Five questions that you really must know the answer to

Richard Brewin • July 7, 2022

To quote renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, “Music is powered by ideas. If you don't have clarity of ideas, you're just communicating sheer sound.”


So it is in business, and specifically in our case, in an accounting firm. If you don’t have clarity in the ideas for your business then all you are communicating is noise. 


Clarity brings focus. It avoids misunderstanding and brings explanation and context. It helps people to work better. If you are looking to bring clarity to your accounting firm then there are five questions that you simply must have clear answers to.


1. What sort of firm are you?


The obvious answer is an accounting firm but does that really give a clear picture? As the use of tech, the range of potential services and the spectrum of client management styles grows, saying that you’re an accounting firm is too generic….”Yes, but what sort?” Can you clearly and concisely communicate what sort of accounting firm you are?



2. What do you want your firm to be known for?


This matters because being known for the right things is what will bring you the right clients, the right team and your own satisfaction. There could be many different things that you want to be known for depending on your own priorities and values. You may want to be known for a specialism, a niche market, a price point, your customer service, your personality. There is rarely any satisfaction or success in trying to be all things to all people. Can you clearly and concisely communicate what it is that you want your firm to be known for?



3. What is the plan for achieving it?


You know what you want your firm to be known for but is it something you hope for or do you have a plan for achieving and maintaining it? Presumably this isn’t a plan that you intend to deliver in isolation? Can you clearly and concisely communicate the actions that your firm needs to take to achieve what you want to be known for?



4. Do you know when you have got there?


This is not so much a target date as a recognition of what success looks like. In a profession where over-servicing is our Achilles heel, how will you know when you have reached that point where your actions switch from achieving a level to maintaining a level, bearing in mind that the conditions themselves will be ever evolving? Can you clearly and concisely communicate what good looks like and what success looks like to you?



5. What does the world outside think of your firm?


It’s okay you having a clear understanding of who you are and what you want to be known for but is that how those outside of your four walls see you? The only way to find out what clients and the market place think of your firm is to ask them and this just doesn’t happen as often as it should. It may be that we are scared of the answer but we are better knowing. We need to be specific too. Questions such as “How are we doing” won’t necessarily bring you the true picture since the respondent knows that “OK” is the easy and most painless answer. Can your clients and market clearly and concisely communicate their view of your firm back to you?




Five points to be clear on:


  • This is who we are
  • This is what we are about
  • This is the plan
  • This is the level we set
  • This is how others see us


A firm that has clarity across these five points understands what to focus on. It knows what its priorities are and what to do next. You would want to be that firm wouldn’t you?


Good luck!

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