Episode description

Episode 53. In today's interview, "Accounting Firm Hybrid Working Strategies with Bill Reeb."

Bill Reeb is a CPA and has been consulting for three decades in the areas of strategy, leadership and change management. He d became a CPA in 1986. An award-winning public speaker, Bill and his partner, Dom Cingoranelli, have co-authored Securing the Future: Building Your Firm’s Succession Plan and Securing the Future: Implementing Your Firm’s Succession Plan.

Bill is past Chair of the Board of the AICPA, is a current and past member of the Board of Directors and Council, and past Commissioner on the National Accreditation Commission. He also serves as an advisory board member to several organizations, including CPAFMA. Accounting Today has recognized his efforts by listing him as one of the Top 100 Most Influential CPAs. CPA Magazine has named him as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Practitioners, and Inside Public Accounting has listed him as one of the top 10 most recommended CPA firm consultants.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

⍟ how competition is everywhere and what is happening in the world is pushing accounting professionals to constantly get better

⍟ where the CPA or accounting firm will move in the future and what it will take just to be in the professional services game

⍟ the mistake most accountants make in not linking data to decision and only focusing on financial data

⍟ the challenge for accountants who are overwhelmed by data but who cannot discern what is relevant data

⍟ why most financial data and reporting coming from accountants is out of date and therefore not useful to business owners

⍟ some of the many constraints faced by accountants and the number one thing business clients want from them most of all

⍟ what will happen to accounting firms who focus mostly on the commodity work of compliance in coming years

⍟ how the working environment has changed for accounting firms as a result of the pandemic

⍟ the kind of things that are really hard for an accountant to learn in a remote work situation

⍟ the challenges for accounting professionals working from home who struggle with initiative, motivation and self-responsibility

⍟ what virtual interactions lack that in person ones don't for accountants, CPAs and clients

⍟ what situations and kinds of people necessitate being present 'in the office' for accountants and CPAs

⍟ the power of accountability for accounting leaders and employees in accountancy firms

⍟ the warning signs for accounting firm leaders that mean they need to give their employees more attention

⍟ one of the biggest drivers of employee turnover or churn in accounting firms, especially with the best talent

⍟ the mental problems caused by isolation and overload, and what accountants can do to cope better

⍟ what the best accountancy firms are doing to retain their best talent in these 'arms length' challenging times

⍟ the key priorities for the accountancy profession everywhere and the #1 reason why they are so tough to solve

⍟ the impacts of strategic planning windows shrinking for accounting leaders in these uncertain times

⍟ explaining why the success factors for accounting firm growth are different moving from $1m to $10m to $100m and stages in between

⍟ how complexity increases significantly as professional firms grow and greater resources, training, processes and consistency are required

⍟ crystal ball - what accounting firm leaders need to be planning for NOW to be ready for the coming challenges

⍟ why it's a great time to be in the accounting profession and the one kind of person who would not see the opportunities in an accountancy career

Bill enjoys a number of hobbies. He is an avid golfer and skier but spends the majority of his free time as a senior black belt teaching martial arts. Contact...