The first call: CPAs must plug into IT issues to become the clients' go-to resource.

• Author: Green, Robert
• Position: Information Technology

Hey, CPAs: Are you receiving your client's first call about business growth? Growing clients need help and often don't know where to turn. As their CPA, are you receiving the first call when these clients are seeking advice on key decisions? Are you providing as much value, depth and scope as possible to your growing clients?

If you answered no, this may help you get closer to being on the receiving end of that first phone call.

GROWTH--A CPA'S OPPORTUNITY

There are many avoidable reasons why growth does not succeed. By introducing your growing clients to key resources beyond your firm's services, growth has a greater likelihood of occurring.

CPAs often refer certain tried and true resources to clients in growth mode: bankers, investment bankers, lawyers, sales experts, etc.

But did you notice that information technology is missing from the list? Unfortunately, many business advisers (including CPAs) and their clients frequently overlook the fact that there is a direct correlation between business growth and effective IT initiatives.

IT advisers most often come into the picture to cure a company's pain associated with system deficiencies that have crept up on them while their IT plan was asleep at the wheel.

These companies end up paying more to remedy these pains than they would have if they had included IT initiatives in their growth plans in the first place--resulting in the CEO asking senior staff and CPAs, "Why didn't anyone warn me?"

Help your clients understand that IT initiatives can enable a successful growth strategy. IT by itself isn't the key to success, but ignoring its ability to support growth can be catastrophic.

Characteristics of successful IT initiatives include:

* Complimentary and supportive of business objectives;

* Adequately budgeted;

* Proactively planned with realistic expectations for success;

* Competently managed by employees or outside advisers; and

* Measurable results.

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THE IT GAP--HOW IT INITIATIVES ENABLE GROWTH

The most common IT challenge during growth is identifying the "gaps" between existing IT systems and capabilities, and those systems necessary to get the business where it wants to go.

These systems and capabilities include the network; connectivity among locations and components; disaster and power management; Internet security and data security practices; transaction processing; website functionality; and integration of various business software applications.

Gaps often...