When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he axed more than 70 percent of Apple’s hardware and software products. In 2018, Apple became America’s first trillion-dollar company.
When we speak with owners of CPA firms, the vast majority mention two major obstacles to growth:
- They have more work than time
- Finding and keeping talent
There are no shortages of opportunities in the accounting profession. To name a few:
- Cloud-based services that can expand beyond current geography
- Financial services
- Advisory
- Specialized tax
- Cross-selling what you already offer to clients you already have (underserved clients)
- Etc…
So how can you get it all done?
From our experience, pruning first is often necessary to create capacity in order to grow more strategically. Growth often starts by asking what can be axed and then where should that energy and those resources go instead? What Steve Jobs implemented over 20 years ago utilized the incredible power of focus.
About Brannon Poe: Brannon is the founder of Poe Group Advisors and has been facilitating successful accounting practice transitions throughout the US and Canada since 2003, and the creator of Accounting Practice Academy. He is also the author of Accounting Practice Insights Blog and hosts the Accountant’s Flight Plan” podcast with other top thought-leaders in the accounting profession. Brannon is an E&Y alumnus. He has worked with some of the most successful and seasoned CPAs in the industry and has been privy to the behind-the-scenes methods that these clients have used to build highly profitable practices along with capable and independent teams. Brannon has authored multiple books, including “Accountant’s Flight Plan – Best Practices for Today’s Firms” (published by both the AICPA and CPA Canada) and “On Your Own: How to Start Your Own CPA Firm,” Second Edition (published by the AICPA). Brannon is passionate about entrepreneurship and is the president-elect of EO Charleston (Entrepreneur’s Organization)
