark Side’. The refrigerators in each are bulletin boards for pictures, insults, jokes and matters of other significance. Typically you hope not to find comments, pictures or references to yourself or something you’ve done.This week, a Senior Assurance Manager posted an article that appeared in the December issue of the Journal of Accountancy Tax Corner titled How to Ease the Burden of Busy Season .The focus of the article is on what some firms have done to make the busy tax season more ‘palatable’, e.g. paying for dinner on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. (Apparently Wednesdays are required family nights.) While lunch isn’t paid for, they do have a delivery service so you can eat at your desk. And my personal favorite ‘vending machine snacks reduced to twenty-five cents’ ! Are you kidding me?!! Read more…

We are an accounting firm. Why would we blog?

The list is endless, but mainly, we are different. We are not a typical accounting firm, nor are we a typical work environment.

I actually like coming in to work everyday. Wow, that’s not something you hear everyday. It’s true, though!

Our boss respects us, the staff is fun and works hard, and we have a purpose in our work. Neither our work nor our time is micromanaged. One of our main goals is to make people enjoy working here, working with each other, and spending lots of time with their family and friends.

Read more…