A primer that explains how CPA firms work as a business, this book is primarily intended for staff joining a firm, experienced new hires and interns. An excellent choice for firms to purchase as part of their new employee orientation and onboarding programs, How CPA Firms Work: The Business of Public Accounting provides a solid foundation in the workings of a typical CPA firm.
Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Business by OpenStax. You can access the textbook as pdf for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better ebook reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Among the major professions, certified public accountancy has the most severe underrepresentation of African Americans: less than 1 percent of CPAs are black. Theresa Hammond explores the history behind this statistic and chronicles the courage and determination of African Americans who sought to enter the field. In the process, she expands our understanding of the links between race, education, and economics. Drawing on interviews with pioneering black CPAs, among other sources, Hammond sets the stories of black CPAs against the backdrop of the rise of accountancy as a profession, the particular challenges that African Americans trying to enter the field faced, and the strategies that enabled some blacks to become CPAs. Prior to the 1960s, few white-owned accounting firms employed African Americans. Only through nationwide networks established by the first black CPAs did more African Americans gain the requisite professional experience. The civil rights era saw some progress in integrating the field, and black colleges responded by expanding their programs in business and accounting. In the 1980s, however, the backlash against affirmative action heralded the decline of African American participation in accountancy and paved the way for the astonishing lack of diversity that characterizes the field today.
Unveiling eight indispensable competencies for the new Network-Oriented Workforce, Strategic Connections provides practical advice anyone can use for building better, more productive business relationships. Smartphones, social media, and the Internet can only get a professional so far. At some point, the success of an organization will depend on face-to-face relationships, which means the isolated employees trying to do everything virtually will at some point have to fall back on the tried-and-true, essential skill of relationship building if they are going to survive in today’s increasingly collaborative workforce. You will discover how to: Commit to a positive, proactive networking mindset Earn trust Boost their social acumen and increase their likeability Master conversational skills and deepen interactions Employ storytelling to make communications memorable Businesses don’t have to look very far to find employees with a strong presence in the different social networks. If you want to stand out and make yourself invaluable to your organization, focus on making your presence known in the company’s physical networks.
Chances are you’re looking to buy, sell, or merge your CPA firm. Owners at firms of all sizes are seeking solutions to fund retirements or grow their practices. And, CPA firm M&A activity is only going to increase in the coming years—new deals are announced almost daily. Fortunately, there are steps you can take right now to position you and your firm for success. Written with both buyers and sellers in mind, this comprehensive resource aims to ensure that both parties to a transaction achieve their goals. Authors and transition experts Joel Sinkin and Terrence Putney demonstrate that it is possible to arrive at a reasonable deal where retiring partners are paid a satisfying price for the practice they’ve built, remaining partners make more than they did before, and new owners take on a practice that is poised for continuing success and potential growth. Sinkin and Putney share their best advice on how to: Determine your firm’s value, Get to know your potential partner in a deal, Select a successor your clients will love, Structure alternative deals, Avoid roadblocks, Prepare a practice continuation agreement, Perform due diligence, Execute a win-win deal, and Time and plan for your transition. Each chapter concludes with an Action Agenda to help spur your planning. Plus, it includes a collection of practical tools to assist you through the process of buying, selling, or merging, including practice summary tools, an annual succession planning checklist, sample practice continuation agreement, sample client announcements, due diligence tools, and sample transition letters.
Praise for IMPLEMENTING VALUE PRICING A Radical Business Model for Professional Firms "Ron Baker is the most prolific and best writer when it comes to pricing services. This is a must-read for executives and partners in small to large firms. Ron provides the basics, the advanced ideas, the workbooks, the case studies everything. This is a must-have and a terrific book." Reed K. Holden founder and CEO, Holden Advisors, Corp., Associate Professor, Columbia University www.holdenadvisors.com "We've known through Ron Baker's earlier books that he's not just an extraordinary thinker and truly brilliant writer he's a mover and a shaker on a mission. This is the End of Time! Brilliant." Paul Dunn Chairman, B1G1® www.b1g1.com "Implementing Value Pricing is a powerful blend of theory, strategy, and tactics. Ron Baker's most recent offering is ambitious in scope, exploring topics that include economic theory, customer orientation, value identification, service positioning, and pricing strategy. He weaves all of them together seamlessly, and includes numerous examples to illustrate his primary points. I have applied the knowledge I've gained from his body of work, and the benefits to me and to my customers have been immediate, significant, and ongoing." Brent Uren Principal, Valuation & Business Modeling Ernst & Young® www.ey.com "Ron Baker is a revolutionary. He is on a radical crusade to align the interests of service providers with those of their customers by having lawyers, accountants, and consultants charge based on the value they provide, rather than the effort it takes. Implementing Value Pricing is a manifesto that establishes a clear case for the revolution. It provides detailed guidance that includes not only strategies and tactics, but key predictive indicators for success. It is richly illustrated by the successes of firms that have embraced value-based pricing to make their services not only more cost-effective for their customers, but more profitable as well. The hallmark of a manifesto is an unyielding sense of purpose and a call to action. Let the revolution begin." Robert G. Cross, Chairman and CEO, Revenue Analytics, Inc. Author, Revenue Management: Hard-Core Tactics for Market Domination
If you'd like to know how to change your underachieving firm, At The Crossroads: The Remarkable CPA Firm That Nearly Crashed, Then Soared may hold the key to a bright new future. This innovative book is told in story form, drawing the reader behind the scenes of a dysfunctional team that applies Crosley?s Practice Growth Model to overcome the defects to produce a highly functional team.
