Stepping up or stepping out
Richard Brewin • December 19, 2023
Our teams are a precious resource. Like any relationship, there are times when they frustrate, disappoint and annoy us (rest assured, the feeling will be mutual) but, I know from my own experience and from the many accounting firms that I visit, that your typical accounting team member is hardworking, loyal and endeavouring not to let anyone down. With recruitment being costly and challenging these days, and with firms being so leanly resourced, I come across very few team members that the firm leaders would be happy to see go.
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All accountants are the same! We’ve all heard it said. It’s nonsense, of course, but, when you are asked what it is that your firm does that differentiates it from other accounting firms, it can be a challenge to come up with something tangible. Accounting firms tend to offer similar services, that’s what makes them accounting firms. Differentiating from competitors based upon services provided is therefore an issue.
Question… Should accountants charge for the additional work and obligations they will have when MTD ITSA finally comes into play next April? Not sure? Let me ask another one… Should business owners and taxpayers be expected to pay for the work that their accountant does for them and for the expertise that they receive? Put down in black and white, the answer seems obvious but there are many in the profession who are losing sleep over this issue.
Accountants selling to their clients is a topic as old as the profession itself. I regularly hear criticism from those looking to monetise the accountants’ relationships with their clients that “accountants can’t sell”. I also come across an attitude within the profession that “accountants shouldn’t sell to their clients…it’s unprofessional…it’s not what my clients expect”. Let’s tackle the issue.