You work hard in your firm and want to build it's profits and capital value. Over time you also want to make it less reliant on you, and there will be a time when you will want to exit. Even if you're not thinking about it right now - there's huge piece of mind that comes with being 'exit ready' at any time.
We use the phrase a lot 'begin with the end in mind' - if you do this you shift your mindset to always having your firm 'sale ready' even if you are not ready to sell now.
This means considering:
How do you achieve freedom from your accountancy firm? You started it, you are invested in it and a lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into making it the success it is today. You have managed to steer it through the toughest of times.
Read MoreWhat can we learn from Google, Apple, Dropbox and other uber-successful businesses about recruitment processes that result in high-quality and highly motivated new recruits?Kim Scott led the AdSense team at Google and was also a faculty member at Apple University. She was a founder and CEO of a tech start-up, has coached the CEOs of
Read MoreWhen you do more work and better work in less time you will better impress your clients, win more clients and grow your profits. Chances are, when your firm does more work and better work in less time, you’ll beat your competition hands down. So how do you increase your chances of winning? Use your brain the way
Read MoreWhen it comes to securing existing or future business with your clients, the questions you ask are fundamental to your success. When you use a proven framework and ask your clients ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ questions, you sell more and and build value for your accountancy firm. Both types are needed, and you can learn how to
Read MoreWe must all know about Premier Inn and their ‘good night’s sleep’ guarantee? You might have seen Lenny Henry on the Premier Inn TV adverts promoting a good night’s sleep. At the end of the advert, to show you they are absolutely serious about you having a good night’s sleep, they make this bold guarantee: ‘We’re so confident
Read More“Too many emails!” It’s easy to dismiss email marketing as a thing of the past. In fact, some have even said it’s dead, with social media and the mobile way of working getting all the attention, and with marketing emails flooding our inboxes every day… However, statistics on email marketing performance don’t agree with this. In fact,
Read Morethree business persons working charactersDealing with any negotiation can often be aggravated by the negotiating partners taking things personally or not understanding each other’s side of the issue or their needs. This can mean that one party, or all of them become angry, argumentative or upset, meaning compromise becomes hard or impossible to reach. One party
Read MoreWhen was the last time you took a close look at your marketing activity to see if it’s really delivering the performance you want? Before you jump in head-first committing time and money on the ‘sizzle’ it pays to consider WTS ‘Where’s the Sausage’! Too often accountancy firms, in trying to boost their marketing and sales, rush
Read MoreIf a 3-year-old can ask an obvious question, then can’t we all ask great questions? On a sunny winter’s day in 1943 Jennifer (3-years old) asked her Dad a question. Edwin Land had just taken Jennifer’s picture with his favourite camera when she piped up: “Why can’t I see the picture you’ve taken right now?” Like most 3-year-olds
Read MoreAs a partner or senior manager, you believe in your accountancy firm and you believe in your firm’s products and services. However, this is all in vain if your customers don’t have the same belief! Your customers are not going to part with their hard-earned money if they don’t think you are credible. And the larger the purchase
Read MoreMost people don’t like ‘salespeople’… If you ask your team to describe a typical salesperson, they may use words like ‘pushy’ or ‘aggressive’. They may describe the car salesman in a shiny suit trying too hard to sell them a car they are not sure they want, at a price they’re not comfortable with… This version, with
Read MoreThe aim of effective email marketing is to grow your firm’s email lists, grow relevant visits to your firm’s website and in turn increase your client base. These 3 things will grow your firm and your profits… Your firm may be using email marketing to let your clients know about your products and services, but are you
Read MoreYou might have been lucky in the past and made successful decisions without following a proven process. However, should you leave the future success of your firm simply to chance? Without even realising it, our natural decision-making process has natural flaws… One of these flaws is creating just 2 options, thumbs up or thumbs down. This creates a narrow
Read MoreLearning and using a 4-phase habit-forming process can improve the sales and repeat sales of your accountancy firm’s products and services It can help you build a network of clients, build profits and build capital value into your firm. On the other hand, allow your competition to get ahead of you with the science of habit-forming products
