Hear first-hand experiences on dealmaking from broker, Laurens Ball, on considerations for private equity buyers and finding the right fit. Whether selling your firm or looking to buy, finding the right cultural fit for your clients and team is key. When considering private equity deals it becomes paramount to consider the buyer’s background and industry knowledge to accurately assess whether or not it would work for you.

This podcast touched on:

• The key factors that help increase the number of potential buyers for an accounting firm.
• The importance of cultural fit for buyers and sellers.
• What to think about when considering a private equity buyer for your CPA practice.

Looking at the big picture and talking to as many buyers as possible can help you gain clarity and differentiate a “no” from a definite “yes”. Every deal is different and looking for a buyer who you would enjoy working with yourself can be a good indication that they would be a potential fit for your firm. Whether you are buying or selling–the right fit is everything!

Time Stamps: 

0:32 - Introduction of Laurens.

6:54 - The challenges that could accompany a private equity deal.

11:15 - What to consider if you are a buyer.

14:55 - What to keep in mind if you are selling.

• A seller’s guide to evaluating buyers: [https://poegroupadvisors.com/sellerguide/] 

17:28 - Pros and cons about the presence of private equity growing in the accounting space. 

Book Recommendations from Laurens: 

• Shoe Dog [https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910] 
• Atomic Habits [https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299] 

How can accountants leverage the power of marketing to grow their businesses? Brannon and Matt Banker of Marketing for Accounting Firms explore the key concepts to building a strong brand in the accounting space. If the prospect of expanding your marketing strategy has you stumped–this episode is for you!

Brannon was a guest on Blake Oliver’s The Accounting Podcast–a very special episode that we are sharing with you now. Blake interviewed Brannon on the key factors that go into assessing the valuation of a CPA firm, the differences between valuation on virtual firms and why cashflow to owner is key. 

How can you most effectively price and package your offerings to optimize staff retention and client satisfaction?

Matt Kanas, Managing Director at Ignition has dubbed 2024 the year of change in the accounting industry. We discussed what this change looks like and what the implications of it are for CPA firm owners. With his unique perspective servicing CPA firms from within the tech industry–this made for an exciting conversation.

CPA firm owner, entrepreneur and Xero ambassador Liz Mason, shared insights from starting her own virtual firm, High Rock Accounting, and using cloud-based accounting tools to find and successfully serve your niche. Her passion for entrepreneurship is contagious and makes this a conversation you don’t want to miss!

Since joining Poe Group as a Regional Market Leader, Darryl has been an integral part of the team. Listen in on our conversation discussing the ins and outs of guiding buyers and sellers through the transition process. Discover what makes for a smooth transition and why preparation is integral to the acquisition process. 

Join me in a conversation about the world of specialization with Catherine Tindall, founder of Dominion Enterprise Services.  Catherine’s area of expertise lies within her ability to craft precise credit and income tax planning strategies, particularly focused on the Employee Retention Credit (ERC).  In this episode, Catherine shares her rationale for choosing to specialize in ERC, including where her practice will head in a post-ERC world.  Together, we dive deep into the complex history of ERC, the future for professionals assisting in ERC, and the importance of understanding eligibility determinations for practitioners venturing into this specialty.

Contemplating the sale of your practice or firm?  Seasoned entrepreneur, Clay Blakely candidly shares how he grew his CPA practice and why he and his wife decided to sell.  Finding the right buyer is all about fit so we chatted about how Clay was able to establish what he wanted in a buyer and his motivation for a sale.  Of course, we can’t talk about selling an accounting firm without reflecting on Clay’s experience with transition.

Ready to grow your accounting firm?  Let’s listen to the wisdom shared by a seasoned entrepreneur, Meryl Johnston.  A Chartered Accountant, founder of Bean Ninjas, and Head of Accounting at TeamUp, Meryl brings a wealth of experience to the table.  Together, we chat about the power of niching down and the art of running a non-owner-centric business.  Meryl shares her entrepreneurial journey, transitioning from CEO to a part-time advisor role, noting the importance of sticking to your goals while growing a business, and ensuring your needs and life take precedence.

