SPECIAL EDITION: What the HIRE Act Could Mean for Outsourcing in the CPA World!

On September 5th, Senator Moreno introduced the HIRE Act (Halting International Relocation of Employment Act)—a proposed bill that could impose a 25% excise tax on payments to foreign service providers when serving U.S. consumers. This could dramatically impact CPA firms that rely on outsourcing or offshoring.

In this special episode of Business Beyond Borders, host & expert Laurence Whittam unpacks the early-stage bill and brings insight from on what firms should be doing right now to assess risk and prepare.

In this episode, you will be able to:

•  Understand the key provisions of the HIRE Act and its potential financial implications

•  Identify which firms, contracts, and payment models could be affected

•  Explore planning strategies around risk mitigation and contract flexibility

•  Learn about nearshoring and hybrid models as potential alternatives

•  Position your firm to advise clients who may also be impacted

Want to understand how this could affect your firm? Contact Laurence Whittam at [email protected] for a tailored risk assessment.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

#BusinessBeyondBorders #HIREAct #OutsourcingStrategy #CPAInsights #GlobalWorkforce

Is your firm losing its people because your culture is more talk than action?

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, host Laurence Whittam welcomes Trisha Daho—a former Big Four partner and now a fractional Chief People Officer—to unpack what it really means to build and sustain a high-performing culture inside today’s CPA firms.

They explore how culture must be intentional and measurable, not just aspirational, especially in a profession shaped by:

•  How culture must be designed and measured—not assumed

•  The leadership gaps that are exposed in hybrid environments

•  Why firms must intertwine people strategy with business strategy

•  Practical ways to hold partners and leaders accountable to values

•  The need to treat offshore teams as part of the firm, not extensions

Tune in now to Business Beyond Borders with Laurence Whittam and start leading with purpose!

#BusinessBeyondBorders #FirmCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #PeopleStrategy #CPAFirmGrowth

Struggling to make outsourcing work for your CPA firm? In this episode, host Laurence Whittam introduces the Mastering Outsourcing course—built from years of experience helping firms overcome offshoring challenges. Whether you’re exploring outsourcing or trying to improve your current strategy, this episode gives you the roadmap you’ve been missing.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Uncover why many CPA firms fail at outsourcing—and how to avoid common pitfalls

Explore outsourcing models, global locations, and how to properly vet vendors

Learn practical integration strategies and reporting structures for every firm size

Gain insights from real-world examples and best practices

Access a complete, self-paced course to guide your firm’s outsourcing journey

Ready to take the next step? Explore the full Mastering Outsourcing course here: igs-cpaoutsourcing.teachable.com/p/mastering-outsourcing-for-cpas-and-accountants

#outsourcingstrategy #CPAfirmgrowth #offshoring #cpaeducation #businessbeyondborders

When is it time to stop doing and start owning your business?

In this episode, Laurence Whittam sits down with Eli Raff, Operational Efficiency & Business Systemization Expert at Owner-Free Systems Advisory to explore the mindset shift—and operational strategy—needed to grow a firm beyond the founder. If you’ve ever felt like you can’t take a real vacation without things falling apart, this one’s for you.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Identify the mindset shift from technician to business builder

• Understand why strong SOPs are the backbone of scale

• Learn how to systemize your firm without switching all your tech

• Discover the 3 freedom processes every owner should focus on

• Spot red flags that show your firm needs better systems—now

Listen now to build a business that runs without you at the center!

#BusinessBeyondBorders #OperationalExcellence #CPAInsights #FirmGrowth #SystemsThatScale

How do you build a thriving firm culture in a remote world—and why does vulnerability matter more than ever?

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, Laurence Whittam sits down with Randy Crabtree—CPA, co-founder of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals. Known for championing culture, mental health, and people-first leadership, Randy shares practical insights from decades of experience.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover why intentional leadership is critical to culture-building

• Learn how firms are successfully blending flexibility with in-person connection

• Understand the impact of well-defined (and alternative) career paths

• Explore the power of celebrating wins—both personal and professional

• Hear how vulnerability at the top creates space for growth at all levels

Listen now to rethink what leadership and culture mean in the modern firm.

#CPALeadership #FirmCulture #RemoteTeams #AccountingInnovation #BusinessBeyondBorders

What does it take to build a high-performing offshore team from the ground up?

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, guest Ben Town shares how his frustrating outsourcing journey led to the creation of his own offshore team, now supporting firms.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Understand the stages CPA firms go through when exploring outsourcing

Identify the common challenges of working with outsourcing vendors

Learn why cultural alignment and asynchronous communication are critical to success

Discover how Ben structured his offshore valuation team for scalability and retention

Get real-world insights into managing workflows and time zones effectively

Listen now to learn how intentional leadership can turn outsourcing pain into opportunity!

#CPAOutsourcing #OffshoreTalent #BusinessBeyondBorders #FirmGrowth #AssuranceAdvisors

Is AI replacing marketers—or finally making them effective?

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, Laurence Whittam talks with Kristofer Lenz, Founder of Kailos Marketing Lab, about how AI is reshaping marketing for CPA firms—and why most firms are still missing the mark.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how AI accelerates content, outreach, and BD for accounting firms.

• Learn why prompt engineering and human input are essential to success.

• Hear how firms like MGO leveraged internal branding to win buy-in for outsourcing.

• Understand how smaller firms can compete with industry giants using automation.

• Get practical tips to start using AI in your firm today—without being a tech expert.

Don’t let your firm fall behind. Listen now!

#CPAFirmGrowth #AIinMarketing #CPAOutsourcing #BusinessBeyondBorders

Struggling with cultural friction in your offshore team? You’re not alone—and it’s more common (and fixable) than you think.

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, Laurence Whittam dives into one of the most overlooked reasons firms fail to scale their outsourcing success: cultural disconnects.

In this episode, you’ll be able to:

• Recognize common cultural challenges when working with offshore teams

• Understand how these issues show up in FTE, project-based, or BOT models

• Learn how to better integrate your outsourcing provider into strategic discussions

• Discover tools like internal workshops and alliance resources to bridge cultural gaps

• Get practical steps to overcome discomfort and build global team alignment

Ready to make culture your outsourcing advantage?  Listen now to the full episode and start scaling smarter.

#BusinessBeyondBorders #OutsourcingTips #GlobalTeams #CulturalAlignment #ScalingSuccess

Is your firm missing the real advisory opportunity behind M&A?

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, Laurence Whittam sits down with UK-based exit planning expert Christine Nicholson to unpack what firms often overlook when guiding clients through succession and acquisition decisions.

In this episode, you’ll be able to:

• Understand why mid-sized firms struggle to evolve—and what to do about it

• Recognize the signs when a client might be ready to sell their book

• Learn how to shift conversations from compliance to true advisory

• Discover the power of niche focus in driving long-term value

• Know who to call when you don’t have the answers

Whether you’re navigating M&A internally or helping clients do the same, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!

#BusinessBeyondBorders #MergersAndAcquisitions #ClientAdvisory #CPAInsights #SuccessionPlanning

Facing internal resistance to outsourcing? You’re not alone.

In this launch episode of the Business Beyond Borders mini-series, host Laurence Whittam dives into one of the biggest barriers firms face when expanding globally—getting internal buy-in for outsourcing. Whether it’s resistance from partners, disconnected service lines, or uncertainty about how to roll it out across offices, these challenges are real—and solvable.

In this episode, you’ll be able to:

Listen now and rethink your approach to building a unified, global team!

#outsourcingstrategy #cpafirms #firmculture #offshoring #businessbeyondborders