Landscape Change The State of CPA Firms--& Where They're Going.

• Author: Fowler, Mark H.
• Position: Practicemanag

the CalCPA Los Angeles Chapter MAP Committee, of which I am chair, conducted a panel of five practicing CPAs from different sizes and operational formats to address topics essential for firms to meet needs of the future. The panelists included:

* Leslie Sobol, CPA Tax Partner; Lucas, Horsfall, Murphy & Pindroh, LLP

* Henry Huie, CPA Tax Supervisor, Citrin Cooperman

* Bryan Gruber, CPA Managing Partner; Lance, Soil & Lunghard, LLP

* Gina DeRosa, CPA President, Gina L. DeRosa, CPA, PC; Chair, Los Angeles Chapter

* Miklos Ringbauer, MBA, CPA, PMP Founder, MiklosCPA; Past President, Los Angeles Chapter; CalCPA Vice Chair

Operational Shifts & Strategic Planning of a New Business Model For many firms, the challenges of tax seasons 2020 and 2021 were a wake-up call demanding change.

"The 2021 tax season was even worse for us than the never-ending 2020 tax season. At the end of it, I honestly was feeling like I don't know if I want to do this anymore," said DeRosa.

Like other firms, she began making changes with the guidance of an outside professional. "I set aside specific time for myself, which I think we're all guilty of not doing because we tend to be pleasers. I've also set up more distinct boundaries with my clients," she said.

We're only doing client meetings Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday now, which gives me Monday, Friday and Saturday to focus and work, instead of switching in and out between meetings and files. That has made a huge impact. Sunday is absolutely off-limits. It's made me a much belter person on Monday.

Overwhelmed is a watchword for many firms when it comes to building a newer business model that is both service-focused and more culture - and team-based.

"We are focused on being efficient in meetings (setting standards for the firm) by setting clear start and stop times, respecting people's lime, working from agendas, taking minutes and not conducting meetings on Fridays," says Gruber.

One thing that stands out is that many firms were a bit ahead of the curve when COVID hit and remote work took over.

"Pre-COVID, we were fortunate enough that we were not a traditional setup in our accounting practice," says Ringbauer. "We were all cloud-based. We were all digital. Many things that many firms have implemented, we had set up in our system already. For us, it wasn't a major change. We have been fortunate for that, by being open-minded inside the firm and being an open book, our associates are much stronger."

DeRosa adds...