In this episode, I interview Geni Whitehouse, CPA, co-founder of Solve Services, and a Level 5 Advisor and Coach at www.TheImpactfulAdvisor.com. Geni is an advocate for unlocking the magic in numbers for business owners. Geni and I share a conversation about the current opportunities in advisory: Setting frameworks, showing accounting impact, and exploring niche services.

It’s time we talk tech. In this episode, I interview Jesse Rubenfeld, Founder and CEO of FinOptimal, and Tom Zehentner, Director of Growth.  We dive deep into the topic of automation including the three main characteristics of an automated process.

We were thrilled to have Andrea MacDonald, the founder and CEO of Pro Tax & Accounting LLC, on this episode of Accountant's Flight Plan Podcast. In addition to her wealth of expertise in managing micro businesses, Andrea shares her insights on the strategic process of acquiring an accounting firm. 

On this episode, I chat with Jason Blumer, one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting (Accounting Today) about the current state of the accounting industry.  Jason is the founder of Thirveal, CEO of Blumer & Associates, and co-host of 2 podcasts: Thrivecast and The Businessology Show.  He shares how he grew his cloud-based accounting firm over the past 20 years and why he became an advisor in the industry.

If you are ready to learn the mindset shift needed to start thinking about scaling challenges creatively, this is a great episode.  Geraldine Carter, coach to single-owner CPAs, joins me on this episode of Accountant’s Flight Plan and shares the mindset needed to bring your work week back to 40 hours.

Are you a firm owner who is considering selling your practice?  Or are you a potential buyer that’s looking to acquire your first business?  Then you do not want to miss the opportunity to learn how Patrick Dichter leveraged his non-CPA background to acquire and grow 3 CPA firms.  On this episode of Accountant’s Flight Plan, Patrick shares his top 4 reasons why CPA firm owners should consider a non-CPA buyer.  Brannon and Patrick even discuss both the bad and good surprises to expect as a buyer, with a non-traditional CPA background.  

Bill Cates, expert in acquiring new clients through referral, joins me to chat about building habits within your business to maximize referrals, and convert them into clients or even new staff!  Join this discussion to learn more about creating a perpetual revenue system, the power of asking questions, and result-producing strategies that build personable relationships.

This book has actionable practice management advice for all firm owners whether you are a CPA, EA, bookkeeper or general accountant.  With the lessons in our latest book, you’ll learn to build upon your firm’s success and make your firm more enjoyable for you and your staff or a future buyer. 

On this episode of Accountant’s Flight Plan, We interviewed Giles Pearson, former partner of PWC & co-founder of Accountests.  Giles shares how Accountests was developed as a solution to a gap in the hiring process for CPA’s.

Randy Crabtree, former general tax practice owner, and current specialty tax prep firm owner, discusses the impacts of burnout and how to avoid it!  Randy has experienced both the highs and lows of leadership and chats with us about maximizing your traits as an entrepreneur and growing employee morale.

How Ravi Patel purchased his accounting firm through Poe Group Advisors.

This was a great meeting of minds on practice management! We had Roger Knecht on the podcast discussing insights from his post secondary course for accounting professionals, Universal Accounting. 

This podcast touched on:

• Opportunities in the profession 
• Service offerings
• Staffing issues and solutions  
• What drives practice value and client retention 
• Improving time management and profits 

In this podcast, Jordan (of Troika) and I dive into what it means to be intentional about marketing as an accounting firm. Jordan takes a thoughtful approach that considers what a firm needs, and what would be most effective which is refreshing when most marketers say more, more, more. 

 We recently had productivity expert, Marcey Rader, on the Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast to chat with us about managing remote staff, healthy work from home boundaries and how to best work in that pesky email inbox!  

 Rob owns Guardian Financial and Gordian Staffing which places remote staff in Mexico who are fluent in English and college educated in Accounting firms across America. His goal is to help create capacity and lighten the burden of the staffing shortage.  

In this episode we dove into: 

1. How marketing and branding impact your practice 
2. Staffing and retention 
3. Jessica’s possible acquisition (I always love to hear about how people approach acquisitions.)
4. Vacation! (Jessica is the reason we have our book The Unplugged Vacation)