The accounting profession is heading toward a model that prioritizes helping individual clients achieve their business goals instead of only providing tax and accounting services. With this in mind, it is essential for CPAs and advisors to ask themselves some key questions:
· How do your top clients envision their business growth?
· How can you more effectively support clients in addressing challenges?
· What is on your clients' To Do list, and how can you help them complete it?
· How would your firm change by adopting a client-goals first mindset rather than a compliance-first mindset?
Historically, the relationship between accounting teams and their clients has been transactional: clients express their needs, and firms respond with deliverables like tax returns or audits. While CPAs continue to perform audits, prepare tax returns, and conduct compliance meetings, what clients value most is the relationship that their trusted advisors cultivate with them. The future of the profession lies in building deeper, more impactful connections with clients.
By focusing on client service — understanding its significance, demonstrating the value delivered, and recognizing what clients truly want — CPA firms can assure sustained success and strategically navigate the industry's evolving landscape.
How can Aprio Firm Alliance help your CPA firm move forward?
Aprio serves as the backbone of our firm alliance. Our firm's leaders are successfully engaging in these discussions, and our alliance members are encouraged to connect with our leaders to get actionable advice. This conversation mirrors what we ask our teams to discuss with their clients; however, in this case, the alliance member is the client, and the individual they speak to is an Aprio leader.
With Aprio Firm Alliance, you don't need to reinvent the wheel or navigate the pitfalls of building something from scratch. Instead, you gain the advantage of collaborating with other professionals on the same journey, including our experienced Aprio leaders and fellow alliance members. You're all on this journey. Why go alone when you can go together?
The bottom line
The Aprio Firm Alliance is designed to empower firms of all sizes as they serve a diverse clientele and deliver various service lines and consulting-driven accounting services. While methods may differ, having access to a wealth of tailored knowledge is invaluable for today’s CPAs because it helps us achieve excellence in our niches.
Are you or a colleague interested in joining Aprio Firm Alliance? Contact me at mike.max@aprio.com to discuss how Aprio Firm Alliance can help your firm move forward.