Synopses & Reviews
Let expert advisor and author Jack Fox show you how to do it-how he did it-with a minimum amount of anxiety and cost Part blueprint, rule book, and game plan, Starting and Building Your Own Accounting Business offers hands-on, no-nonsense guidance from a leading expert on the actual day-to-day specifics of creating and marketing your own accounting business--while building a foundation for ongoing success. The book offers clear advice on designing a workable business plan, leasing and furnishing an office, as well as tips on prospecting for clients (where to find and rate them) and developing a fee structure (with advice on collecting fees). This bestselling guide, now in its Third Edition, cues you in on what to realistically expect and lets you shrink light-years of trial and error and keep several paces ahead of the competition. The new edition includes other valuable advice on successfully jump-starting your new accounting business:
* Selling techniques for the nonsalesperson
* Product and service presentations and techniques, with scripts
* How to assess the leading commercial computer hardware and software--with advice on selecting just the right equipment
* Structuring a formal Prospective Accounting Client Evaluation (PACE)
* Tips on using the Internet as well as innovative business software
The book also provides such success essentials as action plans critical for the first year of a new business or for expanding a business and useful fingertip resources such as directories of suppliers (with Web site addresses). For the accountant interested in striking out on his own or the entrepreneur interested in expanding her business and garnering greater profits, Starting and Building Your Own Accounting Business is the first step to making it happen.
Synopsis
This Second Edition of Jack Fox's celebrated guide is expanded and updated to reflect the growing importance of personal computers and client prospecting. It's still the only book that tackles every aspect of building a successful accounting business—not just marketing. Fox leads you step-by-step through the crucial early decisions that will shape your business for years to come. He provides an action plan to help you through your first three months—the do-or-die period for any business—and a broader-based plan to guide you for the remainder of the first year. Numerous ready-to-use charts and forms save you lots of legwork and help you jump right into your practice.
This complete and authoritative source enables you to overcome every obstacle to your success—one problem at a time. You'll learn how to:
- Develop a business plan.
- Choose a location that will help your business grow.
- Select computer hardware and software that best suit your business needs.
- Make sales calls that leave a lasting, positive impression on clients.
- Recruit and hire staff.
- Decide whether you need a CPA certificate.
- Set fees, time billings, and collect payments without alienating clients.
- Project cash flow.
- Buy or sell an existing practice.
About the Author
JACK FOX is President of Jack Fox Associates in Ventura, CA and Adjunct Professor at The American University in Washington, D.C. The former budget director for the National Alliance of Business, Mr. Fox is also the author of How to Obtain Your Own SBA Loan and Accounting and Recordkeeping Made Easy for the Self-Employed.
Table of Contents
How to Succeed in the Accounting Business...By Really Trying.
CPA...To Be or Not to Be.
The Small Business Market...It's All Around You.
Establishing and Developing the Business Plan.
Business versus Practice.
The Accounting Factory.
A Programmed Action Plan.
How to Charge and Collect.
Sales Techniques for the Nonsalesperson.
Prospecting for Clients.
Advertising and Sales Promotion.
Presenting Your Products.
Anatomy of a Sales Call.
Planning for Growth.
Buying or Selling Your Business.
Continuing Education.
Preparation of Small-Client Income Tax Returns.
Computer Guide and Manual.
Sources of Further Information.
Index.