Are You Working With A World Class CPA?

Recently Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth, held a teleconference for CPAs titled “Learn the Secrets of Creating a World Class Accounting Firm”.

At one point in the teleconference Gerber describes what business owners want from their CPAs. He sums it up in one word – RELIEF. Gerber says that clients want their CPAs to provide relief from:

1. The unknowns of operating a business
2. The frustrations of day-to-day business activities
3. Mis-understandings relating to arcane financial reports
4. The billable hour

Are you a business owner looking for relief? Working with a CPA, like Brenda Richter, who is a member of the Principa Alliance will provide you with relief. Principa CPAs do the following:

1. Reduce your concerns about the unknowns in your business by helping you create a strategic plan complete with alternate courses of action for different scenarios
2. Minimize your frustrations with your business by assisting with the creation and documentation of your business systems and related KPIs
3. Present you with your financial information in an easy to understand format with full color graphs and plain English commentary
4. Provide you with a fixed price agreement with every project

So, the question is: “How do you spell relief?”

Listen to a snippet of Michael Gerber’s teleconference.

Are We Buying & Selling "Time"?

What’s Time Really Worth?

Jamey Johnson’s song The Dollar (lyrics video) can give us pause to ask some hard questions:

1) Why do professionals charge by the hour?
2) Why do their clients pay by the hour?
3) How much is our “time” really worth?

Peter Not So Perfect

Recently a new show launched on the Style network – Peter Perfect.

Peter Perfect features stylist Peter Ishkhans as a business make over guru. In 3 days, he “helps a business go from sluggish to spectacular”. He does this by remodeling the shop and giving new hair cuts to the business owners and associates. In between Peter’s rants, the general fluff of the show and the somewhat phony drama, a small business can pick up some valuable lessons.

With just 4 episodes aired so far, the Peter Perfect message board is wrought with small businesses requesting a “me too” help for their business. This reflects a genuine need among small businesses to work with an outside advisor to provide assistance in working through the day-to-day activities as well as going to the next level.

What the show fails to demonstrate is that there is more to running a successful business than a new hair style. Even with a good hair cut, you can still have a bad hair day. Successful businesses have a solid set of core values and a well thought out and written strategic plan that includes a back up plan for bad hair days. They have systems in place to help them achieve their goals, and they measure and monitor their progress on an on going basis.

Apparently, the businesses asking for help through a TV show message board are unaware of where to turn in their business community. If your business is in need of an outside advisor to actively work with you to achieve your business goals, then look for a CPA in your area who is a member of the Principa Alliance. These CPAs are a global consortium of consulting CPAs who are dedicated to working with small businesses. Business owners that work with Principa CPAs have access to tools and resources to help them grow their business, gain a better understanding of their business, develop greater management control, increase profitability, and, perhaps, most important – achieve peace of mind when it comes to their business. Learn more about Principa CPAs at: The Principa Alliance

Brenda Richter, CPA is a member of the Principa Alliance.

Achieving Your Dreams

If you haven't received a link and taken the time to watch Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture", please give consideration to taking the time to watch it now. The lecture lasts about 76 minutes.

This lecture is the perfect inspiration for taking the time to evaluate your current business goals, and ask your self: "What do I want from my business?"

If you need assistance aligning your personal goals with your business strategies, contact your local Principa CPA to arrange for an all day planning session.