Accounting Firm Coach: Office Hours

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
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☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I share a simple framework for deciding whether to keep hiring or intentionally contract, centered on tightening your client revenue band, narrowing your services so they are easier to systematize, and building distribution so you can specialize. I apply it to a real bookkeeping firm that feels overstaffed and stuck on pricing, and I close with mailbag answers on buying a book of business, letting go of legacy clients, charging for consults, finding first clients, and positioning a niche before you have ideal case studies.

🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag
📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/
Verito: https://verito.com/
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I break down how I transitioned from running a 40-person firm to helping other accounting firms, and why there’s a massive opportunity right now for accountants to step into education, AI, and advisory roles. I share a practical framework for starting, including how to stay independent, build an audience, and structure your value ladder. Then I walk through a teardown of a $50M accounting firm, highlighting pricing, tech stack, and org structure issues. We close with a mailbag covering acquisitions, scaling CFO services, proposals, client pruning, delegation, and tools.

🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason
Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Canopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo
Missive: https://missiveapp.com/jason

// Chapters:
00:00 - Why accountants should help accountants
02:00 - From firm owner to educator
09:30 - Building an accounting education business
15:40 - Email lists, niche, and positioning
22:00 - $50M firm teardown (pricing, tech, structure)
36:00 - Org structure beyond partner model
41:30 - Mailbag: scaling, clients, and pricing
57:00 - Tools and final takeaways

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I break down how accounting firms should actually think about communication, from whether phones still matter to how to structure client expectations and response times. I walk through why most firms get overwhelmed by making the wrong people too accessible, and how to design a communication system that protects focus while still delivering a high-touch client experience. I dig into what happens when someone replaces their CPA with an AI agent, what that signals about where things are heading, and how firms should respond. I also cover how to prepare your systems for AI, what actually makes software “agent-ready,” and how AI may or may not change when you should start your own firm.

🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

☎️ VOIP Phone Options:
Dialpad https://www.dialpad.com/
Quo https://www.quo.com/
Allo https://www.withallo.com/
Nextiva https://nextiva.com/
Ooma https://www.ooma.com/

💰 Today's Sponsors
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason
Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Canopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates

// Chapters:
00:00 - Why communication breaks firms
03:20 - Who should talk to clients
07:30 - Designing a scalable communication system
16:00 - Why accessibility is the real problem
20:30 - What happens when AI replaces your CPA
25:00 - AI agents vs assistants
30:40 - Why APIs matter more than tools
37:20 - Sponsor break
41:20 - Where current systems fail
46:30 - Where AI is actually going
49:40 - Closing thoughts

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I break down why review is still the biggest bottleneck in most accounting firms and how to actually fix it. I walk through five practical ways to reduce the load, including separating detail vs technical review, using difficulty levels, and systematizing work so you rely less on scarce senior talent. Then I shift into AI, covering leaked Co-Work features, what’s coming next with agents, and how to think about security, email, and automation without getting ahead of what’s actually safe to deploy.

🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason
Canopy: g[etcanopy.com/jason](http://getcanopy.com/jason) Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Verito: https://verito.com/
Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates

// Chapters:
00:00 - Why review is the biggest bottleneck
02:30 - How firms structure review today
04:50 - How to fix review (structure + delegation)
07:20 - Using difficulty levels to scale
11:00 - Systemizing review so it scales
15:00 - Hiring vs restructuring review teams
18:45 - What’s actually happening with AI agents
25:00 - AI agents vs assistants explained
31:30 - AI risks and security reality check
33:00 - Practice management + system gaps
41:20 - Where current tools break down
46:30 - Where AI is actually going (agents vs tools)

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I break down real data from 700+ accounting firms on how they’re actually choosing and switching practice management systems, and what most firms get wrong in that process. I share key lessons around sales demos, implementation mistakes, and why peer insights matter more than vendor promises. Then I zoom out to how AI could reshape compliance and what that means for the future role of accounting firms. We close with a mailbag on niching, pricing confidence, side hustles, and how to think about your firm as you grow.

🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

📌 If you’ve never used my PM recommendation tool: https://www.jasononfirms.com/pmrec
💿 Grab my IRS hold music here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oyQ8y9-3WkGk3FggMQiADvVO1aY40P4S?usp=drive_link

💰 Today's Sponsors
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Verito: https://verito.com/
Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates

// Chapters:
00:00 - Choosing practice management the wrong way
02:30 - What data from 700+ firms actually shows
06:30 - How to evaluate and pick the right tool
09:00 - Why implementation matters more than the software
11:30 - Where general tools break for accounting firms
14:30 - Community and peer insights vs vendor messaging
20:30 - AI and the future of compliance work
28:30 - How AI changes the role of accountants
40:30 - How to choose a niche that actually works
44:30 - Outgrowing your clients as your firm scales
48:30 - Side hustle vs committing to a firm

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I break down how to actually set a minimum price in your firm without anchoring your entire client base to it. I share mistakes I made running my own firm, why minimums should be internal not external, and how focusing on higher value clients drives better margins and growth. I also walk through recent updates to my app recommendations and answer questions on AI, niching, and building a better firm.

🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag

📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps
📌 Check out our practice management system recommendations here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/pm-rec-1

💰 Today's Sponsors
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Verito: https://verito.com/
Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates

🖥️ All apps I mentioned in the episode:
1. Delphi AI - https://www.delphi.ai/
2. Claude Cowork - https://claude.com/product/cowork
3. OpenClaw - https://openclaw.ai/
4. Double (formerly Keeper) - https://doublehq.com/
5. AutoAccru - https://www.autoaccru.com/
6. ScopeKeeper - https://scopekeeper.com/
7. TaxDome - https://taxdome.com/
8. Socket - https://www.usesocket.com/
9. Translucent - https://www.translucent.io/
10. Filed - https://www.filed.com/
11. Luminary - https://www.withluminary.com/
11. Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/
11. Canopy - https://www.getcanopy.com/
11. Financial Cents - https://financial-cents.com/
11. Truss - https://gettruss.io/
11. Hazel - https://hazel.ai/
12. BlueJ - https://www.bluej.com/
13. Marble - https://marble.ai/
14. TaxFigure - https://taxfigure.com/
15. Accrual - https://accrual.com/
16. SegStream - https://www.segstream.com/ 

// Chapters:
00:00 - Minimum pricing and common mistakes
02:00 - My firm background and pricing challenges
06:00 - Price increases and why clients don’t leave
11:00 - Why minimum pricing backfires
14:00 - Identity, growth, and saying no to clients
18:00 - Offshore hiring and leverage
23:00 - How to position pricing and A clients
27:00 - Profit math and better clients
31:00 - Why minimums should stay internal
33:00 - App recommendations and updates
41:00 - Practice management tools and selection
44:00 - New apps and AI tools overview
52:00 - Mailbag and listener questions
57:00 - AI assistants for client use
01:01:00 - Niching and specialization strategy
01:06:00 - Coaching vs community vs content
01:08:00 - Local AI vs cloud AI
01:11:00 - Future of accounting ledgers

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

IIn this episode, I break down the latest AI agent updates and why tools like Claude Cowork are getting dangerously close to doing real production work inside accounting firms. I walk through what’s actually possible today, where the security risks still are, and why firms need to start learning this now even if they can’t fully trust it yet. I also share details on my upcoming workshop tour and answer practical questions on pricing, websites, and using AI in real firm scenarios.

🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag
📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Verito: https://verito.com/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason

// Chapters:
00:00 - Intro and AI agent overview
02:00 - What AI agents can do today and security risks
10:50 - Claude Cowork vs ChatGPT
17:00 - Real AI use cases and feature updates
22:20 - Workshop tour and event details
32:49 - Mailbag intro
37:20 - Mailbag: marketing, pricing, and firm decisions
52:10 - Mailbag: AI tools and operations

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I share a practical framework to fix productivity in accounting firms, from planning your day and reducing distractions to structuring your team for better output. I walk through a real bookkeeping firm doing $800K and break down why they’re hitting a ceiling and how to restructure using pods and incentive pay. I also cover where AI actually fits in running a firm today, why most firms are focusing on the wrong things, and how to balance AI curiosity with building a profitable business.

🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag
📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason
Financial Cents: Book a demo at https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 or sign up at https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Verito: https://verito.com/
MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats

// Chapters:
00:00 Intro and productivity framework setup
02:04 Why most accountants feel unproductive
02:25 Building a daily plan
03:50 Prioritizing your own work vs email
05:00 Structuring your day for energy levels
06:10 Managing distractions and focus
09:16 Maker vs manager schedules
12:56 Structuring meetings for productivity
16:57 Health, sleep, and performance basics
18:57 Starting hard tasks effectively
20:31 Firm culture and productivity
21:00 Roast a Firm: bookkeeping firm breakdown
24:37 Identifying the growth ceiling
26:07 Moving to pod structure
27:10 Contractors vs full-time employees
28:50 Incentive-based compensation
31:05 Workflow and scaling challenges
34:00 Business model reflections
36:55 Mailbag: AI agents and software
41:00 Security and real-world AI limitations
44:40 AI vs running a firm
46:12 Business fundamentals vs AI focus
51:00 ChatGPT vs Claude discussion
55:00 Future of AI in accounting
57:30 Closing thoughts

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with Logan Graff to break down what actually happened inside his firm over the last year after he shared his annual financials publicly. We talk about why revenue went down, why profit mostly held steady, and how splitting his focus across multiple businesses affected growth inside the accounting firm itself.

🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

📹 Check out Logan’s video here! https://youtu.be/VfkQZngRuKQ?si=rVMIVsbWVURK82hr
💻 Follow him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/logangraf/
📌 Here’s his community https://countercommunity.co/
🎤 And the live event he’s cohosting in May https://www.launch-your-firm.com/ 

💰 Today's Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates
Verito: https://verito.com/
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users
MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason

// Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:53 Meet Logan Graff
01:50 Revenue down, profit steady
04:00 Why the firm contracted
05:40 Selling bookkeeping vs tax
12:04 How Logan prices clients now
17:58 Pricing growth over time
20:02 Why new firm owners get stuck
23:48 Niche plans and 2026 goals
25:00 Reading, systems, and tax scheduling
36:01 Hiring a manager creatively
37:01 Launch Your Firm event

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! [email protected]

In this episode, I break down why I think we’ve been focusing on the wrong AI agent and why OpenClaw might be the clearest model yet for how AI actually gets deployed inside accounting firms. I walk through what makes it different from tools like Claude Cowork, especially how it operates across an entire team and acts as shared infrastructure rather than just a personal assistant. I also do a website roast for a construction-focused firm, covering how to improve messaging, calls to action, and lead magnets. I close with a mailbag on desk setups, including practical takes on monitors, keyboards, and workspace decisions.

🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale
🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates
Verito: https://verito.com/
Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/
Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0
Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users
MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason

// Chapters:
00:00 — AI agents overview
02:10 — Agents vs assistants
04:15 — Firm-level AI infrastructure
06:00 — System access and control
08:30 — Security limitations today
12:10 — Trust and client data
16:36 — Hiring and staffing trends
24:00 — OpenClaw breakdown
27:20 — Website messaging critique
28:10 — Calls to action issues
30:00 — Simplifying conversions
32:00 — Lead flow improvements
35:00 — Tax workflow tools
36:00 — Practice management evolution
45:30 — Website roast
51:01 — Accounts payable automation
52:08 — Offshore hiring models
1:01:05 — Live workshops announcement
1:03:19 — Desk setup discussion

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa