A look at how US CPA firms are changing their business model to remain competitive in an ever-changing technological market

1. How are the
Americans Doing it?
2016 ICAS PRACTITIONERS’ CONFERENCE

2. Gabby Luoma, CPA, CGMA
• Owner of GMLCPA, PLLC
• Executive Committee member for AICPA Private Company Practice
Section (PCPS)
• Committee member and contributor of the AICPA Firm In-Motion
Tool Kit
• Been in practice since 2000
• Married with 2 daughters
• Cheer Mom
• Expert in Next Generation CPA firms
• Speaker on numerous practice management and development
topics including marketing, culture and virtual work environments
for CPA’s

3. Jason Deshayes, CPA, CGMA
• Partner with Butler and Company CPAs, PC
• Member of AICPA Governing Council
• Former Executive Committee member for AICPA
Private Company Practice Section (PCPS)
• Committee member and contributor of the AICPA
Firm In-Motion Tool Kit
• 2010 AICPA Leadership Academy grad
• Been in practice since 2003
• Wife and two sons
• Speaker on numerous practice management and
development topics

4. What we’re going to cover
 Today’s Office (or Lack Thereof)
 Hiring – Not Just Another Staff Accountant
 Retirement – Thinking About It Now for the Future
 Firm Culture – More Leading, Less Managing

5. Today’s Office (or Lack Thereof)
 Today’s CPAs are not looking for big sweeping offices
 Less space is needed as firms are going increasingly remote
 Flexible “open” hours
 Closed during off peak times
 Half days during Fridays
 Selective weekend hours

6. Hiring – Not Just Another Staff
Accountant
 Traditional firms fill staff roles with fresh college grads; replace
experienced roles as needed
 Today’s firms are looking for team members with experience
outside of public practice
 Tax and audit are not the only two options (increased
opportunity with CGMA)
 Not all employees work locally

7. Retirement – Thinking About It Now
for the Future
 Retirement from public accounting used to mean the day you
died at the desk (or when your partners got sick of you!)
 Defining a retirement process early on in the firm’s lifespan
 Sole proprietorships are developing practice continuity
agreements early (when owners are in their 30s, 40s, not 60s)
 Firm owners are looking at earl

8. Firm Culture – More Leading, Less
Managing
 Flattening of organizational charts
 Career lattices not ladders
 More flexibility in staffing (part time, remote, 2 for 1
replacements in key roles)
 ROWE (Results Only Work Environments)
 Service first, not hours
 Team collaboration vs. solo projects
 Not providing value and opportunity to staff means they leave
(this includes partners!)