“Good businesses have customers. Great businesses have fans. Incredible businesses have audiences." - Ron Baker

The finer details of this episode:

• Using metrics to continuously improve service delivery and set up key predictive indicators to test hypotheses
• Setting boundaries with clients and educating them on what is reasonable in terms of communication and response time
• Importance of delivering results as a professional, rather than just charging for time or tasks

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – summitcpa.net
• If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]
• VeraSage Institute

“We need to move away from pricing services and we need to start pricing what's really important, which is the relationship and transformations." - Ron Baker

The finer details of this episode:

• Time sheets vs after-action reviews
• Guiding transformations and monetizing relationships rather than charging for scope changes 
• Understanding a subscription-based model and how it differs from traditional-pricing models

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – summitcpa.net
• If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]
• VeraSage Institute

“Without the foundation of a good onboarding process, it's going to be very hard to have each client make sure that they're hitting all those deliverables because every client is a little bit different.” - Joey Kinney 

The finer details of this episode:

• Identifying client pain points during onboarding 
• The value of an onboarding specialist in standardizing processes
• Setting expectations for onboarding   

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – summitcpa.net
• If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]

We partner with CFO-services firms and CPA firms that want to focus on the advisory angle. We don't necessarily want to provide advisory services, but we want to give our partners a strong foundation of bookkeeping and accounting. We're focused on using automation to improve the accounting system, and that helps our partners, the CFO-services firms and the outsource CPAs, that are really the advisors to their clients. But you have to have the bookkeeping and the accounting there in order to provide the advisory piece. We want to be the wind beneath their wings.” - Jesse Rubenfeld

The finer details of this episode:

•  Accounting workflows: automation assisted vs. automation
•  Outsourcing accounting tasks to increase efficiency
• Software tools that help with automation

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – summitcpa.net
• If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]
• FinOptimal | Homepage

“When moving to offering virtual CFO services, there was a mindset shift that really helped us recognize our own value. Now we're at the place where we have a definition, structure, and the ability to align ourselves with potential clients and their needs.” - Katina Peters

The finer details of this episode:

• Conveying value and building trust in sales conversations
• Exploring niche markets
• Defining and improving processes when adding virtual CFO services to your firm

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – www.summitcpa.net
• For questions or if you would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].
• Virtual CPA providing vCFO Services | PJS & Co. CPAs (pjscpas.com)

“Most often, I think forecasting in the transportation and logistics industry is looking at the next thing. There's a lot of opportunity for business owners to look at forecasting the way Summit does, which is a wider range than just the next “one thing.” Having a forecast with some reality behind it is especially imperative in an industry like this that is highly capital intensive.” –Dan Rutherford

The finer details of this episode:

• Accounting challenges in the transportation and logistics industry
• Forecasting and planning for success 
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the industry 

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – www.summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions – [email protected]

“Typically, lawyers are focused on what is right in front of them. They think if they do good work that's right in front of them, then good things will happen. And, sometimes they do, but you can enhance that if you focus on what the value drivers are for the business.” -John C. Scott

The finer details of this episode:

• The role of a CFO in growing law firms
•  Cash flow management and forecasting for law firms
•  Benefits of flat-fee billing vs. hourly billing

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – www.summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions – [email protected]
• John Scott, CPA | Tax Partner | Anders CPAs + Advisors

Episode Notes:

“Any business, whether it's startup, tech, any business across the board, should really have a strategy of diversification of the funds that they don't particularly need on a 90-day basis to a six-month basis. If they've got that cash flow, let's start to diversify the rest of those funds.” –Paul Rhea

The finer details of this episode:

• Risk vs. Reward: Diversifying funds for optimal returns
• Exploring strategies for diversifying excess cash
• Bank protection strategies for business owners
• Bank security and diversification strategies

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions – [email protected]

“I've talked to a lot of firms who say that they can't take on new business between February and April. I think that's a mistake because that's when business owners are feeling the most pain around their financials, so that's when they most need help and want to talk to someone. But they'll often just turn off the marketing during those months. So, that's the best time to be connecting with potential clients because that's when they're feeling the need most acutely.” – Matthew Banker 

The finer details of this episode:

• The importance of understanding your customers and what they need
• Creating a clear and consistent message that resonates with your customers
• Viewing marketing as an investment and working with a knowledgeable marketing partner

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – www.summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions – [email protected]
• Marketing for Accounting Firms - Benchmark Growth Marketing

“Your mission should be bigger than you can do in your lifetime, but you should never lose sight of it as your North Star. Any decision that we make or any of the things that we’re doing, we ask the question, ‘Is this going to further the joy?’ The joy is interacting with your clients and really feeling like you're making a difference. I want to bring joy to both sides—accountants and clients. How can we make it more positive for both? We do so by finding solutions for our clients’ pain points.” – Kristen Keats

The finer details of this episode:

• Nearshore vs. offshore outsourcing
• Solving pain points for clients
• Solving staffing issues with Cadencia
• Helping accountants start their own firm through a franchising option

Episode resources:

• Summit CPA website – www.summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions – [email protected]
• Cadencia
• Breakaway Bookkeeping & Advising (breakawayba.com)
• Sherwood Tax & Accounting