Read MoreHow many times in your accountancy firm have you spent time and money on the wrong things?For example, how much time and money has been spent on marketing your firm’s products and services without focusing on aligning your products and services with your clients’ needs and desires?It’s so easy to focus on the ‘sizzle’ when
Read MoreWhen you watch a movie, you can almost believe anything on-screen, because it’s not real life, it’s fantasy. The skills of the characters in the movie, ‘The Incredibles’ for example – we know that people cannot lift cars, move faster than a speeding bullet and make themselves invisible, but we suspend belief and sit back and
Read MoreThe world of sales – love it or hate it, we are all involved in it. Most of us either sell something or are sold something every day, probably without even realising it… On your way to work today, the person on the radio will have sold you the idea of staying tuned in to their channel
Read MoreWhether you like Ed Sheeran’s music or not, you will have heard of him. He is, without doubt, one of the biggest selling artists of all time. But, this success has not happened overnight, he is not a product of a music mogul or a television programme, he is a product of his own consistent, daily
Read MoreA successful negotiation means that all parties reach a compromise or agreement while avoiding argument and dispute. Contrary to what many believe, negotiation skills are not about beating the opposition. The best negotiations are ones where all parties win, resulting in everyone walking away from the negotiating table thinking that the deal they have is a
Read MorePersil is a household name and a recognised brand, but is their sausage worth all the sizzle? In 2005 David Arkwright (former global director of Unilever’s laundry business) thought they needed to move away from the ‘whiter than white’ slogan and focus on a stronger core message. Arkwright knew Persil’s current core message ‘whiter than white’ was
Read MoreFrom a very early age questions form a part of our everyday life… Children ask a multitude of seemingly irrelevant and repetitive questions, mostly starting with the word ‘why?’. This is how they learn, work out the world and grow. As adults those skills become more refined, the questions become more targeted and outcome driven. The decisions that people
Read MoreRunning a firm is hard, you have days when you have no time to yourself and if you do find some time, you are fatigued by the sheer effort of running your firm… However, if you want to achieve the ultimate goal – your ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal’ (BHAG) – for your firm, you must address
Read MoreAs the saying goes “practice makes perfect”. You already know in this fast-moving business world that you need to improve just to stand still. You also know that doing the same old, same old will mean that your firm will probably eventually fail. Practicing something once just isn’t enough…by helping your people (and yourself) improve skills and expertise
Read MoreYou might have a new project or idea which needs support from your team… …or you might have a business challenge or a recurring frustration that you feel is holding your firm back and stops you from making that ‘big business’ win. You may want to share your idea or challenge with your team, but you know
Read MoreIn our personal lives, we generally manage change in a way that is achievable and realistic. Who would plan for a big wedding to be held only two weeks after the engagement? Who would buy a house that was unaffordable or move in if it was not ready? We manage and plan these changes to ensure maximum success,
Read MoreLike every business owner, you probably have doubts, doubts that you are:taking your firm in the right directionrecruiting the right peopleselling the right products and services at the right priceDo you allow these doubts to hold you back? Or do you push through them and make the necessary decisions without being afraid of failure? Allowing doubts
Read MoreNegotiation is a part of everyday life, whether it’s deliberating on who drives on a night out, what time your children go to bed or which location to choose for a holiday. So how are your negotiating skills? When you’re preparing for a negotiation, how do you feel? Nervous? Excited? Ready for a fight? Your ability to negotiate
Read MoreOur 4-page report on ‘proof’ has been written for business owners who want more sales. It is aimed squarely at accountancy firms as well. Here’s why this report is relevant to accountancy firms. I’m always surprised about how little accountancy firms use proof to build their credibility and trustworthiness with prospects and introducers. Let’s be more accurate here… Some
Read MoreThe power of proof is as relevant to accountants as it is to their business owner clients. In short… If prospective clients doubt your firm and your abilities, they are unlikely to use you as their accountant. Perhaps surprisingly, this is a good thing for your business! It’s good because the same ‘doubting Thomas’ approach applies to your competition
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