Posts by Mark Holton
The Value-Added Proposition
Good profitability, strong cash flow, growing return and being client-focused go hand in hand. At practice level, most accountants believe this, but they have a hard time identifying specific actions and communicating the benefits to clients in a manner they can understand and value. Here are 10 specific things you can do: If you would…
Read MoreBuilding a Business Advisory Brand
In today’s dynamic accounting market brands are so much a part of our day to day lives that we forget how much we depend on them. Look at successful businesses like McDonalds, Qantas, Air New Zealand and Coca Cola for example. Their brand is well recognised and the market knows what goods and services they…
Read MoreJoining a Board of Directors
Being invited to join a Board can generate a “warm inner glow” because it is generally a sign of recognition that you have something to offer an organisation’s Governance process. However, it is also a very important personal step that can have consequences, in terms of you or your clients, available time and energy and…
Read MorePreparing Your Firm for Advisory Success
So, you’ve decided you’re up for the challenge of business advisory work. The single most important piece of advice we can give you is this: you’re not going to succeed if you don’t have a solid, proven implementation plan and the resourcing and capacity to systematically roll it out. In my experience, you’ll also need…
Read MoreKeeping Clients Engaged and Happy
As an accountant in practice, you already know that providing excellent service is essential to retaining your clients. But believe it or not, you can provide your accounting clients with an experience that makes them not only likely to stick with you but can turn them into raving fans or as I often say; walking,…
Read More10 Questions for Client Strategic Planning Workshops
The purpose of a strategic planning workshop is to set overall goals for your client’s business and to develop a plan and actions to achieve them. It involves stepping back from their day-to-day operations and asking where their business is headed and what its priorities should be. Strategic planning workshops are a great way to…
Read More10 Business Advisory Selling Tips
Over the past 20 or so years I have often heard from some accounting team members, “I am an accountant, not a salesperson”. Maybe we haven’t need to concentrate on sales given we all have clients that return to us every year to get basically the same things done. Maybe the Government has been our…
Read MoreHow Much Do Your Clients Want For Their Businesses When They Sell?
Most business owners wonder what their business will sell for when they come to exit, but many have no measurable method on which to base their assessment. Indeed, in my experience business owners want a certain amount of dollars for their business, but cannot explain any methodology which gets them there, or even close. If…
Read MoreDriving the Process for Knowledge Retention
One of the most valuable assets within an accounting practice is a combination of expertise, systems, and processes. Many practices go to great lengths to ensure their data is backed up and managed. Efficient disaster recovery plans are in place including cybersecurity protection but what are we doing to protect our knowledge? What does your…
Read MoreIdentifying grants for businesses
Small and Medium businesses (SME’s) can access literally hundreds of government grants that are offered by the Australian, State and Territory governments throughout the year. Some of the common types of grants for businesses include: Research and Development The applicant must be a company, have undertaken a documented research and development project and complied with…
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