Here’s ten ways to make sure that you start 2016 with purpose, vision and the courage to super-charge your firm and improve business performance!
Time is the scarcest resource and biggest killer of most businesses. Owners get distracted and focus too much time and energy on the wrong things.
Identify and eliminate distractions to your mission. Be brave - slash standard meeting times, reduce unnecessary admin, delegate and cull.
Get rid of ten time-wasters, bad payers, or idiots. I dare you!
Having freed up time and headspace from deploying points one and two above, make sure you ring-fence time, key people, and money for some of the initiatives below. Redeploy with passion!
You don't go on a journey without a map or any idea of where you're headed - so why fly blind with your practice? Have a planning process, create a kick-arse plan - and execute.
Don't let people who don't get it, won't get it, don't care be a millstone around your neck in 2016. If they're not right, do them a favour and free up their futures.
Decrease admin, improve comms, improve reporting and accountability through the use of the best apps. Slash paper use and automate where possible.
Don't do the same old, same old. Refocus on value-add, making a difference. You want to do work with impact, meaning, and value - yes?!
Baaaahh! Most accountants look and sound the same. Break the mould and position yourself to attract ambitious, growing and engaged clients, and employees.
Create a simple marketing plan to increase reach and penetration. Set aside a percentage of fees to treat this seriously.
Remember that clients are prospects are online too. Make sure that you engage online and incorporate this as a key part of your marketing plan.
There are still far too many traditional, compliance focussed, cardigan wearing firms that give the accounting industry a bad rep. Their clients deserve more - maybe you provide that?
Advertise, target, and look for referral relationships to drive good quality clients your way. They’re there if you proactively seek them out.
Good luck super-charging your firm in 2016!
Would you like to read more? Download a copy of our white paper The Perfect Advisory Relationship.
Richard Francis is a CA and in a previous life ran a progressive firm that was the first independent Xero partner in the world and an early cloud pioneer.
