How to Get Started with Value Pricing

I was pleased be quoted and share value pricing tips in the April 2019 AICPA Journal of Accountancy newsletter. The article was put together by Liz Farr and also includes interviews with Ron Baker and Dominique Molina. It’s a great compilation of ways to get the ball rolling and provides good insights into how it’s worked out in practice.

Check out the online version.

Beta Alpha Psi Career Panel

I had a lot of fun at Beta Alpha Psi’s (BAP) 2019 Atlantic Coast Regional Meeting today as a panel member on “Explore Your Career Choices” headed up by Zoe Yang of PWC. We were able to address two sessions of officers from BAP chapters in the region about the variety of career paths they could pursue, sharing tips, experiences, and perspectives along the way.

In addition to getting to talk with accounting students, it was also great fun to meet and get to know fellow panel members drawn from different areas of the accounting industry: including Big 4 auditors, forensic accountants, financial analysts, and more. I represented the accounting entrepreneur firm-owner and encouraged students to consider if the path might be a good fit for them to.

Pictured here with me is Ozo from the DC Public Charter School System and very friendly guy. Check out Beta Alpha Psi site for more info about their organization (of which I’m an alum), and cheers to all new accountants entering the profession!

Live Xero Certification

Excited to be teaching a live Xero Advisor Certification course on October 23 at the beautiful Hamilton Hotel in Washington, DC. Time is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and registration is free!

If you’ve been curious about the Xero platform, or have tested the waters and want to get more, come on out — would love to meet you, and also help kick-off your Xero experience!

  • Step 1 – Register on Xero’s website to become a Partner and access all their special Partner tools for free!

 

Check out the links, and see you there! šŸ™‚

MSATP: Security & Your Practice

Happy to announce I’ll be appearing as the practitioner on a “Security & Your Practice” panel at the MSATP Solo/Small Firm Conference November 2 – 4 in Bethany Beach, DE.

The panel will be held twice during the weekend, and will seek to address emerging issues from the changing technology landscape and legislative pronouncements, including topics like: security insurance, portals, mobile device security, home offices, the new cyber legislative credit, and more.

You can visit the event page to learn more about the conference and potentially register, and also feel free to check out membership in the Maryland Society of Accounting and Tax Professionals.

Karbon Academy 102

I’m pleased to be re-joining the Faculty of Karbon Academy for their “102 course” semester starting late this August.

Karbon Academy is an educational offering of the practice management/ workflow software Karbon. It seeks close the accounting education gap and empower our profession to face the challenges in today’s industry while looking boldly to the future. According to their home page:

“Karbon Academy provides online professional courses in management, growth, technology and strategy. Focused on practical applications and group discussions, it is taught by leading practitioners and business mentors.

The particular sessions I’ll be guest lecturing in are being finalized, but tentatively I’ll be assisting in “Strategy 102: How to of Value Pricing”, “Strategy 102: Innovation: Practice & Services”, and “Growth 102: The Selling Process”. Last year I really enjoyed helping teach process design in the EFF-101 course. (My full faculty profile and course listing.)

You can find a full listing of courses on their website, sign up for any of the new 102 level courses for $900, and access the 101 courses self-paced at $200.

Also, there’s also many great resources on the Karbon website, not to mention their Magazine. And don’t forget to check out their practice management/workflow software if you want to see if their approach to practice management and workflow is a good fit for your firm.

The Role of the Entrepreneur

Youā€™ve seen those car commercials: the sleek, sporty car expertly threading through rural roads as it speeds its way towards bliss. And along the bottom of your screen in small print: ā€œDo not attempt ā€“ Professional driver on a closed course.ā€

Man, what a let down.Ā šŸ˜‰

Iā€™m here to tell you that value pricing is like that ā€“ if youā€™re not an entrepreneur, do not attempt. Value pricing is not in the professional mainstream yet (though one day will be), and you could wait for the rest of the herd to move before re-examining your business model (though realize that strategy comes with its own risk too).

But if youā€™ve decided to become a ā€˜professional driver on a closed courseā€™ (a.k.a. an ā€œentrepreneurā€), Iā€™d like to provide a little lay of the economic landscape to help inspire you on your journey. Continue reading “The Role of the Entrepreneur”

VeraSage Symposium 2017

I was pleased to give a DET Talk at the VeraSage Symposium 2017 hosted in Allen, Texas, and chose two topics to focus on: “Variations on The Neinbach” and “Assisted Valuation”.

The first relates to different pricing heuristics I adapted from the Neinbach pricing model as a quick shorthand and to also aid purchasing decisions. The second is a method and worksheet I developed from material by Blair Enns, Ron Baker, and Mahan Khalsa that I use in my own firm’s Value Conversations.

Below are my slides, and hope you enjoy!

The Soul of Enterprise: 2017 VeraSage Symposium

It’s always a treat to gather with other Fellows and Founders at the bi-annual VeraSage Symposium for good wine (in the true spirit of a symposium) and great conversation with revolutionary thinkers. One highlights of the event this year was a live broadcast of Ron and Ed’s radio show, The Soul of Enterprise, which featured many of the Fellows present plus additional guests. It’s jam packed with great revelations and insights (as well as laughs), and highly recommend you give it a listen.

You can catch the audio right from the page for Episode 167 (you’ll hear me starting at 6:27), as well as subscribe to their podcast in iTunes.

And don’t forget to check out The Soul of Enterprise’s website, their VoiceAmerica internet radio page, and the VeraSage website for more great resources. (Note: You can keep your eyes posted on the VeraSage website for the next VeraSage Symposium, currently anticipated to be in late 2019 in Australia.)

Live Xero Advisor Certification

My colleague and friend Barrett Young and I taught the first non-Xero sponsored Live Advisor Certification on October 23 in Columbia, MD under the Maryland Association of CPA’s banner.

The MACPA location worked great, and we covered the basics any accountant/bookkeeper looking to start working on the advanced Xero platform needs to know: the Xero accountant tools, setting new Xero customer files, how to record everyday income and expense transactions, plus how to use Xero’s strong reporting tools.

I expect additional Live Certification opportunities to present themselves, and will keep you posted here!