Time is money, and this is especially true for accounting professionals. The more efficiently you operate your schedule, the more money you’ll make and the less work you’ll have to do. Yet, time management is something that most accountants struggle with at one point or another, and something that almost all of us could stand to improve. Effective time management for accountants means more money and more time to spend on the things that truly help to grow your business. Time management for … [Read more...]
9 Action Steps to Take to Create a Website That Converts
Have you ever wished you had the key to converting more of your leads into paying clients? We’ve got good news for you. Today we’re going to identify 9 action steps to take to create a website that converts. Step 1 - Determine what “conversion” means to you Before you can build a website that converts, you first need to be able to answer the question “what is a conversion?” Simply put, a conversion is when a website visitor does what you want them to do. In your case, a conversion … [Read more...]
Are Your Clients Taking Advantage of Sellable Tax Credits?
State governments realize the economic benefit of spending billions of dollars on tax credits. Are your clients taking advantage of this? Many are not due to low tax liability. Nonprofit organizations or start up businesses that generate very little income are among them. Some states have found a solution. They have created a secondary market by enticing these types of businesses with transferable or sellable tax credits. The secondary market incentives are sophisticated and growing at a … [Read more...]
Why Your Database Is Your Most Powerful Asset
As the old saying goes, it takes money to make money. Sure, your small business owner clients can bootstrap their new business to a certain extent. However, when it's time to scale and make substantial investments in property and/or personnel, in most cases, outside capital has to be acquired. And truth be told, many of the entrepreneurs you know simply don’t know how to get their hands on the capital they need. On the flip side, investors are always looking for ways to grow their portfolio. … [Read more...]
6 Ways To Decrease Business Expenses
The clarity and direction you derive from analyzing financial statements is powerful. The problem is, most small business owners struggle to make any sense out of these documents. Profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow projections…oh my! It’s all so confusing—especially to the right-brained side of the entrepreneurial world that would rather do anything EXCEPT analyze numbers! This is where you come in. Your number-crunching ninja powers are something most of your clients … [Read more...]
Help Your Small Business Clients Avoid an IRS Audit
As a tax professional, you are well aware that every one of your business clients has two main goals at tax time: Calculate as many deductions as possible Avoid an IRS audit They’re counting on you for help. Most of them are unable to do this on their own, so your guidance is priceless. This is especially true for small businesses—and most vulnerable to RED FLAGS are home-based businesses. Knowing how to advise your clients about what to deduct when filing taxes is … [Read more...]
Creating a More Efficient and Secure Practice Through Client Portals
Since sending clients their tax returns via email is not an option, accountants are searching for alternatives to email communicating and collaborating with clients. Client portals offer a secure alternative with added benefits. Many firms are experiencing significant time savings and increased office efficiency through the use of client portals. Not only does this help practitioners comply with federal and state regulations requiring encryption of sensitive information (like social security … [Read more...]
How to Protect Your Client’s Retirement
Income taxes are one area where your clients can make a substantial number of mistakes when planning for retirement. Many individuals do not have the knowledge or training necessary to protect their client's retirement correctly. Thousands of dollars may be forfeited in this way, resulting in a lower standard of living for your clients. Retirees often receive income from a variety of sources including interest and dividends from taxable accounts, IRAs, Social Security benefits, … [Read more...]
Common Miscues That MAY Get Your Client Audited
Is one of your clients about to get audited by the IRS? Have you ever wondered why some tax returns are audited, while others aren’t? The IRS doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine every tax return, so they rely on a variety of systems to target the returns that will generate the most revenue per hour for an auditor’s time. Here are several common miscues that may get one of your clients audited: Miscue #1: Your Client's Tax Return Doesn’t Match Reports Sent to the … [Read more...]
Using Newsletters for Email Marketing to Build Relationships
Finding a way to stay in touch with clients and prospects is not only a great way for marketing financial planning, but a great way to create loyalty and softly stay in front of potential clients or prospects in your pipeline with email marketing. Providing your clients with an attractive personalized newsletter is one way to accomplish this. The newsletter can serve as a means of communication – 12 touch points throughout the year. The last thing you want is for your clients to hear about … [Read more...]
