2000 AND BEYOND: USING THE PAST TO MAP THE FUTURE.

• Author: Nisberg, Jay N.

As CPAs approach the millennium, their world could not be more confusing, more profitable and, possibly, more fun than at any time in their recent past. As one songwriter put it, "To every season, turn, turn, turn." Deregulation and consolidation have led CPAs into uncharted waters--creating uncertainty and heightened anxiety, but also a new competitiveness and an era of creativity. As CPAs increasingly take on the role of business advisers, it becomes relevant for them to examine the past, and also the present, and think about where the next hundred years will take the profession.

The accounting profession has reached new heights. CPAs have evolved from being regarded as bean counters and back-room number crunchers to being sought out as information specialists and trusted business advisers. They have been thought of as "historians"; today, they are perceived as deal-makers and futurists. Business owners turn to the practitioner to advise them on everything from compliance to planning. The CPA must be a good technician, an information technology (IT) specialist, a personnel expert, a sales expert and a psychotherapist--all wrapped into one.

CPAs are expected to guide their clients into the future--to advise on preserving market share, hiring critical employees and establishing and preserving wealth. The CPA is the navigator of the 21st century.

To understand the relevance of all this, we need to look at the profession's history and, thinking a bit out of the box, guess what its future will be in the next millennium.

No pocket protectors

Having survived their "pocket protector" image, CPAs have evolved into personal and business advisers and, even, captains of industry. Their profession has changed as well. Only yesterday CPAs were not allowed to market their services to prospective clients. Today, they are among the best communicators in business of their skills and services.

If one were to ask Peter Drucker, Ray Kroc or Sam Walton if the changes would prove to be healthy, I think they would all answer in the affirmative. After all, a competitive environment that brings out the best in all of us is bound to be healthy. CPAs entered the competitive world very late. They had to learn how to market and sell, to make better presentations than their competitors and to price the value of their services. Most CPAs, in fact, still do not charge nearly what they are worth to clients--something the profession must deal with to be truly successful.

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