How to Build a CPA Firm That Attracts Buyers with Brannon Poe Artwork

The Modern CPA Success Show

Are you the owner of an accounting firm? Do you want to make your firm more profitable? Are you interested in providing Virtual CFO services to clients?Dedicated to perfecting Virtual CFO Services since our inception in 2002, Summit CPA Group, now Summit Virtual CFO Services by Anders, serves as Virtual CFOs for over 100 clients throughout North America. While most accounting firms focus on the past, our Virtual CFO team focuses on the future. This podcast seeks to help accounting firm owners like you learn how to provide successful Virtual CFO Services and become profitable. Tune in bi-weekly as our hosts Tom Wadelton, Virtual CFO, and Adam Hale, Partner at Anders CPAs + Advisors, interview industry-leading experts to share knowledge, as well as Adam’s experience acquired from more than 20 years as the lead provider of Virtual CFO services in North America. We'll answer some of the most common questions like how do I provide accounting services virtually? What's it like running a distributed team? And much, much more.

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The Modern CPA Success Show

How to Build a CPA Firm That Attracts Buyers with Brannon Poe

August 18, 2026 • Summit Virtual CFO by Anders

0:00 | 51:50

Most CPA firm owners know their revenue. Far fewer know how a buyer would value the business behind it.

Brannon Poe, founder of Poe Group Advisors, joins Tom Wadelton and Adam Hale to break down the factors that make an accounting practice more attractive to buyers. After working on hundreds of CPA firm sales and acquisitions, Brannon has seen which operational decisions strengthen value and which ones create risk during a transition. He explains why profitability and owner dependency are the two metrics firm owners should watch most closely. He also shares why virtual firms can attract a wider buyer pool, why headline offers can be misleading, how niches and technology influence value only when they improve results, and what owner hours reveal about the strength of the team. Tune in now and hear insights that shift the way you think about building a firm that's ready to sell. ▶️How to Build a CPA Firm That Attracts Buyers with Brannon Poe.

Episode resources:

● Website: https://anderscpa.com/

● If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at mcpasuccessshow@anderscpa.com

● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course:

https://anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-services/vcfo-playbook/

● Explore Poe Group Advisors: https://poegroupadvisors.com/

● Email Poe Group Advisors: info@poegroupadvisors.com

Quotes

Brannon Poe: “The things that you can control are the profitability of the practice and the owner dependency.”
Adam Hale: “It is about creating that competitive market, not just for the best price, but the best fit.”

Brannon Poe founded Poe Group Advisors and has been guiding accounting practice transitions since 2003. He pioneered the firm's consulting-based approach, now known as The Seamless Succession™. He began his career as an auditor at Ernst & Young, then spent several years in auditing and tax preparation at the regional firm Elliott, Davis & Company, before becoming a shareholder in a family-owned business and a founding shareholder in a manufacturing startup.

He's the author of "Accountant's Flight Plan: Best Practices for Today's Firms" (published by the AICPA and CPA Canada) and "How to Prepare Your CPA Firm for Sale," among other books. He speaks regularly at national and regional accounting conferences and hosts The Accountant's Flight Plan Podcast.

Brannon Poe, has been helping accounting firm owners navigate major transitions since 2003, pioneering the firm's consulting-based approach known as The Seamless Succession™. Visit poegroupadvisors.com to learn more, email him at info@poegroupadvisors.com, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Learn More About Poe Group Advisors:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poegroup/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoeGroupAdvisors/#

X: https://x.com/poegroupadvisor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCniu-SWqezXDabYtGMXK9Iw

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/poe-group-advisors/

The Modern CPA Success Show is the go-to podcast for accounting firm owners eager to enhance profitability and master Virtual CFO services. This podcast leverages combined expertise in delivering top-tier Virtual CFO services across North America.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458888

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndersCPA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anders-cpa/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anderscpa/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@andersvcfo

Tom Wadelton is a Virtual CFO at Anders, bringing over 20 years of financial expertise from his tenure at a Fortune 500 company. He has extensive experience spanning financial management, accounting operations, and information technology integration. Tom specializes in delivering strategic Virtual CFO services, helping businesses optimize their financial performance through advanced accounting solutions.

Website: https://anderscpa.com/about/your-anders-team/#thomas-d-wadelton

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwadelton/

Adam Hale, CPA, is a Partner and Managing Director of Advisory at Anders, dedicated to transforming traditional accounting practices through innovative Virtual CFO services. With over 20 years in public accounting, Adam has been instrumental in the ideation and development of CPA training courses.

Website: https://anderscpa.com/about/your-anders-team/#adam-hale

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhalecpa/