Accounting Firm Coach: Office Hours

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☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
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In this episode, I share my thoughts on building a better desk setup for accountants and why small changes to your workspace can have a big impact on productivity. Then I break down a $2.1M accounting firm where the owner clears about $600K a year and walk through what they’re doing well, where they’re stuck, and how they could improve their operations. Finally we get into the mailbag, covering topics like buying accounting firms, building trust with referral partners, security boundaries with AI tools like Claude, whether AI threatens accounting careers, handling client resistance to new tech, and how to think about pricing and value in your firm.

🎤 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
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
Verito: https://verito.com/
MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason

// Chapters:
00:00 Desk setup ideas for accountants
01:00 Seven things every desk should have
11:00 Optimizing the under-desk workspace
20:15 Firm Roast introduction
21:00 $2.1M firm breakdown and client mix
24:00 Team structure and financials
25:30 Pricing strategy and service mix
26:00 Marketing approach and LinkedIn discussion
28:00 Technology stack and workflow tools
29:30 Accounting team challenges and hiring issues
32:00 Owner background and firm growth
33:30 Transitioning away from client work
35:00 How to submit your firm for a roast
38:30 Mailbag: buying accounting firms
45:00 Cash flow and deal structure for acquisitions
46:40 Building referral relationships with other firms
48:00 AI security and using Claude with financials
50:20 Future of accounting careers and AI
55:20 Pricing ethics and charging more for services
58:50 OpenAI, government work, and AI ethics
01:00:20 Getting clients to adopt new tech tools
01:04:00 TurboTax pricing debate and perception of value
01:07:00 Expanding your professional network and mindset

🗣️ 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 supercut of Q&A from two live events we hosted in San Francisco and Los Angeles with accounting firm owners. We dig into real questions from the room covering marketing, AI adoption inside firms, pricing strategy, three tier proposals, managing client boundaries, and how to actually implement changes without blowing up your firm. I also talk through practical approaches to rolling out AI internally, raising prices on legacy clients, structuring advisory tiers, and where automation actually matters versus where people waste time chasing tech.

🎤 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
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
Verito: https://verito.com/
MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/

// Chapters:
00:00 Live event Q&A introduction
00:55 Marketing strategies for accounting firms
06:20 Client facing AI tools and GPT assistants
07:20 Capturing advisory knowledge with meeting transcripts
13:10 Encouraging AI adoption across firm teams
17:50 Raising prices on low paying legacy clients
22:10 Clients receiving premium service at low prices
27:50 Structuring three tier proposals
31:00 What to include on invoices
34:40 Renewal pricing strategy and client conversations
39:30 Pricing models for high volume tax returns
44:30 Automation tools vs ChatGPT use cases
46:10 Document organization and file naming automation
47:40 Managing tech fatigue in firms
49:00 How AI may impact tax preparation work
53:00 Work life balance and building a sustainable 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 what AI agents actually mean for accounting firms today and the real security risks behind the hype, including the risks highlighted by Palo Alto Networks and why weaker AI models may be the biggest overlooked issue. I also review the latest companies in the AICPA startup accelerator and share quick reactions on which ones actually matter for firms. I answer mailbag questions on pricing faster financial statement delivery, Intuit’s new AI announcement, LinkedIn visibility, and what AI can realistically automate in bookkeeping and tax work.

📄 The excellent article from paloalto networks https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/network-security/why-moltbot-may-signal-ai-crisis/

🎤 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
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
Verito: https://verito.com/
MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/
TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/

// Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to AI Agents in Accounting
01:15 Why AI Is Dominating the Conversation
02:15 AI Agent Security Risks
07:10 Top AI Agent Risks Explained
19:31 Example of AI Agent Autonomy
24:01 AI Model Security and Risk Management
28:20 How Firms Should Approach AI Safely
30:31 AICPA Startup Accelerator Overview
33:00 Startup Accelerator Companies Review
43:04 Mailbag Introduction
43:30 Pricing Faster Financial Statement Delivery
52:59 Intuit Intelligence Announcement
56:54 AI and the Future of Tax Work
1:07:06 Building Visibility on LinkedIn
1:08:22 Perplexity Computer AI Agent
1:09:05 AI Automation From Bank Statements to Tax Returns
1:12:06 AI Anxiety in the Accounting Profession

🗣️ 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 can better manage busy season bottlenecks and client expectations during peak work periods. I walk through how bookkeeping and tax firms typically evolve their workflow systems over time and why proactive communication with clients can prevent status-check chaos. I also roast cleanup bookkeeping as a business model, explain why it is often the worst work to take on, and share better ways to scope and price it. The episode wraps with a mailbag covering firm growth breakpoints, niching into small solopreneurs, hiring trial day tests, and practical video production tips.

📄 Here’s a link to some of those example docs https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bVm4_PMNm7aE6l7HC1WZqyB4Ti2jEdXZ?usp=sharing

🎤 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/
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 what AI agents actually mean for accounting firms after hands on testing with Claude Cowork and OpenClaw, including real bookkeeping and tax experiments that changed my perspective. I cover what is possible today, where the security boundaries still are, and why the pace of change matters. Then I run through a Niche of the Week on high end custom jewelry designers and close with a mailbag on AI use cases, pricing tiers, starting a firm, and managing career decisions in an AI driven world.

🎤 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 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 share the best questions I got during my live events in DC and Seattle.  explain how I approach 3-tier proposals by customizing scope for each client and structuring tiers around delivery and access. I share how to roll it out at renewal, test it with a small group first, use urgency and scarcity to guide premium choices, define advisory clearly, reveal pricing without publishing a minimum, and handle scope changes without giving work away for free.

🎤 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

🚀 Make the ultimate investment in your accounting firm by joining my alliance of +700 firm owners: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps
🧰 Swipe my FREE app recommendations for accounting firms: https://rlz.io/

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

My name’s Jason, I used to run a $5M accounting firm, now I help accountants around the world build better firms. I’m the founder of a +700 firm private community that’s shaping the future of small-firm ownership for the better.

In this episode, I sit down with Mike and Ross Libbey, a father-son duo who somehow pulled off one of the smoothest accounting firm successions I’ve ever seen. We break down how they kept work and family from turning into a constant power struggle, what boundaries actually matter, and how trust gets built over time. We also get into what it looks like when the next generation wants a modern firm, how the buyout process worked, and how they navigated difficult pricing and tech decisions where other generational firms get stuck.

🎤 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

🗣️ 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 the 10 biggest hiring mistakes I made running an accounting firm, including how my thinking changed around trial days, offshore hiring, admin roles, delegation structure, and paying for talent. Then I help a non-accountant who just bought a legacy firm build a practical tech stack, focusing on quick wins like 1040 intake automation and month-end close tools before attempting a practice management overhaul. We close with an AI-heavy mailbag on Claude Cowork, OpenClaw, the future of AI agents, and why most firms still shouldn’t be using the newest tools with client data yet.

🎤 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 why your monitor is probably the most important piece of tech in your accounting firm, and I walk through the 10 biggest factors that actually matter when buying one in 2026. Then I roast a “$15M firm” submission and dig into what’s really holding them back: hourly billing chaos, outdated Thomson Reuters workflows, weak staffing structure, and a tech stack that’s stuck in the past. We close with a mailbag that covers what pages matter on a bookkeeping website, proposal tools, managing complex client groups in PM, bonus structures, and how to start a side hustle firm while still employed.

🎤 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